Lori Goetsch and Marty Courtois prepare to start the 2014 Kansas Winter Rally
Lori Goetsch and Marty Courtois prepare to start the 2014 Kansas Winter Rally

The first Kansas Winter Rally was held March 22, 2014. The event was originally scheduled for March 1, but the winter storm warning that was to go into effect in the middle of the rally forced
us to reschedule.

The Sports Car Club of America is the premier grass roots motor sports organization in the world. Events like the Kansas Rally Weekend can not occur without a significant volunteer effort on the part of many people. I mentioned these folks after the events, but a “Thank You” bears repeating to:

  • Derrick Carpenter for serving as safety stewards and for working checkpoints;
  • Albert Weaver for working checkpoints;
  • Doug Patterson for providing some great photos of the events.
Rally School
All mustered at Rally HQ
All mustered at Rally HQ

The day started early at 9:00 AM with a rally school. Following an introductory lecture on road rallies 11 teams set off on a 20 mile warm up rally to apply what they heard in the classroom.

Rich Bireta explaining the ins-and-outs of TSD Road Rally at the Rally School
Rich Bireta explaining the ins-and-outs of TSD Road Rally at the Rally School
Kansas Winter Rally
Ready for the Start at Coon Point on the Oregon Trail
Ready for the Start at Coon Point on the Oregon Trail

After a question and answer session back at the starting location, 12 cars set out on the 100 mile Kansas Winter Rally. The contestants started with a drive down 6th Street in Lawrence, where a fast food lunch was available. Following lunch the cars restarted at Coon Point, site of a campground on the Oregon Trail.

KSWinterRally_03-22-14_012_sm

From Coon Point, the route went north through Lecompton and Perry, Kansas, up Ferguson Road to checkpoint 1 at the Civil War battle site near Hickory Point. Leg 1 went through Winchester and Easton to checkpoint 2 at the Limit turnout. Following a rest break in McLouth the route went south to checkpoint 3 on Stillwell Road and checkpoint 4 back at the Grant Township Community Center.

Contestants then gathered at the original Johnny’s Tavern in north Lawrence for dinner and to await the announcement of the winners.

“... and when you reach 88 mph you hit this button. That engages the flux capacitor and BAM! you jump back 3 minutes and arrive at the checkpoint right on time!”
“… and when you reach 88 mph you hit this button. That engages the flux capacitor and
BAM! you jump back 3 minutes and arrive at the checkpoint right on time!”
Winners
Congratulations to Lori Goetsch and Martin Courtois (red Mini), Kansas SCCA members from Manhattan, Kansas for winning the Experienced class.
Congratulations to Lori Goetsch and Martin Courtois (red Mini), Kansas SCCA members from Manhattan, Kansas for winning the Experienced class.
Congratulations to Mark and Judy McCoubrie (white Acura TL) for finishing first in the Beginners class.
Congratulations to Mark and Judy McCoubrie (white Acura TL) for finishing first in the Beginners class.
Congratulations to Georgia and Frank Finks (very RED 370 Z) for finishing second in the Beginners class.
Congratulations to Georgia and Frank Finks (very RED 370 Z) for finishing second in the Beginners class.
Congratulations to Joe Parsons and Chris Paugh (white WRX) for finishing third in the Beginners class.
Congratulations to Joe Parsons and Chris Paugh (white WRX) for finishing third in the Beginners class.

Kansas Winter Rally Scores

PosCrewCarRegionClass1234Total
1Lori Goetsch / Marty CourtoisRed MiniKansasE970117
2Theresa Thao / Bee ThaoSilverRX-8OklahomaE6312930
3Candy Gerber / Jan GerberSilver Mazdaspeed 4NebraskaE114621390
9Mark Macoubrie / Judy MacroubrieWhite Acura TLKCN1116927
11Georgia Finks / Frank FinksRed Nissan 370 ZKCN9113528
10Joe Parsons / Chris PaughWhite Subaru WRXKCN1713158107
5Peter Monshizadeh / Lindsay PruittBlack LS 400GuestN841465163
12James Cahill / Doug PattersonSilver Ford FocusKCN81613511170
4Frank Biondo / Ben BasgallPearl ExplorerGuestN57231200200
7Ryan Webb / Liz WebbGrey BMW X-1GuestN1327217712393
6Britton Hill / Austin PrauserBlue Mini ClubmanGuestN1112323831403
8David Tung / Arcely TungSilver Subaru XVKCN3001510925449
I forgot to sign the waiver.
I forgot to sign the waiver.
Thorns and Roses

It’s a tradition in the Boy Scouts following an adventure to review the areas that have gone well (roses) as well as some items that could be improved for the future (thorns). Here is my list for the 2013 Rally Weekend.

Roses:

  1. The turnout. 12 cars for a first time event is very good.
  2. Scoring: We had the provisional scores done by the time we got to Johnny’s. Using car zero times as out time lowered the workload on the checkpoint crews and speeded scoring.
  3. No one got (too) lost, everyone found the finish and there were smiles all around.

Thorns:

  1. There were two mistakes in the instructions. “West” should have been “East” after the rest break, and NRI 59 should have been part of the NRI 58.
  2. We could have used another checkpoint worker to help Albert.

Thanks to all the competitors who came out and the workers who made the events possible. I hope to see you at another event in 2014. Next event: Kansas Rally Weekend, November 8 and
9. Saturday’s event will be “East to Weston”, from Lawrence to Weston with a strict limit of 20 cars starting (space is limited at the Weston Brew Pub). Sunday will be the “Kansas River Run” rally over good quality unpaved roads, starting and ending in Lawrence. For those looking for another event near KC, on October 11 and 12 there will be two National Tour rallies in St. Louis. (Save-the-Date cards were distributed at the start). These events will be longer (150+ miles each ), have about 20 checkpoints per day. Beginners are welcome.

~Rich Bireta

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