The 2009 edition of this much-anticipated tradition will be held on Saturday, June 20, and it kicks off with an optional social gathering on Friday evening, June 19.  Registration for this 16th annual edition of the event is now open, and you can download a Registration Form at a link below.

Club membership is not required.

The event is limited to 75 entries, and we expect it to fill up once again this year.

This all-day, all-paved rally (or tour, if you choose not to “rally”) is open to all pre-1981 collector vehicles.  (Exceptions for vehicles made in 1981 and later are occasionally made.  Contact the “Rally Czar”; see CONTACTS below.)

Friday, June 19

Beginning at 5 p.m. we’ll gather at the Raccoon Lodge and Brew Pub in Raleigh Hills (www.raclodge.com) for an optional social gathering.  Here you can pick up your registration materials, and if you drive the car you have entered in the rally, we’ll conduct a brief tech inspection to make things go a little quicker the next morning.  Either way, come by and enjoy a beverage, a meal and your fellow enthusiasts.

Saturday, June 20

Beginning at 7 a.m. at Gran Prix Imports in Wilsonville (www.gpimports.com), we’ll enjoy a continental breakfast, finish registration and tech inspections for those who couldn’t attend the Friday evening social, and conduct a Driver/Navigator Meeting at 7:30 a.m.  Soon afterwards, the rally cars will begin leaving at one-minute intervals on a classic Time-Speed-Distance rally over some of the region’s most scenic rally roads.  We’ll break for lunch at a public park, and then go back out for more rallying in the afternoon, arriving at our destination in the late afternoon for refreshments and awards.  Everything is concluded by about 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 21

This year we are returning to the optional overnight format where you can choose to depart after the awards on Saturday, or you may stay overnight at the destination lodging and join the organized tour back to Portland on Sunday.  For 2009 our destination lodging is The Crest Motel in Astoria (www.astoriacrestmotel.com).  We have a limited number of rooms blocked for the night of June 20.  Here are the options, until they fill up:

Single Queen, No View - $62.50+tax.
Single Queen, With View - $82.50+tax.
Double Queen, With View - $88.50+tax.
Twin Beds plus separate bedroom with Single Queen, No View - $99.50+tax.

The reservation number is 503.325.3141 and our group name is "Columbia Gorge Rally."  Please make your reservation soonest to assure that you get your choice of room.

The registration fee of $50 (for MGA club members) or $75 (for non-members) includes Saturday’s continental breakfast, a delicious lunch, refreshments at the end of the day, an event clothing item for driver and navigator, two dash plaques, two event posters, a “goodie bag” (product samples and valuable trinkets!), and for the winners, trophies.

The Columbia Gorge Classic features our unique three-class structure that allows everyone – from the expert TSD rallyist to those who wish only to enjoy a nice drive – to participate and enjoy the day:

Standard Class: Participants in this class receive the standard Route Instructions and compete against each other for trophies. All participants with more than minimal TSD rally experience are encouraged to enter this class. The degree of difficulty of this class, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being extremely easy and 10 being extremely difficult), is estimated to be approximately 3-4.

Novice Class: Participants in this class receive the novice Route Instructions and compete against each other for trophies. (The novice Route Instructions include more information than those of the Standard class, helping inexperienced rallyists to stay on course; this also makes a great way to learn more about TSD rallying.) Participants with no or minimal TSD rally experience are encouraged to enter this class. The degree of difficulty of this class is estimated to be approximately 1-2.

Touring Class: Participants in this class receive the novice Route Instructions but do not compete or receive trophies. This class is designed for people who wish only to drive a scenic Rally Route in a follow-the-leader format with a lead car doing the navigation, and not be concerned with timing calculations or course-following challenges. (However, if you follow along using the novice Route Instructions as you drive, you can learn about TSD rallying and you might find that you’d like to compete the next time!)

CONTACTS:

For questions about registration, contact Rally Registrar Renee Damm at renee@plesba.com or 503.880.0518.

For questions about the rally itself, including the General Instructions (the rules), contact Rally Master Simon Levear at levears@aol.com or 503.598.8588.

For other questions, including how to volunteer to help conduct this great event, contact Rally Czar Reid Trummel at editor_reid@hotmail.com or 503.753.3700.

REGISTRATION FORM

RALLY GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS - 2009 Edition

SAMPLE ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS - NOVICE CLASS

SAMPLE ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS - STANDARD CLASS

HOW TO STAY ON TIME IN A TSD RALLY

HOW TO APPLY THE DEFAULT ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS - Updated 5/02/07