I agree with Eric – we should allow “free” practice, but preferred with at least one other person. 30 minutes after coming races may be helpful for people like John and Marc who have to commute.
I ~kinda~ get the “realism” aspect of restricting practice to a minimum – but come on, we are not ruled by the SCCA or IMSA et al. The rally tack is not only a challenge itself, but we added complicating factors as compared to most of our Road races:
— Variable voltage – it takes several laps to see what power level works well with various motor and gear setups;
— Small-can, long-can, various RPM and torque specs; what’s best balance for speed and control?
— What gear-ratios and tires provide both speed, some drift and reliable cornering;
— Direction changes impact rhythm, throttle feathering and various other Muscle memory issues
Thus, I can see where we do not want to give an advantage to local members, vs. our remote Affiliates (John and Marc at least) – but trying to make the Rally a totally fresh challenge each time can be frustrating if someone is having trouble working out bugs with Setup, Voltage, Rhythm.
So – at the moment – I’m straddling the fence on the practice “rules”.
"... get on your bad motor scooter and ride!"
Sammy with Montrose