(AP) - Forget the recession, put away your snow shovel, change your air filter, and get ready--the 2010 Colorado RallyCross season is here!  Ten events and great competition set the stage for perhaps the best RallyCross season yet.  Here's an overview of the good stuff:

• Plan to attend the 2010 Kickoff Party on Saturday, February 27 at the Rockyard Brewery in Castle Rock.  We'll present the 2009 season awards and discuss the 2010 season while enjoying good eats and a brew or two.  Don't miss this great opportunity to catch up with fellow competitors, share your feedback about the Colorado R-X program and volunteer for key assignments.
• New this year will be a Drivers' School and Test & Tune session in March.  This will give people who are interested in trying RallyCross a chance to get their feet wet (or dirty) without having to worry about competing.  Bring a friend, the spouse or grandma along so they can see how it feels to get a little sideways.
• The 2010 Colorado RallyCross schedule consists of 10 events, including the National Challenge Event at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah and the SCCA National Championship at the U.S. Truck Driving School in Fountain, Colorado.  The remaining eight events will be at our traditional R-X sites -- CORE, USTD, PPIR and Pueblo.  Your best eight (8) events count toward the 2010 season championship and you'll need to compete in at least six (6) events to qualify for a trophy.

Here is the 2010 event schedule.  Watch for more details on website soon. 

2010 COLORADO RALLYCROSS SCHEDULE

2/27/10 - 2010 Season Kickoff Party at Rockyard Brewery in Castle Rock

3/13/10 - Drivers' School and Test & Tune at Colorada Off Road Extreme (CORE) in Deer Trail

3/27/10 - Event #1 - SCCA National Challenge Event at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah

4/24/10 - Event #2 - Colorado RallyCross at U.S. Truck Driving School (USTDS) in Fountain

5/8/10 - Event #3 - Colorado RallyCross at CORE in Deer Trail (date is tentative)

6/19/10 - Event #4 - Colorado RallyCross at Pueblo Motorsports Park

7/17/10 - Event #5 - Colorado RallyCross at CORE in Deer Trail

8/8/10 - Event #6 - Colorado RallyCross at USTDS in Fountain

8/20-22/10 - Event #7 - SCCA National Championship at USTDS in Fountain

9/18/10 - Event #8 - Colorado RallyCross at CORE in Deer Trail

10/9/10 - Event #9 - Colorado RallyCross at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain

11/6/10 - Event #10 - Colorado RallyCross at CORE in Deer Trail

For the second year in a row, Colorado RallyCross has been recognized for its exceptional efforts at the SCCA Annual Convention.  The Rocky Mountain Division - home of Colorado R-X - was awarded the Divisional RallyCross Achievement Award by the SCCA.RallyCross Board for 2009.  Nice job, gang!  This annual award is presented in recognition of a Divison’s activities in RallyCross for a new or ongoing program based on a variety of factors, including event promotions, attendance, innovation in public relations, and event participation.  Colorado RallyCross and the Colorado Region received the Regional RallyCross Achievement Award in 2008.

The 2010 RallyCross season is just around the corner and it’s shaping up to be a great year.  Here are some key developments:

COLORADO WILL HOST THE 2010 SCCA RALLYCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN!  -  Due in large part to our success in organizing the 2009 national event and the durable surface at the U.S. Truck Driving School site, we have been asked to host the 2010 championship in Fountain the weekend of August 20-22.  The August date means cold weather is highly unlikely and entries should be at record levels since competitors can enjoy Colorado during summer vacation.  As with the 2009 event, we’ll look to Colorado RallyCross members to help organize another great event, so be ready to volunteer.

SCCA ANNOUNCES THE 2010 RALLYCROSS NATIONAL CHALLENGE SERIES – The 2010 R-X National Challenge Series will consist of 12 events across the country.  The first event is in January in Connecticut.  The closest event is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah on March 27 and all CO R-X competitors should put this one on their “must do” calendars.  Also, the Western States Championship event will take place June 19-20 in the San Diego area (site TBD).  Go to www.scca.com for the complete National Challenge schedule.

SIGN UP FOR 2010 CONTINGENCY PROGRAMS – Subaru, Volkswagen and Team Dynamics are providing contingency programs for National Challenge events and the National Championship.  Www.scca.com has more details about how to sign up for these programs.

2010 COLORADO RALLYCROSS NEWS – Ryan Haenny has agreed to serve as Colorado R-X Chairman for the 2010 season, giving Ken Cashion a much needed break and the opportunity to focus on his Divisional Steward duties and National Championship planning.  Thanks to Ryan for taking on this role and thanks to Ken for his leadership these past years. The upcoming season will also be a great opportunity for all of us to take on more active roles in continuing the success of CO R-X.   The schedule for the 2010 Colorado RallyCross season not yet final, but should be announced in late January or early February. Watch for more details about a 2010 season kick-off party soon.  And if you have any suggestions on how we can improve the program (new venues, rules changes, website updates, scoring changes, etc.), please forward your comments to Ryan.