Everything's bigger in rally

This rally car course is a lot different than last year, at least the section inside the stadium that I can see. There's a 70-foot ramp-to-ramp jump in the middle of the field. The cars start side by side on the infield and then turn in opposition directions. They then perform a figure eight, as one car jumps over the other as it speeds between the ramps. They then head out of the stadium to the street section.

The possibility of a spectacular crash is quite great if a car does not clear the jump, as it will implant into the side the dirt bank on the landing ramp. I could even envision a car stalling as it heads into the jump and lands on the car speeding through the ramps.

Last year, they just did single runs and had one ramp-to-flats jump, and even that little obstacle caused a car to roll over.

I noticed the cameramen working the infield are wearing reflective vests today. I can't remember if they wore them last year, when one almost got run over in the rally, but they weren't last night, when another got hit by the back tire of a motorcycle during the Moto X freestyle competition and left on a stretcher. I hope these guys are getting hazard pay.

-- Dan Arritt