Rally W.Va. Gears up for Weekend
By ANTHONY GAYNOR, Staff WriterArticle Photos
Fact Box
Road Closures
The following roads in Randolph and Pendleton counties will be closed temporarily for the 2008 Rally West Virginia.
Friday
Road 1: Sully Road, county Route 10, from U.S. 33 north to county Route 12; noon to 7 p.m. Alternate: County Route 12/U.S. 33.
Road 2: County Route 31/county Route 7, .25 miles east of county Route 29 to the intersection with county Route 33-3 in Pendleton County, 12:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Alternative: County Route 29/U.S. 33.
Road 3: County Route 29-4, 1.8 miles east of county Route 29 to the intersection of county Route 33-3 in Pendleton County, 12:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Alternative: County Route 29/U.S. Route 33.
Road 4: One mile off Left Fork/Files Creek Road, county Route 30 north, from county Route 22 toward Bemis for one mile and county Route 22 to Bemis, 4:40 p.m. to approximately 8:10 p.m. Alternate: U.S. 33 Bemis to Elkins.
Saturday
Road 1: County Route 42, a dirt road, from above Mill Creek to Adolph, 6:40 a.m. to approximately 1:45 p.m. Alternate: County Route 46 between Mill Creek and Adolph.
Road 2: High Germany Road, upper and lower, county Routes 42, 44, 46/2, closed twice, 7 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. Alternate: County Route 46/county Route 44-1 to Hemlock/Mount Olive.
Road 3: Dirt road between Helvetia/Pickens, county Route 45/3, county Route 52/county Route 50 between Helvetia, Fairview and Pickens, 10:20 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Alternate: County Route 50-5/county Route 48 to Helvetia.
Road 4: Turkeybone Road, county Route 45, south from Parting Springs to Monterville, 2:30 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m. Alternate: State Route 15/U.S. 219/county Route 45/county Route 46 via Helvetia/Mill Creek.
Road 5: Holly Bush Road, county Route 62, 1.5 miles north of Mingo to Blue Springs, 3:20 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. Alternate: U.S. 219/state Route 15/county Route 49.
In cases of emergencies, people residing on a temporarily closed road should contact road marshals protecting closed roads to have a message sent via radio network to the rally operations center. Other numbers to use only in cases of real emergencies are (540) 256-1058 or 911.
Spectator Areas
n Friday afternoon - Rally West Virginia officials warn that the road is not suitable for large vehicles. The first motorcycle is expected at 5:20 p.m. and the first car is expected at 6:20 p.m.
1. Head south from Elkins on U.S. 219/250.
2. In Beverly, turn left onto Files Creek Road, county Route 37-8.
3. After approximately three miles, turn left onto Left Fork-Files Creek Road, county Route 30.
4. Follow this road for about 4.5 miles to the spectator area.
5. Drive slowly and carefully on this road, and observe the speed limit signs. There are numerous homes along this road and families with children will be present.
Park on the left side of the road approaching the spectator area in single file line and do not park across the road or in parallel with other cars to keep safety access open.
n Saturday morning Spectator Area
The first car for stage two is expected at 8 a.m., for stage four at 9:50 a.m. and for stage six at 11:40 a.m.
1. Depart from the area of the Tygarts Valley High school in Mill Creek, heading north on U.S. 219.
2. Turn left on the Adolph-Helvetia Road approximately .2 miles north of the Tygarts Valley High School.
3. Follow U.S. 219 for 5.8 miles and then bear left at a "Y" intersection toward Helvetia.
4. Follow this paved road for 10.4 miles and turn right onto Sugar Grove Road.
5. At the first main junction, bear right.
6. At the next junction, in Palace Valley, turn right across a bridge on county Route 19.
7. Follow for 3.6 miles and bear right toward Mt. Olive Church.
8. After the church, turn right down a steep hill.
9. After about one mile, bear right at a "Y" intersection just after a gas line clearing.
10. Follow the road to the spectator area, about four miles up the mountain. According to Rally officials, the first mile of this section of road is rough and may damage cars with low ground clearance. Park on the right side of the road approaching the spectator area in a single line.
n Saturday Afternoon Spectator Area
The first car is expected for stage nine at 3:40 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. for stage 12.
Directions from Mill Creek to Turkeybone Road spectator area.
Allow 30-35 minutes drive time, and more time to park.
1. Head south from Mill Creek on U.S. 219/250
2. After approximately 1.4 miles, turn right to follow U.S. 219 south.
3. After approximately 6.6 miles, turn right at sign for Kumbrabow State Park on to county Route 219-16; this is the eastern entrance into Kumbrabow State Park.
9. Follow this road for about nine miles to the spectator area.
Park on the left side of the road approaching the spectator area in a single file line. Do not park in the CCC camp area or in the grass areas on the right.
Alcoholic beverages and drugs are prohibited in the park.
Randolph County will be invaded with street legal rally cars and motorcycles this Friday and Saturday as they blast over area dirt roads during the third annual 2008 Rally West Virginia, competing for the shortest time in tackling the challenging course.
"We love the rally because it brings a lot of people to the area," Randolph County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Brenda Pritt said. "I think it is going to be neat to watch the motorbikes."
Pritt said she went to some of the spectator areas last year and enjoyed the racing action. She said the roads involved are becoming some of the racers' favorites.
"The rally brings in many different people from different places and even different nationalities," Pritt said.
Rally West Virginia is part of the U.S. Rally Championship and Max-Attack two-wheel drive Racing Series.
This is the second year back for USRC and race three of four on the East Coast. This is also the second year back for the Max-Attack Triple Crown Racing Series part of The Rally Sports Group of America Inc.
"We are honored and a little bit humbled to be part of the MaxAttack! series," Rally West Virginia chairman Mark Bowers said. "We are excited to have their support at the event. We are thrilled with the level of competition in both the two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive divisions. I will be intrigued to see the strategies employed by teams on this long and technically challenging event."
This is the second of three events for Max-Attack in its two-wheel drive championship. It has a total prize fund of $16,000. The winner in two-wheel drive overall will get $1,500, second place will receive $1,200, third place will receive $1,000, fourth place will receive $800 and fifth place in two-wheel drive overall will win $500.
New this year will be Rally-Moto, which has 20 bikes entered. These are the same bikes that compete in the famous Pairs to Dakar Rally.
According to information from Rally West Virginia, Performance Rally racing has long been a favorite form of motor sport in Europe, Asia, Africa and other parts of the world. In these places, rallies often draw crowds in the tens of thousands. Rallying is unlike any other type of car racing.
Performance Rally vehicles require certain safety equipment to protect the crew, according to Rally West Virginia. This includes a full roll cage, with door bars and triangulation, fire extinguishers and special seat belts. The crew must wear approved fireproof suits and helmets. All the cars that compete in the event are street legal vehicles that must pass all Department of Transportation inspections.
Rally West Virginia is sanctioned by NASA Rallysport and is part of the new Atlantic Rally Cup. There are 37 Rally cars entered for the event. Returning this year are drivers Enda McCormack, Martin Donnelly and Michael O'Leary in their Mitsubishi EVOs. Simon Wright and Hampton Bridwell will also return in there Rally Spec Ford Focus two-wheel drive cars and Don Kennedy and Scott Wilburn will be running in their Subaru Imprezas.
For more information, go to www.rallywv.com.
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JRBEAR2008
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07-31-08 2:00 AM
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GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE RALLY BUT ARE OUR ROADS FIT ANS SAFE ENOUGH FOR THAT KIND OF SPEED RACING
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