Rebelle Rally 2023 Field Updates

Laura

Oct 16, 2023

The 2023 Rebelle Rally is underway, and @Melissa Clark and the others are doing a great job! See daily field updates that Rebelle Rally sends out here.

TECH INSPECTION
October 12, 2023
Mammoth Lakes, CA

Today the largest field the Rebelle Rally has ever seen kicked off with a record 65 teams arriving in Mammoth Lakes for the official start of the eighth edition of the Rally. For the first time, Rebelle Rally Tech Inspection was held up on the side of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area giving competitors stunning views of the Minaret Range in the California Sierras.

Kicking off the event was Pre-Tech and Tech Inspection, where teams made their way through the individual stations. They had their navigation disabled, stickers applied and received all the maps they will use over the next eight days of competition. Teams will cover 2,120 kilometers traversing some of the most iconic off-road terrain in the American West. The field of 130 women hail from 100 different cities, 27 states and provinces and three countries.

The two tech inspection days are an important part of the Rally as it is the first stop before the competition officially kicks off. This is where the competitor's third teammate, their vehicle, is inspected and cleared for competition within the confines of the rule book guidelines. After completing all of the inspection stations, teams took off to the first base camp. BC1 is nestled in the valley outside of Bishop, CA. Teams regrouped tonight with a welcome dinner celebrating the kickoff and are preparing themselves for the Prologue that starts tomorrow morning.

~~2021 Oxford White 2-door non-Sas Mid package 2.7L/10-speed Badlands with MIC top~~
2021 Carbonized Gray 2-door Sas High package 2.7L/10-speed Badlands with MIC top
Keeping the Jeeps: ~~stock '89 XJ and~~ 3.5" lifted '00 XJ on 31s and '89 MJ

Darrel, MarkB

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Oct 21, 2023

#40

Thanks, @BuckYeah, just passing along what I've been getting!

There's some pictures in Day 7's batch that I wanted to highlight -- the Mach-E Rally and especially the Jeep being pushed. With the Mach-E, you see Laura and Maria's Raptor in the background, and with the Jeep, another team helping to get it moving. This is something that's part of the ethos of the Rebelle --- other teams making sure teams are ok and volunteering to help each other out, despite it slowing them down or being direct competitors.

Melissa regularly trains other teams to compete alongside her as well, and I love that camaraderie the women of Rebelle have. Manufacturers use the Rebelle as a chance to learn and develop products further (Ford also uses King of the Hammers, NORRA Mexican 1000 to improve the non-SAS Badlands and 3.0 Wildtrak, and more). While you know the manufacturers want to see their vehicles do well, teams helping teams usually seems to come first.

We also get to see that in a non-competition setting in the Bronco/off-roading world, and that's why we at BN love being a part of the community so much. It may be a vehicle or hobby that brings us together, but the people are why we keep going back.

Once again, way to go, ladies!

Deano Bronc, Jakob1972

Oct 21, 2023

#41

Great team work! You all should be proud of your accomplishments. It’s very inspiring. Awesome ambassadors one and all. 👏🏻🏆

Chris here. I drive a 2-door Velocity Blue 2023 Ford Bronco Badlands with Sasquatch, Lux, a 2.7L V6, and an automatic transmission. It’s fun.

Deano Bronc, Jakob1972

Oct 22, 2023

#42

Thanks for all the great write ups Laura, and thanks for posting all the pics. I especially liked all the late evening pics of the women in front of their Broncos. What a cool looking, tough, tired and wonderful bunch! Wouldn't it be fun sitting by a campfire and hearing their stories? Or at least, I'm hoping for some great articles from them in Bronco Nation. They all make me more proud to be riding around in my Bronco (wishing I could do half of what they can do).

Congratulations to everyone who competed and a special congratulations to Melissa and Jessica. There is probably no greater pressure in sports than having everyone gunning for you and yet they pulled it off. I would also like to make a prediction that when (if!) they do get beat, it will likely be from someone they helped in someway get in the sport. Pretty damn classy!

Deano Bronc, BuckYeah

Oct 24, 2023

#43

Jakob1972
This is too cool. that is a Bunch of Bad@ss women there.
Good to see the Warpony Bronco in a bunch of pictures.

Amanda and Jackie did great. Tough year to be a rookie, this course was brutal......

Deano Bronc, TK1215

Oct 24, 2023

#44

Laura
Team 188, Laura Wanlass and Maria Guitar, have finished in 3rd place with their '22 Raptor (the 1st time a 6th Gen has reached podium).
Team 200, @Melissa Clark and Jessica Moore (Hollywood), have finished in 1st with the '22 Bronco Sport, keeping the Sport as the top vehicle for the 4th year in a row.

From this year's reports and pictures, they ran a tough course. The stories coming from the rally have me excited to hear more from Melissa's point of view!

Congrats @Melissa Clark !

Hi y'all, Lauri here and I am the proud owner of a MY21 Badlands, SAS, 2.7 auto, 4 door, soft top, Cactus Gray, no reservation, ordered 9/11/21, Took delivery 1/8/22!

Deano Bronc, TK1215

Oct 24, 2023

#45

BD27A51
Thanks for all the great write ups Laura, and thanks for posting all the pics. I especially liked all the late evening pics of the women in front of their Broncos. What a cool looking, tough, tired and wonderful bunch! Wouldn't it be fun sitting by a campfire and hearing their stories? Or at least, I'm hoping for some great articles from them in Bronco Nation. They all make me more proud to be riding around in my Bronco (wishing I could do half of what they can do).

Congratulations to everyone who competed and a special congratulations to Melissa and Jessica. There is probably no greater pressure in sports than having everyone gunning for you and yet they pulled it off. I would also like to make a prediction that when (if!) they do get beat, it will likely be from someone they helped in someway get in the sport. Pretty damn classy!

Thanks for the kind words and I hope they (eventually) come true. Although I will fight tooth and nail to hold on to the Bronco Sport winning legacy, I expect each year to get beat and it is a possibility that someone I train will do it. What a great compliment after all, student beats teacher. This was year #8 and the hardest one yet.

Deano Bronc, Broncofly

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