SCCA suspends club rallies in safety review

The Sports Car Club of America in Topeka, KN, has taken the drastic step of temporarily suspending all stand-alone SCCA ClubRally events, effective immediately, while it evaluates operational safety standards in the light of the observer fatalities on the Sawmill Rally [May 12]. SCCA chairman Tom Campbell said: "This action is taken in consideration of several serious, albeit distinctly different, ClubRally accidents that have occurred over the last year and a half."

May 19, 2003, 7:38 PM

The suspension does not include any SCCA ProRally Championship events, nor ClubRally competitor participation within these events.

"We must take appropriate action to ensure that rally activities are operated appropriately and do not present an unacceptable risk to participants, officials or the public," Campbell continued. "If the risk exposures, particularly those involving spectators, are not managed appropriately, rally activities will almost certainly not be insurable in the future.

"It was decided that the ProRally events, including any concurrent ClubRallys, could continue because of certain operational differences and the presence of a higher degree of national-level control and oversight. However, prior to each ProRally event during the period of the suspension, we will conduct a formal event-specific safety assessment. If there is uncertainty regarding compliance with operational protocols, these events could be suspended as well."