If you’ve lived in the tristate area of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, it’s likely you’ve heard the saying: “Welcome to the Ohio Valley, where you will experience all four seasons – sometimes all in one day!” The opening day of the Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2024, Country Roads RallyCross National Tour in Cottageville, WV, (the fourth of four RallyCross National Tour events this year before the upcoming RallyCross National Championship) was not exactly like that, but the area did go from drought conditions to gale-force winds and rain between sessions. Participants, crew, and organizers sheltered in their vehicles, then picked up loose wind damage and got right back to competing. In total, seven runs were made on the Saturday with four more on Sunday. What can we say – RallyCrossers are a hearty bunch.
Course surface changes certainly made driving skills and tire selection come to the foreground for both days, with attendees certainly bringing their “A” game – and we’re not just talking about their prowess behind the wheel. From the host Region of Southern West Virginia to everyone who came to compete, this was an event where everyone pulled their weight.
P.S. We ate a bunch of West Virginia pepperoni rolls.
Rain or Shine
Opening four runs for each run group were fast and furious, with tight battles in Prepared Front, Modified Rear, and UTV Sport. Then Mother Nature flung a “hunker down” tempest at us during the mid-day break and a reversed morning course became a real challenge with corrections for standing water in the afternoon.
But hey, it’s RallyCross, where we run rain or shine.
(Brian Glen won Modified Rear Wheel Drive.)
There were three more runs in each group during the afternoon with the first day’s total times showing the effects of course conditions: Tight battles were reduced to two classes, Mod All and UTV Sport.
Day two was intended to provide drivers with a long-course treat (designed by ZB Lorenc) combining the first day’s course with a fresh layout on adjoining property. Unfortunately, additional rain during the night resulted in a shortened version that became faster as traction improved. The land also held up well during the four runs in each group.
(UTV Max had one entry, but that doesn't mean Jonathan Coatney took it easy for any of his runs.)
The battle in Prepared Front tightened with Sid Scott maintaining the edge. Mod All times stayed consistent throughout the weekend, with Michael Julian leading wire to wire. UTV Sport positions remained constant throughout the day, with the exception of a third-place finish earned by RallyCross novice Wyatt Rhodes.
Who Else Won?
This was an event where simply competing means you earned a victory – but if you really want to know who landed on top in each class, click the button below.
When it comes to inter-Region competition, you’ll discover that DC Region came over the mountain and carried back the lion’s share of podium hardware, with Ohio Valley Region second, and South West Virginia Region third in the award earnings.
