Last tiem I went up 5 and it was almost 400 miles each way....its 100 miles above Sac which is a ways above monterey

 

I suppose if you take I-80 to get to Las Vegas that would be a long trip too.

5 doesn't go anywhere near Moterey, so I wouldn't be getting on 5 until getting off 505.
this way its 240 miles from Moterey to Willows

 

Well because of certain individuals need to stir up ****, this very well could have been the last- you see SFR is no longer going to be sanctioning rally cross because SOMEBODY decided that NASA would be a better organization to do it (despite their insurance being more expensive and NASA not having a captive venue) and pissed off all of the SCCA regional administration.

A much better tactic would have been to set up a championship independant of sanctioning body, so both groups could have had a shot at sanctioning, and the organizers would have had that choise, but the way it was handled pissed off SCCA so much, that if- for any reason NASA doesn't pan out there will be no more rally cross in N Cal. Period.

#1 is insurance, what's not to understand? if someone has a rollover and breaks their leg or worse, the organizer and the landowner almost certainly will be sued if they don't have event insurance to cover their liability.

#2 is a venue, and that is more than a plot of land, but that in itself is probably the biggest challenge around here- and not just any plot of land will do, it needs to be reasonable flat and clear of boulders and hazards. You also need to have a water truck, it helps to have a grader and some other heavy equipment to prepare and maintain the course.

#3 you need a timing system or rally clocks, SFR has two, but rally crossers can't have them because of the above mentioned political shennanigans.

#4 you need a crew of people to organize, promote and manage the event.

If you want to help organize an event on your friend's land, there are ways to make it happen, but right now its a bit unclear who you'll need to work with as everything is still somewhat up in the air.

No such luck. Altamont shut down Rallycross after that first event when the ownership changed.

By the way, if anyone on this board is working on the NASA rallycross program, you might want to touch base with the NASA Rallysport people- as so far they know nothing about what's been going on around here.

Despite what the NASA autocrossers might be promising, NASA's Rallysport is the only group that is supposed to be administering any rallycross under the NASA banner.

 

Megan and I have managed the RallyCross program for SFR for just about 4 years and it's time to retire. Retire not from racing - but from running the program. I tried for over a year to pass the torch to keep SFR alive and kicking but it didn't quite work out.

Other people have plans to continue a RallyCross program via NASA sanctioning, so hopefully we'll continue to see RallyCross in the Bay Area. They've already been in contact with NASA and are coordinating with SoCal RallyCross organizers who already sanction their events via NASA.

As far as their possible venues for next year, Antioch will be on the table since the event this year went fine. The new Altamont owners apparently want to bring RallyCross back (although they paved the infield, so I don't know what their thoughts are - maybe permit changes for their adjoining land - I have no idea). It sounds like there may also be a possibility next summer in Vallejo.

All of this aside, the simple fact that Thunderhill is so far away limits the vitality of RallyCross events there. AutoX works the same way with distant venues - the turnout at Marina can be 50% less (or more) than Golden Gate or Candlestick. Thunderhill has been great to us over the years though - the staff, affordable fees, and the hard packed clay. Still, with the low turnouts the math just doesn't work out - we haven't made annual positive cash flow at Thunderhill since 2004.

I really do appreciate everyone who has come out during the last several years. I've had a blast, and I hope people have enjoyed playing in the dirt. Hopefully we'll still meet next year at some new events.

 

Hey Kyle,

You entered in Rally Stock 4WD at Antioch and Rally Prepared 4WD at Thunderhill, so you points are split between those classes. Changing cars doesn't matter, but changing classes does.

 

i realize what the insurance is for, but how you go about getting it, and how much it costs. Thill had it already since they are a race track, but an empty field wont have any, and it will probly trickle down to $50+ dollars a rallycross.

people sadly get flown out of Hollister Hills in the LifeFlight helicopter all the time, so im sure they have the right insurance.

im guessing the water truck is rented for $200 a day or something? and tractor like $400 so that means you need at least 18 paying participants.

i have a feeling that the dumb americans are catching on that rally is better than nascar and this will all pan out. And Altamont and Hollister Hills would be the best place, along with Thill to make a monthly event.

And what makes Antioch so special? i mean there are places like that in almost every city around the bay. Was it the fairgrounds insurance that was used? It was a good event but im just wondering why there, and not in one of the other 10 fairgounds around the bay.

San Jose has had a dirtbike track inside of their farigrounds for a long time now, so maybe that will work out into something.

