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ROAD RALLY eNews • Summer 2020 • Edition I
Your Road Rally Roundup of News, Views, and How-Tos
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Under the Hood of the
Summer 2020 • Edition I
In our last Edition, we wrote, "I don't think any of us can recall such a year of canceled and postponed road rally events." That has continued throughout the summer as we saw events of long-standing canceled. Even the Indy 500 had its running in August versus "the month of May"! Rallies re-calendared into August and September, hoping to avoid their local governmental restrictions on gatherings, continued to struggle, and some gave up and canceled. Some postponed once again. Some have chosen to claim their 2021 date and are preparing their rally for the upcoming season!
The good news is that "the pieces are coming together" for many clubs, regions, and civic organizations to hold rallies! We are a social distancing event, short of Registration and the traditional social time over scoring, talking with fellow rallyists about the route they took, trophies, and libations.
The photo above is from Hilltop Haus, the ending for many a road rally these past fourteen years; this was from their camera at 12A on June 18th. Summer in Alaska is stunning, and the Matanuska Valley is where I got my start in rallying back in 1974! Sure hope to see a return to rallying there in this next year; I am looking forward to exploring this new co-hosting option in the SCCA RoadRally program.
This Summer 2020 • Edition I, will be the first of two Summer 2020 editions. We don't want to overwhelm you with too long of an edition after our absence these past few months. Life has been full of loss and family health matters for the RReNews clan these past three months, and we are all delighted to return to our publication done with volunteer efforts and "normal," such as it is with COVID controlling our travels and outings. Safe travels, and we'll see you down the road!
Summer 2020 • Edition I
• Rally Wrap-Ups — NNJ Trek Rallies, Milwaukee Region Badger Burrow, Barnstorming in New Jersey
• RRB Chairman — Update on the Program
• RRB — Documents Updated for Rallymasters, Rally Community and Trek Promotion
• Smuncher's Attic — Seems Co-Hosting Isn't a New Idea!
• Friday Night Run of the Month — Chippewa Trail 1994 and Walt's Walk 1984 for the Sir Walter Rallye
• Upcoming Events — We've lost many scheduled dates, yet we've a few to share...we can hope for more next month as the country opens for travel!
• Words from the Wheel — Championship Standings, Lifetime Points, Planning Calendar, RRB Minutes and words from Heyward Wagner, National Staff
Upcoming in Summer 2020 • Edition II
• Words from the Wheel — SCCA News
NEC Update, Championship Standings, Lifetime Points, Planning Calendar, July (and hopefully August) RRB Minutes
• My First SCCA Rally
• Upcoming Events and Comments for Rallymasters
• Rally Wrap-Ups — Cascade Sports Car Club (Not to late to send in YOUR local Rally News!)
• There's an App for That! — Richta GPS Checkpoint App Updates and Friedman on the Alfa GPS Pulser
• Smuncher's Attic — Gator Gotcha
• Friday Night Run of the Month
And, as we mentioned racing at Indy was altered by the Covid, it seems fitting for this DeLuca road rally cartoon. Sadly, his creative time ended, yet his creativity through his cartoons lives on. Does anyone know of a repository of motorsport cartoons? Please, let us know!
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TREK Road Rallies – NNJ Region Has This Down!
To Trek or Not to Trek — from Peter Schneider, RRB
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Want to checkout routes for a Trek? Click the above image! |
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Click to view the back country roads
on the June NNJ Trek
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Click photo to view some of the vehicles taking on the June NNJ Trek |
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The definition of a Car Rally takes many forms. To some, it is a precise timing competition on public roads. To others, it just a gathering of like-minded individuals to display their vehicles.
Over the years, car rallies have been given specific sub-category names: TSD Course Car Rallies, TSD Tour Car Rallies, Gimmick/GTA Car Rallies, Performance Car Rallies, Endurance Car Rallies, and Cars/Coffee gatherings. To add to this mix, several Marque Clubs have been conducting Treks.
In 2019, the Sports Car Club of America officially joined the ranks of those clubs sanctioning Treks. By SCCA's definition, "Treks are non-competitive driving events intended to foster social interaction among the participants. They provide a path to new memberships and increase awareness of the general public to SCCA. Participants will typically follow a pre-determined route using a "convoy style – follow the car ahead of you" format. The Lead Car of the convoy is driven by a person who knows the pre-determined route. This is typically the event's Chairperson. A Sweep Car will run in the last position in the group."
Treks like this are very popular with the Porsche Club of America and the BMW Car Club and usually are very well attended.
