2024 Alcan Regulations

  Draft 2, 11/15/2023

ENTRY & FEES

  1. Entry fee is $3800 for one auto & two drivers.  When confirmed you'll receive a Square invoice for $300 deposit payable by credit card, ACH, or check payable to Alcan Rally.
  2. The additional fee for a third driver is $1000 double occupancy. Young passengers are $100 if rooming with parents.
  3. Entry will close January 14, 2024 unless field is declared full earlier.
  4. We'll send Square invoices for $3500 balance in December 2023.  Payment in full is required by January 6, 2024 and any unpaid team will be dropped January 15.  As rooms are guaranteed or prepaid a 10% penalty will be retained for cancellations after January 21, and no refund can be made once a team has left the start line.
  5. A total of 40 vehicles are expected. The organizers reserve the right to refuse any entry without providing reasons, and assign vehicle numbers as they see fit.
  6. Lodging has been arranged in advance.  The entry fee includes 10 nights prepaid accommodations (double occupancy), plus receptions and banquets.

DOCUMENTATION & ELIGIBILITY

  1. The rally is open to the general public. Minimum age is 21 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  2. Teams must attend February 20 driver orientation, and sign liability releases before participation is allowed.
  3. Entrants must present valid driver's licenses, vehicle registration, and proof of vehicle liability insurance.  Note: Canadian law requires proof of insurance be carried at all times.  Entrants also need a passport for border crossings.
  4. Drivers may be changed or added during the event if documented with event organizers. Trading drivers among vehicles is allowed on transit sections, but trades on a TSD must be approved.  (This is common for press, but not if it offered scoring advantage.)
  5. Except in an emergency, no passengers are allowed unless they have been registered.

SCRUTINEERING & VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY

  1. All vehicles shall be road legal and licensed in strict compliance with regulations of its state or country of registration.
  2. All lights must dip to low beam with a single switch.
  3. A vehicle may be excluded from the rally at any point due to unsafe condition or actions of the occupants. This includes violations of these rules, multiple citations, and acts that endanger the public or discredit this event.
  4. Any participant cited for reckless driving will placed in touring class or not allowed to drive.
  5. GPS mapping (including street names & speed) is allowed in all vehicles. 
  6. As mileage is important to staying on course a basic GPS odometer application is allowed in all vehicles.
  7. Advanced GPS applications such as Richta Rally Computer and Rabbit Rally are allowed in Unlimited Class only.
  8. Laptops are allowed, but only Unlimited class may use one on TSDs.  SOP vehicles may use Android or iOS phones & tablets to display allowed Richta and basic GPS apps.
  9. Words like "Race" or "Racing" are discouraged on team wear or vehicle decals.  These may be allowed on manufacturer provided goods & products or teams with documented history, please ask in advance if you're not sure.
  10. Vehicles must be equipped with OEM seat belts for all as a minimum.
  11. A roll bar is required in soft top vehicles.
  12. A "business band" radio that receives & transmits on 151.625 Mhz is required (see RADIO & COMMUNICATIONS).
  13. A ZOLEO, SPOT, or inReach GPS tracking device is required in each vehicle.
  14. A maximum of four additional forward facing lights are allowed, and forward facing roof mounted lights are prohibited
  15. Studded tires are allowed, but only with standard road-legal studs in OEM moulded holes. Custom tire modification is prohibited, and teams are limited to the use of six tires except to replace a failure.  Per Canadian law, tires MUST have a "3 peak" winter rating.
  16. A tow strap, 5BC minimum fire extinguisher and highway flares or DOT triangles are required.
  17. No fuel cans are allowed inside a vehicle, and additional fuel tanks must be an OEM or otherwise certified installation. Secured fuel carriers are allowed in a truck bed, or secured to the rear bumper, hitch, or roof of any vehicle.
  18. Each vehicle must carry emergency water & food, plus sleeping bag or heavy clothing for each occupant.
  19. Vehicle modifications are discouraged, and any increase from OEM tire width and suspension height is strongly discouraged.  Narrower tires are better in winter!
  20. A vehicle may be excluded from the rally at any point due to unsafe condition or actions of the occupants.  (This includes violations of these rules, citations, reckless driving, and acts that endanger the public or discredit the event).
  21. A "buddy system" is required.  This means entrants must declare driving partners (groups of 2 or 3 vehicles) before the event start, and keep track of each other throughout each day. Buddies do not have to stay behind for non-emergency problems, just notify an event official soon as possible.

