As you can see there were some very good scores. I’ll try to write up more later this week but the scores for a couple of the teams need a quick explanation right now.

First, in the Navigational Class the DeMeritts rally odometer failed somewhere before the end of the odometer comparison section so they dropped out after reporting in at the first checkpoint.

Second the Paul Grunchich – Mark Hamman team made it to every checkpoint location. They were there trying their hardest and learning a lot. You can bet they’ll do better next time.

Jerry White, Rallymaster

On November 6, 2011, 22 participants assembled at Subaru of Champaign County to compete in the Monticello Monte Road Rally. The entrants included 6 veteran teams, 1 novice team with a couple rallies of experience, and 4 Novice teams out for the first time. Shortly after an informal rookie briefing and the standard crew meeting, Route Instructions were handed out and the teams were westbound on the odometer comparison section. Ahead of them were 106 miles of course and 9 checkpoints. For fun, I gave each leg a descriptive title.

The challenging checkpoint locations at “Kinky Finish” and “Hilltop Surprise” caught both Navigational (NAV) teams off guard. They each accumulated more than half their total points in the first two legs. Meanwhile all four Seat Of Pants (SOP) teams were in the hunt for the overall lead. In Novice class the results were, not unexpectedly, a mixed bag. There were a couple single-digit scores, a few more 100s, and quite a few scores in between. Chad Johnson and Kyle Broadrick lost their way between the first and second checkpoints and ended up far off course. Fortunately they kept their optimism and were able to rejoin at the break.

The SOP team of Jerry White and Bill Wagner Jr. scored their second zero of the rally on “Bucks Pond Run” and were leading overall after 3 legs. The NAV class crews of Bob and Marianne DeMeritt and Bob and Karen Townsend were getting dialed in, however, and were 1-2 overall by the end of “Lickskillet Boogie.”

Mike Blackwelder and Jim Hamilton flirted with the SOP lead briefly after leg 4, but fell back on “Quick Stop,” the last leg before the break. The Novice team of Mark Hammar and Paul Grunchich had their best score of the rally on the same leg.

After the break, concern was raised when both NAV cars came in with nearly identical scores that were substantially different from the previously calculated perfect time for “Allerton Loop.” One team noted a mileage discrepancy that was later verified. After recalculations, the SOP team of Russ and Chris Bedford, ably assisted by granddaughter Amaya Gula, had earned a zero and were back in contention. Jonathan Flora and Tom Ingles, who had quietly strung together 6 single-digit leg scores in a row, were in the mix as well. In fact, after 6 legs all four SOP cars were within 14 points. “Allerton Loop” also marked the first time all five Novice teams managed to find the checkpoint within the “max window.”

“Rocky Finish” was the downfall of Blackwelder and Hamilton who failed to recover from a course following error and scored a max-100. Everyone else got through relatively unscathed. The Novice team of Joe Inman and Geoffrey Sneddon impressed with their 4th single-digit leg score of the rally. A pair of 100s, however, kept them from serious contending for the lead.

On the penultimate leg, “Allerton Loop, Reverse,” Novices P.J. Hart and Matt Horne capped an excellent 4-leg run with a zero. For the third leg in a row, all the Novices finished within the “max window” with the teams of Matt Peters/Alec Shoemaker and Johnson/Broadrick earning their best scores of the rally.

The last leg, “Crossin’ Tracks,” included one ambiguous intersection. The veteran teams all managed to negotiate it correctly, but every one of the Novice teams was thrown off course and all scored a max-100.

The teams proceeded to Three Ravens on the Courthouse Square in Monticello for drinks, dinner, and conversation while the Rallymaster took the long way back from checkpoint 9 to investigate the mileage discrepancy on leg 6. Digit transposition error found, he rolled into the finish point about 20 minutes later than planned. He was relieved to walk into a dining room full of rally contestants, workers, and family members who all still seemed to be in a jovial mood. Thanks to a laptop and spreadsheet, leg six was recalculated and scoring was completed in short order. Hart and Horne won convincingly in Novice, White and Wagner finished on top of a hotly contested SOP class, and the DeMeritts eked out a 4-point victory over the Townsends for first in NAV and first overall. Awards were presented before the crowd got restless, and the Rallymaster, having finally completed his task, celebrated with a pint of Smithwicks!

