Gear up to go off-road!
The local Sandblast Rally races through the county forest in March
Hear that? It’s the sound of excitement building on the open off-road right before the gentlemen start their engines for the Sandblast Rally on race day: March 6.
2021 will mark the 25th annual running of the race, which takes place in the Sandhills State Forest and the H. Cooper Black State Park. According to rally chairman Andrew Frick, in previous years the start was in Chesterfield, the service park or pits were in Patrick, and the finish was in Cheraw. But this year, due to COVID restrictions, they are basing all of the race day events in Patrick.
How does the Sandblast Rally start and finish? The car, SUV and motorcycle (added 10 years ago) race, renowned in the Southeast, is against the clock to see which vehicle can complete the course in the lowest cumulative time and in the best condition. The race totals nearly 90 miles in one day, covering a mix of hard-packed, sand and clay surfaces through the forests of Chesterfield County. The Sandblast is part of a championship race series called the Atlantic Rally Cup that includes races in Kentucky, New York, Michigan, and Tennessee. Racers competing for the championship title will come to the Sandblast to score points.
Contestants range in all skill levels, from rookies to the experienced that have competed in more than 100 events, explains Frick, and from 18 years old to those in their 60s. The Sandblast, however, focuses on amateurs so everyone is racing for fun or competition, instead of getting paid. Drivers hail from up and down the U.S. East Coast, but it’s drawn competitors from as far away as California and Ireland.
“Contestants are drawn to this event because of the challenging roads and the warm South Carolina weather this time of year,” says Frick. “For those in the north, it’s a welcome taste of spring – and they get to go racing. Most of the other rallies are based on gravel roads, so the sand here provides a unique challenge.”
The race course is divided into stages of forest road, explains Frick. Between the stages, all competitors travel on public roads to get to the next race stage. All racing is point-to-point, with each competitor staggered by 1 minute on the road, so that, ideally, they won’t encounter another competitor during the racing stages. To ramp up social distancing, Frick has mandated masks for all competitors and volunteers when they are near other people, such as in the service area in Patrick. We have also changed the procedure that is used for timing when the competitors start or finish the stages to be touchless.
“I’ve been attending the race as a competitor, volunteer, pit crew, and now organizer since 2001,” says Frick. “I was an avid racer until we started having to pay for daycare for our kids. That took the racing budget.”
All rally vehicles are road legal; motorcycles are adventure or dual sport-style bikes, like a KTM, he continues. Cars are primarily smaller cars with smaller engines, such as a Subaru Impreza/WRX or Ford Fiesta. All-wheel drive is a huge advantage in the loose road conditions, which is why competitors flock to Subaru models, as they are light, have good traction, and can span a wide range of speeds, depending on each driver’s budget.
“This sport is really run by passionate people that do it mainly for the fun and experience,” says Frick. “We have a group of more than 150 volunteers that show up every year to make the event possible. Without volunteers, there is no race – and the volunteers come from almost as far away as the competitors, with senior volunteers coming from Colorado and Pennsylvania.”
Although no spectators are allowed to attend this year’s rally, unless you’re competing, the best way to get close to the action is to volunteer (plus, you get free lunch and dinner). To sign up, visit https://www.sandblastrally.com/. For updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/SandblastRally.
