Until recently, the rally had run on a Friday and Saturday in early March; this year it’s coming to the Pee Dee Feb. 27-28.

Sandblast Rally Organizer Andrew Frick — 47, of Greenville — cultivates relationships with the county and the towns of Cheraw and Patrick, as well as with local businesses, primarily hospitality. The rally brings with it an increased demand for gasoline, groceries and auto parts. Other partners in the region include the Sand Hills State Forest and H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area facility, each of which hosts different legs of the race.

Addressing Chesterfield County Council at its Dec. 3 meeting, Frick said that the 2025 running drew 45 entrants and that he expects a similar turnout this year. He said that number is down from pre-coronavirus numbers, when the rally averaged 50-80 racers, each with a crew of three to four.

Frick is in his 10th year as organizer of the Sandblast Rally, which he operates under the banner of Sandblast Logistics LLC. Frick said in a phone interview that, between the entrants and their crews, about 150 to 240 participants come to Chesterfield County for the race each year. Additionally, he said he typically enlists about 150 volunteers, some local, some from as far away as California. A few even come from Europe, he said.

Because the race is run outdoors and not on a designated racetrack, it isn't feasible to charge spectators. Frick said most of the revenue comes from fees charged to entrants themselves.

Frick said he uses services from Chesterfield County, such as road permits. At its December meeting, Chesterfield County Council voted 9-0 to authorize road closures for this year's rally, including sections of Overflow Road and Wire Road 3, and part of McBride Road within the state forest, as well as “truck trails” in Sand Hills State Forest and roads within H. Cooper Black. Truck trails are roads the SC Forestry Commission sets up within forests so that it can maintain them, according to Roger Byrd, a fire warden with the commission.

The town of Cheraw sponsors the race yearly. Patti Norris, Cheraw's clerk-treasurer, said over the phone that the town's fiscal 2025-26 budget allocated a sponsorship of $2,625 for the Sandblast Rally.

Rob Wolfe, the former town manager of Cheraw, said in a phone interview, “It's worth noting that the sponsorship money comes from state accommodations tax money.” Part of SC Code of Laws Title 12, the tax applies a 2% charge on accommodations statewide.

Wolfe said the funds collected from hotels by the state and “remitted back to the municipalities ... has to be spent on things that bring tourists to your community. The state wants to encourage people spending the night in hotels and things like that.”

The town of Patrick has a population of 266. Its downtown lies at the intersection of US Highway 1 and state Road 102. Rosa L. Millsaps Privette served as mayor 2000-2005 and then again from 2014 to present. Privette said in a phone interview that the Sandblast Rally is “a nice event for the county ... Everyone in our area seems to love it.”

Privette said Andrew Frick comes every year to ask Town Council if Patrick would like to sponsor the race. “If the town wants to sponsor, they can,” she said.

Patrick Town Council approved a $400 sponsorship of the race at its Dec. 2 meeting.

Every year, Patrick Town Hall transforms into what Frick calls “rally headquarters,” where he sets up a radio to communicate positions of vehicles and report incidents that occur. For two days out of the year, Patrick's Turnage Field, 207 Turnage St., serves as a pit stop, where rally contestants can park their cars, check their oil, change their tires or just use the restroom, according to Privette.

Each year, the Patrick Pinestraw Festival Committee sets up on the field to provide luncheon and concessions. Committee Chairman John James said in a phone interview that the group was formed as a standalone entity to organize events for the town of Patrick. He says the luncheon menu stays the same from year to year: Hot dogs, hamburgers and chopped barbecue, with the favorite being chicken bog. James estimates the committee sold $300-$400 in food at last year's rally. Proceeds go toward other celebrations around town: The Pinestraw Festival and parade in May, the Taste of Patrick in October, the town's Christmas parade and Luminary Lights of Love event in December.

At the pit stop, Andrew Frick sells Sandblast Rally t-shirts to the public, affording him another source of revenue, of which the Pinestraw Festival Committee receives a cut. Frick said his partnership with the committee benefits them both. “I don't have to figure out logistics of buying food. They make some money for the Pinestraw festivals.”

Frick said he also receives support from local rescue squads and fire departments, which provide safety coverage for the race. In addition to his work with the forestry commission, Roger Byrd is captain of the Patrick Rescue Squad and chief of the Patrick Rural Volunteer Fire Department. Byrd said in an interview that in order for the race to run, it has to have an ambulance present at every leg of it. He said that since 90% of it takes place in his fire district, “We try to provide one ambulance a year.”

For the race, Patrick Rescue Squad posts a four-wheel-drive ambulance and rescue truck at the starting area. A second rescue truck provides coverage in and around Turnage Field.

Byrd said that sometimes the Sandblast Rally makes a donation to the rescue squad and fire department, and sometimes they don't, and that it's all right either way.

Bill's Grill, 359 US 1 in Patrick, prepares about 150 lunches for Sandblast Rally volunteers every year. Frick said, “We figure out a menu that meets my budget. They provide an adequate meal for my volunteers and make a profit. I get affordable lunches to feed my volunteers, and everyone's happy.”

Patrick native Chris Gainey has owned Bill's Grill since 2012. He echoed Frick, saying, “It's a win-win.”