Thanks to Michel Watkins, Events Coordinator for the Worden Martin Auto Group, for providing hospitality at registration and to Kim Johnson for assisting with checkpoint operations. Special thanks to Angela Patrick, not only for cold running and working checkpoints, but also for displaying exceptional “wifely patience” over the last month as your humble Rallymaster put this event together.

Gary Patrick, Rallymaster

Sandy and I had a good time putting on this Halloween Rally. It was publicized and promoted very well: we had ten cars, a record in recent memory. We cut up the rally instructions and passed them out in trick-or-treat bags. We had intentional traps (it was Halloween and all) based upon driver/navigator communication, something we are notoriously bad at. Apparently this was an easy thing to undermine, because we blew up fully half the field on the second leg. I won’t be too smug however, we would probably have fallen for it too.  We did get everyone back to Jim’s for hot dogs,smores and scores by 10pm, and nobody’s brains were eaten by zombies (that i am aware of…)

Thanks to all ten teams for braving the dark and the graveyards!  and thanks to Jim Hamilton for hosting the after-party

Brian Grable, Rallymaster

Sandy Grable, Cold-runner and co-conspirator

Rallymaster: Bill Wagner
Cold Run and Checkpoint: Bob Townsend

Only 27 points separated the first place and the last place teams on the rally. Bob and Marianne Demerit barely eked out a first place overall victory on this scenic drive through Champaign, Douglas and Coles counties. Taking a wrong turn cost them a max on leg four and a tactical error cost them another max on leg six after deciding to assign themselves an early out time, thus beating the checkpoint crew to the control.

Blackwelder and Hamilton missed seeing a “DEAD END” sign and found themselves at the end of the road and had to turn around in a farmers driveway to return to the course, but using a time delay slip, they remained in the hunt. and earned a first place finish.

No other teams got lost, and the scores were quite close. It was a near perfect day for a rally after getting a break from the hot weather. Three checkpoint crews kept the event moving. Brisk speeds through a variety of interesting roads kept the teams on their toes.

A cookout with brats and drinks followed, with some wonderful dishes prepared by Karen.

Rallymaster: Bob Townsend
Cold run: Bill Wagner
Control Workers: Mike Sage, Jannsen Sage, Jennifer Lauher, Karen Townsend, Bill Wagner

When CCSCC decided to hold short, Saturday morning road rallies, I just knew I had to get in on this! A short rally is much easier to put on than a LOOONNNNGGG Sunday afternoon rally and I just don’t see well enough in the dark anymore to put on a Friday night rally. So I decided this was for me! I originally volunteered for the June Sat. AM rally, but had to leave town for that weekend (I guess my daughter graduating from U of Chicago with an MSW IS more important…..) so Jerry White very graciously traded weekends with me. Thanks, Jerry!

I originally wanted to set up this rally to somewhat duplicate my first rally — “The All-Ametrican Rally”, held on July 4, 1976. It was done all in the metric system as at that time the USA was switching over. I taught the Metric System to businesses and teachers, so it was a natural! I did use the same (roughly) ODO leg, but after that, it was a totally new rally.

The ODO leg ended north of Market place and then the route went ALMOST to the CN tracks before turning north and going over I-57 where there was a checkpoint on the frontage road. Everyone arrived about on time and in order, with Bob Townsend and James Babiarz scoring a “0”! Well done.

Leg 2 marched south to Alto Vinyards and on to Bloomington road before arriving at checkpoint 3 that was back north east of Mahomet and the beginning of some lovely roads with 0.99 miles of gravel….

Leg 3 ended up another march towards Dewey and some more gravel. Leg 4 was a quick trip across the far north end of Champaign County with some CAST changes to keep the navigator busy and a checkpoint just south of Ludlow and west of the CN tracks. A DIY leg took everyone into Rantoul for lunch at Monical’s and I think everyone had fun.

I scored everyone with an “automatic delay allowance”, which meant that you didn’t need to request one and you could never get more than 49 points unless you missed a checkpoint (100 points). The score shows most everyone did VERY well.

Thanks to Jonathan Flora for cold running the rally and most of all to the 5 hearty teams that ran the rally. You guys made it enjoyable for me. Thanks. Here are the results.