CLASSES  (Must declare by February 21)

AWARDS

SERVICE & VEHICLE REPAIRS

No service crews are allowed during the event.  Prearranged help is allowed only at facilities available to all.

STARTING ORDER

Vehicles will be started at 1 minute intervals in numerical order. As the event uses a "perfect time" format they will be due in this sequence and interval throughout: The route instructions include the perfect time for "car #0" at the start and finish of every section. Each vehicle is in turn due at this time plus the number of minutes given by their assigned number.

ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. All instructions are supplemented by an official mileage, which will take precedence. If a sign or reference is missing, use the mileage.
  2. In the absence of a route instruction, the obvious main road should be followed. Redundant instructions may be used to clarify the main road.
  3. All roads used are public, through roads unless otherwise indicated in the route book.
  4. There are no course following traps on this rally!

DEFINITION OF SECTIONS

TRANSIT: A time and mileage will be given only for the start and finish of a Transit. These are touring sections, and competitors may proceed at their own pace as long as they enter noted controls at the correct time.

TSD: In these "Regularity" sections teams must maintain average speeds shown in the route book. A time and mileage will be given for the start and finish of a TSD and controls may be at any point within. Practice is not allowed and vehicles entering a TSD before set opening time may be penalized.

CONTROLS & TIMING

PENALTIES

ICE RACE: Each vehicle will receive .1 point per tenth of a second slower than the fastest in it's "category". (Used for Ice Race scoring only, these categories are 2WD, 4WD without studded tires, and 4WD with studded tires. If there is only one entry in a category, for successfully completing all runs they will receive an ice race score equal to the overall ice race winner).  Maximum penalty is 5 points for each of 2 scored runs, calculated by comparing first the best run for each vehicle, then all "second best" runs.

SCORING 
Alcan will use Richta GPS Checkpoints.  To be scored you must load Richta's Competitor app on an Android or IOS phone or tablet.  For setup and use please see https://www.alcan5000.com/pdf/AlcanRichtaSetup.pdf

NO FAULT SCORING
No scoring queries will be considered unless there is an obvious control error or they describe a situation common to a number of vehicles. Each team will have their worst TSD control score subtracted at the end of days #1 # 2 while learning format, but must adopt Richta Time Decs to address future delays.

FORCE MAJEURE & FORCE HOMME

* Once official cars enter a section it is considered open and will be scored barring an accident or safety problem. No control will be scored, however, if less than 20% of the vehicles still competing are able to reach that control on time. 
* To eliminate pressure for illegal behavior, additional allowance will be made for delay due to official action such as construction or road closure. If less than 80% of all vehicles still competing are able to arrive on time at a subsequent control due to such delay that control will not be scored.

QUERIES & PROTESTS

The organizers will attempt to deal promptly and fairly with any query received. These must be presented in writing the evening of such incident and will be answered by morning restart unless a meeting is arranged to investigate details.

RADIOS & COMMUNICATIONS

  1. An emergency VHF radio operating on 151.625 Mhz ("Red dot" frequency) is required of all.
  2. Radios are available for rent ($50) or purchase ($120) from the organizers, please reserve.
  3. CB radios will not substitute for VHF, and officials monitor only VHF & Ham.
  4. Licensed Hams are encouraged to bring their equipment, all official vehicles include Hams.
  5. No radio transmission is allowed near any TSD section except in an emergency.  (Monitoring 151.625 is encouraged at all times).
  6. RASC has an FCC license for 151.625 but Canada is not reciprocal.  This is strictly for emergency use in Canada, and may not conflict with local traffic.

GENERAL

  1. Maximum planned distance between fuel is 300 miles, but a range of 350 is encouraged.  Fuel is the final responsibility of the entrant, and any failure of advance arrangements is considered force majeure.
  2. The rally was measured with an Alfa odometer from the front axle of an AWD vehicle.
  3. Any situation not covered by these regulations will be ruled on at the discretion of the organizing committee.
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