TSD rallymaster Tim Beechuk calls it Rally Day. “We finally have a chance to spend time with the novices,” he says. “On Thursday at O’Fest Forever, we’ll start from the beginning, explaining rally basics for novices. Then we’ll come back with a question-and-answer format featuring experienced rallyists to explain some of the finer points—or clear up any remaining questions from the first session.”
Beechuk notes that TSD rallying is entering a new era with the advent of smartphone apps. “You no longer need to own a thousand-dollar rally computer in order to compete in the A [computer-equipped] class,” he says. Indeed, at the Shell TSD Rally during Oktoberfest 2019 in Greenville, brothers Dominic and Mark Germana placed third in Class A using a smartphone app. That’s just one of the topics that will surely come up on Rally Day.
A rally computer makes things easy for the driver—at least in theory.
Rallyists and would-be rallyists are looking forward to O’Fest Forever, presented by Michelin, as a departure from the traditional BMW CCA Oktoberfest traditions. It allows a more leisurely approach to playing with cars, and a focus on rallying allows more time to let novice rallyists get familiar with the concepts. “After all,” says Beechuk, “for many members, the O’Fest rally is the only TSD rally they run all year. We have plenty of people running their very first rally at these events—and this year we have a chance to give them some pointers before sending them out.”
Any BMW, new or vintage, makes a great TSD rally car.
The schedule for Thursday’s Hagerty TSD Rally activities includes:
- 10:00 a.m.–10:50 a.m.: “What’s a rally?”—The ABCs of TSD
- 11:00 a.m.–noon: Rally Seminar—Q&A with experienced TSD rallyists
- Noon–1:30 p.m.: Lunch break
- 1:30 p.m.: First car starts Hagerty O’Fest Forever TSD Rally
Some rallies, like the Silver State Classic, are simple and fast. No, the Hagerty O’Fest Forever TSD Rally will not ask you to average 115 mph for 90 miles!
Of course, whether it’s your first rally or your hundredth, the fun doesn’t end with the rally itself. “The best part of any TSD rally,” says Beechuk, “is the storytelling that goes on in the bar afterwards!”—Satch Carlson