rallyraid

Rally raid, also known as cross-country rally, is a form of motorsport that combines endurance racing with navigation across remote off-road terrain. Events typically span multiple days and cover hundreds to thousands of kilometers, with much of the route timed. Competitors must interpret a roadbook and, in many cases, GPS data to navigate while managing fatigue, vehicle reliability, and navigation accuracy. The winner is usually determined by the lowest cumulative time, with penalties for missed navigation, excessive repairs, or delays at service stops.

Participants race in several vehicle categories, including motorcycles, quads, cars, trucks, and side-by-side utility terrain vehicles. Cars and trucks often rely on a driver and a co-driver (navigator) to read the roadbook. Vehicle preparation ranges from production-based to extensively modified machines. Safety equipment, service logistics, and support crews are essential due to the remote routes and long durations.

Rally raids are held worldwide, with the Dakar Rally being the most famous. The event originated in 1977 as the Paris-Dakar and later moved to Africa and then the Middle East; it is now held in Saudi Arabia. Other notable rally raids include the Silk Way Rally, the Baja California races, Africa Eco Race, and the Rallye des Pharaons. These events may be sanctioned by the FIA and/or the FIM and may form parts of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies or the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Key features include navigation challenges, remote bivouacs, long desert or rough-terrain stages, and high attrition rates due to mechanical failures, navigation errors, or harsh conditions. The sport emphasizes reliability, strategy, and rugged off-road driving.