America temporarily invaded Canada during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. This time, rather than an army, America is sending NASA Rally Sport across the border to invade. The Extreme Elite Series (Challenge Xtreme Elite – CXE) will consist of five events, the winner of which will be crowned the Canadian NASA National Champion.
“It’s a very exciting time,” says Anders Green, NASA Rally Sport Director. “Adding five more rallies to our schedule means we’ll sanction twenty events next year.” That’s more than Rally America, who is sanctioning thirteen national and regional events this year, making NASA Rally Sport the largest sanctioning body for rally in North America.
Eric Trembley, who has an extensive history organizing events in Canada, will lead CXE. It will consist of five events formerly known as the Championnat de Rallye du Québec – Rallye la Tuque, Rallye Sanair, Rallye de Saguenay, Lac-aux-Sable Rallye, and one more yet to be named. They comprise two gravel events, two snow events on WRC studded tires, and one tarmac event. Best of all, teams from both Canada and the US can compete in any NASA Rally Sport event in either country. The same licenses, rules, and classes will apply to all NASA Rally Sport sanctioned events regardless of where they take place.
“Rally needs more people working together,” says Anders Green. “It’s refreshing to see an organization look around and evaluate rationally how they can accomplish the best for their racers and the future of the sport. We love sharing our infrastructure so that organizers and competitors have more powerful tools at their disposal. More than ever our job is to focus on our mission of putting on great events, ensuring great competition, and providing top-class support and technology to the organizers. We are continuing to make sure that all the racers from the front to the back of the field have great racing that’s fun and affordable.”
Between a strong SCCA Rallycross/RallySprint series, existing NASA Rally Sport events in New York such as Black River Stages (where I drove a Mustang as Car 0 last year) and the Empire State Performance Rally, and Rally America’s New England Forest Rally, there’s a very strong rally community in the northeast US. Making these Canadian events so much easier to get involved in can only strengthen the rally community. Quebec’s roads are amazing (except for Montreal). I know a few people who have attended Canadian rallies in the past, and they’ve spoken quite highly of them. Hmm – my wife is from Montreal. My American amateur radio license is valid in Canada. I wonder if we might go check out these NASA run Canadian rallies for ourselves next year…
Read the press release in English here, and in French here, because Canada.