While I started rallying in 1974, my first Trek was not until 2007. I was overseas on an extended work assignment and saw an advertisement for the Great Australia Rally. With not much to do on weekends (other than work and sleep), I contacted the Rallymaster, and I offered my services as a volunteer. The rally ended up being a Trek that was attended by over 800 historic vehicles. It had five different start locations depending on the age of your vehicle. It ended at a remote horse racecourse, with food trucks and bagpipe bands and over 3,000 individuals attended. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for a local cancer charity. The organizing club was the All British Classic Car Club of Victoria. In addition to this annual event, they also conducted shorter Treks twice a month, just as a form of entertainment and a work-around for a discount on automobile insurance, which only allowed the use of their historic vehicle for club events and meetings.
Later my wife and I attended several of their Fly the Flag Treks, which were six-day long events attended by approximately 200 cars. Unlike multiple-day rallies that I have participated in North America, such as the Atlantic/MG 1000, SCCA Arctic Alaska Region MayDay MayDay Rally, or the ALCAN5000, the “Fly the Flag” focused on the social aspect of the sport of car rallying.
Stops for morning and afternoon tea and organized breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for 400 people were a big part of the events. The route instruction each day was a simple paragraph, listing the towns to visit and where to stop for tea and lunch. The idea was to form a convoy after breakfast and proceed at the leisurely pace to the next location along the route. Since my wife and I love to travel and have developed some lasting friendships "Down Under," these events are now part of our annual travel schedule.
Our last Trek in Australia was in 2019 and was a 15-day event from Melbourne to Silverton, a small outback hamlet north of Broken Hill in New South Wales. Silverton (population 50 on a good day) was the filming location for Mad Max II. If it were not for the current worldwide health concerns, we would have been in Victoria for the week-long Trek this past June. I am also in the design phase of my seventh annual Off-Road Trek with the North Jersey Porsche Club. In 2019 we had 85 vehicles exploring the sand trails of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. For that Trek, we provided Tulip Instructions with mileage to every turn and had free formatted playtime in a 50-acre sandpit in the afternoon. Treks take many forms.
Since Treks are non-competitive events, several road rally diehards do not feel that they are “true” car rallies. Yet, since several of those individuals also think that Gimmick/GTA events are not rallies, I agree to disagree and move on.
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2007 Fly the Flag Trek in Northwestern Victoria, Australia. Photo by Peter Schneider |
Treks are easy to organize as there is no TSD math to calculate or questions to score. While SCCA requires Insurance Coverage and signed Waivers, the event does not require an SCCA RoadRally Safety Steward approval of the course, as there is no competitive pressure which might compel silly behavior. The organizer needs to use common sense in setting up the route. SCCA has chosen to create a simple set of event rules available on the SCCA RoadRally Document Page. These rules published last July are now open for annual review, and the SCCA National RoadRally Board has asked the rally community for input. I strongly suggest that if you are involved with the sport, you take some time to review the rules and submit suggestions to email the RoadRally Board.
Treks are a simple way to introduce your club to the joy of road rallying, and they may be the first step in creating a RoadRally program for your organization or attract new people to the sport.
Over the last couple of months, especially with the improvement in the weather in New Jersey, a local Facebook group (not affiliated with SCCA or the Porsche Club) has been organizing Treks. I have participated in several of them, and I even organized one in May. While Trek route following are normally conducted in convoy style without written route instructions, I would strongly recommend that a simple set of written route instructions be provided or at least an easy to read map of the route. More technical-minded individuals can provide a GPS route that can be downloaded to smartphones or other GPS devices for turn by turn instructions.
Too often, I have found that inexperienced Trek Leaders will forget that there might to 20-30 cars trying to follow them and not wait at the far end of an intersection controlled by a Traffic Light; they lose half of the vehicles that had to stop for a Red Light. Trek Leaders will get 'lost in the moment,' enjoying the road and leaving the slower cars far behind, a second common way for losing the following vehicles. One other common issue is to layout a route on Google Earth and then fail to pre-run it, only to find out on the day of the event that the route has closed roads, or heaven forbid — depending on your audience — unpaved roads.
Remember when writing a Trek, keep the route enjoyable and straightforward, avoid populated areas, plan on a couple of stops along the way to regroup the vehicles and for socializing among the participates, and always stay within the posted speed limits.
If you have any questions about conducting your first Trek, please feel free to reach out to me via email.
NNJR-SCCA, in association with the local Porsche Facebook Group, Jaguar Club of North Jersey, and the Lotus Car Club, conducted a "Trek Type" of Social Rally the last weekend in June. With the pent-up demand to get out on the open road, we had 99 vehicles attend the event. The fact that there was no entry fee helped with the turnout.
The Region footed all the expenses as a recruitment exercise. I used simple route instructions, mileage at every turn, and pointed out interesting historical facts. For example: "Creek House," remarkable for its waterfront setting and its imaginative architecture. Originally part of New Jersey's largest dairy farm, there are also reports that the home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Its owner once hosted President Herbert Hoover, who fished for trout in the Rockaway Creek.
