MOliscous
19th November 2007, 21:15
RIM OF THE WORLD RALLY TAKES HIATES FOR 2008 USRC SEASON
LANCASTER, Calif. - November 17 -- The Rim of the World rally, which has run
annually in the Antelope Valley since 1976, will skip the 2008 schedule,
according to the event's organizing committee.
Citing a combination of the loss of its title sponsor, the rising price of
fuel, and the recent regional wild fires, rally chairman Ray Hocker and his
committee decided it would be best to use the year to regroup, ensuring the
rally's strong organization for the future.
"When Subaru of America's regional office lost their budget to sponsor local
events, we lost our ability to use the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds as our
headquarters, and the recent fires took away some of the forest roads we
were hoping to use for the '08 event. Add the rising cost of fuel reducing
the number of competitors that can afford to tow their cars to the West
Coast, and we did not think we could run an event that meets our high
standards," said Hocker, a Ridgecrest resident who has been involved with
the event since its inception.
Hocker said the organizing committee will spend the year finding a new event
sponsor and new venues for the competitors, and hope to run the rally again
in the future. As a stakeholder in the United States Rally Championship
series, Hocker will also spend his time helping to strengthen the entire
USRC national schedule.
John Lindsey, chief divisional director for the National Auto Sports
Association (NASA), sanctioning body for Rim of the World, share's Hocker's
long-term vision for Rim.
"While I am very sorry to hear that Rim won't be on the calendar for 2008,
I'm sure that the event and the Rim team will make a triumphant return soon
to continue the legacy of an event that has been a cornerstone of the sport
in the United States for thirty year," said Lindsey
In the Rim of the World Rally, the cars race one-at-a-time against the clock
on closed desert roads - each time trial is called a stage - in the Antelope
Valley region, with the cars recording the lowest total elapsed time at the
end of the event being the winners in each class. The co-driver, who sits in
the passenger seat, has stage notes which guide the team through the course
turn-by-turn, and has a rally computer to aid him or her by keeping track of
mileage intervals and elapsed time. The driver will go as fast as he or she
can - no speed limits - with coaching from the co-driver describing the road
configuration ahead.
The drivers meet their crew at service areas every couple of stages for
service on the cars, and drivers must obey all local traffic regulations
when their cars are not actually driving on the closed stage road. Unlike
traditional racetrack driving, where repetition on the same course can lead
to the "best line" or "best setup" for each corner, rally drivers must react
to blind conditions at racetrack speed.
Many of the teams who race at Rim will continue to compete at The Gorman
Ridge Rally, which will be held on August 15 - 17, 2008 in Gorman, Calif.,
just 40 minutes north of the Los Angeles area. The organizers will use the
Hungry Valley Off-Road-Vehicle Park and are working on obtaining permission
for a couple of other stages in the area. The Gorman Ridge Rally will count
as a 100% event toward the USRC championship, which will announce its
national schedule shortly.
LANCASTER, Calif. - November 17 -- The Rim of the World rally, which has run
annually in the Antelope Valley since 1976, will skip the 2008 schedule,
according to the event's organizing committee.
Citing a combination of the loss of its title sponsor, the rising price of
fuel, and the recent regional wild fires, rally chairman Ray Hocker and his
committee decided it would be best to use the year to regroup, ensuring the
rally's strong organization for the future.
"When Subaru of America's regional office lost their budget to sponsor local
events, we lost our ability to use the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds as our
headquarters, and the recent fires took away some of the forest roads we
were hoping to use for the '08 event. Add the rising cost of fuel reducing
the number of competitors that can afford to tow their cars to the West
Coast, and we did not think we could run an event that meets our high
standards," said Hocker, a Ridgecrest resident who has been involved with
the event since its inception.
Hocker said the organizing committee will spend the year finding a new event
sponsor and new venues for the competitors, and hope to run the rally again
in the future. As a stakeholder in the United States Rally Championship
series, Hocker will also spend his time helping to strengthen the entire
USRC national schedule.
John Lindsey, chief divisional director for the National Auto Sports
Association (NASA), sanctioning body for Rim of the World, share's Hocker's
long-term vision for Rim.
"While I am very sorry to hear that Rim won't be on the calendar for 2008,
I'm sure that the event and the Rim team will make a triumphant return soon
to continue the legacy of an event that has been a cornerstone of the sport
in the United States for thirty year," said Lindsey
In the Rim of the World Rally, the cars race one-at-a-time against the clock
on closed desert roads - each time trial is called a stage - in the Antelope
Valley region, with the cars recording the lowest total elapsed time at the
end of the event being the winners in each class. The co-driver, who sits in
the passenger seat, has stage notes which guide the team through the course
turn-by-turn, and has a rally computer to aid him or her by keeping track of
mileage intervals and elapsed time. The driver will go as fast as he or she
can - no speed limits - with coaching from the co-driver describing the road
configuration ahead.
The drivers meet their crew at service areas every couple of stages for
service on the cars, and drivers must obey all local traffic regulations
when their cars are not actually driving on the closed stage road. Unlike
traditional racetrack driving, where repetition on the same course can lead
to the "best line" or "best setup" for each corner, rally drivers must react
to blind conditions at racetrack speed.
Many of the teams who race at Rim will continue to compete at The Gorman
Ridge Rally, which will be held on August 15 - 17, 2008 in Gorman, Calif.,
just 40 minutes north of the Los Angeles area. The organizers will use the
Hungry Valley Off-Road-Vehicle Park and are working on obtaining permission
for a couple of other stages in the area. The Gorman Ridge Rally will count
as a 100% event toward the USRC championship, which will announce its
national schedule shortly.