The history of rally driving

The history of rally driving dates back to the end of the 19th century. The first sanctioned race is believed to have been in Paris, France in 1894 and was sponsored by a French newspaper, The Le Petit Journal. The winners won the race based on the judgment of the observers who traveled with each driver.

Once the first event was held in Paris, the floodgates opened and road racing became commonplace throughout France and Europe. As rally racing became more popular and speeds began to rise to dangerous levels, steps were taken to begin racing on closed circuits.

Not many people know that the Tour de France was also an endurance test for cars. The Tour de France Rally ran from 1906 to 1937 and was one of the most popular rally races in the world. The most notable event of this era, however, was the Monte Carlo Rally, which began in 1911 and set the standard for the future of rally racing. The Monte Carlo Rally would become a regular event with the exception of dark periods during World War I and World War II. The Monte Carlo Rally remains one of the staples of the World Rally Championship (WRC) to this day.

Italy, Germany and England organized their own versions of the races. Italian rally racing began in 1895 and included rallies through the mountains and around the islands. Great Britain organized the 1000 Mile Trial, a 15-day rally that united all the cities. While Germany hosted rally races starting in 1906, including hill climbs and time trials.

In 1961 the beginnings of what has now become rally racing were established. The laws of Great Britain did not allow the closure of their roads, so they began to hold the races on the gravel forest roads. Other countries soon followed suit, but it wasn’t until 1973 that the World Rally Championship combined all rally events under one auspices.

The WRC now has a 13-race calendar that travels across Europe and includes a race in Mexico. All courses now traverse the back roads of the host countries and are tests of extreme endurance for rally cars and drivers. The WRC calendar takes drivers through the snow in winter to the extreme heat of summer.