We practiced safe Social Distancing at registration and ended the event at "Hot Dog Johnny's." The Travel Channel has cited Hot Dog Johnny's as one of the most popular roadside stands across the country, and has also been featured in many major newspapers.
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Trekking along the Delaware River by Peter Hurke, from the Central Jersey Porsche Facebook page.
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Badger Burrow — Views from both sides of the Rally! |
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First — From the competitor side of the Burrow by Lynne Navis, Navigator |
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This rally was the first time I’d been out of the house for an event of more than two hours since Mardi Gras in February. It was a great day, sunny and hot. It was a lot better than the Cheese Freeze in February on ice and snow! I don’t think anyone ran off the road this time.
After making a last-minute car change, we opted for the top off and the Jeep Wrangler's doors too. I know, not quite what you would expect for a rally.
After we drove to Panera Bread for the registration and driver's meeting, we started out on the rally by going right back past our house. Just think of the time we could have saved by just meeting up at our home! We made a pit stop at the house to get the sunscreen that I forgot and were back on the road in no time.
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Little did we know that we would be stopping again in a couple of miles when our exhaust pipe broke, leaving our muffler dragging on the ground. We heard this horrible noise – “What’s that?” Don got out of the Jeep and looked under the back, “It’s the muffler!” Don laid down and started kicking at the muffler to get it the rest of the way off. Well, it fell off finally – onto his leg. He threw it next to a telephone pole and said we'd come back for it later. With a large cut on his thumb and blood everywhere, we were back on the road, and made it to the next checkpoint seven seconds early! It was a beautiful drive; I will need to do it again to see more of the scenery as navigating doesn't give you much time to look around. |
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After a quick stop in the picturesque town of New Glarus, we were back on the road again. Stopping again in Argyle, we found out that the curse of the day was losing mufflers. One of the other cars had also lost a muffler. Theirs was a little harder to get off, and the car needed to be jacked up in order to get the muffler the rest of the way off. We had done a good job on our times (for us) on the first half of the drive, but then, after making a few wrong turns (including a turn down a dead-end road), things started going downhill fast.
Yes, we placed last in our category, but we had a wonderful day. It was nice to see old friends and make new ones. We hope to do this again. We survived!
Photos from Badger Burrow by Lynne Navis and Don Navis: Scene from Argyle, the muffler post event, fellow competitors Eric and Angela Stahl, and last - rally competitors and friends Lynne Navis and Jackie Bowman
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Second — Organizing in the Time of COVID by Rallymaster, Jay Johannes |
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Drivers Meeting in the era of social distancing by Lynne Navis. Click on the Scoreboards for larger images! |
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SCCA Milwaukee Region hosted twenty-six teams for the 9th Annual Badger Burrow Rallye on August 8th, 2020. This was an event, unlike any I have organized in my 46 years of Rallyemastering! Rather than write about the wonderful scenery and fantastic weather (perfect on both counts), I will focus on how the pandemic affected this event and what we had to do to pull it off.
We were supposed to run on May 2nd. The course was fully laid out and pre-checked. Trophies were done, as well as all the printed material. About two weeks prior to rally day, we saw the handwriting on the wall and decided to pull the plug — fast forward three months. We have been in quarantine most of this time, and the situation does not seem better. However, people are tired of isolating, so bars and restaurants are re-opening. Ten days later, there is a huge spike in cases. It just isn't safe.
However, we want the event to happen, so we regroup and ask what we can do to have a safe yet still fun event. An essential first step has already happened; Rich Bireta's Richta GPS Checkpoint Competitor app has revolutionized the sport and eliminated the need for control crews. In addition to the other obvious benefits, the App eliminates a significant source of interaction between workers and contestants.
The first thing we did was get rid of the finish location. There was no way to practice social distancing in a crowded restaurant, and we weren't even sure anything would be open. So, we rewrote the last leg to take them back to the start location and finished in the parking lot. We required everyone to wear masks in the parking lot, and I'm happy to say everyone did this with a (hidden) smile. We also provided sanitizer and gloves were available.
Next, we looked at the registration. There is always a crowd around the table at the start. We started by requiring online registration at motorsportsreg.com. This allowed us to pre-fill out the registration forms. We also placed a copy of the waiver in each packet, with their car number and names already filled in. When someone arrived at registration, we handed them an envelope with everything in it and asked that they return the signed registration and waivers. It was easy to sort this and see that everyone had signed. An added benefit was that everyone signed in the proper place. Usually, someone signs the waiver in the wrong spot, and we need to do gymnastics to recover and make sure everyone has signed. The one job we can't delegate is checking everyone's App to make sure it is loaded and running correctly. Jim Crittenden took this on and did an outstanding job. I considered replacing the driver's meeting with an info sheet but decided an in-person meeting was more effective. Everyone gave each other space, so I should have had a megaphone. Instead, I relied on my loud voice.
