Well, it's a racing event. It is set up in time-attack style where everyone runs their lap solo. Based on the event and how many drivers show up, you should be able to run about 6-8 laps, more or less. The drivers are competing with everyone else there so the lineup can be varied enough to feature a modded STi, an old Ford Thunderbird, and a BMW 325iX - on a dirt course. Rallycross takes place on dirt while autocross takes place on asphalt. The two are very different.
Autocross seems to be the more popular one. The maintenance on your car ends up being cheaper because you're not racing on harsh dirt roads. The cars that people race in these events differ. For example, light all-wheel drive or front wheel drive cars are preferred for rally. In autocross, anything goes but of course you can actually get enough traction to compete with rear wheel drive cars.
As I mentioned, you get a varied field. You can bring whatever car you want as long as it passes a simple safety inspection so you will typically see some cars that are much faster than others but the thing is - you do this for fun. While some events may pay out a small amount of cash for a "podium" (there is no podium) finish, usually you only get a trophy. People at these events just want to test themselves and their car or just have fun so everyone is very nice to each other.
You need to make sure your car is in good condition before you do either event. If something is on its way out, it WILL go out when you race the car. Make sure your suspension is good, your battery is secured, your liquids are full, and the maintenance is up to date. If you get a solid car, it's not hard to rally and/or rallycross a car pretty cheap. The main thing you will be going through is tires but things will also occasionally break although I didn't have many problems because I made sure the car was in good running condition.
For rallycross, great starting cars include Dodge Neons (they actually do very well on dirt), Mitsubishi Eclipse GSXs (you can find the first gen cheap sometimes and it's all wheel drive/turbo), Mitsubishi Lancers or older Evos. You can be competitive with these cars and bring home trophies. Look for cheap AWD or FWD cars that have cheap parts preferrably. Remember, you will probably be beating this car up so you can strip it for weight reduction. Get rid of the flooring, back seats, etc. You can even resell some of this stuff.
For autocross, you may be able to use your rallycross car. I had good luck going out on asphalt with a 1989 BMW 325iX (AWD) where I was beating new Mini Coopers. But if this is your choice and you are looking to buy a cheap car to do it with, I would try to find an older Mustang GT, a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX (they're really fast with higher boost and weight reduction), a Miata, an MR2, or maybe even a 3000GT if it was in very good condition although those cars are very heavy.
Preparing your car is pretty straightforward. If it can make a trip across the US without any problems and nothing breaks when you floor it, then it should be fine to race. That's a good gauge to go by. Unfortunately, things WILL eventually break but that is part of this hobby. To give you an idea, if you're willing to be patient, this is how cheap I was able to get in.
After looking for a couple months for a good deal, I saw this BMW 325iX a couple towns away. The guy wanted $2,000 which was out of my budget but he was moving and he had to get rid of the car so I told him I would give him $900 if he hasn't sold it and wants to do that. Sure enough, I got a call a week later to pick it up.
This car was definitely maintained which was a big plus. It can suck $400 out of your wallet just doing a good tune up and bringing the car up to date with maintenance. I actually had nothing break for about five or six races. Granted, I was lucky because something should have probably broke. Expect to spend maybe $500 for six races. I had to buy dirt tires aswell which was the only other cost other than gas.
Similarly, I bought a two door Dodge Neon with the DOHC engine and raced that a few times with very good results. The 160hp is quite good in that light car. It doesn't do well on asphalt at all but for rally, it's a sound investment.
When you're ready, there's places online for whatever area you're in dedicated to letting you know where the races are so Google that. When you get to a race, you pay an entry fee ($25-50 usually) and your car has to pass a safety inspection. All they do is make sure your tires aren't bald and that your battery is secured in place. That's a big one. If your battery is moving around, find a way to secure it well.
Rallying and asphalt racing is an adrenaline filled, fun sport that is gaining more popularity - slowly albeit. Drifting has also grown to be huge, helping to spread the word of rally/autocross. If you have the resources, I recommend you do it. Don't worry, you won't get hurt (by the way, you need a helmet). Your car might...
Go to an event and just spectate. See if you would like to try it out. Once you see a huge plume of dust following a racing-spec Evo 9 that is screaming, hauling ass past you, I think you will make your decision then.
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