 

ah dammit i knew i shouldve signed up for stock. My car just has AGXs w pro kits, borla catback. I didnt know what classified me as modified, so i just signed up for it cuz i didnt want to be a cheater :/ haah oh well

 

no, you don't get insurance that cheap, you'd want at least a million dollars worth of coverage, and to get insurance for a motorsports event, you need to work with a company that does that and you will pretty much find it impossible if you aren't working through an organized sanctioning body like SCCA or NASA.
Even with their group rates and all those groups wind up paying more like $5-$15 per entrant in insurance premiums for events like this

They are very different in that they are a state run OHV park, yes people get hurt there and get life-flighted out, but somebody has to pay for that (probably in the neighborhood of $5000 -$10000 per incident).
People who bring their vehicles to an OHV park have a little better understanding that there are risks involved and they take responsibility for their well being, people entering an organized event tend to have higher expectations that those organizing the event have done their due diligence to make things safe.

guess all you want, but go to an equipment rental place sometime and you will find that stuff costs a LOT more....

here's one quote I found online

Water Truck with Driver
$85.00 Per Hour

consider where they have to come from and you see that alone can add up real fast

Americans are probably dumber than you give them credit for- and well, Altamont is right out, as is now Thunderhill, the only venue that seems to be open to hosting more events right now is Antioch.

Just make yourself a little project -try securing permission to hold a race at ANY of them......and let us know how that's coming along, m'kay?


Maybe, but it does take a bit of work and it helps to have someone, or a club or something to suck it up if you lose money.

 

So how did the Antioch event pass when it was within 20' of 6 houses as well as 20' away from a busy street, not to mention a sidewalk with kids walking by and getting smushed.

well when people roll their 4x4s and break theyre arm as it flings out the window, they dont go and press charges on HHills so wouldnt having an event there be less expensive? Cant we just have the entrants sign something that says they realize that on paper with a signature? once you pass the gate, you cant make HHills pay your medical bills when you get hurt.

i dont see what the difference between when you high-side your dirtbike on the track and break your arm or roll your car or truck and break your arm on the same land at HHills.

Why cant we go out there with a group of 20 cars and a stopwatch and post up the times on the internet, why does it have to be under any name? if someone crashes, oh well, youre within the gates of Hollister Hills and you paid your $5 to get in and you agreed to the risks of entering.

Thanks for answering my questions, im just hoping i spark an idea with anyone that reads this.

 

Hey I'm not trying to argue you down, I'm just sharing what I've learned in now almost 10 years of doing Rally stuff.

Nothing says you can't go to HH set up some cones and time your friends with a stopwatch, (although you should check in case they do have some rules in that regard, they might....) just like there's nothing that keeps me from inviting some friends along for a drive and camping trip in the mountains, I generally know the people I'm playing with and I trust that they will be responsible and decent about things should any mis-fortune occur.

On the other hand if you're trying to organize a bigger event, charging entry fees and needing to bring in enough entrants to cover your expenses, you'd damn well better have your *** covered because if someone does decide its your fault, they can and most likely will sue you for everything you own, and even if they lose the suit it's going to cost you a small fortune to fight it.

Waivers of liability only work if the people signing them do so in good faith, they aren't worth the paper they are printed on when someone takes you to civil court.

As for Antioch, you'd need to talk with soneone who worked out that deal.
I didn't, so I don't know what was promised, what fees were paid or what insurance requiremets came along with the permission.
For that matter I've not even heard that another event will be allowed there, not that I've heard anything to the contrary, but we were all pretty excited about Altamont until a couple months afterwards when we got word that that was the last one.

I know when I went to Carnegie to ask them they required an ambulance and certified EMT's in site for the duration of the event- at the expense of the organizers, I'd expect HH has a similar policy in that regard (if you think water trucks are expensive- get a quote for an ambulance and paramedics)

 

yeah paramedics would be full on track day pricing.

I just rallycross to be timed, not that i dont have anywhere else to do it. i guess we just wait it out. I sent an email out to all the important people of Altamont, because after i did the Antioch Rally, the same day was a Spec Miata race, my friend won the oval race. I ran across the track to victory lane as everyone was packing up and leaving, and the track owner was there talking to all the spec miata guys about how he loves the variety and how he wants more events out there like this. Plus they have drifting. I heard by someone that they were willing to bring in dirt to put on top of the runoff gravel in order for us to rally there, like they were desperate for us again. Dont remember how i overheard this but someone was talking about it.

Thanks for all your input on this stuff.

 

i was told to send my contact info for a snowcross to the guy who drove the white works/evo in rally mod. i think his name is tim. so he might have some info on how to organize an event. contact the sfr office on how to contact him, of coarse you'd need his corect full name for that.



neither did i. not too bad of results for a first season driver.

 

haha thanks, my poor car.

yeah Tam is the guy in the rallied out evo. i need to get some of those gravel spec wheels. I got his email info and everything, he is the man in charge i guess, he got the Antioch event up.

You got my vote if the snowcross happens. good luck

 

just don't go to SFR asking about Tam. He's not an SCCA member and he is personally responsible for SCCA dropping Rallycross here in northern CA

 

Pete, thanks for filling us in on the scoop.

..and many many thanks to Skylar and Meghan for all thier hard work over the years. Hopefully something new for rallyx will develop.


Damn Tam, damn Tam all the way to hell. (I know he must have meant well, but it looks like he screwed it up good)