After a spectacularly successful debut season, the MaxAttack! Triple Crown Rally Series is ready to return for its second year. The series, which provides a significant prize fund and tangible marketing value for two-wheel-drive competitors, hopes to attract a greater number of competitors at each event, as well as entice participants in the entire three-race, nationwide championship.
While it is a new year, some things remain the same. After a long and thorough selection process, the Rallysports Group of America decided to return to the three events that comprised the successful inaugural series. “We have certainly had interest in the series from other rallies, but these three events are a known quantity, and satisfy our criteria for geographic location and timing of the events,” says RSGA managing director Eric Burmeister. “We will continue to look at events in 2008 and decide if expansion of the series or a change is in the best interest of competitors for next year.”
The three events for the 2008 MaxAttack! Triple Crown Rally series are:
Oregon Trail, May 16-18, Portland Ore.
Rally West Virginia, August 1-2, Elkins W Va.
Lake Superior Rally, October 17-18, Houghton Mich.
“We’d like to thank the three events and both sanctioning bodies involved,” says Burmeister. “I am proud that our series is one of the few bridges that exists between both Rally America and NASA. At the end of the day, we all just want to drive fast in the woods!”
There are, however, a few changes that have taken place for the 2008 MaxAttack! Triple Crown Series. Since one aim of the MaxAttack! series is to foster the growth of grassroots teams, it has been decided that participants will no longer be required to enter the national events at Oregon Trail and Lake Superior. Regional entries are now eligible for the biggest purse in two-wheel-drive rallying.
The prize payout has also been revised for 2008. The MaxAttack! Series will now pay out 5 places deep at each of the three rallies and offer a championship bonus for the winner of the Jake Himes Cup, the series champion. The payout for 2008 looks like this:
At each MaxAttack! round:
1st- $1,500.00
2nd- $1,200.00
3rd- $1000.00
4th- $800.00
5th- $500.00
In addition, the series champion and recipient of the Jake Himes Cup will receive a bonus of at least $1000.00. More details on this bonus will be forthcoming.
Another change in the series reflects registration fees for competitors. Per rally registration fees will be $50 per team for 2008. Alternatively, if a team wishes to pay for the entire season (all 3 events) at the first event, it will cost just $100. This 3-for-2 discount for committing series regulars is to encourage participation at all three events, and to continue to promote the Jake Himes Cup as a sought-after trophy in North American rallying.
As many folks are aware, in 2007 the Rallysports Group of America lost one of its co-founders members, Jake Himes. The RSGA board needed a strong new member aligned with the goals of MaxAttack! to continue operations. It is pleased to have found a great ambassador in Ryan Johnson, and is happy to introduce him as the newest board member. Since becoming involved in rallying through friends like Jake, Johnson had participated in the sport as a marshal, co-driver, driver, car-builder, mechanic, and most recently, the on-the-ground registrar/media liaison for the MaxAttack! event at the 2007 Lake Superior Rally.
“I’m very happy to be working with the RSGA on MaxAttack!” said Johnson. “It is a great program that highlights some of the best battles and most interesting teams in American rallying. It also raises the bar and encourages those teams to improve their entire program.” Look for Ryan at MaxAttack! events this year.
Jake continues on as the MaxAttack! spiritual adviser. The other members of the RSGA board are Eric Burmeister, Beryl Ann Burton, Bob Olson, and Ben Bradley.
About Rallysports Group of America
Rallysports Group of America, Inc. (RSGA) was formed as an organization in 2006 to advance the sport of performance stage rally in the United States. By providing education on performance driving, car preparation and safety, and by fostering the growth of meaningful competition, RSGA seeks to provide a sustainable and competitive arena for the advancement of North American performance rally that promotes increased value for rally competitors, organizers, and sponsors alike. For more information, please visit http://www.max-attack.com.
