The Bronco Sport is Gunning for its 5th Gold
It’s hard to believe that this is going to be my 9th time competing in the Rebelle Rally and that I’ve been blessed enough to be able to compete in every Rally since the inaugural one in 2016. In just a few days, we will be headed to California with Ford’s beautiful new 2025 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch. This vehicle is a pre-production and one of the first ones to be released into the wild and I am so proud to be able to train in it and compete along with my co-driver and navigator Kathryn Reinhardt. I also can’t wait to share with you my impressions on what’s it’s like driving it, compared to previous models of Sport.
Kathryn and I will be competing in what’s known as the X-Cross class, which encompasses every vehicle WITHOUT a low range. Vehicles that have transfer cases or low range, like the Bronco Wildtrak and Bronco Raptor are in the 4x4 class. In its class, the Bronco Sport remains undefeated, having won with Shelby Hall & Penny Dale in 2020, in 2021 with Melissa Fischer (Clark) and Cora Jokinen, in 2022 with Melissa Clark & Chris Benzie, in 2023 with Melissa Clark & Jessica Moore, and is now going for its 5th class win next month. We continue to be Team 200, Built Wild, if you want to follow our progress.
I will also be providing an update on the 14 other Ford Performance teams and Ford privateers competing in the Rally soon. There are some remarkable teams this year so check back. There are approximately 10 vehicles in the X-Cross class and 50 or more teams in the 4x4 class.
What is the Rebelle Rally and Where is it?
For those of you unfamiliar with the format, the competition is based on the highest overall score in each class. Scoring is based on navigational accuracy, using map and compass navigation, along with enduros that use controls to score time, speed, and distance. Checkpoints have opening and closing times and there are several ways to get penalized on course, so strategy and resilience over the 8 days of competition determines who makes the podium. The course itself remains confidential and will be revealed day to day. We do know that Mammoth Lakes, California is where pre-tech and technical inspection will occur on October 9th & 10th. Immediately after passing tech, teams will be issued a roadbook that will give directions to the first basecamp which we know, based on a competitor update issued September 1st, is a 3- hour and 15-minute drive from the Mammoth Ski area. Once we arrive at the basecamp, we’ll lock up all phones and other prohibited items and receive our first paper maps. We will then set up our own camping gear, grab dinner that is prepared for us, and get to sleep.
A Typical Day in the Rebelle
Each morning of competition, we get our checkpoint guide around 5am and navigators will begin plotting the latitudes and longitudes on the map. There is a daily briefing at 6am and the first car goes off the line at 7:00am. Competitors must be in the car, ready to go at least 15 minutes before start time. If we are going to transit to another basecamp, we also must have all our gear safely stowed in the car. Most competition days average 10-11 hours and will end at a Basecamp or remote camping location (Marathon night). During the competition, you are looking for Green, Blue, and Black checkpoints. This is an example of a daily summary from the 2022 Rally, where you can see how we scored. The Black Checkpoints don’t have a physical marker, like a flag, so you are scored based on your distance in meters from the bull’s eye.
Fuel is provided at Basecamp or coordinates are provided to a fueling location. At the finish line, which this year will be near Johnson Valley OHV in California, the highest score in each class wins and will receive trophies and other prizes.
Following the Rally
The interesting part of this competition is that since the course is confidential, there are no spectators. In fact, friends or family trying to locate or contact a team can result in immediate disqualification or receiving an unscored status. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t follow the rally, there are a couple of ways to keep track.
Download the YBRaces App
Teams use Yellow Brick trackers to score at checkpoints and each vehicle also has a tracking device. With the app on your phone, you’re able to “see” where your favorite team, or all the teams are, as well as seeing the checkpoints that are marked with green circles, blue squares, or black x’s depending on the level of difficulty (think ski runs). When you open the app for the first time, you can search for Rebelle Rally 2024 and add it in to your races. As of this article, it has not been activated for 2024 yet, but if you want to see how the app works, you can add Rebelle Rally 2023 and get comfortable with it.
The Rebelle Rally Website Has the Most Information in One Place
If you have a desktop or laptop, you can easily view it all by heading to rebellerally.com/live. Here you can track the teams, see updated scoring, check the standings, as well as watch live broadcasts. You can also get notifications on the Rebelle Rally YouTube or Facebook Live page by subscribing. The Live pages will become active on Friday October 11th and will include coverage of Basecamp and what’s known as the Prologue Day or Day Zero. This day’s score is not counted but is used as a practice competition and way to determine start order. The coverage will continue until Saturday, October 19th with the awards ceremony and Rebellation Gala dinner. This really is an incredible event, and my hope is that you or someone dear to you, decides to compete in the future.
If you have any questions about the competition that I didn’t answer, please comment below.
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