Last year, I gathered a handful of friends in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for two days of off-roading. We’d all shown up with freshly-purchased all-wheel-drive machines, the makes and models unknown until each person’s arrival. In the end, we took a BMW X5, Chrysler Town & Country, Volvo XC90, and two Subaru wagons through some relatively rough terrain. And each car cost about $1,500 to purchase.
COVID-19 has put a hold on many activities and gatherings this year. Thankfully, motorsport is still able to take place, albeit in a somewhat-modified sense. In any case, we’re gathering again in about a month, facing a different challenge from last year.
Our participants have been tasked with choosing a sedan, coupe, or wagon that their grandparents could have aspired to own. The budget is still just $1,500 per car. In late August, we’re meeting up at Summit Point Motorsports Park to take these luxo-boats through two days of rallycross with the Washington, DC Region of the SCCA.
For those unfamiliar with rallycross, it’s a form of “dirt racing” attainable to the amateur enthusiast. Similar to stage rally events run by the pros, competitors are sent through a course carved into the dirt. The goal? Complete the course in the shortest time possible.
Our cars will fall into classes based on their drive wheels – front, rear, or all. We’ll have a minimum of six “runs” of the course per day.
Unlike autocross, where a victory can be earned by a single “fast and clean” course run, the SCCA rallycross rules state that the run times will be added up at the end of the day. The lowest total time is deemed the winner.
We’ll be competing with others who routinely come out and rallycross with the WDCR SCCA. For the sake of our own competition, though, we’ll compare only our group’s times for each day. The winner will be crowned as the fastest Little Old Lady from Pasadena – or wherever their hometown may be.
Looking forward to seeing how this one goes!