Events, or lack of...

I've been sitting here reading threads and getting motivated to spectate and eventually attend a local event, but have noticed a serious lack of events to go watch.
Coming from road race background (stop laughing), we always have track days and test and tunes through out the warm months then winter sets in and they stop till spring, but this rally stuff has huge gaps between events and no 'play time' in between to go out and practice (legally).
Am I missing something? Is there a secret group of rally-x events to go raise my heart rate?

Al,
Seattle

impfected Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been sitting here reading threads and getting
> motivated to spectate and eventually attend a
> local event, but have noticed a serious lack of
> events to go watch.
> Coming from road race background (stop laughing),
> we always have track days and test and tunes
> through out the warm months then winter sets in
> and they stop till spring, but this rally stuff
> has huge gaps between events and no 'play time' in
> between to go out and practice (legally).
> Am I missing something? Is there a secret group of
> rally-x events to go raise my heart rate?
>
> Al,
> Seattle

Hi Al,

Come up to BC for Mt. Trials in Merritt, on the weekend of June 12th / 13th.

http://www.rallybc.com/MtTrials/2009/2009mountain_trials.htm

You could even volunteer the event and have your accomodations paid for :

http://www.rallybc.com/wcra/sss/survey.php

It's a well organized event !

impfected Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been sitting here reading threads and getting
> motivated to spectate and eventually attend a
> local event, but have noticed a serious lack of
> events to go watch.
> Coming from road race background (stop laughing),
> we always have track days and test and tunes
> through out the warm months then winter sets in
> and they stop till spring, but this rally stuff
> has huge gaps between events and no 'play time' in
> between to go out and practice (legally).
> Am I missing something? Is there a secret group of
> rally-x events to go raise my heart rate?
>
> Al,
> Seattle

Nope, no big secrets. Small competitor base, large insurance costs, no fixed venue all add up to what you are seeing. We've had DooWop, Olympus and Oregon Trail weekends all about a month apart. Roughly $1500-2000 for a weekend per car in total costs (excluding car prep and repair) and we are seeing low turn out from having too many events. There are only a couple of RallyXs scheduled this year in Washington not sure why the low number usually we have 4 or 5 anyway. May be organizer burn out.

impfected Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been sitting here reading threads and getting
> motivated to spectate and eventually attend a
> local event, but have noticed a serious lack of
> events to go watch.
> Coming from road race background (stop laughing),
> we always have track days and test and tunes
> through out the warm months then winter sets in
> and they stop till spring, but this rally stuff
> has huge gaps between events and no 'play time' in
> between to go out and practice (legally).
> Am I missing something? Is there a secret group of
> rally-x events to go raise my heart rate?

This is probably one of the more active areas of the country for rally. There are three rallies in WA, two in Oregon and two in BC. ORG and PRG put on rallyXs as does Formula RallyX up here, but there doesn't seem to be as many this year as in the past.

I have been involved with a few rallies and they are a lot of work to put on. Plus, you have to find roads, which has been hard in recent years.

I think the Pacific Northwest has a good thing going, relatively speaking. So does Quebec. Ontario has some new regional events. Good for them.

I hope the economy turns back around sooner than later everywhere for all the rallyists!

---

Ted Mendham
www.rensport.net

The Ontario regional series this year has 7 events.

5 of which are "standalone", 2 of which are Brand new events for 2009.

2 of the 7 events are run in conjuntion with the CRC national events.


Good series with a bunch of new teams

---

Chris

How many rallies are in BC?

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Dazed_Driver Wrote:
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> How many rallies are in BC?
Two, both based out of Merritt BC.
There have been test days run out of Kelowna as well.

The Western Canada Rally Championship is 6 events, 3 in Calgary, 2 in Merritt and one in Edson AB. You catch 2 Canadian Nationals in that series. Calgary also hosts 2 or 3 test days a year and has had a strong rallycross (kinda) series as does Edmonton.
Add in TSD events for 'teamwork' training and I start loosing count.

