A muddy morning at the Thunder Valley Sand Drags for RallyCross Event #3. -- Photo by Johnathan Burchardt, Membership Communications Manager, SCCA.
A muddy morning at the Thunder Valley Sand Drags for RallyCross Event #3. — Photo by Johnathan Burchardt, Membership Communications Manager, SCCA.

The Kansas City Region SCCA’s third RallyCross event of the 2016 championship season was help last Saturday at the Thunder Valley Sand Drag and set a record for attendance for the third time in a row.  In addition to more local drivers, the program also drew drivers from six different states: Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, and Minnesota.  A total of thirty-five drivers took their turn through nine runs of a 50-60 second course whose dynamics and grip levels changed from run to run.

David Capesius hustling his 2004 Dodge Neon SRT through the morning course. -- Photo by Jim Roland, MiDiv SCCA RallyCross Steward.
David Capesius hustling his 2004 Dodge Neon SRT through the morning course. — Photo by Jim Roland, MiDiv SCCA RallyCross Steward.

The first runs of the morning were slowed significantly by an early morning deluge of rain that turned much of the site into a sloppy mud pit.  Patience was critical, and those that had it and managed their power application well were rewarded.  Those who didn’t were punished ruthlessly by sliding out wide in the sweeping corners that resulted in even less grip and deeper mud.  As the bright sunshine and consistent breezes dried out the surface, the speeds increased and the times dropped.  By the end of the day, the surface was tacky and the grip levels were high, pushing the run times way down.  While the conditions were ideal for the production of ruts, the safety stewards and course workers were right on top of developing trouble spots, keeping the event running smoothly and, most importantly, without incident.

We hosted a National-caliber field with several past National Championship trophy winners, and this year’s defending Prepared FWD National Champion. The times were quick, but everyone was taken to school by Bob Seelig in his 1989 Honda CRX Si. Not only did he walk away with the Prepared FWD win, he also took the overall fast time for the event, collecting only a singular cone during the afternoon runs.

There were several new cars to join our RallyCross adventure including Jeremy Utterback’s 1975 Mazda RX-3SP, and George Gildner’s 2000 Porsche 996. Burton Smith even brought a 1985 Chevrolet Corvette to romp in the dirt. After seeing the wide variety of cars in the various RWD classes, there’s no doubt that any car can come and have run at a RallyCross. RallyCross is the fastest growing program in the SCCA both nationally and within the Kansas City Region. Come out to our next event in Savannah, MO to see why!

Results

Here are the official audited results:

Next Event:  RallyCross #4 in Savannah, MO
2016-KCR-RX4_Badge


Our next RallyCross event will be at the Crowley Family Farm in Savannah, MO, just to the north of St. Joseph and just off of I-29. This will be our first event at the site, and with eight acres of flat and smooth pasture, this site promises to provide fast flowing courses on a smooth and durable surface.

Registration opens on MotorsportReg.com, https://msreg.com/KCRX2016-4, on July 27th.

SHARE YOUR STORIES
Have a story that you’d like to share with the rest of the Club? Send your articles, photos, or videos to mikemcginley50@gmail.com.

Join SCCA & Start Racing

Stop spectating and start racing! Join the Kansas City Region SCCA now and get involved immediately through Autocross, TSD Road Rallies, and Rallycross. You can also volunteer at our Road Racing events while you work toward your competition license.

Support the SCCA Foundation

The SCCA Foundation supports hands-on education and safety programs, recognizes excellence in automotive engineering education and promotes the SCCA’s heritage and club history. The goal of the SCCA Foundation is to give back to our communities. To successfully achieve this mission, the Foundation seeks support from a variety of sources, including the members of the Sports Car Club of America as well as corporate sponsors. The SCCA Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to the SCCA Foundation are tax deductible to the donor as allowable by law. You can donate directly through PayPal.

Donate to the SCCA Foundation through PayPal

©2024 Kansas City Region SCCA
NOTE: All photos used on this site are property of the Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America and the respective photographers. They may not be reused commercially without the express written consent of the KCRSCCA – please contact us if you have questions