Insurance risk halts SCCA rally

The SCCA in Topeka, KN, has shocked the top professional American rally teams by deciding to cease sanctioning special stage rallying, including its headline ProRally series, due to increasing insurance risk exposure. SCCA chairman Gary Pitts said: "The stage rally format has got to the point where it puts the entire club, its activities and entities under undue risk."

Oct 7, 2004, 10:30 AM

The decision, which will come into effect on January 1, 2005, will also affect the SCCA ClubRally series. The club's RallyCross and RoadRally programmes will be unaffected.

"We have many members whose interests lie in rallying," said SCCA president Steve Johnson. "It is my intention to allow these members the opportunity to rally in the future, and I'm confident that we can accomplish this. We're in negotiations to transition the SCCA's elements of stage-based rally activity to Rally America, a long-time partner."

The SCCA began its ProRally special stage championship in 1973, since when it has been regarded as the top American domestic rally series. The 2004 championship has one round remaining, the Lake Superior ProRally, which will run as scheduled on October 22 in Houghton, MI.