We made a few changes out on the course. We got rid of the long lunch break and added a third 25-minute break to replace it. All of the breaks were changed to reference multiple gas stations and food locations. This worked, and the cars were scattered in smaller groups. We told people that they could leave at the end, and we would mail trophies, but almost everyone hung around. We announced scores and trophies were presented. We had the results available on tablets so people could see them, and folks went home happy.
Usually, we would have scores ready as the last car arrived, but there was an issue with one car that was running on a WiFi-only tablet, and this caused several problems. Usually, we end at a restaurant where WiFi is available. We had to ask the contestant to walk across the lot to Panera Bread to use their WiFi and upload their scores. That should be straightforward, but we had changed the timing on two legs, and the contestant turned off the WiFi and left before everything could update. Thus we were forced to find and manually make changes, which took about an hour, all told. Not a situation I like, and in the future, I will find a way of dealing with this. The easiest solution for the Committee is to require live connections for everyone, but if we allow endpoint uploads in the future, we need to make sure that the internet is available at scoring.
We did update the timing on two legs. One was grossly off and not an issue for anyone; the second was a small error of 15 seconds and caused a problem. There was one more scored control between that point and the next CZT location (car zero time where everyone leaves at a fixed time). People saw the 15-second error, and many tried to compensate for that next control. There was no way to score the next leg consistently fairly, so I did an administrative discard.
Overall, I think everyone had a good time. Twenty-six cars ran. We had a few cancellations from cars from Illinois because Chicago had a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone visiting Wisconsin. The weather was spectacular, and the foliage and roads were much better than we would have seen in early May. Lots of happy people and compliments. It was nice to get out and do something social and still be able to be safe from the virus.
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Friday Night Run of the Month
From the Armchair Rally Archives of Gary Starr
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I have always enjoyed teaching those new to our sport the Road Rally concepts for Course and Tour rallies. Perhaps you have seen my Tips for Novice TSD Rallyists in these pages? I am hoping to do the same teaching with these Armchair Rallies in each edition of RReNews. I would love to see more people try Course rallying. But it often is too hard to understand for people who have never done it, so they get frustrated and never return. There is just no way to practice and learn rally traps before running the actual event. And Rallymasters don't help by making the traps way too hard. These Armchair Rallies are an excellent tool to introduce the concepts and show how to navigate trap rallies without even getting in your car. And believe me, the traps in these mimic the actual traps on real events. After doing a few of these, you will be ready to take on the challenge of Course rallies!
Typically on a Course rally with a Main Road: In the absence of an instruction you follow the Main Road. Where an instruction without official mileage (none or x.x) can be executed at an intersection on the same road as the Main Road, you follow the Main Road and defer the instruction until later. That is called a trap, meaning you executed the instruction when you should have just followed the Main Road. Where an instruction has official mileage (x.xx or x.xxx), you execute the instruction at that mileage regardless of the Main Road.
This month, I decided to offer both an easy rally for those new to our sport and a harder one for those ready for more challenges. Initially, I was going to provide these rallies in increasing order of difficulty, but I don't want those who are prepared for a more challenging rally to wait another seven months. So I'll provide one of each type every month. All these Armchair rallies were scanned in from my original paper generals, so some are a little faded. I have also added handwritten notes on some, circled important Generals sentences, or put obvious arrows pointing to the Generals' areas you'll need to do the Armchair Rally.
The simpler rally is the 1994 Chippewa Trail (by Dave Fuss). Use the Course Priorities list, Main Road list, and circled items in the Generals to execute the instructions. Note this rally has a special rule in its Generals: When a numbered instruction not accompanied by an official mileage directs the same course as the Main Road, follow the Main Road, cancel the numbered instruction, and pause 0.25 minute.
The more formidable rally is the 1984 Sir Walter Rallye. Use the circled items (with arrows pointing to them) in the Generals to execute the instructions. For clarification (from the Rulebook): A course directing action (Priority List item #4) is that part of a route instruction whose execution results in following a course other than the Main Road. On the last page, I drew the map solution and the instruction execution points to check your answer. But do try running Walt's Walk, which has Route Instructions on the fourth page and the route map on the fifth page, without peeking the solution first.
You can certainly do this from your screen by clicking on the images below, yet I encourage you to print it out and head to the "START" line with a pencil. Depart on Route Instruction #1 and enjoy the adventure!
Send me an email at [email protected]. I would love to get feedback from you on these rallies and this column. I have heard of various rallyists having archives of these, and I encourage you to share them with us!
