Something like that.

It really just has to do with perception. From the driver's perspective, a good autocross run can produce an adrenaline rush similar to racing. Of course, the level of RISK (to both persons and property) involved is much less, and that's the part we need to stress to certain people. People like our insurance companies, lawyers (oh nevermind, don't bother trying to tell THEM anything), and probably most important at our level, site owners. When we go talk to site owners looking for potential autocross sites, we tell them how safe it is and that it's NOT racing, it's much safer than racing. So, there you have it.

This has been a public service announcement.