FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA – January 27, 2010: The High Country Rally Group LLC, the corporate entity responsible for the organization, promotion and operation of RALLY COLORADO based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has elected to discontinue this rally. The Miller Coors RALLY COLORADO 2009 presented by Fireside Catering held over the weekend of September 18-20, 2009, was the final rally in the nine year life of this event
The discontinuation of this rally is a direct result of the recently announced schedule change to the 2010 Rally America National Championship series calendar. This change removed the three national rallies which had been run in the second half of each year from the 2010 national calendar. Since the only option presented to the RALLY COLORADO Organizing Committee by Rally America for 2010 and beyond under their sanctioning was to become a Rally America Regional Rally, our committee members concluded that we would be unable to execute the size and caliber of event which we, our volunteers, our spectators, our community and most importantly, our commerical partners, had become accustomed to over the past six years as a full, two-day national level rally.
“Over the years as the rally grew, we had created a great community synergy around this event…it had become one of the more popular events on the local Steamboat Springs summer event schedule. Our excellent organzing committee, extremely capable volunteers, very high level of local commerical sponsorship, continued support from our local governmental entities, a loyal specator base and continued attendance from national and regional competitors all contributed to nine years of great rallying in northwest Colorado” said Jim Gill, Chairman of the RALLY COLORADO Organizing Committee. “It’s a shame to see this event, and the great community spirit which has surrounded it, come to an end” said Gill.
This rally began in 2001 as the Colorado Cog Rally and at that time was sanctioned by SCCA as a one-day regional event. It continued to grow through 2003 into a two-day SCCA regional event and in 2004 was included on the SCCA ProRally Championship calendar. Since 2005, the Cog Rally, as it had become known, was included in the Rally America National Championship Series…the name was changed to RALLY COLORADO for the 2007 event.

The High Country Rally Group LLC using the RALLY COLORADO name may be involved in the organization of other rally-based motorsport events in northwest Colorado in the future.

For more info contact:
Jim Gill
Chairman of the RALLY COLORADO Organizing Committee
Vice-President, High Country Rally Group LLC
jtgillsteamboat@msn.com
P. O. Box 774464, 1885 Stoneridge Drive, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-4053, Fax (970) 879-3051

RCFinalPressRelease

Earlier today, Rally America Inc. announced some major changes to the format and structure of their 2010 calendar. One of these changes included the addition of three European-style rally cross events to be run as exhibition events next year with the potential for additional events of this type in 2011. Another major change for 2010 was the compression of the 2010 National Rally Championship series from nine events to six events beginning with the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan in January and culminating with the New England Forest Rally in July. After nine successful years, first as an SCCA Regional and National Rally and later as a Rally America National Rally, RALLY COLORADO based in Steamboat Springs will not be on the Rally America National Championship calendar in 2010.

The RALLY COLORADO Organizing Committee is in the process of determining how, or whether, we should move forward with our event as a regional-only rally…this decision has not yet been made. Over the history of our event, we have created a great support and sponsor network for this sport and for our event throughout northwest Colorado. We have also assembled a great Organizing Committee and an extensive volunteer base which have contributed to the successful organizing and operation of this event in each of the past nine years. This has all taken time and effort to create and we are very concerned about maintaining and growing this synergy moving forward as a regional-only rally. Our Organizing Committee will meet soon to discuss this matter and we will provide additional details regarding the future of RALLY COLORADO in the near future.

Jim Gill

Chairman of the Organizing Committee

RALLY COLORADO

There will be a single recce for this event scheduled for Thursday, September 17^th, 2009.  All pre-registered teams must check-in at 7:30AM on this date in front of the Howelsen Hill Lodge located at the end of Howelsen Hill Parkway (Event Registration location). The official event routebooks and any pre-purchased Stage Notes which were not picked up at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in downtown Steamboat the night before will be distributed at this time. All team members driving/riding in cars participating in this recce will need to sign waiver forms and install a wristband to document this signing prior to departing on this recce.

Departure time is set for 8:00AM…promptly. No entrants will be allowed to play catch-up to the recce train. Organizers will provide event officials in lead/trail vehicles to monitor all movement on all stage roads. Unless required and/or dictated by event officials, there will be no stopping nor reverse travel allowed on any stage roads.