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RRB Finishes Document Updates - Check Them Out!
from Clyde Heckler and Peter Schneider, RRB Members
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We are pleased to present these six updates to the RoadRally community. The two of us have worked on the updating of rules for our Trek-sanctioning program. Jim Heine, from the St Louis Region, updated the Rules For Organizers (RFO's). The RRB approved the Communication Strategy at our August RRB Meeting. Clyde took on updating the TSD and GTA Timelines for the RRB, with input from fellow RRB Members.
The TSD Regional RoadRally Handbook was compiled by RRB Member Jim Mickle, Detroit Region, in the 1980s and updated in 2009 by RRB Member Lois Van Fleet, Land O'Lakes Region. Peter and Joanne Schneider, Northern New Jersey Region, edited the TSD Regional RoadRally Handbook and present the 2020 Edition. The also took on the updating of the Regional GTA Handbook for 2020, which was initially written by Sasha Lanz, Texas Region!
We extend our appreciation to Brian Harmer, Rally Manager at the SCCA National Office, for working with us to get the SCCA RoadRally page updated and helping us to re-organize the files within our dedicated pages on the National website.
Be sure to check it out and click the links to see what we've been doing at www.scca.com/roadrally! Click the graphics below to view the full images and files. We welcome your feedback at [email protected]! |
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One of the duties of the SCCA's RoadRally Board is to help promote Regional RoadRally development. They accomplish this in many ways; one method is by providing mentors to assist Regions new to the program set up and execute their first RoadRally or Trek. In addition to the five-member RoadRally Board, each Division has a Divisional RoadRally Steward. There are two hundred RoadRally Safety Stewards around the country that can assist your Region.
If you are a new or relatively inexperienced Rallymaster, some documents are out on scca.com's RoadRally Rules and Documents page that can help you.
If your rally is a TSD rally (time-speed-distance), take a look at TSD revised Timeline. If your rally is a GTA rally (game-tour-adventure), take a look at the GTA revised Timeline. These timelines list various tasks that need to be done and when they should be completed.
The Rules and Documents page also has handbooks for each type of event, and you'll find the Regional RoadRally Handbook (TSD) and the GTA RoadRally Handbook, which contain more detailed information about their respective type of event.
Note that the handbooks also contain timelines, but those are replaced by the above timelines, the entire handbooks were not updated.
If you need more help or have more questions, use the Contact Us link, also on the Rules and Documents page, The RoadRally Board is here to help you.
Good luck with your event!
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Barnstorming in New Jersey
from Peter Schneider, NNJ SCCA
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On August 22, 2020, the SCCA Northern New Jersey Region sanctioned the Barnstorming Road Rally, in association with the Motorsport Club of North Jersey.
We had twenty-six teams out to enjoy the rally put together by Rallymasters Lynn and Brian Beckman, despite the COVID restrictions that have kept us from rallying early the summer.
The scores are above on the question grid, as well as a file of the photo explanations. The Region truly appreciates all the teams who came out to join us to do a little "barnstorming," in the countryside!
100% of the entry fees were donated to the American Association of University Women Scholarship Fund.
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Our next rally will be Second Hand Roads on September 13th, with the Raritan Sports Car Club and the Motorsport Club of New Jersey.
Rallymaster Peter Schneider wants to remind you that for those who entered the Barnstorming Road Rally — the September 13 event is FREE for your Team! Click the flyer for more details.
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Perhaps you can glean some ideas to add creativity to your next rally by clicking on the Explanation of Traps above! |
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Smuncher's Attic
Co-Hosting of Road Rally Programs is "Old News” — by Bruce Gezon
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The RRB has put out "guidelines" for the Co-Hosting of road rallies across America. Yet for many, this is old news. As proof, checkout the article by rallyist Stan Wentland (he wrote many great pieces on rallying) in his A √. of View column in The Stopwatcher and a piece from The Stopwatcher in 1978, by Bob Shenton. You may want to read the column about the Virginia Reel Rally too...something about a dual course concept appealing to the entrants? You'll also find the current RoadRally Co-Hosting Guidelines, so click on the images and enjoy! |
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SCCA RoadRally Update
from Jim Crittenden, RRB Chairman
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RoadRally is getting some great publicity as a motorsport event that people can enjoy even with the health restrictions that are in effect. You'll find the SCCA Press Release in the Words from the Wheel column in this edition of RReNews.
This story has been picked up by other publications as well.
I encourage you to read the comments that have been posted by readers to the Grassroots Motorsports article. You'll see multiple comments from folks wishing that there were rallies in their area. If you're planning a rally, I strongly encourage you to get your sanction application in as soon as possible so your event will be listed on the SCCA website.
