Winter in Michigan may be less predictable than it once was, but the SCCA Detroit Region’s Son of Sno*Drift is always planned with the hope and expectation of snow. Regardless, being in the dead of winter, SoSD always attracts those looking to get the car out of the garage and have some seat time without waiting for those warmer days. This year, Michigan’s first significant snowstorm came less than 24 hours before the start in South Lyon and delivered 6-8 inches of all types of winter precipitation. Twenty-three intrepid teams made the trek from across the Midwest (as far away as Minnesota!) to challenge winter, their cars, and each other head-on. Ten Novice Class teams, in the field of 23 entries, was an amazing turnout for new rallyists on a daunting day.
Section 1 started in South Lyon and snaked around eastern Washtenaw County before taking the competitors west past Whitmore Lake and through a frozen-over Hell before the first stop in Pinckney. Conditions were between heavy, wet snow and sloppy slush, with the occasional slick, freshly plowed road. Wheel slip and calibration must have been challenging for those running wheel-based measurement equipment. But after the first 60 miles, the Equipped team of David and Daniel of Team Harkcom held the lead, with an impressive score of 4.1 points. Alton Worthington and Tristan Koivisto came in with 26.2 in GPS, followed closely by the Stock team of Bruce Blow and Megan Harlow with 27.0. Sammy Louka and Nick Rennell led the Novice Class with 164.7 in the first 13 scored controls.
From Pinckney, teams headed south and west, covering the finest rally roads around Stockbridge, Unadilla, through the Waterloo State Rec Area, to the second break in Chelsea. Conditions for this stage were much more powdery, with several wind-blown “Sno*Drifts” across the roads, perfect for the rally carrying their name. 26 controls later, Ron Johnstonbaugh and Greg Lester took a commanding lead with a score of 22.1, and in Class G, Adam Spieszny and Piotr Roszczenko took control with 70. Bruce Blow and Megan Harlow maintained the Stock Class lead with 158.3, while now topping the Novice Class were Paul Evans and Austin Votta with 425.1.
With the unpredictable conditions brought by the snow, your Rallymasters made an early-morning course run to check everything over, but conditions had changed drastically on Section 3 throughout the day. The run from Chelsea back to South Lyon, through the Sharon Hills Preserve and around the Huron River north of Ann Arbor, had become covered in potholes hiding under the once-again slushy wet snow and rapidly encroaching darkness. As rallyists do, the teams pressed on, and all cars made it back to South Lyon with all of the parts they started with (we think).
In the end, Ron Johnstonbaugh and Greg Lester held onto their Equipped Class lead, adding only 8.1 points in Section 3 for a total of 30.2 across 64 controls, with Team Harkcom bringing home 2nd with 58.9.
Adam Spieszny and Piotr Roszczenko made it through the varying conditions with a 91.4 for the GPS Class win, with Alton Worthington and Tristan Koivisto holding onto second with 137.4.
Stock Class saw a close battle, with Bruce Blow and Megan Harlow taking the win with 248.7, only 19 points ahead of Kyle Ellsasser and Alyson Schwanitz.
Novice Class checkpoint scores kept decreasing as the day went on, showing off their quick learning on a challenging day. Paul Evans and Austin Votta brought it home with 583.6, a commanding lead over Sammy Louka and Nick Rennell with 789.6.
SoSD XXVI was undoubtedly one to remember, with the “perfect storm” arriving just in time to test everyone’s skills and cars! The Novice turnout was fantastic, and we hope to see everyone put their newly found rally skills to the test for the Ohio Winter Rally on February 3 and the Michigan Winter Rally on February 24!