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

interesting. Thanks

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

The event in Canada is out for me due to prior commitments. I wouldn't mind working an event. I know I owe the turn workers in the local race scene, karma and such. I co drove the T-bird in 07 in a old 122 that I ended up copiloting in 2 events in Mexico, but both of those were on Tarmac. I planned to take the season off racing/supporting a car this year as I've been active in vintage since 03. I need to get some nice camping in this year for the weekends! I may try and view the Idaho event later. That can count as camping.

Until recently I never realized how much more expensive rally is compared to other forms. I had always thought the vintage race scene was well financed, but other than the prep of the cars, the events are relatively cheap.Also the no contact and low impact nature of the evens keep the costs down.

Just out of curiosity, if someone was to have a location for a rallycross event, what kind of money and loopholes would this hypothetical person need to front/jump though to proceed? Do counties demand their pound of flesh? Do local neighbors have a foot to stand on when complaining?
I know the local Alfa club can rent the Bremerton track for a weekend day and charge $75 per head with around a 50 car attendance (so under 4K), Insurance and turn-workers included.

Thanks for indulging my curiosity...

There wuz gonna be a rallyx up here in Snohomish County recently, that got cancelled by the county because they decided that every acre of land in the county is wetland unless specifically defined (by them) otherwise.

---

Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

> Until recently I never realized how much more
> expensive rally is compared to other forms. I had
> always thought the vintage race scene was well
> financed, but other than the prep of the cars, the
> events are relatively cheap.Also the no contact
> and low impact nature of the evens keep the costs
> down.

Yeah it costs a lot more. Even if money was not an issue, it would be hard for most teams to compete in more events just because of the shear amount of work required to prep the cars in-between events.

It can be a lot of time in the shop, and you don't know if you need to book the time until after each event is done.

> Just out of curiosity, if someone was to have a
> location for a rallycross event, what kind of
> money and loopholes would this hypothetical person
> need to front/jump though to proceed? Do counties
> demand their pound of flesh? Do local neighbors
> have a foot to stand on when complaining?
> I know the local Alfa club can rent the Bremerton
> track for a weekend day and charge $75 per head
> with around a 50 car attendance (so under 4K),
> Insurance and turn-workers included.

It depends on a lot of things--you have to get the landowner permission for sure. May be a fee depending on venue, but many times is not. Helps to get community/neighbor buy-in for sure. May be able to do the first event, but is tougher to do additional ones if people complain. Sometimes there is zoning or wetlands issues.

The insurance costs for rally cross though SCCA is actually pretty low.

The biggest hurdle is just getting out there and making it happen.

Have any of the organisers considered proposing a "Green Initiative" after an event, such a tree planting or other benificial enviromental action.

A certain amount of $ from each entrance fee could be earmarked for a green cause to be used on the lands after the event is completed.

Just a thought.

Beleive it or not, there is a school of thought that such actions would be 'admitting' a huge eco-footprint and would be detrimental to the sport in the long run.
Some events I know of do take such initiatives. I believe Idaho is planning on buying carbon offsets* based on the impact of the event. (*I thin carbon offsets are a 'feel good' scam, but that's just me)

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

Morison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Beleive it or not, there is a school of thought
> that such actions would be 'admitting' a huge
> eco-footprint and would be detrimental to the
> sport in the long run.

I feel whether or not there's an "admission" that a huge eco-footprint exists, it's a no brainer.

Gravel roads + roads through forests + stage rally = eco-footprint

It's a matter of changing perceptions, that not all who compete in auto racing event's are in-different about the environment effects of such competions.

With the downfall of the auto industry, I've read that alot of people feel that the big 3 didn't listen to consumers for more efficient cars, electric technology, hybrids, etc.

There's a changing tide and with that changing tide comes increased puiblic perception and critism of gas guzzing race cars ripping up the forest.

I'm surprised that there isn't a "Low Carbon Class" in rally. This would help to show land owners, government, people, that -> Yes rally too cares about the environment and is making changes to fit with the times.