NNJR Rally Chairman - Wendell Newsome

See below for more details

What is Road Rally?

Two people (a driver and a navigator) in ordinary cars make up a rally team.

A RoadRally is traversed over public roads within the legal speed limit. The challenge is to drive on time, arriving at points along the route neither early nor late (it's NOT a race). Each team needs a simple watch which can be synchronized to match official time, as well as something to write on and with. Interior lighting (map lights, a flashlight, etc) is also a good idea for night rallies.

After receiving and browsing the route book, cars start at one minute intervals. The first section, a short 10-15 mile route, is called the "Odometer Calibration Zone," and is used to calibrate the rally car's odometer to the official mileage used to measure the course by the rallymaster. After this section, the competition really begins, as you must follow the course using the instructions in the route book, as well as the general instructions that govern the rally. Meanwhile, you must also stay on time, based on the average speeds given in the instructions at various points through the routes.

At various points, unknown to the competitors, timing controls (checkpoints) will be encountered. Since the rallymaster knows the exact distance and speeds you should have traveled to reach the checkpoint, the "perfect time" of arrival can be calculated. You are timed at the moment you reach the control, and will receive penalty points for arriving either early OR late. You are then given information about the last leg, as well as a time to start the next leg, and a clean start to challenge the clock. This is a contest of precision, not a race, and each leg is scored separately. If you are early or late at one control, you cannot make up for it by being late or early at the next. At the conclusion, scores for all legs are totaled, and the lowest score wins (just like golf). Sound easy? Well, just as in golf, it takes practice to get very good scores.

Regardless of how well you score, rallying is a lot of fun if you like to spend time in your car, see some scenery and spend time with congenial people. Rallies usually end at a location where munchies and beverages are available. You can join the rest of the crowd in discussing how the event went and how you did, while waiting for the final scores to be calculated and trophies to be awarded.

Come join the fun!!!!

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Check out this fine page to learn more as well.

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NNJR 2008 Rally Schedule

May Daze 

Sunday afternoon ~ May 18

A short (60-80 mile) and simple Time Speed Distance rally.  Mileage will be provided to each route instruction and a short Novice School will preceded the event. Official time (Key Times) will be included with the several route instructions per leg in order to keep everyone on-time and to limit the required “math” to get a good score.  The event will be designed for the Novice and beginners. 

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The New Jersey Mini Monte

Sunday afternoon ~ August 24

A short (60-80 mile) Time Speed Distance map rally.  The NJ Monte has been a tradition since the early 60’s, and in 1990’s it was on the National Course Rally schedule.  This event is on the SCCA Mid-Atlantic Road Rally schedule.  In this rally each team is provided with a map with the route ‘drawn out’, all you have to do is follow the route shown on the map, at or below posted speed limits and drive past the dozen or so checkpoints/controls on time and in the right direction.  Not as easy as it sounds.  But how can you get lost …we even give you a map. 

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The Pine Barrens Express

Saturday afternoon/evening ~ November 22

A medium length (120-140 mile) Time Speed Distance rally using the sand trails/roads of southern New Jersey.   This event is on the SCCA NEDIV and Mid-Atlantic Road Rally schedule and will be counted as part of the National Touring series points total.  While this event will have mileage to every turn and “Tulip” instructions, due to the type of roads and lack of hard referenced signage and landmarks this event by it’s nature is not for first time ralliest. But if you want to have fun after dark…this may be an event for you. Last year this event drew 60 teams from throughout the northeastern United States.

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Teddy Bear Rally

Sunday afternoon ~ December 7

A short (60-80 mile) fun-gimmick rally using photo clues and simple route following tricks/traps.  This event is not a Time Speed Distance rally but contestant’s score are based on the total number of miles that they drive ‘off-course’.  The entry fee for this rally is a stuffed “Teddy Bear” which is donated to the United Stated Marine Corp Toy for Tots annual charity drive.

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Rally friends of NNJR

Raritan Valley Sports Car Club
c/o Marc Lees, 500 Auten Road 4A, Somerville, NJ 08876-5056
(908) 281-7846

The Motorsport Club of North Jersey

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The World Famous

Toys for Tots

Teddy Bear Rally

The Northern New Jersey Region (NNJR) of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) holds a number of road rally's per year. A favorite rally is the Teddy Bear Rally held the 1^st Sunday of December for the last fourteen years.  This is put on with help from the United States Marines and the Motorsport Club of North Jersey.  The entry fee is a Teddy Bear and we always have a lot of fun. Come on out and join the fun of challenging yourself and your partner. This is a short fun, lightly trapped non-Time-Speed-Distance event about 60 miles longs.  Scores are determined by the teams ability to stay on-course.  100 points penalty points are awarded for each mile over or under the official route.  As in past years, the rally will award trophies generously. In addition to first, second in Expert, Intermediate and Novice Classes, there will be awards for Best First Timer, Best Saturn, Best Family, Best Husband & Wife, and Dead Last but Finished.  For more information please contact Peter Schneider at 908-876-4597 or see the event flyer link listed above.

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"Toys for Tots" - A Short History

59 years of making holiday magic

Since its inception 59 years ago, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has distributed more than 313 million toys to 151 million children. In addition, the   Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has supplemented the collection of local campaigns over a 14-year life, providing more than 47.4 million toys valued at $243 million, plus promotion and support materials valued at $2.5 million.

Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The idea came from Bill’s wife, Diane.  In the fall of 1947, Diane handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and asked Bill to deliver the doll to an organization, which would give it to a needy child at Christmas. When Bill determined that no agency existed, Diane told Bill that he should start one. He did.

The 1947 campaign was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign. That year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for Tots campaigns in each community in which a Marine Reserve Center was located.

Marines have conducted successful nationwide campaigns at Christmas each year since 1948. The initial objective that remains the hallmark of the program today is to “bring the joy of Christmas to America’s needy children”.

Bill Hendricks, a Marine Reservists on weekends, was, in civilian life, the director of public relations for Warner Brothers Studio. This enabled him to convince a vast array of celebrities to support Toys for Tots. In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo, which the organization still uses today. Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program.

Celebrities to help support the program over the years include Nat “King” Cole, Peggy Lee, Vic Damone, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more.

The 2003 Toys for Tots campaign was the most successful campaign in the 56-year history of the program. Marines distributed 15 million toys to 6.5 million needy children. Local campaigns were conducted in 456 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the most extensive coverage ever.

For more information for Toys for Tots, visit www.toysfortots.org.

Lets make this year even bigger year!!!!!

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Check out the NESCCA Rally page for more information.

Contact for Rally Event Information

Wendell W. Newsome, Jr.