Sometime late last year, while on my way home from Nashville Superspeedway, Thunder Roadster in tow, of course, I witnessed a parade of mud, dirt, and grit traveling opposite me on the highway. I am talking an assortment of All Wheel Drive, Front Wheel Drive, and Rear Wheel Drive machinery spotted about 30 minutes from my home, looking like they had one hell of a good time in the dirt. I knew instantly I had to find out what this was all about.
So I did a little ‘digging’ when I got home. Yes, pun intended. And that is when I found the Tennessee Valley Region SCCA chapter and its very active rallycross series. Right in my backyard in Northern Alabama.
Although it took a few months, I finally had time to attend an event this last weekend and try my hand at a different form of motorsport. So let’s find a car.
The Fierce Motorsports Subaru Legacy
How does a bone stock 1998 Subaru Legacy sound? That is what I found from local rally crosser Jennifer Samardak, who is also the owner of Fierce Motorsports. A company that offers women-specific automotive classes, workshops, purchase support, and, fortunately for me, rally cross seat rentals.
Rallycross vs Autocross
The event itself is very similar to autocross, something I have a ton of experience in. So, of course, I thought that would instantly translate to speed. Not quite. Let me explain.
Rallycross and autocross are extremely similar … in layout. A course is set up with cones in an open area, and drivers have 8 timed runs split across two sessions. Points are assessed for hitting cones.
They differ in two significant aspects, though.
One: autocross is judged by your fastest time of the day, whereas rallycross is a running total of all 8 runs. That change emphasizes not only consistency but also starting ‘hot’. A slow run can carry a heavy penalty in rallycross.
Second, rallycross replaces the open asphalt and concrete lots of autocross with a field. And that field, and the elements, mean you are competing on dirt, grass, and maybe mud.
My First Run(s)
Which brings us to my first-ever rallycross run. It was humbling to say the least. Although my autocross experience gave me plenty of confidence, I was a little shocked to see the clock. Though I don’t know what I expected. Almost all of my motorsports history is on asphalt. But one thing is for sure, after that first run, I immediately knew rallycross is a different animal.
Which was actually pretty cool for a very specific reason. Rallycross gave me the opportunity to engage the mental programs I built years ago when I first started competing and was, well… slow. After the first 2 runs, I wasn’t looking for tenths; I was looking for 5-plus seconds. In short, I was fundamentally driving the car wrong.
Pressing On to a Realization
After 4 runs, I had a realization. When racing on asphalt surfaces, we drive around what is called the limit. Staying at the limit is what drivers also refer to as 10/10ths. It’s extracting everything out of the car to run the quickest laps possible. Exceed the limit, and you spin or, worse, drive under the limit, and you are slow.
And that is why rallycross initially did my head in.
In asphalt racing, the limit is exceptionally traction-limited. It is a very narrow moment that is sensed largely, but not completely, through the tires. So my racecar training was working against me.
Let me explain. That narrow moment on asphalt we can define as the limit becomes an 8-lane highway in rallycross. The car wants to slip and swap ends just as much at 15mph as it does at 50mph. Which means I was driving at the bottom end of a very large limit. Not the razor edge of an unforgiving one.
Once I realized this, I began dropping time fast. Not enough to podium, but enough to see the path to the podium. Which is something I’m pretty proud of, considering the 8 minutes of seat time.
Below is my fastest run. You can see lots of steering inputs. What isn’t so obvious is that I am using significantly more throttle than in previous runs.
Other Thoughts
Rallycross has intrigued me, and I will be back. Not only is it a new driving discipline for me that offers a fresh challenge, but it is also close to home. It has me reminiscing about milestones 10, 15, and even 20 years ago.
And i want to mention, the community is great. Everyone was there to have a good time, support each other, and build a sense of community. I’d recommend anyone in the area give it a go and look up the Tennessee Valley Region SCCA. And of course, if you are going to do it, you might as well do it right in the AWD Subaru from Fierce Motorsports.