I would like to send a 'tip-o-the-hat' acknowledgement to Ric Senior of the San Diego Region. Ric is Rallymaster for his Region's first rally - It's a Pie Run! Rally - on September 26th. He is using the Bireta GPS Checkpoint app for this Tour rally that will take contestants up Palomar Mountain and finish at the world famous Julian Pie Company restaurant. He publicized the rally with an email blast on MotorsportReg and currently has 56 cars signed up to run.
Rally organizers are finding that they can host successful rallies with social distancing protocols. If you would like further details on how to do this, just send me an email or call me at 970-261-2144 (Wisconsin).
This Sunday was the deadline to submit comments on the rule change proposals for the RoadRally Rules. The RRB will be reviewing them and prepare their recommendations for approval.
I will be retiring from the RoadRally Board at the end of this year. Mike Bennett from the Detroit Region has agreed to serve as RRB Chair starting in January. Wendy Harrison, Clyde Heckler, and Peter Schneider will all continue to serve on the RRB next year. If you would like to serve on the RRB starting next year, please send an email to [email protected] and express your willingness and interest. We are looking for SCCA members who want to help promote our sport and our club across America.
Best regards,
Jim Crittenden
Chair - RoadRally Board
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Upcoming Road Rally Events for YOU! |
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Hurdle 2020 GTA RoadRally
Road Rally w/ SCCA - New England Region - RoadRally on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Southington Drive In, Southington, CT - The Hurdle Rally is a Game-Tour-Adventure (GTA) Rally. After a short odometer check, contestants will receive a map of...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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CSCC 2020 Mountains to the Sea
Road Rally w/ Cascade Sports Car Club - Road Rally on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Dealers Supply, Portland, OR - Join us for the 55th anniversary of Cascade Sports Car Club's classic Mountains to the Sea road rally. This year's rally offers...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Press on Regardless
Join us for the oldest continuously run rally (72nd running) in North America. First run in 1949 - The Press On Regardless® has a history like no other rally. Counts toward the National RoadRally Tour Championship, the Great Lakes Division and...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Hagerty Touring Series - Banff
Road Rally w/ Hagerty - Canada on Monday, Sep 21 - Thursday, Sep 24, 2020 at Spring Bank Airport, Calgary, AB - Join the Hagerty Drivers Club on an adventure through Banff! Towering, rugged, and beautiful. The landscape of the Canadian Rockies is ...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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SDR-SCCA REGION SEPTEMBER ROAD RALLY
An SCCA-sanctioned Navigational (Time/Speed/Distance) RoadRally. Saturday September 26th A beginners meeting (an introduction for newcomers) will be held online the week before the event The drivers meeting will be held online the night before...
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www.motorsportreg.com
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Post Your Upcoming Rally Dates and Invites HERE?
After the middle of March, we saw almost all road rally events placed on hold — some Rallymasters have shifted to later dates on the calendar and others have been forced to cancel their rallies and schools.
Please send us news of your upcoming event dates and promotional materials to share, so as to make fellow road rally enthusiasts aware of your events. And post event — send your write-ups and photos to share news of the adventure! You can send information to Cheryl Lynn by clicking here!
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Santa Monica Sports Car Club @ Mission Hills B of A
Road Rally w/ Santa Monica Sports Car Club on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Mission Hills B of A, Mission Hills , CA - Tour Rally, starting in Mission Hills and ending in Acton. 1st car starts at 10:01 AM. See the flyer at www.smscc.org for...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Motorsports Club of North Jersey – Second Hand Roads
Road Rally w/ Motorsports Club of North Jersey on Sunday, September 13, 2020 at Motorsports Club of North Jersey, Quarryville, 17566 - Second Hand Roads Sunday, Sept 13, 2020 (date change) A simple straight forward Time-Speed-Distance Road Rally...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Glory Days Classic Motorsport @ 1000 Islands...
Road Rally w/ Glory Days Classic Motorsport on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 1000 Islands International Rally, Alexandria Bay, NY - A 250 mile drive event utilizing all-tarmac roads. Perfect for those who like a bit of a challenge - a virtual...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Tomah Trail, Oktoberally & GR8 Purple Cow Rallies in WI
Road Rally w/ SCCA - Land O' Lakes Region - Road Rally on Friday, Oct 2 - Sunday, Oct 4, 2020 at Super 8 Osseo, Osseo, WI - Tomah Trail - National Tour Tomah Trail will be a combination of roads used by the Chippewa Trail and Badger Trails over...
Read more
www.motorsportreg.com
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Acton Spooky Halloween Road Rally
Road Rally w/ SCCA - Indianapolis Region on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Kroger Parking Lot - Southport Rd, Indianapolis, IN - Acton Spooky Halloween Road Rally Fall is on its way and with it, comes one of Indy's favorite road rally events....
