Snoqualmie could host one of three events in the Global RallyCross Championship at the former Weyerhaeuser mill site.
DirtFish Rally School is in talks with the championship’s organizer, Rally Cross Management, to finalize the deal. The school is also waiting to hear back from King County for approval to hold the event. The mill is on unincorporated county land.
If the agreement is inked, some of the world’s elite drivers will go head to head at the mill site April 15-16. ESPN has already agreed to broadcast the event May 14.
The event probably won’t cause any headaches in Snoqualmie, though, according to Greg Lund, co-owner of DirtFish.
He expects fewer than 30 cars to compete and about 300 spectators. The noise from the one-mile course will be minimal, he said.
It will likely be a recurring event and could draw more spectators in the future.
Rally cross races are never big spectator draws, Lund said.
But the international event and its international television coverage could boost DirtFish’s profile.
That means more customers for the school that teaches people how to drive souped-up four-wheel drive cars on dirt and gravel tracks.
Those customers and spectators will likely spend money in Snoqualmie, Lund said.
Since opening last year, DirtFish’s classes have had a steady demand, drawing would-be extreme drivers from across the country and from all walks of life, he said.
The school has even had some celebrities stop by, including Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson, who started a game in the 2010 World Series.
Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or [email protected].
Filed Under Cross Country Sports Sports News