Putting the “Distance” into TSD

It’s only natural that as they gain experience, rally crews will look for more of a challenge in the complexity of route instructions, the nature of the roads on the rally route and climate they compete in, and the distance they need to cover during an event.

There are any number of events on this mixed-up globe of ours to choose from which will satisfy those criteria. Peking to Paris, London to Lisbon, Le Jog – any of these classic endurance rallies will scratch the itch for those crews with deep pockets. On this side of the pond, the Great American Mountain Rally Revival, Alcan 5000 (winter or summer) and the Press On Regardless (POR) are fine examples of overnight, relatively long-distance events. But what if you don’t want to cross an international border?

The Maple Leaf Rally Club in Ontario and Club Autosport La Licorne in Quebec have you covered with the Polar Bear Rally and La Grosse Ride respectively.

The Polar Bear Rally’s approximately 380 km covers some of the same roads as the Rally of the Tall Pines in the Bancroft, ON area. Crews can choose to do the Bear Cub Rally, which is basically the first 200 km of the Polar Bear. La Grosse Ride starts in Ste. Agathe des Monts and weaves along the byways of the Laurentians, ending in Montpellier some 425 km later. Both rallies start in the dark, take place in the dead of winter in arguably the snowiest parts of the country, feature brisk average speeds and test the endurance of both the crews and their vehicles.

Entry fees for either rally are quite reasonable ($100.00 – $110.00), which includes a breakfast at the end of the event.

There are some specific equipment requirements and/or recommendations for these rallies (snow tires, safety triangles, tow rope, auxiliary lighting, etc.) so make sure to read the Supplementary Regulations for each event if you’re interested in competing.

The Polar Bear Rally takes place on February 14-15, while La Grosse Ride occupies the February 21 – 22 timeslot. This of course means the rallies are one week apart, in case you’re interested in doing them both while you’re in that part of the country. I mean, the start controls are only about 420 km apart…

Just make sure you’re back here for the New Scotland Coastal Road Rally on April 19!