The eighth Rebelle Rally got here to its conclusion within the Imperial Sand Dunes simply north of the Mexico/California border. This yr 65 groups vied for the rostrum over seven grueling days. They began in Mammoth Mountain, CA with temperatures dropping to 15-degrees some nights as rivals tried to sleep of their tents.
Course director Jimmy Lewis despatched each 4×4 and X-Cross class groups by means of a few of the most spectacular terrain California and Nevada have to supply. The course began on the Higher Owens River, then wound its solution to the near-forgotten ghost city of Gold Level, by means of the rocky trails of Ridgecrest, CA. The haunting Trona Pinnacles and whooped out Johnson Valley had been each on the menu as groups made their means south to Glamis and the biggest system of sand dunes in North America.
Rivals referred to as it probably the most difficult of Rebelles but as they sought out over 200 checkpoints and coated 2500 kilometers. By competitors’s finish, an all-electric Rivian R1T took prime spot on the 4×4 podium. Crew 187, Limestone Legends, charged their means, due to Renewable Improvements, throughout the course with a complete of 1359 factors. Not far behind them, making for intense competitors was Crew 129 made up of 2022 competitors winners Nena Barlow and Teralin Petereit of their 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. Third place within the 4×4 class went to Laura Wanlass and Maria Guitar of group 188 of their Ford Bronco Raptor.
The X-Cross class comprised of automobiles and not using a switch case and solely AWD functionality arguably had the more durable job with out that low vary on some powerful terrain. However these groups and their automobiles battled laborious over the seven days holding the competitors fascinating. Touchdown on prime for the three-peat was group 200, Melissa Clark and Jessica Moore of their 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. An unlikely newcomer to the sphere was the 2024 BMW X2 M35i. Wild Grace, group 205, piloted by Rebecca Donaghe and navigator Sedona Blinson took the one BMW of its sort in North America because it’s nonetheless a pre-production mannequin throughout the desert for the German producer and got here in a lofty second place. Coming in third in a Kia Telluride X-Professional was Verena Mei and her navigator Susie Saxton of group 206.
Rookie awards went to Crew 212, Nicole Rotondo and Serena Halterman in a 2023 Honda Passport. The 4×4 class rookie podium noticed a 2023 Toyota Sequoia come out on prime with group 182, Myra Padda and Sandra Li. Second and third place rookie awards went to Heather Eich and Allison McGowan in one other Sequoia and Toni Hlavnicka and Caralina Carlson in a 2023 Ford Bronco Badlands respectively.
The Worldwide Cup was handed out to Canadian group CanToy Drives, group 144 made up of Liza Powerful and Sue Chapin. And the Crew Spirit awards, voted on by their fellow rivals, went to Crew 204, Mountain Subie (Carey Lando and Dorothy Rake) who towed the quantity two 4×4 winner throughout the end line once they ran out of gasoline.
A brand new Perseverance Award went to a group of sisters from France who moved to the USA to work for a yr and save up for the rally. Crew 117, Brouck Sisters, Maureen and Hortense, had been so pushed to compete within the rally they purchased a 1998 Jeep TJ sight unseen in Texas then drove straight to tech inspection.
Registration for the 2024 Rebelle is already open.