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www.motorsportreg.com
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2020 SCCA RoadRally Championships |
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The SCCA RoadRally competition season is based on a calendar year – January to December. As promised, RReNews publishes the standings for the SCCA National Road Rally Championships from Bruce Gezon, Points Keeper.
We want to thank Bruce for being faithful to RReNews and for providing the Standings so timely each month! Have questions about the SCCA Championship Standings? Send Bruce an email by clicking here.
For 2020, we have the 2019 Course Standings. These will remain until the first Course Rally of 2020. The Manufacturer Championship may be viewed here.
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2020 SCCA Course Championship |
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2020 SCCA Tour Championship |
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2020 SCCA GTA Championship |
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SCCA RoadRally Lifetime Points |
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This month we are posting the SCCA Lifetime Points for TSD and GTA Road Rally programs. Names such as Harry M Handley, Robert V. Ridges, Russell K. Brown, and Victor T. Wallder were involved in their start and their maintenance over the years, with the reigns going to W. David Teter in 1997, until his passing in 2014. Now maintained by R. Bruce Gezon, you can view the full listing of those who took the first six Overall Finishes in this two programs. The TSD points go back to 1958 and GTA to 2007. For those who have earned more than 25 points, you can find their names listed in the back of the Road Rally Rules, which are published as an Appendix.
This month, these are presented in the original format, as done by Russ Brown in 1991. And speaking of Russ, we are including a piece he wrote about the National Points and the players at the time.
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SCCA Matters — Words from the Wheel: SCCA Natl News, Rally Planning Calendar, and RRB Minutes |
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Social and Distant: RoadRally Is The Answer to the 2020 Blues |
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“If Track Night in America has proven anything, it is that people who are not yet SCCA members are interested in doing fun things with their street car. I think that, plus the low risk and ease of access suggests that Road Rally can be a program that we can use to grow the club. The key is to focus on producing the best possible participant experience.”
Heyward Wagner
SCCA Natl Office
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What’s the perfect activity for 2020?
It has to be contained and socially distant. It should limit exposure to others. It’s the 21st century, so the latest in technology should always be involved. And lots of people are searching for a new activity, so it should be something scalable to advanced users, yet a simple enough concept for beginners.
Hello to our old friend, the RoadRally. SCCA’s oldest activity is making a comeback, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to give it a shot in 2020, all across the country.
SCCA RoadRally is run in literally any street legal car, on public roads, where competitors are given a set of directions (sometimes many, sometimes few) and sent on their way to a checkpoint.
Touring Rallies are RoadRally events where the emphasis is on staying on time and arriving at each checkpoint at precisely the correct time. These are also known as Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) events and they use easy to follow route instructions to guide contestants along roads that are fun to drive. In addition to instructions which include average speeds, sometimes the mileage is given for each route instruction which makes the course even easier to follow.
Course Rallies also have TSD elements, but offer the additional challenge of specific rules for following the course. The General Instructions for a Course Rally describe those rules and contestants are tested on their ability to follow those rules, observe signs and landmarks, and to follow specific directions. This is typically more advanced – but you don’t have to be a superstar to participate.
GTA Rallies, named for their "Game, Tour and Adventure" elements, are like Course Rallies, but without average speeds and checkpoint timing. Scoring is typically based on your ability to correctly answer questions about things that you see along the rally route.
But what’s this about technology? Don’t we have workers along the way that record times and keep track of the checkpoints?
Thanks to a series of apps developed by Rich Bireta and the RoadRally team, even this is unnecessary. Using available technologies like cell phones and gps, Bireta has developed an app that allows organizers to host events with fewer volunteers and with greater accuracy, among other benefits.
For competitors, the app times the contestant at each checkpoint, calculates the score (early or late), and displays the score on the contestant’s cellphone screen instantly – making the event more fun from start to finish.
So where can I RoadRally? Lots of places! The calendar for currently available events remaining in 2020 is below. More information on the app and how it can help both competitors and event organizers, will be hitting your mailbox soon in the September issue of SportsCar Magazine.
Tour Rally Events
September 4: Los Angeles, CA; First Friday Nighter Rally; a rookie-friendly two-hour, 60-mile Friday night tour rally. More info click here.
September 12: Gaylord, MI; Press On Regardless Rally;One of the oldest and most famous rallies in America. A 14-hour Tour Rally on 400 miles of mostly unpaved roads through the Michigan backwoods. Speeds are brisk and you’ll need a car with some ground clearance.
September 12: Los Angeles, CA; Not My Fault Rally; A four-hour Divisional Tour rally through the scenic canyon roads north of Los Angeles. Very rookie friendly. More info click here.
