Fees, Fees, and More Fees

The 2019 Sandblast Rally has an entry fee that varies based on what type of vehicle you are competing in and when you register. Since I am a first-time competitor, I was eligible for early entry, which began in late December. For motorcycles, the early entry fee was $290. Notably, this is an increase of $30 from last year.

But that's not all. Since Sandblast is part of the NASA Rally Sport (NRS) Atlantic Rally Cup, I need to become a member of NRS—not to be confused with the spacegoing NASA---and also obtain a NASA rally license. In order to become a member of NRS, I just had to part with $45 for a 1-year membership; easy-peasy.

To get a NASA rally license, there's an extra step. In addition to the $65 rally license fee, I also had to get the medical form completed by my doctor and sent over to NRS. This isn't anything crazy, just a quick once-over and sign-off that you're shipshape and safe to race. No one wants you to have a seizure or heart attack while you're on the course.

So that's $400 in fees just to get in the door.