SCCA To Discontinue ProRally, ClubRally Programs in 2005

[Nick Koan]

Full Story from SCCA.com

TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 5, 2004) – Sports Car Club of America’s Board of Directors voted Monday to discontinue the sanction of its current stage-based rally format, including the ProRally and ClubRally Championships, beginning January 1, 2005 due to increasing risk exposure.

“This was a difficult and unfortunate decision to make,” SCCA Board of Directors Chairman Gary Pitts said. “However, from an insurance standpoint, the stage rally format has gotten to the point where it puts the entire Club, its activities and entities under an undue risk.”

“We have many SCCA members whose interests lie in rally,” SCCA President and CEO Steve Johnson said. “It is my intent to allow these members the opportunity to rally in the future and continue to access the sport. I am confident we can accomplish this task.

“We are in negotiations to transition SCCA’s elements of the stage-based rally activity to Rally America, a longtime partner and participant in the sport of rally.”

Unaffected by the decision are SCCA’s RallyCross and RoadRally programs.

SCCA began its special stage-format ProRally Championship in 1973. Since then, the ProRally Championship Presented by Hot Wheels has been regarded as the top domestic rally series. The 2004 Championship has one round remaining, Lake Superior ProRally (LSPR), which will run as scheduled Oct. 22 in Houghton, Mich.

© 2004 SCCA

Rally America has been providing logistical and technical support for the organizers of many SCCA ProRallies and ClubRallies. They provide consistent scoring, key personel, event opperations, rule interpretations, etc between all ProRally events.

I hope this means that rallying will stay alive and well in the US. If anyone can take over the reins of ProRally, Rally America is certainly the company to do it.

shameless link to my i-club story (pretty much cut'n'pasted, though).