SANORA has implemented a new safety and information system, developed in Australia, to be used on the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship.RallySafe was first used on the recent Nkomazi 450 in Mpumalanga, and was a hit with race officials and competitors alike. The system offers a wide range of benefits that include safety, interactive communication between vehicles and race control, tracking, scoring and assistance with event management.
“RallySafe is first and foremost a safety system but incorporates numerous other features to assist race organisers and allows enthusiasts worldwide to follow events via the mobile app,” said Siegfried Rousseau, chief executive officer of SANORA. “The safety of our competitors is paramount and this is a system that ticks all the boxes.
“Apart from the safety aspect, the system facilitates other benefits for race organisers in terms of tracking, scoring and timing functions and general event management.”
RallySafe allows race officials to instantly track every car over every inch of the route. Whenever a vehicle comes to a halt race control is notified and decontrols, speed restriction zones and stops can be set with race officials accurately monitoring any transgressions.
An ‘impact warning’ feature is a major safety factor built into the system. When a vehicle comes to a sudden stop and a predetermined g-force limit is exceeded, an SOS alarm is sent to race control and competitors can communicate whether they need medical assistance or mechanical help.
RallySafe will also warn approaching competitors of the stationary vehicle including the distance to the car that has stopped.
An additional safety measure built into RallySafe sends a ‘pass request’ to competitors who are about to be overtaken. The vehicle in front will be shown the vehicle number and distance of the chasing car.
Timing functions at the start and finish of races, decontrols and the Parc Ferme are also streamlined with savings in manpower. The monitoring of speeds in controlled areas and competitor stops at required points are also recorded.
“The results on the Nkomazi 450 were more than highly encouraging,” said Rousseau. “By the time we come to the end of the season both race officials and competitors should feel completely at home with the system.
“The feedback from competitors was very favourable, and the general consensus of opinion is that if the technology is there why not use it for the benefit of our sport.”
The RallySafe system is also a boon for service crew, spectators and cross country enthusiasts. A free application for Apple and Android devices allows service crews, spectators and cross country enthusiasts from anywhere in the world to follow races with detailed maps and information on the position of individual cars, timing and results.
South African champion Rob Howie said from a competitor’s point of view the most important aspect of the system was safety. If there was an incident, or a vehicle had come to a standstill, race control was immediately advised and an alert sent to approaching vehicles.
“Overtaking is an important part of racing,” Howie said, “but competitors are often held up by slower traffic that is not aware of the proximity of the competitor behind. The ‘push to pass’ facility should go a long way towards alleviating this problem.”
Sandra Labuscagne who has twice this year competed overseas said the RallySafe system compared favourably to similar systems she had used in FIA Cross Country World Cup events. She added it was a great initiative by SANORA and, for her as a competitor the system was just as crucial as safety belts, helmets and Hans devices.
“Our service crew and spectators who we spoke to also enjoyed the application and commented they felt a part off the action.”
The penultimate round of the Donaldson series, the Sun City 450, will be run on September 30 and October 1. Race headquarters, the start/finish and designated service park will all be located at the Sun City complex with public access to these areas, and spectator points along the route free of charge.