This is the Statt Mann, baby.  It's time to Scatt a little bit!

I've been a rally fan since the mid 1970s.  It's not imiportant why.

What's more important though is why today's generation is developing its own love affair with the sport.

It's easy to say it's all because of Action Sports icon Travis Pastrana who switched to rallying and has won the last four Rally America championships.

But Travis wasn't at the Oregon Trail Rally this weekend.  He wasn't even in the country. His fans knew that ahead of time and they came anyway.

And they weren't all 18-34, mohawked, tatted and pierced.  Many came with families, kids, wives, girlfriends, guys looking for girlfriends and girlfriends just looking to be seen

I talked with a sponsor-type about that this weekend in Oregon.  HE said that's what they're finding too; that the people who follow rallying may not follow any other kind of motorsport if they don't follow rallying here and abroad.

They like the outdoors.  They like the technology, the unique challenges and the never say die attitude of the competitors.  They like the man versus the elements part of rallying.  And they like Travis.

The resurgence in interest in rallying is not lost on broadcast networks either.  Rally Car Racing is the second most popular event in X Games.

We may see the result of that this fall.  Until then, it's the dirt baby!  And Travis…

Peace.