Colorado Adventure Rally

The Sports Car Club of America presents

Colorado Adventure Rally

Denver, Colorado

a charity fundraising event for Humane Colorado - Colorado's largest animal rescue organization

July 16-19, 2026

The Colorado Adventure Rally is a three-day destination/vacation scenic road trip competition through the Colorado Rocky Mountains where teams of two (a driver and a navigator) follow simple route instructions and try to arrive at checkpoints at exactly the right time (not first or fastest).  It's not racing - everyone obeys all traffic laws and enjoys Colorado's roads at legal speeds.  Your smartphone will be running an app that records your arrival time at each checkpoint and then announces your score (1 penalty point for each second that you are late or early).  You'll enjoy this immediate feedback and can use it to improve your rally driving ability. 

Your entry fee includes 3 hotels (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), 3 breakfasts, 3 days of rally competition, an awards luncheon, 2 event tee-shirts and a donation to Humane Colorado. Trophies will be awarded to the top teams in each Class.

Summer in the Colorado Rockies is spectacular.  Bring that car you love to drive and join us to explore the beauty of the Rocky Mountains from the backroads of Colorado. 

Rally itinerary:

    Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 5PM - 8PM: Check-in to Drury Plaza Hotel, Westminster, CO.  Hospitality and rally check-in in lobby lounge.

    Friday, July 17, 2026 - 8AM - 4PM:  Rally from Westminster to Steamboat Springs, CO.  Check-in to Holiday Inn Express.  Free time options for Friday evening include soaking in the Old Town Hot Springs (natural mineral water springs), the Steamboat Friday night Rodeo, and a wide variety of great restaurants for dinner.

    Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 8AM - 4PM:  Rally from Steamboat Springs to Glenwood Springs, CO.  Check-in to Holiday Inn Express,  Free time options for Saturday evening include soaking in the Glenwood Hot Springs, and the Glenwood gondola and Adventure Park.  Great variety of great restaurants for dinner.

   Sunday, July 19, 2026 - 8AM - 1PM:  Rally from Glenwood Springs to Georgetown, CO.  Awards luncheon at Sasha's at the Alpine restaurant.

Rally committee:

•  Chair and Rallymaster:  Jim Crittenden
•  Precheck:  John Emmons, Lois Van Vleet, Steve Gaddy
•  Club liaison:  Chris Robbins

Registration and entry fee: 

Entry fee of $1,495 includes: 

• 3 days of rally competition
• 3 nights in hotels (Thursday night in Denver, Friday night in Steamboat Springs, and Saturday night in Glenwood Springs)
• 3 breakfasts (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
• Awards luncheon on Sunday
• 2 Colorado Adventure Rally tee-shirts
• A donation to Humane Colorado.   

When you register for the rally on MotorsportReg, your credit card will be charged $100 as a deposit.  The balance is due by April 16, 2026. (3 months before the rally)

FAQs:

How does the rally work?   You’ll receive Route Instructions describing how to follow the course. Each road has an assigned average speed appropriate to that road (never above the legal limit). The game is to follow the rally route and maintain those speeds. There will be multiple checkpoints along the rally route where the scoring app on your phone will record your arrival time and compare it to the ideal time. You'll be assigned 1 penalty point for every second that you are late or early.  Lowest total score wins. It’s a team sport of navigation and precision—not a race. 

Who is the organization hosting this event?  The rally is presented by the Colorado Region of the Sports Car Club of America and is sanctioned as a National Tour Rally.  SCCA is a 50K member nationwide non-profit organization that presents a wide variety of motorsports events including car rallies, solo (autocross), and road racing.

Do I need to be a member of SCCA to run this rally?  No. Everyone is welcome.

Do I need rally experience?  No prior rally experience is required.  

Do I need a particular brand of car?  No, any street legal car, SUV, or pickup is permitted. The driver must have a valid driver's license and car insurance.

Do I need a rally partner?  Yes. Each car must have two people - a driver and a navigator.

Can my navigator be under 18?  Yes, with a signed minor waiver (provided on request).

Will the rally route have unpaved roads?  Yes.  Expect a mix of paved and well-maintained county gravel roads. There are no Jeep trails, 4WD roads, or forest service roads.  Any 2WD car or SUV will work just fine.

What equipment will I need? 

• A smartphone (iOS or Android) to run the app that will record your arrival time at each checkpoint and then announce your score. 
• A charger to keep your smartphone charging.  The scoring app consumes alot of power.
• A clipboard, pens, and optional highlighters to mark up  Route Instructions.
• The driver must have a valid driver's license and the car must be insured.

How do I enter?  You register for the rally here on MotorsportReg.  First time MotorsportReg users will need to set up an account.

When does registration close?  June 15, 2026.

What's the refund policy?  Full refund if you cancel before May 15, 2026.  No refunds after that date.

Are there awards?  Yes.  At the Sunday luncheon we'll present awards to the top team in each Class.  

What about cell phone service?  Won't we be in areas without cell service?  Yes.  The scoring app will work just fine without cell phone service.  It only needs GPS to work during the rally.

Are EVs welcome?  Yes.  Each day will have less than 200 miles of driving.  Steamboat Springs and Glenwood Springs both have EV charging stations.

How do I choose which Class to run in?  Unlike racing events where your Class is determined by the car that you're driving, in a rally the Class is determined by the equipment that you're using to know if you are on time.  Here are the 6 Classes that you can choose from:

    1st Timer:  Neither crew member has ever run a car rally before.  Contestants in this Class are limited to the equipment restrictions of the SOP Class.

    SOP (Seat Of The Pants):  Contestants in this Class use only their speedometer to judge how to stay on time.  Contestants may use a GPS odometer app (such as Mojo Odo or Richta Odo) but they may not perform any calculations using mileage.  All types of calculators are prohibitied in this SOP Class.  This Class is designed for teams where the navigator will help follow the rally course (and enjoy the scenery), but doesn't want to have to bother with any math.   Any app or device that displays an average speed over a distance is prohibited in this Class.

    Stock:  Contestants in this Class are limited to using the car's stock, non-adjustable odometer in the stock location.  Any calculating device may be used as long as the distance information from the vehicle's stock odometer is manually entered into the calculating device.  GPS odometer apps are prohibited int this Class.

     Limited:  Contestants in this Class may derive distance information from any of the following:  the vehicle's electronic system, the vehicle's speedometer cable, or pulses generated by the movement of the vehicle.  Calculating devices are limited to those that require manual entry of the distance information.  Readouts that continuously show the differrence from either the perfect time or the perfect distance are prohibited in this Class.

     GPS:  Contestants in this Class must derive distance information from a GPS source.  Calculating devices may be any electronic device.  Contestants may use any GPS based rally app such as Mojo TSD Navigator, Richta Simple Rally Computer, or Rabbit Rally.

     Equipped:  There are no equipment restrictions in this Class.  Contestants will typically use a rally computer such as Timewise or Alfa.

Who is Humane Colorado?  Humane Colorado is the state's largest animal rescue organizaton, dedicated to saving lives and finding "furever" homes for pets in need.  A portion of every rally entry supports their work.

I still have questions.  How can I ask?  Email the rallymaster, Jim Crittenden, at james.a.crittenden@gmail.com.

 

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