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Chicago rallying holds to many precedents and conventions in its road rallying universe. Besides the ones mentioned already in the glossary and elsewhere, there are a few more that, when understood, make it easier to take on any rallye.

When Turn is used with another Action Word:

When an instruction reads: Turn Right, you are not required to TURN and then make a RIGHT, but instead just to turn right. Usually superfluous words are omitted in an instruction, (like the Turn here), but in many cases they are included.

Different Road names at Intersections:

There are many times when a road name changes at an intersection. Over the years many rallye teams have had their own interpretations of what this all means. In the last few years Chicagoland has more or less adhered to the SCCA method of determining road names, here are a few examples:

Assume you are headed up the road and you get to the crossroad in Example Z and you see a street sign to the left indicating Smith road and a street sign to the right indicating Jones. You would simply assume Jones is to the left and Smith to the right.

But now let's assume in Example Y that there is one sign indicating the two names on the right. In this case both road names should be assumed to go BOTH ways.

But let's go to Example X. In this case even though the sign is only on the right, the arrows indicate which way the road names apply, and thus you can consider Jones to the right and Smith to the Left.

Different Road Names at the intersection and premarking the intersection:

Sometimes you encounter a premarker for a road that has a different name than the name at the actual intersection. (see figure W). In these cases the standard (but not always applied) convention is to use the name of the road at the intersection, since it is closest to the actual road. However in many rallyes, the general instructions do not mention that you should use the closest physical evidence to the road. Thus you are left in a quandary, and sometimes you may be able to refer to the road as both names. Ask the rallymaster at each event what you should do when this happens.

Roads that end but not in cul de sacs -

Occasionally you will be able to turn down a road and not see the end of it. When you get there, there may be no cul-de-sac, and you may wonder what has happened. Usually this will not occur, but sometimes it does. If you are sure you are on the correct road, make a U turn at the end of that road as if it were a cul de sac and continue the course from there.

A road that obviously ends quite quickly that you can view from the intersection, does not exist. See example 130.

Illegal Entry Roads -

Illegal entry or illegal turns do not exist. This could include a "No left Turn" at certain times, or an intersection marked "Right Turn Only" (where you could not go left.) Or an intersection with a no left turn sign, where you could not go left, if you can't use it in rallying then it is not valid and therefore does not exist.

STOP SIGN and "Stop" -

The words ' Stop Sign' usually refer to an official highway Red and White octagonal sign with the word "stop on it, at which you are required to stop. The quoted "Stop" means any sign with the word Stop on it. (Because sign paragraphs vary widely, you should read each general instruction very carefully to determine proper uses).

Road prefixes and Suffixes -

A common phrase of general instructions is:

'The following prefixes to road names, North, South, East, West, Old, New, N, S, E and W, are irrelevant'.

Another common phrase is:

'street = avenue = road = boulevard = st = ave = lane, etc."

The usual purpose for these phrases is to make it easier to determine street names without worrying about compass headings on a sign or if the sign reads st, street, etc. However rallymasters in the general instructions some times try to put equivalencies into the mix for a gimmick (see Equivalencies in Example 39). The street = road = lane = avenue, etc., part also presumes that when you are told to turn on road; or streets beginning with the letter G should be considered nonexistent, that road refers to avenue, street, etc. and streets refers to avenue, road, etc.. See Figure 833.

Numbered Route Designations -

When an instruction identifies a numbered route by number and/or letter, it will not necessarily specify State, County, U.S. or Interstate. Route designating sign(s) can be either parallel, perpendicular or immediately prior to the road in which they identify, and must be used with the same intent of the erecting agency (unless otherwise specified) (see figure 570)

Looking at signs 1 through 6 - (some possibilities)

1 - could be referred to as Smith Avenue, Smith Lane, Smith

2 - could be referred to as Lewis Road, Leiws Street, Lewis Ave.

3 - Could be referred to as Grant, North Grant, N Grant,

4 - Could be referred to as Church, Church Street, Old Chruch

5 - Could be referred to as Harris, Harris Rd, Old North Harris,

6 - could be referred to as Jones, ones St, Jones Ave,

In all cases there are many more combinations. Usually rallyes will just refer to roads by their name (I.e. Jones, Smith, etc.)

Equivalencies (Example 39)

Read the following:

'Street=road=st=te=rd.'

You notice the TE in the mix, not a usual road designation. Let's assume you come to a street named ELA RD and the general instructions tell you to 'go right on Elate.' Since TE = Rd then Ela Rd = Elate.

In the generals you can find, sometimes things like, BR=HIGH and LIFE=IT. Thus, BRIT = High Life or BRLIFE or HIGHIT, and all the possible combinations.

When you see an equivalency be sure and highlight it, because it probably will be used.