RallyWV

[Rut Row]

For Immediate Release
Rally West Virginia Canceled for 2010

Elkins (West Virginia), June 9, 2010 – With the change in ownership earlier this year of the Rally West Virginia back to the original promoter, Mr. John K. Shirley, planning for the event has been moving forward throughout the winter months with several meetings with the Government of West Virginia on planning and promotional development. State and local officials have been very enthusiastic on future development of Rally West Virginia and are interested in the future success of the event.

Unfortunately several factors all related to the winter weather have cause severe road and infrastructure damage to the areas around Elkins that will preclude the event from taking place in 2010. During the winter season several sections on the rally route received upwards of three hundred inches of snow with an official snow fall record at Snowshoe Mountain Lodge of two hundred and fifty-two inches. The spring snow melt plus winter road plowing has cause some stage roads to become impassable for rally cars. Also with the temperatures holding in the low 20’s for almost two months, the City of Elkins has had to take up a major downtown street that was to host the service area for repairs to the utilities damaged during the winter.

Mr. Shirley is planning to work throughout the summer on the 2011 event and to make some significant changes to Rally West Virginia. In 2011 Rally West Virginia will be held in late June and to be based out of Elkins. The event be run over northern Randolph County roads and should comprise at least 100 stage miles over two days.

Also an additional event be held the first weekend of August of 2011 and will be held on the roads previously used in southern Randolph County plus new roads in Pocahontas County. This event will based at the Snowshoe Mountain Resort and should comprise over 100 stage miles over two days. Contracts will be finalized over the summer and event announcement will be forthcoming in the fall of 2010.

Rally West Virginia is sanctioned by NASA Rally Sport and is part of the Atlantic Rally Cup. For more information on NASA Rally Sport please see our web page at www.nasarallysport.com.

John K. Shirley
Rally West Virginia
Ph: +1-865-805-0831
Fax: +1-865-671-1133
Email: teamleconte@cs.com

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Am sorry to hear that you and phil both went two years hoping for this, registering, etc. and they screwed you guys over both times. I have a feeling a lot of people are going to see it the same way and next year will be canned due to a shortage of attendees. Am thinking that team r.a.m.s is probably only going to raise funds via fund-raising rides. Have pretty much given up on the rally idea at this point.

[Rut Row]

Am sorry to hear that you and phil both went two years hoping for this, registering, etc. and they screwed you guys over both times. I have a feeling a lot of people are going to see it the same way and next year will be canned due to a shortage of attendees. Am thinking that team r.a.m.s is probably only going to raise funds via fund-raising rides. Have pretty much given up on the rally idea at this point.

I'm thinking the same thing. Plus Anders made it pretty plain he didn't want sidecars in his rallies.

I'm digging the idea of a RAMS DS ride as the opening ride of the season.

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I'm thinking the same thing. Plus Anders made it pretty plain he didn't want sidecars in his rallies.

I'm digging the idea of a RAMS DS ride as the opening ride of the season.

We'll do the hosted ride Oct.9th..if you want to post that in the events, that is fine..starting out of Jt's...more info. to follow. The insurance is applied for..just waiting to hear back..but not waiting to get on with keeping it moving in the direction we need to, in order to get people to come. So we'll start advertising regardless and hope the release waiver is enough. Am holding off on stating cost. Next year do the other route and look into a sidecar idea that I've been thinking may be easier then the rally stuff to pull off doing.

Like you said, Anders is being pretty stuck in his ways, or what he feels he wants to allow. If the sport isn't willing to grow, then I have a feeling rally wv. may be the first portion of a greater downfall. The economy is still taking its toll on people and why would people want to shell out that kind of money for registration, membership and licenses when 9 times out of 10, they don't get the "complete package" that they thought they would be getting? I think he was on to a good thing, and with a lot of professional racers joining in the car portion of the racing, it has began to draw more interest. However, in any "extreme" or alternative style sport - like rally - if there isn't growth in the sport by introducing things like sidecars, then the sport may very well dwindle off. You have to figure, the motorally portion of this is competing with larger, more well known rallys (dakar / baja) for attention. It's like watching a stock car race vs. a nascar race.

