SCCA RallySprint, the Rallycross to ClubRally Transition

1. SCCA RallySprint, the Rallycross to ClubRally Transition Welcome! Your Presenter is Midwest Division ClubRally Steward and multiple rallysprint organizer, Mike Halley

2. “Mad Mike” Halley • Rallying since 1972. • 1st stage rally was Ohio’s Sunriser 400 in 1977. • Built the cars that won the 1986 ProRally and the 1986 & 1987 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb Production Class Championships. • Third in the 2001ProRally Production Class Drivers Championship piloting the “StudBug.”

3. SCCA RallySprint – What is it? • It’s the second rung of the Performance Rally “Ladder” which can lead a competitor from no rally involvement right to the ProRally series - and possibly beyond. • It’s a Sports Car Club of America sanctioned, Coefficient One ClubRally. • It’s typically faster and more open than a rallycross. • It’s typically staged in “closed venues” like racing circuits or on other private properties.

4. RallySprint – What it is not … • It really is not a stage rally – but it can be very similar and offer the same kinds of challenges that “real roads” do. • It’s not an endurance event. • It’s not as risky an endeavor to organize or compete in. • RallySprints really aren’t part of ProRally until they are used as spectator-friendly “super special stages.”

5. SCCA RallySprint, the Rallycross to ClubRally Transition • Scott Leonard’s DSM (from the SWDiv) is already on its way, so let’s get started!

6. SCCA RallySprint - Advantages to the Competitors. • Entry fees are lower. • Multiple-drivers-per-car are usually permitted (just like rallycross). • There are typically NO route books and codrivers are not required (although they are permitted). • Rallysprints are great venues for car testing and/or driver improvement sessions (go ahead, let that Seed 2 guy take a ride and show him your stuff). • Plenty of runs over the same piece of road.

7. SCCA RallySprint - Advantages to the Competitors. • Great opportunity to practice pace-noting while onstage. • Facilities not typically found in the deep woods are readily available at race tracks. • Safer than other stage rally events. • It’s a great venue to show rallying off to other SCCA members. • Opportunities to learn other facets of a rally by working a control when not competing. • Cars don’t necessarily need to be street-legal.

8. SCCA RallySprint - Advantages to the Organizers. • Road use permissions are a snap since there is usually only one entity to contact/convince. • It’s possible to set up a Rallysprint all by yourself. • There are NO route books to create. • There are no complicated, control procedures for workers to master. • Lower Sanction fees. • We’re working to get even lower insurance fees. • No minimum stage mileage concerns.

9. SCCA RallySprint - Advantages to the Organizers. • Marshaling spectators is easy since you will likely have sufficient control to just close the gates. • Facilities not typically found in the deep woods are readily available at race tracks. • Safer than other stage rally events. • No real need for codriver trophies. • You can organize AND run in the event! • It’s a great venue to show rallying off to SCCA members involved in ‘other’ forms of competition.

10. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • The subject venue for this presentation will be Hallett Motor Racing Circuit west of Tulsa, Oklahoma. • It was the site used for two Ark Valley Rallye rallysprints in 1998 & 1999 (run in conjunction with SCCA Club Racing events) and then “RallyeSprint Oklahoma – The Hallett Triple” which ran on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend last year.

12. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • Not your typical rally service area! Rally teams took advantage of Hallett Motor Racing Circuit’s covered paddock areas for the one-day event last November.

13. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • 55-gallon barrels formed ‘gates’ that were to be negotiated in sequence to stay on course. Spotters kept racers honest, but the barrels were only used at start & finish controls, points of safety concern and obvious short-cutting opportunities.

14. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • Hers’s a typical start control, this one was near the main entrance to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit.

15. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • Rounding the bend shortly after starting a stage on RallyeSprint #2 is Ken Stewart’s 4WD supercharged Chevy S-10 (from CENDiv).

16. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • Here is Richard & Juanita Miller’s SAAB 900 Turbo (from SWDiv). They used ROtHT to practice their noting skills which they plan to use at the Cherokee Trails Rally in March.

17. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • First-timers Greg and Valerie Goetzinger (from SWDiv) found the Hallett Triple a perfect place to iron out their rallyecraft - together.

18. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • The awards giving that was keeping us from drinking beer held, as it was, on the 2nd floor of Hallett’s main building.

19. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • But, back to the beginning ...

20. The case study • First there was the sanction applications (Part A and Part B) which are available on the SCCA website: www.scca.org/amateur/applications.html and then came the flyer.

21. The case study. • Each competitor’s registration packet contained twelve of these time cards which they were responsible for keeping track of. On arrival at the start control the driver handed the appropriate card to the stage captain who jotted down the start time and handed it back.

22. The case study. • When clear of other rally cars, the next driver moved to the start line, showed the start time to the flagger, received a countdown and started the stage. • At the end of the stage the card was surrendered to finish control personnel who shared the finish time with the driver but kept the card.

23. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • These time cards eliminated the necessity to assign transit times and when backed up with logs kept at both controls became a rock solid scoring system. Fortunately, no one chose to abuse the privilege of ‘open service’ but some contingency to police such should be in place.

24. SCCA RallySprint, a case study. • The basic budget for the event looked like: $150/entrant collected to run all 3 rallysprints $50/entrant went to HMRC for track rental $52/entrant went for insurance & trophy fund This left about $480 to cover tractor fuel, printing, postage, event trophies, beer, ice and two concrete pipes used to make a permanent repair to the course outside Hallett’s turn one. The 2001 event lost NEOkla Reagion SCCA about $100, but they are ready to support another one – or three!

25. SCCA RallySprint, the Rallycross to ClubRally Transition • Thanks for your attention! • Are there any more questions? • Mike …

26. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • First overall in each of the three rally-sprints, yours truly and the mighty StudBug.

27. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • Second overall and first in Open Class on RallyeSprint One was Scott Leonard from Houston, Texas in his Eclipse.

28. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • Second overall and first in Open Class at the 2nd & 3rd rallysprints is Ken Stewart from Grove, Oklahoma in the pick-em-up.

29. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • The Midwest Division’s 2001 Group 5 driving champion, Scott Justus from Arkansas.

30. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • Bryan Ackerman and Dave Weiman shared the Son of RallyeTruck running it in Group 5 and Production GT respectively.

31. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • One of the things you need to keep an eye out for! Here’s Leonard’s DSM blowing by the Group 2 Goetzinger S-10 Blazer.

32. Shots from RallyeSprint Oklahoma the Hallett Triple!!! • Finally, a little video shot of the RealAutoSport, LLC Rallye Team in action! Thanks to Paul Flores (driver of the CORT – Cousin of RallyTruck) for sharing these shots.