September 13: Hackettstown, NJ; Second Hand Roads Rally; A 65-mile, three-hour Novice orientated Tour rally. No unpaved roads. More info click here.
September 26: San Diego, CA; It’s a Pie Run! Rally; A Tour rally using Monte Carlo checkpoints, from Rallymaster Rick Senior. You’ll be given the precise time that you should arrive at each checkpoint. Your goal is to cross the checkpoint line at exactly that time. Very rookie friendly. More info click here.
GTA Rally Events
August 29: Cincinnati, OH; Got You Covered Rally; A four-hour, 80-mile GTA rally with questions to answer about things you’ll see (or maybe won’t see) along the course. The rally will feature visits to several covered bridges and multiple barn quilts. More info click here.
September 12: Southington, CN; Hurdle 2020 Rally; A scavenger hunt GTA rally with the emphasis on adventure where teams will plot their own route. An all-day event, contestants get a map of Connecticut and a list of 16 questions. You’ll spend some time locating question locations, then drive to the locations, find the answers, and return to the finish. Scoring is based on number of correct answers and fewest miles traveled. For more info click here.
Course Rally Events
August 30: Evansville, IN; Apolitical Rally; A three-hour, 90-mile course rally on great driving roads in the Henderson, Kentucky area. All road are paved. For more info click here.
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Road Rally Planning Calendar |
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While other SCCA sanctioned events have not been able to overcome the Covid-19 governmental regulations and the health-related matters to their members — Road Rally has been able to continue. YES! We have had many events canceled this summer, with many having already selected their 2021 replacement dates. YES! Our friends with the Cascade Sports Car Club in Oregon have done an outstanding job of keeping the Summer Series alive and bringing out new rallyists along the way! We liked their TSsD moniker for them, with the "s" for social, aka Time-Speed-Social-Distance rallies.
And sadly, yes, we have seen some rally events with long-standing in the community have to "sit this one out" this summer and others "do the dance date." Here is the most current Road Rally Planning Calendar produced with formally sanctioned SCCA RoadRally events! Click here to download your copy.
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SCCA RoadRally Board Minutes - May and June (July Still Pending)
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Rallying to Preserve the SCCA Rally Archives... |
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Book Lover? History Lover?
Motorsport Enthusiast?
A believer in the good works of the SCCA Foundation and the Preservation of the SCCA Archives at the International Motor Racing Research Center?
Well, then this will new book will be right up your alley — no matter your interest chosen above. Cheryl, our perpetual fundraiser for the Rallying to Preserve our Historic SCCA Rally Archives campaign, saw the due date drawing closer for the books release. She reached out to author Andrew Layton. John Buffum agreed to sign as author of the book's Forward, and $30 for these copies would go to the SCCA Foundation as a dedicated donation. She saw it as a wonderful means to give back to the archives preservation and conservation; we were delighted the author and forward writer agreed!
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You may order today to get the dual-signed copy of the book for $74.99, with $30 going to the continued preservation of the rally archives for SCCA. When those archives are completed, the funds will be used for fellow sanctioning body rally archives.
Sales opened May 2nd, via Square. I hope to read my copy this weekend, and I am looking forward to reporting, in our September edition, the funds raised for the SCCA Foundation to date. We certainly hope that you will choose to order one of the Limited Edition books for $74.99, which are to be numbered and signed by both Layton and Buffum, and will raise funds for the SCCA Foundation and the International Motor Racing Research Center--a facility that was invaluable in bringing this book to print.
And if not that edition, you MUST get yourself a copy for $44.99, to support the good works done by Layton at recording the history of the Press on Regardless — The Story of America’s longest, oldest, and meanest road rally, for generations to come. Well done Andrew Layton!!
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From the Home Office in Jewel Lake... |
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It's Here, so Let's Use It!
We encouraged all of you to start using the #comeroadrally hashtag in your posts about rallying. One reader wrote to ask what that meant and how it could help! It is a means to easily find information on the internet for common causes. Perhaps you have attended a seminar, wedding, or motorsport event where they have asked you to use a hashtag in your posts? Hashtag is # for those unfamiliar. So should you enter #comeroadrally into your browser, you may find a similar page such as this where you can find articles, images and more about road rally (and a few oddities beyond)!
Does it REALLY Matter?
We wondered too, so we pulled the hashtag to see what was there! Trust us when we say we did some searches before selecting #comeroadrally years back, learning not all links for road rally took roads we wanted to travel, ha!
By simply putting in #comeroadrally in our search window on our web browser, we found a page in Twitter, Instagram, links for www.comeroadrallywith.us, and google had these images which have links for road rally too:
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Road Rally eNews, produced in association with the Sports Car Club of America, since 2013
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