Average speed
Also: Set average, Target speed, Average
The set average speed in km/h that you are asked to hold over a section.
The average speed is the speed the organiser sets for a section. It is the most important number in a regularity test.
Average is not your speedometer
An average of 40 km/h does not mean you drive at 40 the whole time. You slow down for a bend and make up the time afterwards. What matters is that you average 40 and pass every timing point at the right moment.
The basic formula
Time = distance ÷ average speed. It is easiest to work in seconds per kilometre:
- 3600 ÷ average speed = seconds per kilometre
- At 40 km/h that is 90 seconds per kilometre
- At 48 km/h it is 75 seconds per kilometre
For 6.2 km at 48 km/h you get 6.2 × 75 = 465 seconds, or 7:45 minutes. That is your target time.
On the road
To know whether you are early or late, you need an accurate odometer and a running clock. The rest is mental maths, an average speed table or a rally computer. The guide walks through the calculations in detail.