The rallymaster for the 2018 Shell Oktoberfest TSD Rally has a word of advice for novice rallyists: “I’m always a believer of staying on course. Try running at a comfortable pace, doing occasional calculations if you feel like it.”
In other words, don’t get lost—and if you’re new to the rally game, don’t worry too much about staying on time.
Rallymaster Bruce Gezon knows what he’s talking about; he ran his first rally in 1958, and followed that with dozens of SCCA National Rally Championship wins over the decades. He has also contested the Great Race, winning the grueling 1995 event in a 1916 Packard Twin Six. As an organizer, he served as rallymaster for countless SCCA National and Divisional Rallies, including 2016’s Targa Southland in Georgia.
Gezon ran the 1987 Great Race in a “Bonnie And Clyde” 1934 Ford.
Rallyists in the 2018 Shell Oktoberfest TSD Rally will again be vying for more than bragging rights; the winning teams in all three rally classes will receive Shell fuel cards in addition to their traditional trophies.
To give a hand up for rally acolytes, Oktoberfest organizers are posting rally information and tutorials on [the Oktoberfest] site well in advance of the Pittsburgh celebration. And Gezon has advice for interested navigators who’d like some help with those pesky calculations, too. “‘Tips For Novice TSD Rallyists’ was just released by Gary Starr in Road Rally eNews,” he says. “It might be worth considering as a primer for O’Fest.” (Check it out by clicking here.)
But even if the 2018 Shell Oktoberfest TSD Rally sees an increase in serious competitors, Gezon knows that the real values of the sport lie in the driving and exploration of new roads and scenery. “I’m a great fan of historical sites being referenced along the rally route and hope that the final course will allow a few of these,” he says. “I want Shell Oktoberfest Rally to be fun for everyone, with great scenery and something from the area to remember afterwards.”
Keep an eye out next week for a Q+A with Bruce to answer all of your questions about TSD Rallying!
—Satch Carlson