[skierd]

I didn't think it was possible for roads to be so bad that rally cars wouldn't be able to drive them, lame. I guess its a road damage issue. I'm still amazed they let bikes run honestly.

Being at Snowshoe will probably be a good thing and help the rally get promoted. Or at least actually run. Sucks its not till next year, but I had a feeling that it wasn't happening when nothing was updated around the start of SandBlast.

[hondahawkrider]

I didn't think it was possible for roads to be so bad that rally cars wouldn't be able to drive them, lame. I guess its a road damage issue. I'm still amazed they let bikes run honestly.

Being at Snowshoe will probably be a good thing and help the rally get promoted. Or at least actually run. Sucks its not till next year, but I had a feeling that it wasn't happening when nothing was updated around the start of SandBlast.

I worked one a few years ago... If there was any erosion to the some of the roads, I can definately see where the road would be either too unsafe or unpassable (errr undriveable)... Most of spectators viewing sections were wide open and easy to view and safe - etc... However, one of the checkpoint/road blockoff stations I was at was barely a lane wide, 45 degree uphill with steps cut into the hill... I saw several mitsu's offroad - one almost upside down in a tree...

I howver think it's an easy excuse to not have it... Keep in mind that to get the Europeans (who used to come from across the pond to run in this) who spend the most $$ on the rally they must have accruate route sheets verified by GPS.. So the rallywv has to outlay allot of $$ (well in the thousands - I can't remember the exact amout - but it's over 5 and less that 10) to have the route GPS verified by professionals for the rally computers (no, we are NOT talking using your standard GPS you find in a car - these are precise ones) as without em many won't run... @600 per car - that's approx 14 cars (and there are usually only around 25 or so cars) entry fee's for just that - not to mention printing the route sheets, let alone the coordination - etc... I know allow of folks volunteer - but it's allot of work, and there are a number of expenses that need to be professionally covered to get folks to spend $$ to come... It was a nice event - but there were a number of things that were just kind of cobbled together or were used done without express permission - they kind of slid thru...

For example, the year I worked - a special stage was cancelled about a 1/3 of day 2. In the past Rallywv folks used the local CB club to keep all the main workers in touch... Apparently, a WV native on a mountain got upset that it was being used and shut down a repeater on the mountain somewhere, and killed all the communication - so the stage got cancelled... It was a shitty thing to do - but if it was his repeater ......... nothing anyone could do to stop him... There were some other minor things - but folks are not going to come and spend $$ to run in a event where everything isn't allready all taken care of - it's why it was cancelled last time...

I suspect that they haven't gotten the entries again this year and are using the weather as an excuse..

[Rut Row]

I suspect that they haven't gotten the entries again this year and are using the weather as an excuse..

nope - they didn't even get to that point - registration hadn't even opened yet.

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I suspect that they haven't gotten the entries again this year and are using the weather as an excuse..

That's exactly what I'm thinking. So how many years are they going to advertise only to fall short? And by hosting 2 events, do they think they'll get the numbers up enough to pull it off? Or are they hosting 2, thinking that one will win out and then can the other after a single year?

[Rut Row]

I suspect that they haven't gotten the entries again this year and are using the weather as an excuse..

That's exactly what I'm thinking. So how many years are they going to advertise only to fall short? And by hosting 2 events, do they think they'll get the numbers up enough to pull it off? Or are they hosting 2, thinking that one will win out and then can the other after a single year?

they never opened it up for registration - I tend to believe them. However, your point is well taken and I agree. I'm not sure I'll be running anymore rallies unless they have a non-competitors class that is cheaper.

[hondahawkrider]

I suspect that they haven't gotten the entries again this year and are using the weather as an excuse..

nope - they didn't even get to that point - registration hadn't even opened yet.

Then someone screwed the pooch... I know there were late entries every year but in July of last year Mark had only received 50% of the entries, and July isn't that far away...