Don’t call it a race.
That’s rule number one for Ralleye ‘Round the Capital, the second annual navigational driving event hosted by the Rally Association of Vancouver Island.
The event returns Saturday, Aug. 9, promising a unique kind of motorsport – one where precision trumps speed, and staying on time is more important than being first across the line.
“It’s a time-speed-distance rally (TSD),” said club president Michael Immel. “It’s not about going fast – it’s about going exactly the right speed for the right amount of time, and hitting your checkpoints just right.”
Drivers and their co-pilots – officially called navigators – will follow a secret route across Greater Victoria, receiving specific instructions like “travel 3.6 kilometres and turn right,” paired with exact target speeds. The team that follows directions the most accurately, not the fastest, comes out on top.
Last year’s inaugural rally drew 25 teams and saw cars winding through Metchosin.
This year, they're aiming for 30, and the route has changed – though the details remain a closely guarded secret to preserve the challenge.
All organizers will say is that it starts at 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot at the Westshore Town Centre, and ends around 4 p.m. at the White Spot in Langford.
“We don’t want to spoil it,” Immel laughed. “Part of the competition is interpreting the directions correctly. The driver focuses on the road, and the navigator makes sure they’re sticking to the instructions and the timing.”
The association itself is still in its early days. Formed just two years ago, the Rally Association of Vancouver Island is trying to make rallying more accessible without having to travel to the mainland.
“To get into stage rallying, you need to do a few other events first,” said Immel, who competed in his first stage rally in Merritt this year. “But going back and forth to the mainland was a huge hurdle. So we decided – why not bring rallying to the Island?”
With three beginner-friendly, all-paved events on the calendar this year, including one in Duncan this fall, the group is welcoming newcomers with open arms. All you need is a road-safe car, a safety triangle, and a friend willing to co-navigate.
“This is absolutely something you can try for the first time,” Immel said. “We’d rather you join in than sit on the side of the road watching. That’s not much fun when the cars are doing the speed limit.”
