GAMRR 2021 – SEPTEMBER 13TH, 14TH, 15TH – STOWE VERMONT
We hope you can join us for the Great American Mountain Rally Revival (GAMRR), with three fantastic days of rallying in beautiful Stowe, Vermont, at our host inn, the Trapp Family Lodge.
John Buffum, a multi-time USA Rally Champion and a past European event Rally Champion, has agreed to be the Clerk of the Course for GAMRR. John was available last year to perform the Recce with my input during the closure of the State of Vermont to out of staters since he lives just north of Burlington. His extensive knowledge of “great” rally roads was instrumental in putting together a fantastic route. John’s vast experience in Stage and Regularity rallies will cement GAMRR as one of the premier Regularity rallies in North America.
GAMRR is a Hybrid rally incorporating a “Tour” with a Regularity Rally. There will be a course to follow through northern Vermont utilizing Tulip-style instructions and a short map reading section. Monday’s ‘Prologue’ rally is a short run north of Stowe to get everyone familiar with the route instructions and the timing; a short “school” will precede the route. Tuesday’s rally follows the 1955 route over Smuggler’s Notch to the Canadian border and then heads south through the chain of islands and along Lake Champlain’s shores before its return to Stowe. Wednesday’s rally swings to the south, again following a route from the 50’s – this time from 1956. You’ll encounter four mountain passes during its clockwise loop.
GAMRR is similar to the Monte Carlo Historique, which has 300+ cars driving around southern France over five days; many ‘cool’ cars with drivers who want to enjoy the idea that they are in a competition, even though they may not be overly concerned with winning. Many have service crews and meet up with friends or other competitors along the way; we assume no one will be bringing their service crews to GAMRR! Last year Hagerty provided a free weekend of towing for entrants, and we hope to secure them again this year.
A true TSD (Time Speed Distance Rally) utilizes checkpoints (controls) throughout the entire route and requires you to “stay on time, all the time.” It is not our intention to create a rigid “structure” like a TSD; we feel you should be able to adjust your speed faster or slower as you want, provided you are not in the Regularity (timed) section. You can even make a couple of short stops along the way – but there is a general schedule throughout the day that you need to follow (it is a rally, after all). GAMRR will allow you to interact with other entrants during the day’s competition and afterward to share stories at the bar.
There are several sections throughout each day where you have to roll up your sleeves and try to stay precisely on time; these are the Regularities’ Timed Sections. In these sections, we will be employing a modern system of GPS timing, eliminating the need for control workers. The timing system also enables us to have as few or as many controls as we see fit. Timing performed via an automated system will allow a timelier reporting of daily scores.
We do, however, want to maintain the flavor of the original rally, and thus, we will be limiting the technology that contestants can use. In theory, if the technology did not exist in the 1950s or early 1960s, it is not allowed (with a few exceptions) for GAMRR.
As we enter the third year of this revival rally (after our break from Covid last year), we are incorporating “lessons learned” during the first two years.
We remain dedicated to keeping this event in the spirit of the original events of the ’50s with just a touch of modern-day conveniences.
We are certain you will enjoy it! Registration opens May 11th on Hagerty Motorsportreg, so click here for more information and to register your team today! We will be posting updates and answers to queries on the Registration site.
Watch for additional information on our Facebook Page under the Events tab at https://www.facebook.com/historicrallyrevival/ or email me at GamrrRally@gmail.com
Gary J. Hamilton, Rally Event Chairman