On-line registration for this recce is REQUIRED and will only be available on our event website at www.rallycolorado.org beginning no later than Friday, September 11^th, 2009 at 5:00PM MDT. ALL teams planning to participate in this recce must complete this on-line registration and pay a $25.00 recce fee per vehicle via Paypal on our website. Recce registration will only be available to competitors who have already completed their registration and paid in full at the Rally America website or have submitted a hard document registration and entry fee payment in full via US mail that has already been received at the Rally America office in Minneapolis.

No prepared rally vehicles will be allowed to participate in this event. All vehicles must be capable of traveling on typical stage roads.

All speeds on both the stage and transit portions of this recce MUST be at or below the posted or state statue speed limits, whichever may apply. Any documented violations of this requirement by a team member during the recce could result in disqualification of that team from any/all events that are part of the Miller Coors RALLY COLORADO 2009 presented by Fireside Catering without any refund of entry fee(s). Stage roads WILL NOT be closed to the public for this recce so all of the traffic rules and regulations included in the State of Colorado Revised Statutes will apply to all recce traffic.

The penalty for any reconnaissance for any event included in the Miller Coors RALLY COLORADO 2009 presented by Fireside Catering outside of this official recce will be as prescribed in the Rally America Performance Rally Rules 2009 Edition plus any applicable bulletins and the Supplemental Regulations for this event.

The organizers reserve the right to cancel or shorten this recce based on local conditions that may exist at the time ie. rain, snow, forest fires, etc. Refunds of the recce fees will only occur if this recce is cancelled in its entirety.

The expected completion time for this recce is 4:00PM.

Please contact Jim Gill at jgill@rallycolorado.org, or 970-879-4053 to schedule your shakedown period.

TROPHY and PRIZE FUND

Miller Coors RALLY COLORADO 2009 presented by Fireside Catering

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The organizers of the Miller Coors RALLY COLORADO 2009 presented by Fireside Catering including the Rally America National Championship Rally and the Middle Cog-1 and Middle Cog-2 Rally America Regional Rallies are pleased to announce the trophy and prize fund for our 2009 event. As past National level competitors, the Chairman and Co-Chairman of this event are sensitive to the expenses involved in competing at any level of the Rally America series and have committed significant resources from the Miller Coors RALLY AMERICA 2009 presented by Fireside Catering budget to help offset some of these costs for our entrants.

Should sponsorship and/or additional entries beyond this date allow, additional funds will be allocated to our prize fund.

TROPHIES .

Trophies will be awarded to first place drivers and co-drivers in each class regardless of the number of entries in that class. Our 2009 trophies will beVERY unique…we can assure you that you don’t have anything similar to these sitting on your bookshelf at home unless you won one at RALLY COLORADO 2008!!!

PRIZE FUND .

Cash awards will be made as follows in all classes for which there are at least three registered teams who start the event:

2009 CCR GPS Coordinates

2009 CCR Stage Schedule SATURDAY

2009 CCR Stage Schedule SUNDAY

We have “RALLY RATES” at the following hotels.  Just ask the reservations agent for a RALLY RATE when you call.

The Steamboat Hotel – www.steamboathotel.net ~ 970-879-5230

The Bunkhouse Lodge – www.thebunkhouselodge.com ~ 970-871-9121

Steamboat Holiday Inn – www.steamboathi.com ~ 970-879-2250

The Writer’s Sanctuary Bed & Breakfast – www.thewritersanctuary.com ~ 970-846-1428

CLICK HERE for the 2009 Rally Colorado Schedule

Other news – the roads are still holding up exceptionally well overall, this weekend was our first 50% speed check of the route, and things look really good.  We’ve added a few minutes to nearly all the transits, which should solve the problems we had in the last couple years of competitors feeling rushed in getting to their next ATC.  Also, this will be the last year that you will be zeroing your ODO at the ATCs.  Sorry I couldnt get that ‘nuance’ of the Rally Colorado route book changed for this year, but I promise to have that sorted for next year!