Got a Driver’s License? Try RallyCross!

Micah Erickson

My name is Micah Erickson, and I’m 16 years old and a Speed Freakz member (see page 7). I am now in the 11th grade. Early last summer, my brother told me of a sport called RallyCross. When I asked what it was, he said it was an autocross on gravel. I asked how old you had to be to participate. He wasn’t sure so he found out. It turns out that you only have to be 16, and have a driver’s license and parental permission for minors.

I told my father, and he said it sounded like a good idea, because I could learn how to control a car when you’re going out of control. My mother had a different reaction. As soon as she heard the word ‘race’, she said "No!" Dad convinced her to let me try. After she understood that it was actually a low-speed, second-gear event, under 30 mph, she was okay with the idea.

A few weeks later, I was off to my first RallyCross. My dad and I got there early. Only my brother and a man by the name of Mark Utecht were there. We helped Mark and his wife Mary set up the track. After all the pylons were set out, Mark wanted to test the track in his truck. He hopped in, and I was thinking he’s gonna take it all slow and feel it, but no, he gets in and starts rippin’ around the track. My jaw dropped. I thought that there is no way I’m gonna be able to rip it up like that in my little Chevette. I had only played around in empty parking lots in my dad’s car. I had no experience with racing.
By the time the track was set up, several more people arrived. There was probably a total of 20 cars there.

Next, I had to register. It turns out that the ‘Rally People’, as they call themselves, are really nice. They all seem to have this weird way of thinking; they have the attitude that nothing is impossible.
Of all the people there, I was probably the only one under 25. I expected them to have this attitude against me, like I was some stupid kid in their way, but they treated me fairly. They treated me as another driver. I really like these people.

Next, I get in my car, and put my helmet on. I’m watching all these other drivers just rippin’ it up because they have all had experience at driving aggressively. By this time, I’m starting to get real nervous, because I’m counting down. Only two more cars till it’s my turn. Okay, only one more car till it's my turn, I can do this. All of a sudden, the starting guy yells "Go!" at me. At that point, I was completely focused on pushing my limits. After that, I came up with a strategy - push myself till I start to lose control, then back off a little. So after my first run I was pumped because I felt I did very well for my first time, and I did do quite well.

For the rest of the summer I continued to race, only I would use my brother’s ’87 Subaru XT in the U2 class (under 2 liter, stock). I took fourth place out of 16 competitors in my class for the season. Not bad for a rookie. RallyCross is for the normal everyday Joe who would like to beat their car a little, by driving aggressively in a safe environment. RallyCross is not meant to be taken seriously. It is merely for fun and to better your driving skills.

For more information about Rally Cross, call Todd Erickson, at (612) 425-3150.

Copyright 1999, Land O'Lakes Region.
Last revised: March 5, 1999