Pace Notes

Pace notes are a detailed written description of a rally course that the co-driver reads aloud to the driver during a race, telling them what corners, jumps, and hazards are coming up on the road ahead.

In rally racing, drivers speed through roads they often can't see clearly because of dust, darkness, or the sheer speed they're traveling. Unlike circuit racing where drivers learn the track through repeated laps, rally drivers race on public roads or forest tracks that change with each event. This is where pace notes become essential—they're like a GPS navigation system, but much more detailed and personalized.

Before the actual rally begins, the driver and co-driver participate in what's called a "recce" or reconnaissance session. During this time, they drive through the course at normal speeds, and the driver calls out observations while the co-driver writes everything down. They describe every turn, every bump, every potential danger spot. This process might happen multiple times until they have notes they're completely confident in.

The notes themselves use a special shorthand system to keep them brief and clear. For example, turns are usually rated on a numbered scale—a "1" might mean a very tight hairpin turn where you need to slow down significantly, while a "6" could mean a gentle bend you can take at full speed. The co-driver will say things like "left 3" or "right 2" to describe the direction and severity of upcoming corners.

Distance measurements are crucial in pace notes. The co-driver tells the driver how far it is until the next feature, usually in meters. So you might hear "100 right 4, 50 left 2 tightens," meaning there's a gentle right turn in 100 meters, followed 50 meters later by a sharper left turn that gets tighter as you go through it.

Beyond turns, pace notes include warnings about road features like crests (where the road goes over a hill), jumps, dips, and surface changes. They might warn "don't cut" if cutting a corner would put the car into a ditch, or "caution" before particularly dangerous sections. This information helps the driver prepare their speed and positioning before they can even see what's ahead.

During the rally, timing is everything. The co-driver must read the notes at exactly the right moment—not so early that the driver forgets, but not so late that they can't react. This requires intense concentration and perfect teamwork between driver and co-driver. A mistake in reading pace notes, or notes that aren't accurate, can lead to crashes or lost time.

While there are common systems for creating pace notes, many professional teams develop their own personalized notation that works best for their communication style. What matters most is that both driver and co-driver understand the system perfectly and trust each other completely. In rally racing, pace notes aren't just helpful—they're absolutely essential for competitive and safe driving.