Come Out and Have Some Fun- Rally New England Stars Next Week!

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If you’ve never participated in a road rally, you’re missing out. Big Time. There are plenty of real non-profit rally organizations around the country like Cheese Wheel IncRoad Rally Charities and Rally North America, who put on affordable road rallies every year, with one goal in mind: deliver a fun driving adventure while helping out those in need.

The five road rallies I’ve done within the past year have taken me down Route 66, through the winding roads of Appalachia and across more states I can count on two hands.  For up to seven days at a time, it’s you, your navigator, your prized set of wheels and dozens of other cars and teams.

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These organizations hold many weeklong and weekend TSD (time, speed, distance) rallies every summer, open to anyone with any kind of motorized vehicle. There’ve been old Chevrolet Corvairs, Mercedes-Benz 190Es, muscle cars of all sorts, exotics, tuners, dune buggies and even rental cars. You become part of an ever-growing family of nationwide gearheads.  From changing brake rotors by flashlight in the hotel parking lot late at night, to fun tasks like turkey bowling and zombie hunting, strangers become lifelong friends in just days.

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Wake up, head to the starting line, drive for an entire day, stop at checkpoints and finish off with a party in a completely different city –sometimes in a completely different state—each day of the rally.  You’ll lap small-town speedways and the big ones like Watkins Glen, Road America and Talladega. Face off against other rides on drag strips, and try your go at autocross too. You’ll see some of the best scenery and drive some of the most exciting roads, all while raising money for a designated charity.

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Over the past three years, Rally North America has donated more than $100,000 for charities like the Stephanie Spielberg Fund for Breast Cancer Research, Acccelerated Cure Project and Intrepid Fallen Heroes. For 2013, we’re helping out Camp Sunshine, an organization that supports children with life threatening illnesses and their families.  This year alone, RNA has collected more than $73,000 towards this truly great cause. That’s enough to send 36 lucky families to Camp Sunshine, on our dime. We drive for a good cause, and we want you to cheer us on.

Come meet us at any of the following locations during the 2013 Rally New England:

-July 23, Ithaca Commons in downtown Ithaca, New York at 7:30am

-July 24, Center Street in downtown Rutland, Vermont at 7:30am

-July 24, Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine from 3:30pm to 5pm

-July 25, Simard-Payne Park in Lewiston, Maine from 7:30am to 8:45am

-July 25, Rally finish line on the boardwalk in Saint John, Canada from 4:45pm-7pm

Follow me on Twitter @RobbyDeGraff to see live updates from the trip. Rally on!

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3 responses to “Come Out and Have Some Fun- Rally New England Stars Next Week!”

  1. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    This looks like a fantastic event. I'd like to get back into the day-long events locally. The SCCA had been trying to get it ramped back up when I lost track.
    Bullitt.

  2. taborj Avatar
    taborj

    Don't forget that there are countless single-day (some as short as 3 hours) TSD rallies that run throughout the country. Here in Oregon, Cascade Sports Car Club does their Friday Niter series, which are short events that are perfect for a road rally fix. Keep in mind, those ones are full of traps, so there's plenty of mental stimulus, too.

  3. Batshitbox Avatar

    As my ancestral home is East Saint John, I'd appreciate it if you bothered to put the 'New Brunswick' in there. Yes, it's the only Saint John in Canada (no, it's not Saint John's) but still… Why not just say Rutland USA?
    </nitpicking>