Rallying: A new turn every mile, A new smile every turn.

Ed Solstad

(Editor's Note: Ed is one of the most proficient and prolific Rallymasters in this area.)

Looking for something new in motorsport? Something that you can enjoy with your spouse? An activity where you can be as competitive or laid back as you want and have fun and be accepted either way? Tired of seeing the same turns every lap? Check out rallying - A new turn every mile, a new smile every turn.

The 1999 Twin Cities rally schedule has something to suit every taste. There are the easy to follow, all paved tour style events. National course (trap) rallies such as Chippewa Trails and Octoberally. Excellent gravel tour style events such as the Lucas Flamethrower, the Yucatan Safari, Tulips and Other Fall Flowers and the 12 hour Il Diavolo. For the really serious gravel enthusiasts, LOL hosts three Divisional ProRallies: Headwaters, 10,000 Lakes and Paul Bunyan’s Ride, as well as a National ProRally, the Ojibwe. If you enjoy driving in the company of 20’s Bentleys and Chryslers, Mercedes 300SL’s, Renault Dauphines, XKI20 Jaguars and vintage Big Healeys and Alfa Giuliettas, not to mention the series winning ’63 Buick Riviera, the Great Northern Historic Rally Championship is for you. For those whose imaginations have been excited by reports of the California Mille or the various European Historic Events, we offer the Great River Road Rally - a two and a half day Historic event with starting points in both St. Paul and Madison which converge in La Crosse.

If you’re new to rallying, dig out your March, 1998 issue of The Tonneau and read A short guide to rallying for the uninitiated. If you don’t save your copies, give me a call at (612) 822-0569 or e-mail me at esolstad@pressenter.com and I’ll send you a copy.

You don’t need a special car and can start with such minimal equipment as a clipboard, a few highlighters, some Post-It notes, a $7 calculator and a watch with a second hand.

If you’re the adventurous sort that enjoys driving on loose surfaces, we recommend gravel rallies as the most fun. The first event, the Lucas Flamethrower, - a 100 mi. night rally run out of Red Wing, is coming up on February 27th. Be sure to bring your Hakkapelittas and Let it snow!, Let it snow!, Let it snow!!

The Flamethrower, plus the Yucatan, Tulips and Other Fall Flowers, and I1 Diavolo rallies all use the easy to follow tulip diagram format with all turns mileaged. No Traps!! Just the enjoyment of driving the best gravel roads that the upper Midwest has to offer! If you’re new, concentrate on staying on course and ignore precise timing by driving slightly above the average speed. You’ll have a great time and should be able to get a reasonable score. Next time out, you can pay more attention to timing and do even better.

While course rally has fallen into a general decline, we are fortunate to have two of the top events in the country right in our area: the Chippewa Trails and the Octoberally. Unlike trap rallies of two decades ago, todays events are sufficiently well thought out so that even if you fall for a trap, you’ll still come into the checkpoint. You’ll probably get a max early or late, but at least you won’t be left lost and without a clue, never to be seen again. The third general category consists of the all-paved tour style rallies. These events can normally be run in a separate Historic class or in an open class for all comers. If you own a pre-’76 car and are looking for something a bit more exciting than a drive around the lakes, give Historic rallying a try. Don’t own an Austin Healey 3000 set up to BMC Competition Department specs or a Lancia Stratos? Don’t worry about it, the Series winners for the last several years have been Lynn Anderson and Lois Bjelke driving a 1963 Buick Riviera! Other entrants have included the likes of ’24 Bentley 3-litre, ’28 Chrysler 75 touring (right hand drive no less), ’52 Ferrari 250GT, ’57 DKW and ’57 SAAB 93 3-cyl, 2-strokes, Big Healeys, Little Healeys, MGTD’S, Jaguars of all types, a VW dune buggy, Renault Dauphines, a variety of Alfa Romeos including 2600’s and a Sprint Speciale. We’ve even had a Citroen 2CV with a speedo reading in whole kilometers come in first in class!

How about an early Valiant or Barracuda, a 260 V8 powered Falcon Sprint or a Fitch Sprint? These cars all had rally history when new. The older and funkier, the better. If it goes, stops, and handles well, so much the better - either way, it’s a hoot.

Now that we’ve piqued your interest, Why don’t you join us for a great season in 1999. Bring out your daily driver, the ’64 Mustang fastback that has been sitting in the garage for too long or the old DKW ice-racer that you couldn’t bear to throw away. Check the 1999 Rally Calendar for a full listing and give the rallymaster a call.

Copyright 1999, Land O'Lakes Region.
Last revised: March 5, 1999