Competitor Information
Get Involved: Volunteer
Volunteers are critical to the success of all ARA Events. From net control to stage workers, each event needs an army of people to pull off the best event possible. For more information on an event near you, reach out to an organizer near you, or register today to become a licensed volunteer.
What is Stage Rally
Real Cars. Real Roads. Stage Rally is a point-to-point race against the clock. Drivers and Co-Drivers work together in production-based vehicles to compete on closed public roads, called Special Stages. Day or night, teams tackle dirt, snow, gravel, or tarmac roads and obstacles like water crossings and huge jumps at incredible speeds. Seasoned Professionals compete alongside Weekend Warriors and press on, regardless of the challenge, to finish the event with the lowest time possible.
Sign Up for an event
Licensing
First you need an ARA license. ARA Licensing may be purchased on a single event basis or once for an entire season at a discounted rate. All competitors must hold a valid driver's license and be at least 18 years of age in good health. Licenses can be purchased by following the link.
NOTE: A Hard Card will only be sent to those license holders who select the non-digital license option during registration. Otherwise, you will be able to download your license directly from your confirmation e-mail. You may request a hard card by contacting the ARA.
Event Entry
The event entry fee includes event entry and American Rally Association event insurance, one single set of Jemba produced course notes at events that provide them, one set of service crew instructions, one service space at all service areas is equivalent to 24 feet by 40 feet, and five tickets to the Awards Banquet. You may optionally purchase an additional clean set of notes, additional tickets to the Awards Banquet, or an oversize service space.
Contingency Programs
Every Partner of the American Rally Association offers either a Discount or Contingency Program. These programs exist to support the competitors, every competitor, who challenge ARA events. Available to both Regional and National level teams, ARA Contingency Programs give opportunities for discounts to those who perform well at all National-level ARA events.
Rules and Bulletins
Rules are what allow fair and safe competition throughout the country. The rule book for ARA is divided into several parts for easy reading, the General Competition Rules (GCR) detail the conduct of organizers and competitors, the Rally Competition Rules (RCR) define how rally events are run, and the Technical Rules make sure that competition vehicles are safe and meet the requirements of ARA competitive classes.
Bulletins are updates to the rule book that are applied throughout the season.
Novice Tips
Rally can be an intimidating challenge for an inexperienced driver, co-driver, or team. There are a lot of rules and steps to follow when preparing for your first event. So we've written down some our best tips and instructions for new rallyists. Check out these ARA Novice Tips before signing up for your first rally event. Also be sure to give these tips a read before beginning the build process if you're putting together a new car or bringing an older one up to modern spec.