Dustball Rally 1500: The Experience

First off, I think a quick description of the Dustball Rally event is in order. The 2010 Dustball Rally, in its fifth iteration, is a 1500 mile event. The 1500 miles are covered over three days…two 750 mile driving days with a party rest day in the middle. A great part of Dustball is it being a gimmick rally. A gimmick rally is basically a road rally where the object is to find answers to clues, which sometimes even direct you along the appropriate route. The gimmick portion, while being a lot of fun, serves a bit to keep the speeds in check. To describe the Dustball Rally best, it is a cross between the Cannonball Run movie and a scavenger hunt.

Some more background might be in order too. A little over a year ago, I had never heard of the Dustball Rally. I helped a friend, of Team Hall & Nass fame, apply the Dustball decals to their Corvette prior to the rally. That day I was hooked. His experience last year brought about the genius idea of purposely running in a pack of cars this year, all with a method to communicate while on the road. So that’s what we did. Team Hall & Nass labeled us the Hamthrax Avoidance Alliance. Our mascot…Pirate Pig.

Dustball Rally: A preview

Just to give you a taste of what is to come over the next few days. Make sure to follow along at http://www.twitter.com/apexphantom.

Dustball is near!

It’s just a little over a week away, and I’m really getting excited. Stay tuned here and especially at www.twitter.com/trentor_drive for updates on the Dustball Rally 1500. However, during the rally itself, we’ll be live-tweeting the entire event on the team account, www.twitter.com/ApexPhantom.

Stay tuned!

Don’t go far, as there are some great things in store for Reflections of the Drive. Check back over the next few weeks for new car reviews and photography from across the globe!

NASCAR Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

While visiting the Chevy Experience at the Texas State Fair in September, my wife and I were fortunate enough to win tickets to the NASCAR Dickies 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway. While I’ve never been a big NASCAR fan, a legitimate car guy should be excited about free tickets to any race. I was very excited. Part of the package included tickets to the Chevrolet Hospitality Chalet in the Village of Champions as well as a pit tour. Sweet!

I must say, the NASCAR experience is a unique one. I’ve been to both IRL and Grand-Am races at Texas Motor Speedway, and neither will prepare you for the seriousness of NASCAR fans. The people-watching there is world-class. I’d highly recommend attending a NASCAR race to any gear head/auto fanatic. After all, it’s a race, and it’s a lot more fun to watch in person than on TV. What makes it even better is having a scanner. You can rent one there for $30 or so, or if you have your own, $5-$10 will get yours re-programmed with all the driver/crew chief frequencies. It’s a blast to hear the driver and crew chief discuss track conditions, engine performance, and car dynamics. This is an absolute MUST HAVE for any NASCAR race.

Check out my race day gallery and comments by clicking on a photo.

Thanks again to General Motors for the tickets! We had a great time!