Off-Roading: The Sport : New BMW 2009

Off-Roading: The Sport
by Andrew Hillman

A rally driving experience can be your thrill of a lifetime if you take the chance to do it sometime. Sure, driving the kids to school, going to the supermarket and driving to work are a part of daily life but there are all sorts of off road driving escapades waiting to be explored. Off road driving or rally driving, is driving on unpaved, raw roads such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural environments. It involves driving a highly specialized automobile such as a four-wheel drive or an all terrain vehicle through such natural surroundings. Rally driving is a sport which has become quite popular with people who are looking for a high adrenaline filled, recreational pursuit.
Off-roading first emerged in the early 20th century, and actually materialized as a television show on ABC. It quickly became so popular that it was named a full-fledged sport. The amateur off-road drivers of the 1950's were paid next to nothing for participating in the sport. Then, in 1960 Eric Carlsson became the world's first rally driving celebrity. The Nordics dominated rally driving in the 1970's. Today, the World Rally Championship caters to almost all the continents.
Off road driving is also known as "autocross" in the UK. Many people believe rally driving is all about speed, but it entails skill as well. However, rally driving emphasizes a driver's handling of his/her vehicle as well as his/her skill in navigating tricky spots or speeds. Of all the motorsports you can get involved in, off roading is the most affordable and inexpensive. It caters to the middle class as well as the elite. It has become a lucrative business for car manufacturers too, as they are able to show off their products in rally driving competitions or other off-road events. Races test vehicle performance, reliability, and safety for consumer approval.
There are two types of major rally driving experiences: stage and road rallies. Stage rallies are basically the more professional branch of racing that uses direct speed and stretches of roads that are closed off from urban traffic. Drivers must be able to negotiate such surfaces and environments as forest trails, snow, sand, asphalt, and mountain passes. This type of rally driving experience is mainly popular in Europe, Asia and Australia. Drivers with accuracy and navigational skills often win stage rallies. Road rallies are the original form of rally driving, and are known sometimes as the "time-speed-distance rally." The earlier road rally races were known as trials and some of the races are still known as trials today. Road rallies cover all types of surfaces across the world and you never know where and when they will hold a race. This keeps each road rally driving experience exciting and captivating for the drivers as well as their audience and fans. Rally driving experiences are very popular among common people such as motor clubs and individuals who are fans of motor sports.
Now you can stop living your road rally dreams on video games and bring them to life! If you think this is something you've always wanted to try, then go ahead and give it a go. Most find that rally driving is an experience worth having at least once in their lives.