Steamboat Springs, CO -- Ski Town U.S.A. will once again be host to one of the premier rally car racing events in the country. The Colorado Cog Rally, the seventh event in the Rally America National Championship series will be held in Steamboat Springs in the town of Hayden from September 22-24. Steamboat Springs is known by skiers for its “Champagne Powder” on the slopes, as well as the town’s year-round western charm.

This is the second year the Colorado Cog Rally in Northwest Colorado has been part of Rally America and is becoming one of America’s toughest rallies. The fast section of gravel roads and open areas combine to make this race a special destination for drivers and co-drivers. It is particularly great for spectators to enjoy the fast paced action.

“The variety in the different racing stages if pretty significant,” said Jim Gill, event organizer of the Colorado Cog Rally. “We have everything from high speed to tight and technical that makes these courses so memorable.”

The Colorado Cog Rally is the seventh of nine national races throughout the year, which determine who takes home the 2006 Rally America National Championship. Sponsors supporting the Colorado Cog Rally 2006 include: Steamboat Springs Chamber of Commerce, Sheraton Resort and Conference Center, Super 8 Motel and Miller Lite.

The Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events throughout the country in many different weather and road conditions spanning the forest logging roads in Minnesota, the high-altitude Yampa River Valley in Northwest Colorado to the deserts in Nevada. After the Colorado Cog Rally, two final events will help determine who will take the 2006 Championship.

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana has a commanding lead in the Rally America National Championship. The 22-year-old Pastrana along with his co-driver Christian Edstrom won their first ever Rally America National Championship event at the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Northern Minnesota on Aug. 25-26.

The races are widely popular in Europe, and interest is building among U.S. audiences. Over 1.3 million households tuned in to watch the rally racing competition at the ESPN X Games live on ABC.

About 50 teams are expected to participate in the Colorado Cog Rally competitions. As in all Rally America events, teams are not permitted on the course prior to the Colorado Cog rally, barring drivers and co-drivers from practicing on the 106 stage miles. Aiding the driver during the race is the co-driver who has precise course directions in a route book with instructions measured in hundredths of a mile.

Cars competing in the rally are street-legal vehicles modified for safety. The cars are separated into six classes ranging from stock to highly modified. Cars popular in rally racing include makes such as Audi, Dodge, Mazda, Hyundai and Subaru.

The last two Rally America races are Lake Superior in Houghton, MI, on Oct. 20-21 and the Reno Rally in Reno, NV, on Dec. 1-2.

More event information can be found at www.coloradocogrally.com or www.rally-america.com. Information about press credentials can be found on the sites under Links or RA Championship.

Members of the media can find out what it is like to speed down a two-mile stage in a rally car from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Checkpoint Racing Press Stage on Friday, Sept. 22.

Web links:
www.coloradocogrally.com
www.rally-america.com
www.steamboat.com
www.steamboat-chamber.com