• What do you do when you pass a stuck competitor at the start of the rally vs the end of the rally?
>>> Can't think of a scenario where it makes a difference whether it's the start of the rally or the end of the rally. If you are able to and willing to pull them out, SAFELY, then do so. If not, then have the co-driver mark the location of the car on stage (instruction / mileage / notable landmark etc.) and report location of stuck car to finish control worker.
Note: a 'stuck competitor' is different from a competitor who has had an off. If the competitors have had an off, but are displaying 'OK' signs, and the car does not present a danger to oncoming competitors e.g. car upside down across the middle of the road, then proceed as above: continue to end of stage, and report location to finish control workers. If no competitors are seen / no 'OK' sign is displayed / 'red cross' sign is displayed, that is a red cross situation, and you must stop and render assistance. Both you and your co-driver should be familiar with red cross procedures. If not, please read up on that section in the rulebook. At many rallies, the organizers will go over red cross procedures at the driver's meeting and/or in the supps, incl. any particular details for that event e.g. emergency contact numbers etc.
• What do you do when you car catches on fire?
>>> Stop as quickly as necessary, if danger is severe. Your own safety is paramount. Communicate to one another that you are planning to stop, and plan of action e.g. who is going to grab which fire extinguisher / which door you are going to get out of if one side is on fire etc. If danger is not immediately severe, try to pull over in a clearing where the likelihood of something else catching fire as well is minimized. A likely scenario is the fire is in the engine bay e.g. oil line comes off and sprays hot oil all over hot turbo or headers. At first, do NOT open the hood. Opening the hood can give the fire more air, and cause it to flare up. Try to see where the source of fire is and spray through the radiator or hood scoop etc. to get to the source before opening the hood. If the fire subsides somewhat or doesn't seem to get worse, you could cautiously try to open the hood. This would totally be at your own risk, and would be a judgement call based on the current state of the fire, the number of fire extinguishers you have on hand, your estimate of how difficult you think it would be to put the fire out etc. I have seen cases where once an engine catches on fire, it simply won't be extinguished using just a couple of 5 lbs. extinguishers, it's gonna need professional response i.e. firefighters or it's simply going to burn to the ground. At that point, all you can do is maintain a safe distance, and if it's possible for the next competitor to get past to notify the next radio control point then they should do so. Never go backwards on stage towards oncoming rally traffic on a hot stage. For the above to go as smoothly as possible, it's best to identify ahead of time, from the route book, where the radio control workers are stationed; and if it's the first time riding with a new co-driver, let them know where the fire extinguishers are, and have a rough plan of who is going to grab which extinguisher etc. Of course, the plan may need to be adapted depending on the situation, but it's worth having a basic plan outlined.
• What do you do when you notice when a timing error puts you behind another competitor in the dust vs being first on the road (this one actually happened to me)?
>>> Notify the next control worker you see. Explain the situation to them, especially if it could be a safety issue e.g. fast competitor in fast car now positioned at back of pack, and ask them to rectify the situation. If they are unable to, or you are unhappy with the solution, ask them to make a note of it in their logs, and file a protest when you next get a chance.