Rebelle Rally Field Update
Day 2 – Tonopah to Ridgecrest
Teams arrived at Base Camp 2 well after sunset on the longest stage of the 2020 Rebelle Rally. Day 2 saw the standings shaken up in both the 4×4 and X-Cross Classes, with fatigue and time management emerging as crucial components of the day. Day 1 winners Team 4 Corners – #129 (Nena Barlow / Tana White) in 4×4 and Team Telluriders – #205 (Sabrina Howells/Alyssa Roenigk) in X-Cross both made costly errors that saw them slide in the overall standings. Team Killer Watt – #140 (Emme Hall/Rebecca Donaghe) capitalized on the situation to take the win in 4×4 on Stage 2 and move atop the overall standings. Despite the pressure of being followed by a full production crew to document their rally piloting the Rivian R1T, Team Killer Watt maintained their cool to edge out Team Blondetourage – #125 (Kaleigh Miller/Teralin Petereit) on Stage 2.
Stage 2 began with an on time Rebelle Enduro Challenge (REC) out of camp past Silver Peak and through the White Mountains. The 417-kilometer course passed in the shadow of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48 at 14,505 feet. Teams saw their first sand at Olancha Dunes and passed through the Joshua Tree forest at Cactus Flat on their way to Base Camp 2 at Spangler Open OHV Area.
In the X-Cross Class, Team GOAT – #201 (Shelby Hall/Penny Dale) edged out Team Record the Journey – #207 (Rachael Ridenour/Kristie Levy) to maintain the overall lead in the standings in their 2020 Ford Bronco Sport. Team Horse Power – #203 (Elana Scherr/Betsy Anderson) came in third for the day but Team Recalibrate – #219 (Sydney Stevenson/Kaitlin Mason) are still in third in the overall standings behind Team GOAT and Record the Journey.
Team Sassquatch Rebelles – #184 (Eliza Coleman/Kendra Miller) will be first off the line at 7 AM, based on a random draw. The live show will start at 7:30 AM from the course on Facebook, YouTube, and the Rebelle Rally website. The day starts by challenging teams’ precision roadbook skills in an “Extreme Enduro” that takes them onto the steep terrain that overlooks Base Camp 2. Stage 3 covers less than half the distance of Stage 2, but it has the most CPs of any day on the 2020 Rally. Day 3 has traditionally been when the competition gets serious at the Rebelle Rally, and 2020 will be no exception. The dirt roads of Nevada give way to criss-crossed paths in every direction at Spangler and Dove Springs Open OHV areas, complicating the navigation. From Kelso Valley, Rebelles return to Base Camp through the stunning colors of Red Rock OHV Area, staying on public lands.
Daily Tech Tip – Is The Rebelle Rally A Race?
The Rebelle Rally is NOT a race, but it is a competition. It differs from a traditional race where speed is a priority to finish as quickly as possible. By contrast, the Rebelle Rally is about precision, not speed. Precise navigation and precise driving. There is no GPS, no pre-running, and you don’t need a highly modified vehicle to be successful at the Rebelle Rally. “My vision was to create an event that rewards intelligence, proper planning, and attention to detail,” Rebelle founder Emily Miller explained. Over eight days, teams comprised of two women (one driver, one navigator) use maps and compasses and roadbooks to navigate to multiple checkpoints (CPs) and RECs in a prescribed amount of time. Some CPs are visibly marked by a flag and course worker (Green CPs), while others are marked by a small flag or PVC pipe (Blue CPs). Black CPs offer the greatest challenge, with no visible reference on the ground. Teams check in at each CP with their tracker, and the closer they are to the exact Black CP location the more points they receive.
SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT- Total Chaos
The Rebelle Rally is in a class all on its own as a driving and navigation challenge, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the companies we choose to partner with are just as unique as we are. Case in point: Total Chaos Fabrication. Single-handedly responsible for the “midtravel” suspension segment with their introduction of the tubular Upper Control Arm (UCA) in 2002, Total Chaos Fabrication has been innovating for decades now, and they have been supporting the Rebelle Rally since its inception. Their control arms use race-quality components to increase wheel travel without the need for custom fabrication. Total Chaos’ commitment to quality, craftsmanship, customer service, and constant innovation, we are proud to call them the Official Suspension Partner of the 2020 Rebelle Rally.
About the Rebelle Rally
Blending the love of driving with the ultimate challenge of precise navigation, the Rebelle is the first women’s off-road navigational rally raid event in the United States. Crafted to test a variety of skills over eight days of competition, it is not a race for speed, but rather a unique and demanding event based on the elements of headings, hidden checkpoints, time, and distance using maps, compass, and roadbook. No GPS, cell phones, or other electronic devices are allowed as teams navigate to the checkpoints.
