Also referred to as “navigator,” the co-driver sits beside the driver in the rally car. Depending on the type of rally, the co-driver is responsible for reading either stage notes or course notes to the driver. The co-driver does not take turns driving.

Sometimes rally drivers clip the inside of turns in the road to reduce total distance traveled and maintain higher speed through corners. At times, it can be unsafe to cut corners - hidden rocks, stumps, ditches - so it is not uncommon to hear a co-driver read “Don’t cut!” as part of the stage notes.

All four-wheel drive rally cars have three separate differentials or “diffs.” The purpose of a diff is to distribute engine power to the wheels. The center diff distributes power between the front and rear axles. The front and rear diffs distribute power between the left and right wheels. Diffs can be active, passive, mechanical or electrical.

A hairpin is a slow, 180 degree turn. On tight hairpins, you might see a rally driver utilize the handbrake to help rotate the car around the tight turn.

A leg refers to each part of the rally, separated by a fixed minimum stopping time. Typically each day of a rally is a different leg.

Notes are descriptions of the roads used in the rally. The co-driver calls the notes to the driver so the driver knows what to expect. In the Rally-America championship, the organizer provides each team with notes. However, in many rallies across the world, the driver and co-driver get to pre-run the rally roads at slow speeds in a street car in or [..]

Oversteering occurs when the car turns more than the driver expects.

An area where all competing rally cars must be parked and left alone. Typically used overnight or upon completion of the rally.

A flat tire.

When a driver and co-driver pre-run the competitive route at legal public speeds in a non-competition car, the term “recce” is used. The driver and co-driver use the recce to create their stage notes. Rally America does not currently conduct recce at events, due to time and budget constraints on teams.