The “Get the Dust Off” rally (GTDO) has been the Region’s season-opening road rally for some years now. Put on jointly by MGs of Baltimore and the WDC Region, this event has developed a solid reputation as an enjoyable event which is easy to finish and hard to win. This year was no exception.

Warm and clear spring weather greeted the 29 crews contesting this year’s event. Some of them were out for a day of low-key sport with like-minded friends while others were there to accumulate points toward the 2010 Road Rally National Championship. Neither group was disappointed. This year’s event was a Monte Carlo style rally, or Monte as it is called. On a Monte, the exact location of the checkpoints and the exact tome you should arrive there is right in the route instructions. All you need to do is actually get there when you are supposed to. It sounds easy and it is……unless you are competing with twenty other teams trying to do it better than you.

The event started at Rallymaster Eric Salminen’s farm in Kingsville Maryland and finished at the Mount Felix Estate Vineyard and Winery in Havre de Grace. In between, the teams traversed some of the best rally roads in Baltimore and Harford Counties.

The entry was interesting in terms of vehicles and people. Fifty years of sports cars were represented, from a 1952 MGTD to a 2001 BMW Z3. In domestics, the scope went from Jeep Wrangler to Saturn. The presence of three modern Minis may indicate that the Mini club has discovered rallyes. In human terms, the entry ran the gamut from three National Championship winners to novices just out of rally school. Everyone finished and everyone had a smile.

The scores were equally remarkable since each penalty point represented one-one hundredth of a minute (yes that’s 1/100)! Heading the lists for the fourth straight year was the team of Teter/Head (past national champions) with two penalty points for first overall and first in class E. Second O/A and first in class L with four penalty points were Miner/Gezon (another national champion). Third O/A and first in the stock class was Wakeman/Haas (more champions) with 10 points. From there the scores dropped off, but one notable result was Lytle/D’Andrea with 20 points and FOURTH OVERALL AS NOVICES! This shows that it can be done. Further awards were given in two historic classes, SOP and novice. Full results may be seen on the WDC Region website.

Not to be left out was the wine tasting and picnicking that went on all over the winery grounds.

The next series event is Steve Gaddy’s “Historic Bridges of Frederick County Tour” Flyers are available on the WDCR website.

A Unique Opportunity!

The 2010 Road Rally season provides a unique opportunity for Washington DC Region members. In one year, you can progress from being a beginner to participating in the United States Road Rally Challenge, and do it right here in our own backyard. That’s right, you can do it all without even renting a motel room. It is indeed a unique opportunity for WDCR members. Never before has this been possible!

Check out the calendar on the Region’s website, and you will see that it is possible. This month, the season begins with a rally school where you will be taught the fundamentals and be given a textbook to use as a reference. There is also a short rally included in the school to test the skills you have acquired in a fun atmosphere.

Here is the really great part! There is a style of event called Monte Carlo, or Monte for short. On a Monte, the locations and times of arrival for all the checkpoints are given in the route instructions and the route instructions are simple. No one gets lost on a Monte.

The Rally School will teach you all the techniques you need to know about competing on a Monte. Then, we have several events throughout the season that are Monte Carlo style events. The “Get-the-Dust-OFF” and the “Historic Bridges of Frederick County” are both Montes that give you opportunities to hone your skills. Finally, you can wrap up your year with the “Catoctin Monte”, your Region’s award winning National Rally.

The “Catoctin Monte” is the keystone event in the three event weekend known as the United States Road Rally Challenge, the most important event on the SCCA’s calendar of National Rallies. It is held just north of here in the beautiful Catoctin Mountains during the season when the trees will be at high color.

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Check out the Road Rally calendar and plan out your season.