What Is a Recce Car? And what is Recce?
Before the Subaru Motorsports USA drivers can pilot their Subaru ARA24 Open Class Rally Cars through the stages at speed on race day, another specialty Subaru WRX comes into the equation: The recce car.
A recce car is a standard or lightly modified vehicle used by rally teams during the reconnaissance phase before the competition. Recce cars – short for reconnaissance – are typically designed to handle the same terrain as the rally stages but at lower speeds.
In the case of the Subaru Motorsports USA team, recce cars are a pair of modified 2024 Subaru WRXs.
The recce phase allows the team to survey the rally stages before the race begins, familiarizing themselves with the terrain as every rally stage is unique, featuring a mix of gravel, tarmac, mud, snow, or sand. They use this time to create their pace notes—the detailed instructions that guide the driver through the course and that are crucial to a rally team’s success.
In N. America, most events allow for one or two days of recce. Drivers are typically allowed two passes through a stage with a strict speed limit of 25-35 miles an hour.
First Pass: the driver dictates notes to their co-driver using their own system of terminology and numbering. Second Pass: The co-driver reads the notes back and the driver makes any changes they feel necessary.
After the second pass, the team returns to their hotel rooms and starts the long process of reviewing the day’s footage. In order to get the most consistent notes and allow drivers to fully commit, drivers use the same recce car for every rally.
The Role of Recce Cars in Rally Racing
Adaptation to Weather Conditions
Teams use the recce car to assess how weather conditions—such as rain, snow, or fog—affect the course. This knowledge helps in choosing the right tires and adjusting the strategy for race day.
Creating Pace Notes
These notes are later used during the race to inform the driver of what lies ahead, allowing them to maintain optimal speed without directly seeing the road conditions.
Understanding Terrain
A recce car enables the team to assess the grip levels, gradients, and potential risks of the course. This understanding is vital for setting up the rally car’s suspension, tires, and other mechanical systems.
Safety Planning
Rally stages often traverse remote areas, and emergency services may not be immediately accessible. The recce phase allows teams to identify escape routes, hazardous zones, and areas where extra caution is required.
Modifications
While there are many differences between recce and rally cars, at their core they are similar – to a point. This allows drivers to make their notes in a very similar cockpit to the one in which they will be racing, and to know where the corners of their rally car will be when making a specific line choice.
Recce cars share some features with rally cars but are optimized for comfort and durability during prolonged use at slower speeds. Key features include:
- Gearbox: Automatic or CVT transmissions allow drivers to focus on driving and creating their notes without worrying about shifting gears. It also helps the drivers to keep a constant speed which aids in note consistency.
- Steering Wheel: Many drivers tape their steering wheels with markings that correspond to their own note system, giving them a consistent gauge for the severity of each corner.
- Armor / Protection: Each recce car is equipped with a robust sump guard – a.k.a skid plate – and other underbody protection like suspension guards to prevent damage. These protect the car and keep it moving from the inevitable encounter with a rock, tree stump or flying gravel.
- Wheels and Tire Package: Sparco All-Terrain Gravel wheels wrapped in Yokohama Geolandar CV45 tires also provide a certain amount of protection. If you can feel it in a recce car at 25MPH, it’s likely best to avoid it in a rally car near 100MPH.
- Comfort & Safety: Coolers with water & food, a first-aid kit, fire extinguishers, and two full sized spare tires round out the comfort & safety package.
- Communication Devices & Navigation: An intercom and headsets cut noise from the car and the road and enable clear communication between driver and co-driver; a set of rally computers – high tech GPS-equipped devices that act as odometers, stopwatches, clocks and other information – keep the team up to date on data at all time. And action cameras record their recce session for detailed review later in the evening are also in the car. Cars are also equipped with cell phone boosters and satellite communicators to keep the team as connected as possible in case any problems come up during their reconnaissance.
By enabling teams to gather crucial data, anticipate challenges, and refine their strategies, recce cars ensure that rally drivers can push their limits with confidence on race day. Without them, the level of precision and performance seen in modern rallying would be unattainable.
While our recce cars may appear to be stock 2024 Subaru WRXs from the outside, a series of specifically chosen modifications have been made to each. Be sure to take an up close look next time you see one at an event – they’re more specialized than you might have thought!
