Press On Regardless has a new competitor. Deep in the Northwoods of Minnesota, stage rally organizers put together an event that captures the spirit of old-school rallying. Like a Nurburgring in the forest, we call it Green Heck.
My dad and I started organizing the Headwaters Regional Rally and Ojibwe Forests Rally with the American Rally Association (ARA) in 2023. While checking the roads, I could not get over the fact that we did not have a TSD rally on them. At Ojibwe Forest Rally (OFR), Lake Superior Performance Rally, and Press On Regardless, I had been eagerly listening to stories about the bad old days when rallies ran all night, with brisk speeds and what we now consider vintage cars. The mental image was intoxicating. So, as a TSD organizer with only one rally under my belt at the time, I began work on a rally that could bring back some of the raw excitement of the years gone by.
I referenced old roadbooks, maps, and even oral history. My dad and I spent a day scouting backroads every time we were up in the Park Rapids area for stage rally purposes. Over a year, I ended up with a pretty awesome roadbook using incredible OFR roads that once saw action from John Buffum and his Audi Sport Quattro, among many roads used in ARA today. I actually had to get a recce exemption from ARA so several local stage rally teams would not run afoul of their racing regulations.
Ten rally cars spanning five decades lined up at Super 8 in Park Rapids by 23:30 on the day after the Summer Solstice. But even before CZT (Car Zero Time), the drama began! Our zero car, a 1985 Toyota Celica Supra, was securely locked in the parking lot. Inside were the keys needed to unlock it. With our zero car driver rejecting my purpose-built Rally Brick (not the Volvo kind), Chairman Mark Larson and I left in his Kia Sportage to intercept competitors at the start of SR1, Two Inlets Truck Trail.
We had a hiccup with several devices running Rabbit Rally, which had been set to the wrong day. CZT on SR1 was 00:00, the stroke of midnight, but the last car left in a cloud of mosquitos about 20 minutes late because of the confusion. Everyone had a great time trying to keep up 36mph on the incredibly twisty first stage, and by the start of SR2 Elbow Lake, things were running smoothly. With 13 stages to go, they were just getting started!
The zero car benefitted from a Rally Locksmith and buzzed straight up to clear SR3 Height Of Land. Since we started next to a hard-to-see gate, zero put up an old ProRally start line sign for clarity. Because road signs and landmarks can be few and far between in the forest, we ended up using three of these throughout the rally. Competitors encouraged us to use more signs next time.
The chill pace of Elbow Lake Rd gave way to an intense dash through the forest as the nearly thirteen-mile-long SR3 Height Of Land dove into the racing roads used in the upcoming Ojibwe Forests Rally. Height Of Land famously traverses a scenic “land bridge” through Shuckhart Lake, but it’s doubtful that competitors enjoyed the full moon’s reflections over the wild rice-laden water. After an optional stop at a historic site, the cars’ driving lights made shadows dance on SR4, a phenomenal two-track so twisty its 33 MPH CAST felt like warp speed to some teams!
Mark and I took the highway up to Long Lake Campground to intercept competitors as they finished SR5. Since the campground staff allowed us to use their indoor restrooms while passing by, we agreed to ensure rally cars were neither seen nor heard. The Donovans made use of the optional break to fix a cooling issue in their Outback. At the same time, the Nemitzes and Setzepfandts admitted their GTI and Mini Cooper S were, unfortunately, a bit too low for comfort, even with the ample cautions given out at the competitor meeting. Understandable: the roads went from the best condition I’ve seen two weeks before the event to the worst! The spring rains had hit the area hard.
The teams pressed on through Anchor Mattson and continued into the darkest part of the short solstice night. The deceptively twisty Halverson FR is one of my favorites on the route, but the recent washouts effectively formed full-width speed bumps to the point of Halverson being arguably the worst road in the rally. At 36mph, stage rally teams proved quite comfortable handling the conditions regardless, but several teams still used TAs. The midpoint regroup break gave teams up to 45 minutes to catch up, refuel, and visit with each other.
Car 0 had run dangerously low on fuel before SR9, but they were able to limp into the regroup break with just enough time to fill up before CZT. Unfortunately, Nemitz/Nemitz, who had planned to compete in a Mazda 323 GTX, had to head home early for personal reasons. Despite the road conditions and a minor coolant hose issue with the Mini, Setzepfandts were having a great time at their very first rally. They would go on to compete in Press On Regardlessjust a couple of months later, with their Green Heck sticker on the window!
The skies were still visibly dark when the first car departed the break at 0416, but they didn’t stay dark for long. Teams began the last section of the rally with a relatively relaxing stage to connect to another classic race road, Steamboat! A tricky balance of short, rougher patches redeemed with sublime roller coaster-like sections, SR12 included an extended Free Zone with accompanying lowered CAST to ensure everyone could traverse the rocky section safely. As the sky showed hints of dawn, some competitors found a second wind just in time to keep their minds focused on the road ahead.
The transit to SR13 was a welcome one for some teams. One downside of a rally run in the remote forest outside regular business hours is the lack of restroom facilities. One location I planned on using had closed permanently, so we ended up with only two formal restroom opportunities for those who needed them. Rabbit’s location tracking confirmed that a couple of teams did take advantage of this second optional restroom break, so I’m glad I added the short detour into the roadbook.
Teams took advantage of an emergency Free Zone on an exceptionally greasy Kabekona FR and carried on through Ojibwe Forests Rally’s famous “yump” intersection. The roadbook had them turn left instead of watching their altimeters. Considering the creeping early morning daylight, that was probably for the best. The competition section of Green Heck finished off with a tiny 1.079-mile-long gem of a road on the way to MN Hwy 34, and off everyone went back to Park Rapids.
We were surprised to find the local diner, which was, by all accounts, supposed to open at 6 a.m. Sunday, actually opened at 7 a.m. A lively discussion ensued in the parking lot before we were able to head inside and fill our bellies.
The rally was a bit of a gamble on my part, but I am very pleased to call it a success. Four out of ten teams turned around to compete in the Ojibwe Forests Rally two months later. I say, “What is good for rally is good for rally,” and I hope to improve and expand this event in the future to bring the greater rally community closer together and help more people discover these amazing roads.
Tyler Linner, Chairman, Green Heck Gravel Rally, Land O Lakes Region SCCA
The Final Results can be found at https://bit.ly/GreenHeck24, where you can view the scores for the various stages. View the Green Heck Gravel Rally, should you like to see how stage rally organizers transfer their skills to road rally:
