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

View the Original Story Here

Andrew Comrie-Picard said before the weekend’s Rally Colorado stage race that he would have to be cautious on the event’s dirt and rock Routt County roads.

He still managed to make the most of a strong Saturday and a rainy Sunday, winning the two-day event by 1 minute, 46.7 seconds. His overall time on the course, shortened by two stages because of the weather, was 1:30:18.5.

Andi Mancin, a Polish driver in his first year on the American circuit, was second at 1:32:05.2, and Mark Fox and Nathan Conley tied for third at 1:35:46.0.

“It was a great rally, and Steamboat Springs was a great place to have the rally,” Comrie-Picard said. “There are terrific roads around here. It’s great to come here and compete.”

Comrie-Picard has plenty of reasons to be wary of the often-slick rural roads.

He owns his rally car, for instance, a machine that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and mostly resembles a 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

And of course, he has sponsors that help defer the costs that come with competition at the highest level of rally racing, but he said he has no interest in wrecking his car or taking undue risks that might damage it.

He can’t afford to.

Racing this weekend, he said he had to be even more cautious. There are nine races in the Rally America circuit and racers may count any seven toward the season-long points race.

Comrie-Picard already missed two of those races, opting out of the New England Forest Rally and the Ojibwe Forests Rally because the budget didn’t allow.

The Canadian driver entered the weekend in fourth place. A wreck would have ruined his chances of moving into the top three, but his strong weekend threw him right back in the mix.

After Rally Colorado he’s third, behind Travis Pastrana and Andi Mancin.

“There’s a lot of psychology involved in how hard to push and in how much to keep in reserve,” Comrie-Picard said. “We couldn’t afford not to get points or we’d be in tough shape. That leads you to a conservative driving mentality where you’re just making sure you get on the podium.”

Comrie-Picard wasn’t the only racer exercising caution through the weekend, though many of his competitors weren’t as successful with the strategy.

Pastrana wrapped up the season championship at the previous rally and was in good position after Saturday’s early stages. He led the field by 19 seconds but pulled out after he whipped out a row of pylons, a sin that comes with a hefty time penalty.

Ken Block, meanwhile, had to withdraw from a race in which he desperately needed points. Block sat in third in the standings but had only completed four of the season’s races. In those he took first twice and second once.

He raced well through Saturday and into Sunday, but blew an engine with two stages to go Sunday afternoon and withdrew.

That left Com­rie-Picard alone at the top, no longer racing to edge out the traditional top competitors, but rather to maintain his already healthy advantage and avoid a major mistake.

“For us today, it was a matter of holding our lead and not being stupid,” he said. “We had to watch Andy all day to make sure it wasn’t catching us, and had to watch Ken Block all day, but unfortunately he blew his motor.

“We didn’t make any real mistakes at all. After we fixed the misfire (after the opening stage), it was textbook.”

RC 2009 Road Closure Schedule

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:

The Volunteer Registration Tent will at the Fan Fest on the Routt County Courthouse lawn at 6th and Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat Springs.

CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE 2009 RALLY COLORADO SPECTATOR GUIDE

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