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2010 New England Forest Rally
Losing my rally virginity.
The 0-60/Sparco Scion xD rally car didn’t quite get a hero’s welcome at the Oregon Trail Rally. How would you feel? These magazine dudes show up to your beloved event with a brand-new, nearly stock economy car — torque-challenged to say the least — and plastered with sponsor logos. But there was a statement to be made: When you have a good driver, in our case Chris Duplessis, with Catherine Woods as co-driver, it’s possible to surprise the naysayers, and that’s something Duplessis has always been able to do.
After Duplessis’s 2WD podium finish in Oregon, New England Forest Rally was an entirely different atmosphere for the 0-60 Scion. Reaction to the car—and our team in general—was a bit more favorable, which probably had a lot to do with the location of this event, just 20 minutes from the Duplessis compound. We were on Chris’ home turf.
I look at the rally community as the rugby of motorsports. It revolves around beer, mud, a badass contact sport and a tight community. Everywhere we went, people complimented the car’s new exhaust note, asking if the freshly installed limited-slip differential would help Chris out this time around. I guess what really amazed me was the fact that nobody seemed all that competitive until they were behind the wheel, it felt like more of a friendly race than anything.
Our underdog faired pretty well against the whole pack. After two hot, dirty days, a few wrecks and rolls and some groupie girls flashing drivers in mid-stage, Duplessis managed to score second in class and 10th overall. He was close behind first place, which says a lot when taking the extra 200 horsepower the Lauchlin O’Sullivan / Karen Wagner SRT4 has over the xD.
We have the little Scion that could, and we’re excited to see what what happens next season, I’ll definitely be in attendance. Meanwhile, our boy Chris is competing at X Games this weekend, so keep an eye out for some big air and close calls.
Having seen almost every motorsport in person is something I’m proud to claim, but up until two weeks ago, I had gone through my automotive-obsessed life without witnessing a rally firsthand. I’ve spend countless hours scouring YouTube for crash videos and highlights, but I’d never been there to feel the crowds energy or get caked in dirt while standing at the exit of a turn.
Video: Mike Crenshaw
Photo: Alex Bernstein
Nice work! Sounds like fun.
Sick vid guys! Looking forward to next season.
i feel like i should know this... but what song?
Pennywise - Bro Hymn
I remember my first rally. Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Wellsboro, Pa 2005. Good times. It was wet that year, and the mostly clay roads in Wellsboro were slick and greasy, it caught more than a few drivers off guard, including Mr. Block who got his STi wedged on top of a hay bale on the outside of the turn I was on. One of my favorite rally memories though, was getting a rock thrown into my shin by a Subaru on Stage 4 of Wellsboro in 2006. It was actually raining that day and I could have touched the car as it went past me (if I wasnt trying to get me and my camera out of the way lol). Its good to see new faces at Rally America!
I was there this year, your car was by far the loudest and it sounded like you NEVER shifted, what do you have a 2 speed powerglide? lol