Originally Posted by Special Stage

Rally America re-brands to RallyCar

Side-by-side dirt racing action, big jumps and some of the best off-road drivers in the world will come to America in 2011 for an exciting new national championship series: RallyCar Rallycross.

Organizers are planning a 2011 Rallycross national championship series that includes six events at racetracks across the country. The sport will debut in America on Saturday at X Games, under the name SuperRally, with three initial events held later this year at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Top drivers including Subaru Rally Team USA competitors Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra, as well as drift and rally stars Tanner Foust, Samuel Hübinette and Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard are set to compete in Rallycross.

The action-sport of auto racing, Rallycross is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. Debuting at X Games under the name SuperRally, the sport promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Five drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

“It’s an incredibly challenging and aggressive sport,” said driver Foust, who has been competing in European championship events this season. “The action is non-stop and the fans can’t get enough of it.”

Fans get close to the action with trackside viewing of aggressive door-to-door action and the sliding and jumping that makes rally car events unique among motorsport.

In conjunction with the new series, Rally America is also rebranding to RallyCar. The new identity for the organization reflects its increased scope as the premier sanctioning body for rally car racing events in the United States. In addition to the introduction of the Rallycross events, the organization will continue to sanction its traditional stage rally series in 2011 where the Rally America name will continue.

“We’re expanding as an organization and we wanted to make a change that reflects our commitment to rally car events in 2011,” said RallyCar president JB Niday. “The introduction of Super Rally presents a perfect opportunity for us to change our name to reflect what we’re about: racing rally car – whether that’s on endurance-based Special Stage courses, or through the new Rallycross short-course format.”

It is expected there will be two classes of cars in this initial year of Rallycross competition. The faster, all-wheel-drive cars will resemble those used in current Rally America competition including the all-wheel drive Subarus used by four-time American rally champion Pastrana and BMX legend Mirra, and the Ford Fiesta cars piloted at X Games in 2010 by Foust, Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack, motocross and short-course off- road driver Brian Deegan and gymkhana star Ken Block.

The second category of Rallycross cars will be two-wheel-drive and include various body styles from manufacturers such as Dodge and Honda boasting 450+ horsepower, highly modified engines and rally-style suspension.

Both categories include vehicles currently being used in the Rally America National Rally Championship.