How much land for a rallycross?

So, I'm considering putting on a rallycross this year - thanks a lot, GRM How much land is required? I'm used to scoping out parking lots and trying to figure out how to squeeze into them. But if someone asks me how many acres I need for a rallycross, I go blank.

Suggestions?

It can be done on relatively small lots. More depends on terrain and hard obstacles than absolute size. Bigger is usually better though

This is the smallest site I've run on and it worked fine for events with 40 entrants or less, one car on course at a time (out and back). Scale in the lower right corner, not sure how many acres.

Courses at this site will always be pretty short, 1st and 2nd gear courses of a more technical nature. With bigger sites you have more options: keep it tight and technical or wide open banzai sweepers and such. They're all fun to me.

I think it would be fun to hold a Rallycross at night, on like a golf course or something.

Detroit region runs a Day/Night event each season.

Horse track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG3OdPgyQnE

Darkness of the MI boonies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC71YMNiLWU

Here's the course we ran a few weeks ago (apologies for the size, the image isn't mine):

The course itself changed a bit from what's pictured - straightened out some sections, avoided some of the more rough terrain that wasn't pictured on the map - but our runs were just over a minute for most cars. I ran it entirely in 2nd gear after the start, though the speeds weren't all that high. But anyway, a field this size and shape worked fine, with each run group's cars staged in the bottom left.

Woody wrote: I think it would be fun to hold a Rallycross at night, on like a golf course or something.

My first ever RallyX back in 2001 was on an unused driving range at a golf course. It got torn up in no time flat though. It was a pretty small lot.

Before

After

It's been a few years ago, but I organized a few of these. A couple notes - the idea of a "snow cross" sounded great....until the day of the event was 35 & sunny. People were having difficulty getting out of the site, long after we had closed the event down early. Conversely, the next event we held there was so dry & dusty the course workers couldn't even see the cars! The last event was in an unused field, even though it hadn't been plowed in well over a year, and we'd mowed down all the grasses, it turned into a rutted mess by the end.

Find a gravel lot if at all possible.

I ran the light of the moon rallycross with DRSCCA a couple years in a row. That is THE best rallycross course. I love playing in the mud at Bob's!

I've got two sites that could be used for rally cross in Mid Missouri. One very small (but it would be FUN!) and one pretty large (that one would be FUN). Possibly others as well.

So...if anyone wants to help organize an event out here in the middle of nowhere, I'm ready, willing, and able to help get it going.

yeah...that's a threadjack...sorry.

Clem

I don't know the size in acreage, but if you click here, you can see where I ran a simple rallyX at the GrandAm weekend last fall. We used the area just to the east of the kart track, not the area to the north that you can scroll up and see. That was used by some Euro Rally school in the past. Really, our course only ran the lower half (there is a connector that wasn't there when the picture was taken). Two laps was good for thirty seconds or so. Jason Saini set FTD in a car that shall not be named, but let's say that it isn't anything that you would think of. And yes, the course got dustier and more rutted as the day went on. I was wishing that I had a dust mask long before the first morning had finished.

cghstang wrote: Detroit region runs a Day/Night event each season. Horse track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG3OdPgyQnE Darkness of the MI boonies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC71YMNiLWU

Now I know why they have 15 lights mounted to the hood of a real rally car. Looks like a blast, but get sliding sideways and you have no idea whats coming up next!

ClemSparks wrote: So...if anyone wants to help organize an event out here in the middle of nowhere, I'm ready, willing, and able to help get it going.

Keep me in mind if you start working on this. I can't offer much but sweat equity, but I'd be down to help out.

Yeah...we do it all the time...it's just a matter of ammasing enough people and making it real. Parking would be an issue on both sites, but that's no hill for a stepper...

Clem

mistanfo wrote: Jason Saini set FTD in a car that shall not be named, but let's say that it isn't anything that you would think of.

Will you tell us if we ask nicely? Pretty please?? I'm interested to know, just out of curiosity.

my parents have a couple open 3 acre areas of their yard that look plenty big to have fun with.

that makes me thing, i should start a rallycross club here and tear up my dad's yard. i've been going up the hill and making my own course through the open field for years.

In reply to dyintorace:

Let's just say that it wasn't owned by anyone at the event, nor leased. You figure the rest of that part out. Secondly, it was the least expensive Korean car made by a company whose name also starts with a K. Heck, his entire crew took the car out. Really pissed the guys with an extra $20K into their STIs. So: FTD: Kxx driven by a pro driver 2nd: Random STI 3rd: New to him Tahoe that was able to plow through the rough stuff like it wasn't really there.

In reply to mistanfo:

Results like that should only be a surprise to those unfamiliar with SCCA-style rallycross.

Driving-ability trumps all. Beating STIs with a 120hp fwd beater is soo much fun. That same fwd beater getting beat by a well-driven Geo Metro sedan; humbling, yet still fun!

I'd really like to do a Formula-D type event on dirt...

WANT RALLYCROSS!! GIVE!!!