The Rally Spring Break is over and its time to get out the gear, gas up the cars and mount the tires, the Summer 2017 Rally Season has already started!
The first Navigational Rally of the season took place on Sunday, June 11th with the BAC Bluenose Rally. Starting and ending in Windsor, Nova Scotia, this annual rally tradition challenges teams new and experienced alike to some of the best driving roads in Nova Scotia… just kidding, a lot of them are pretty rough, but that doesn’t spoil the fun!
Seven teams competed at this years event with long time teammates Chris Ward and Mark Grandmaison taking the tops in Experienced class while first time father and son pairing of Umberto and Ben LoPresti took the win in Novice. Full results can be found here! A photo gallery from the event by perennial photographer Harold Merklinger can be found here.
After starting off the 2017 Performance Rally calendar early this year with February’s opener at Conrad’s Quarry, BAC Performance Rally Championship resumes on July 27th in Tennecape, Nova Scotia! The second of four events in the series will challenge drivers from all over Nova Scotia on some of the best rally roads around. Volunteers are always needed, so be sure to check out the Bluenose Autosport Club website and the event’s Facebook page to learn how you can help out! And don’t forget the 2017 Ledwidge Lookoff Rally is coming fast! This year’s event is guaranteed to be spectacular with new local cars and a number of out of region teams lining up to tackle our amazing stages! Stay tuned!
In July, a contingent of Atlantic region competitors, spectators and volunteers will be headed for the storied stages of New Richmond, Quebec for the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, the second round of the Canadian national Rally Championship. This year marks the 40th running of this famous event and will provide some of the best rally spectating anywhere in North America. As part of numerous Rally Championships including the Canadian Rally Championship, the NACAM Rally Championship and the East Coast Rally Championship BDC will draw competitors from all over North, Central and South America!
Local competitors include James Whittman and Daphne Sleigh, competing at Rallye BDC for the first time, and Tim Dine, a veteran co-driver at the Baie this time sitting in the right seat for Patrick Rainville. Good luck to all! Stay tuned to the Rally East Facebook Group for the best ways to keep track of all the rally action from afar or even better come to New Richmond to cheer on our teams in person!
2017 is going to be an amazing year for rally in our region with more events, bigger events and all the rally excitement you could want! Rally rally rally!
