I wanted to emphasize the “brisk” part of the FLR winter rallies. Mile for mile, you’ll gain more here than any singular rallycross event. These TSD’s will teach you about precision and endurance, an important part of any real rally event. They also help you learn how to read the road; camber, hazards, grip levels…

This is how Black Box Rally Team got started back in the day- Finger Lakes Region (FLR) Winter Rally Series TSD’s. Alvin and I drove his 2005 Evo VIII MR there from 2006 through 2009, with me codriving. We ran stock class, A-speeds (45 mph), and by the last event we did (Herbie’s Revenge 2009), we were not just 1st in…

I know, you don’t expect it to be fun, but somehow it is. The fun largely comes from the challenge of the precision, plus great roads. And a lot of the cars that I’ve seen at TSDs have been anything but shitty. Also the winningest stage rally driver in the world occasionally shows up, which is pretty great.

TSDs are both fun and infuriating at the same time. Try Buffum’s Winter Challenge, it’s run the way rallies existed before the “closed” stage concept was born. Very fast CAS, traps, map reading, all all at night, for 12 hours and it usually snows.