Greenville, SC (January 13, 2020) – With the addition of the innovative RallyMotoTM program to NASA Rally Sport in 2006, Sandblast became the home for Rally Raid style motorcycle racing on the east coast attracting moto racers from DAKAR and beyond. In that same spirit of innovation and inclusiveness, Sandblast Rally is once again opening entry to non-traditional stage rally competitors recognized in Rally Raid and Desert Racing; Side by Sides.
The NASA Rally Sport RallySxSTM program opens stage rally to Side by Side and UTV racers of all kinds. With a simple rule structure based on production vehicles, it’s easy to prep any modern UTV for real rally competition.
Formerly the Sandhills Sandblast Rally, SBR has been a staple of stage rally competition in the Southeast for nearly two decades running annually since 2001. Sandblast’s unique road surface and stage character are one-of-a-kind this side of the Mississippi, and it continues to be a competitor favorite for its compact size and one day schedule.
“Traditionally, Sandblast Rally has served the grassroots competitor, and this has not changed” said Rally Chairman, Andrew Frick. He and his team of dedicated volunteers are excited about the opportunity to bring a new crop of competitors into the stage rally family. “…[We] have found a way to support running RallySxSTM this year in two ways. If you have a road legal SxS you can enter as a 2WD car in the RallySxSTM class. If you have a SxS that does not have a license plate, there will be a limited schedule for you to run which will not require transiting on the public roads.” This SxS-Offroad class has a reduced entry fee.
“We’re really hoping to expand the RallySxSTM entries at this rally and beyond,” said David Matheson, Chairman of another NASA event, the Appalachian Tarmac Rally Sprint. “It’s impossible not to notice the boom in UTV off road racing in the past few years, and we want to see these racers getting involved with the great sport of stage rally. NASA Rally Sport already has a rules package in place, so we’re starting there and seeing how it goes for a couple years.”
On the potential for more rallies allowing UTVs in the South, David added “There are a lot of great roads in the area that are not being utilized for motorsport, and that’s a shame. We’re working on a new gravel event in East Tennessee that will hopefully be announced soon, and I’m very excited for the future of stage rally in the Southeast.”
Sandblast Rally Website: www.sandblastrally.com
