Sandblast Rally facts for kids
The Sandblast Rally is an exciting race where cars and motorcycles compete. It happens every year in February in the towns of Chesterfield, Cheraw, and Patrick in South Carolina, USA. The race in 2008 was the biggest rally in the whole United States!
What Makes This Race Special?
This race is special because it takes place in the Sand Hills State Forest. This forest is part of the Sandhills region in the Carolinas. Most rally races happen on paved roads (called tarmac) or gravel roads. But the Sandblast Rally is almost entirely on sand roads!
Some of these sand roads are packed down by heavy trucks. Others are very soft because they are not used often. This makes the race a unique challenge for the cars. The constant pull from the sand makes the car's transmission work much harder. Driving on sand is also different from other races. The soft sand on the side of the road can feel like a snowbank. But cars can brake even better than on paved roads with special slick tires.
A Quick Look at History
The race was first called "Sandhills Sandblast." Greg Healey started it in the early 1990s. In only its second year, the race became part of the SCCA ProRally national championship. Greg Healey moved away in the mid-1990s, and the rally stopped for several years. The first races were different from today. They started at noon and continued late into the night. Racers drove three or four stages in complete darkness.
In 2001, Charles Sherrill brought the event back. He used similar race paths as before. The year 2003 was very busy because the race happened twice, once in spring and once in fall. The fall race was the first one approved by the new NASA Rally Sport group.
In 2005, Charles Sherrill decided to start another rally. So, Anders Green took over organizing the Sandblast Rally. At that time, the official name was shortened to "Sandblast Rally." In February 2007, motorcycles were added to the race as part of NASA Rally Sport's new RallyMoto program.
Past Winners of the Race
Here are some of the teams and riders who have won the Sandblast Rally:
| Year | Driver & Codriver | Make | Motorcycle | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Klim Fedoff and Boyd Smith | Mitsubishi Evo IX | Bill Conger | KTM 450XC |
| 2019 | Martin Donnelly and Brian Doherty | Ford Fiesta | Randy Richardson | Husqvarna 701 Enduro |
| 2018 | Eric Wages and Sarah Montplaisir | Subaru Impreza STi | Bobby Wooldridge | Husaberg FE 570 |
| 2017 | Ruben Cuenca and Ramiro Arevalo | Subaru Impreza STi | Bill Conger | Aprilla RXV 5.5 |
| 2016 | Patrick Brennan and Aaron Crescenti | Mitsubishi Evo IX | Bobby Wooldridge | Husaberg FE 570 |
| 2015 | Gary Donoghue and Kieran McElhinney | Mitsubishi Evo | Bill Conger | Aprilla RXV 5.5 |
| 2014 | Eric Wages and Sarah Montplaisir | Subaru Impreza STi | Devon Mahon | KTM 530 EXC |
| 2013 | Jason Smith and Jared Lantzy | Subaru Impreza | Michael Gilkey | KTM 950 Adventure S |
| 2012 | Michael Reilly and Joshua Benthien | Ford Escort Cosworth | Bill Conger | Aprilla RXV 5.5 |
| 2011 | Charles Sherill and Wilson Von Kessler | Mitsubishi Evo IV | Aaron Gibson | KTM 690R |
| 2010 | Eduardo Bancalari and Jay Mauney | Subaru Impreza WRX | Bill Conger | Aprilla RXV 5.5 |
| 2009 | Eduardo Bancalari and Jay Mauney | Subaru Impreza WRX | Michael Gilkey | KTM 950 SE |
| 2008 | Charles Sherrill and Brian O'Neal | Mitsubishi Evo IV | Mark Ely | Aprilla RXV 5.5 |
| 2007 | Celcus Donnelly and Noel Gallagher | Mitsubishi Evo VIII | Mark Ely | Honda XR 640 SP |
| 2006 | Seamus Burke and Brian Sharkey | Mitsubishi Evo VIII | ||
| 2005 | Seamus Burke and Charles Bradley | Mitsubishi Evo VIII | ||
| 2004 | Seamus Burke and Charles Bradley | Mitsubishi Evo VIII | ||
| 2003 (Fall) | Seamus Burke and Brian Sharkey | Mitsubishi Evo VI | ||
| 2003 (Spring) | Seamus Burke and Emma Burke | Mitsubishi Evo VIII | ||
| 2002 | John Drislane and Ronan Burke | Mitsubishi Evo IV | ||
| 2001 | Thomas Lawless and Cathal McCaire | Mitsubishi Evo IV | ||
| 1996 | Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker | Hyundai Elantra | ||
| 1995 | Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker | Audi Coupe S2 | ||
| 1994 | Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker | Audi Coupe S2 |