Gainey said during an interview that he and his staff stay late the Friday of the race to assemble bag lunches: 50 roast beef, 50 ham and 50 turkey sandwiches; with lettuce, cheese, tomato and condiments on the side; and chips, fruit and cookies. They then come in early Saturday, because the race volunteers show up to pick up their lunches at 6-7 a.m. He said Bill's Grill has charged the rally $7 per bag for the last two years.

Gainey said, “Even if I'm breaking even, I'm doing the right thing ... It's not about the money. It's about helping other companies.”

Bill's Grill has been a part of Patrick since 1968. The restaurant currently employs eight people.

Taylor Fletcher, of Hartsville, said in an interview that the Sandblast Rally “definitely has a positive impact” on area business, adding that the race typically gives him a 10%-15% bump in business. When asked about the nature of his business, Fletcher said, “My wife asks me how I characterize it all the time. I have no idea, Buddy.”

Fletcher owns commercial and residential properties that he fixes up to rent or sell. He owns some properties in Chesterfield, but “I do more in Patrick, now, than in Hartsville. I own all the road frontage down US 1 in Patrick.”

For about three years, Fletcher has owned and operated The Markette, a gas station and convenience store at 13 Main St. in Patrick. He said there isn't another gas station for 14 miles in any direction, and it's the only real fuel option for the Sandblast Rally's cars and motorcycles, pit crews and volunteers, as well as the Patrick Rescue Squad and the Rural Volunteer Fire Department. Roger Byrd estimates it costs him about $450 to fuel the ambulance and two rescue trucks covering the race.

Fletcher said the Sandblast Rally could have an even greater economic impact if there was more local advertising. “I've been here 30 years, and I never knew [the race] existed until I bought the convenience store,” he said. “I'd love to boost it, because it seems like there would be a significantly greater increase in business. There is zero signage to let you know the Sandblast Rally is taking place.”

“It's beneficial,” Fletcher said, “but with a little bit of ‘try,’ it could be even more beneficial to Chesterfield County, Patrick and Cheraw if more people know about it."

Just including Sandblast Rally entrants, their crews and race volunteers, Frick brings 300-plus people to the area. That's 300-plus people buying groceries from local stores, like The Markette and Dollar General in Patrick. It also means 45-plus crews potentially buying parts for cars and motorcycles from local AutoZone and O'Reilly stores. Frick said, "These cars are kind of broken. They race on their own dollar."

Andrew Frick said he has “longstanding relationships” with Sand Hills State Forest and H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area. These relationships are foundational to the running of the race, the majority of which takes place in Sand Hills. Brian Davis is with the SC Forestry Commission and the director of Sand Hills State Forest. Davis said in an email that Sand Hills’ relationship with the rally “is to be an annual host venue for the event ... We do charge an event fee for the race to take place on Sand Hills, to cover road maintenance from the race, just as we do for other equine races and hunting field trials that we host here.”

Bruce Chavis, park manager at H. Cooper Black, said in a phone interview that the state park hosts a section of the Sandblast Rally every year and that the nighttime portion is run in H. Cooper Black. He said the park primarily caters to hunting dog trials and horseback riding and that people pay a fee to rent out the park, which is what Andrew Frick does with the rally.

Chavis said H. Cooper Black is closed to its regular clientele during the race, because “it wouldn't do to have horse and dogs running around.”

He said that volunteers and race crews, and even Andrew Frick himself camp out at H. Cooper Black for the race. The park has 78 campsites with varying degrees of amenities, according to its website.

According to Chavis, H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area hosts 30-35 events every year, including the Master National Retriever Club event, which comes around every four years. Chavis said an event like that can generate $15 million-$20 million in economic activity on local communities.

Brian Davis said, “The true benefit of allowing the race to be held here is the economic impact that it has on Chesterfield County,” though there is no concrete information available as to what that economic impact is.

Rob Wolfe said the Sandblast Rally has a positive impact on the county, but “Cheraw is the primary beneficiary, because everyone who was competing was staying in Cheraw. We got several hundred room nights out of it.”

Wolfe added that it was a great draw, with hundreds of people staying and eating in the town.

Taylor Fletcher said, “I really think [the race] could be a huge thing for the town of Patrick and Chesterfield County. Cheraw reaps a much bigger benefit than any other place: Ninety percent”

Brian Davis had this to say: "It's my understanding that most of the racers and families try to use the hotels and restaurants of Cheraw, as opposed to going over to Florence. Since most everyone is staying in Chesterfield County, it makes for a pretty big weekend for the area, which would otherwise see very little use of their hotels during that time."

Andrew Frick confirmed that his racers, their crews and volunteers are staying in Cheraw, at hotels such as Inn Cheraw, 321 2nd St, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott at 201 Front St. SpringHill Suites is relatively new to Cheraw, having opened in 2022.

Frick said every year Kevin Lear on Main, 140 2nd St., hosts the awards ceremony after the race. Kevin Lear on Main is a florist that sells gifts and home accessories up front and an event venue in back, according to Chris Hodge, creative director. Hodge said, "We're proud to be a long-term partner with the Sandblast Rally and look forward to the event each year."

The 2026 Sandblast Rally will be the 30th running of the event, the first one having run in 1994. According to Frick, the race had taken off a few years and in the early 2000s it ran twice in one year. For more information on the Sandblast Rally, visit their website.