RallyCross Nationals Set For Ohio! Oct 15-17 2021

https://www.scca.com/articles/2014642-rallycross-nationals-set-for-new-location

Following two successful years of hosting DirtFish RallyCross National Tours, the Ross County Fairgrounds in Chillicothe, OH has been selected as the site of the 2021 DirtFish RallyCross National Championship.

Competitors looking to attend the 2021 National Championship can mark their calendars for October 15-17 and should watch SCCA.com for additional details, such as registration opening. The fairgrounds will be the eighth unique location for the event and will be the most eastward in its history. “Ohio is a bit farther east than we're used to for Nationals and we understand this could make travel difficult for some of our competitors in the western part of the country,” said Kent Hamilton, Chairman of the SCCA RallyCross Board, “but data compiled over the last several years shows Ohio to be near the population center of our RallyCross community based on nationwide entries and should make the event more accessible to the majority of our membership.”

The RallyCross Board also felt that Ross County Fairgrounds and the Great Lakes Division had demonstrated their capability to host this event through their track record of successful National Tours. “It’s a proven location with the size and amenities needed for a successful National Championship event,” explained Hamilton. Rally fans may also recognize the site as the location for the Southern Ohio Forest Rally’s Super Special stages.

Competitors can expect the 2021 National Championship courses to feature a grass and dirt surface similar in composition as past championships in Indianola, IA. Courses from the previous National Challenge events have been fast and flowing, with creative usage of the site’s elevation changes and plenty of technical elements.

The site also features plentiful camping space as well as dedicated bathroom and shower facilities. The Western Ohio/Ohio Valley Regions have hosted outstanding post-race gatherings with plenty of complimentary barbeque and spirits on Saturday nights at National Tour events. Competitors can expect that level of hospitality and then some to continue for the National Championship.

... berkeley.  And I sold the WRX last summer to help pay for the new roof.

It's not April 1st is it? 

I can't not go if they're going to do that so close.

Maybe this will be enough for irish44j to actually show up for a national championship. 

Man rallycross nationals, then the challenge in the same month. I almost wish it wasn't merely seven hours away, as then I would have an excuse. 

Yes, just the FB post--oddly haven't received the release yet. But, yep, pack your bags for Ohio. 

Ha, just got the release. 

EvanB (Forum Supporter) said:

Maybe this will be enough for irish44j to actually show up for a national championship. 

Hey, if the car survives SOFR and STPR, it's a good possibility. I just added another 20lbs to the car with all the newly-required fire system stuff, so at this point I could be the heaviest car in MR lol...maybe you can actually beat me for once ;) :D

Honestly, I'd probably look for a co-drive with someone else to avoid towing all the way there. Sounds like Nick Drymalski (2-time DC champion) wants to go, and I'd say he owes me a codrive (in his M3) seeing as he drove my car the last time we went to Ohio for GLDivs :)

Actually, sounds like a pretty good number of the DC and Susquehanna crew are talking about going. October's a long way away, so guess we'll see.  I would say for me, it's "more likely than not" at present.

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

If I have the RX-7 sorted by then, you're welcome to drive it.

The red one, not the bitch.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

If I have the RX-7 sorted by then, you're welcome to drive it.

The red one, not the bitch.

You've been trying to sort the RX-7 for about a decade now :)

In any case, I suspect there will be multiple people going from DC who I could jump in with (probably BMW or Miata), but I'll keep the offer in mind!

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

Charles Wright's old car.  The one that he offered to me in Frostburg four and a half years ago.  Prepared class.

I figure a more constrained ruleset will keep me more grounded.

You'll find me at North TX rallycross and maybe Lonestar rallycross.  I'm not cool enough, fast enough or interested in a round trip to Ohio.  It sure will be fun to watch on livestream though!  

I'm now grabbing an E153 tomorrow. 

What kinds of tires do people run in the dry at this venue?  Do you start with gravel tires/retreads or with intermediate tires like the Indysport SG?

Is there another venue further south or east with a similar surface?  Most of the ones I know of are clay based and turn into bad tarmac for the afternoon runs.

In reply to ojannen :

We generally only run there once or twice a year, so it is hard to say.  Depending on the field we use it is hard clay or horse track (SOFR SS) or a lot like Indianola or I80 in Nebraska.  Nobody here has a "tire race", more like "hey my tires are only two years old"

We have only ever really run in the dry, Ohio does not run events if it is muddy.  Site preservation is critical.  I'm sure that for a championship, that may be waived (I am nowhere near the person who makes that call) but I recall a couple years ago when we hosted a challenge there, Sunday was cancelled due to basically a monsoon happening on Saturday, and the course would not have been competitive for anything but seeing who doesn't get stuck.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I learned my lesson from solo nationals 2018 and rallycross nationals 2019.  If I don't bring rain tires, it is going to rain.  That means picking up and mounting a set of mud tires to guarantee dry conditions.  I am trying to figure out if I need to bring one more set of tires for the loose dirt I saw from the 2019 challenge videos or if I also need to bring gravel retreads for hardpack.  If we get a full day of runs on hardpack in a two driver car, that might be enough to kill my Indysport SGs.

In reply to ojannen :

Oh, it'll be loose and hard in the same course.  The variability makes it fun.

And then FTD is someone in a stock Miata on snow tires.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

You are saying I have to get a set of snow tires too? :)

The person that bought my WRX saw I was thinking about selling the Abarth for something different, and my unhappiness with not having a rallycross car for the year, and just messaged me he might be interested in some sort of trade. 

ojannen said:

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

You are saying I have to get a set of snow tires too? :)

No you need to get a Miata.  :)

I knew I bought a bigger turbo for a reason now just have to fix basically everything else