Barry Rowe, Rallymaster

One team from Indianapolis, 3 from the Champaign area and one from Belleville all congregated at the Valero station in Covington Indiana bright and early on Saturday July 2. Eight miles away was the endpoint of the event, however, straight lines were few and far between in Roamin’ Candle. The prairie was left behind as the teams left Lodi, our entrance to Parke County and found Covered Bridges, gravel roads with multiple switch backs going up and down hill, Amish Buggies and of course, organic fertilizer. Chuck Hanson admitted that we had found roads in the county that were even new to him.

Everyone was caught by a trap on Leg 2 and missed driving through 2 of the Covered Bridges on the route. All arrived in a timely fashion at the lunch break at the Rock Run Café in Roseville (population less than 50). The restaurant let us have the “loft” room for our lunch. Unfortunately, Brian Grable missed lunch dealing with a not so slow leaking tire.

Paul and Marta DeMerath from Belleville had some difficulties with the course and won the award for being first to the end point and first in Novice. Basil Aruin was driving in his first Rally and was teamed with Bill Wagner and finished first in SOP with only 165 points on the 6 legs that didn’t trap them into a max. Ted Drummond and Chuck Hanson took first in Navigation class, without Chuck’s Rally Computer. Chuck was using our event as practice for the upcoming National event in St. Louis and was busily pounding away on a calculator.

The Rallymasters want to thank all that attended and hope they enjoyed the event.

Mike Blackwelder, Karen Davis & Harold Davis

As one of the new-this-year series of Saturday morning rallies geared especially for folks with no or limited rally experience the Time of the Signs Road Rally was planned from day one to be very easy to run. As the name of the rally may imply I did this by quoting a sign for almost every turn or speed change. You can see from the results above that fully half of the participants fit into the limited experience category and made up the rally’s largest class. Unfortunately I may have inadvertently influenced the final results in that class by accidentally “stealing” the Devlin’s instructions at the second checkpoint.

After crossing the checkpoint 2 in line and parking Bob brought all of his instructions and checkpoint slips back to the checkpoint vehicle because he wanted some assistance in claiming a delay for the leg. Unfortunately in the process of sorting out how much of a delay he wanted to claim I ended up laying his instructions down on my lapboard. About the time he was ready to head out on the last leg of the rally he realized he was missing them. Unfortunately by then I had already packed up the checkpoint and taken off to beat the first car to the last checkpoint. That left Bob and Pam with nothing to do but head for Monical’s to meet up with everyone else for lunch.

Tom Ingles says he owes me one for that goof since he thinks it helped him get second in the SOP class. That may be true but it also may not since the Devlin’s would have had to get a 60 or less on the 28 minute long last leg in order to have beat Tom and his mom. A 60 or less would certainly have been doable by an experienced SOP rallyist but it would not have been a sure thing so who’s to say if the Devlin’s could have done it. In any case both Bob and I have learned from this that it’s best if checkpoint crews only handle the pieces of paper that are required for them to do their jobs and and nothing more.

Meanwhile note that Eric and Greg (on their second rally together) ended up with a score that would have been very competitive in the SOP class. Also note that except for Jon and Gary’s 7 on leg 2 the Navigational class would have been extremely competitive. I understand that they didn’t fully recover from Jon accidentally working toward repeating doing the first instruction out of checkpoint 1. As for the DeMeritts their only point came while they were trying to get back on time after slowing to negotiate the corner just before checkpoint 2. I’m sure glad I borrowed Mike Blackwelder’s car and thousandth’s reading rally odometer to measure the rally. Thanks Mike!

Except for dips back and forth across the valley of the Sangamon River the rally spent most of its time near the tops of Yankee Ridge and Blue Ridge in Champaign County. This afforded the participants that took the time to look great views in all directions of mile after mile of young corn and soybean fields. Unfortunately in spite of the fact that I set the average speeds about 5 miles per hour slower than I normally would have just so that folks could look at the landscape (and to be friendly toward newcomers) at least one driver said he didn’t have time to do anything but watch the road ahead for his next turn. In any case Brian Ford, my cold runner and checkpoint helper, did enjoy the views. Thanks Brian, on all counts.

Jerry White, Rallymaster

Russ Bedford, Rallymaster

Bob Townsend, Rallymaster