I'm posting this to both groups in hopes of encouraging more Healey
participation next year. Four Healey club members participated, two in their
MGs, one as a Navigator, and Larry Wysocki who participated in his Healey.
We were supposed to have some Triumphs but they were no shows. We had one
Jaguar sedan with four participants. I wonder if they should have gotten
fewer points since they had two more sets of eyes which did not have to
drive or navigate. A total of 24 cars participated, some coming over 100
miles.
The Chicagoland MG Club sponsored the rally last Saturday, it is open to
everyone, and it is the event of the year. 224 miles of back roads without a
traffic light. The first leg was to take 4 hours, the second 3, with a
picnic for a break. Some folks came down from Madison for the picnic.
Route instructions were pictures of the intersections we were to turn on, no
words other than a road name, or some instructions such as FPR, for first
paved road when no sign was present to tell us the road name. The next
instruction could be a few feet, a few miles, or even 20 miles away. You had
to match the picture with the intersection. One problem is that there is no
place to ask for help if you get lost. I ended up over .....but I don't
think I want to tell. I was the first MGC in, but then again I was also the
last one in since I was the only C there.
There was an A route and a B route for the start so two cars could go off at
the same time. The first set of questions were Jeopardy answers and we were
to supply the questions. Tom also includes "bogus" questions which ask about
things which do not exist. Two points if you spot them, minus one if you
guess wrong, as usual, only correct answers are scored. One question was
"Where do smart Norwegians come from"?. My wife, being of Danish descent,
was sure it was a bogus question since to Danes there are no smart
Norwegians. We did find a school house with the saying, so it wasn't bogus.
Another funny one was the question about the number of balls on the top of a
fence. When we got there was a little boy with a sign that listed the number
of balls. Cars were pulling up, laughing and giving him a quarter for his
answer. The only problem was that he was giving everybody the wrong answer!
The scenery was beautiful, the day overcast at first then sunny. We started
in Illinois and ended up in Dodgeville, WI which is the home of a company
with a fortuitous name. There was an banquet Saturday night, and a group
trip to the House on the Rock.
An outstanding time was had by all. Hope you can participate next year. This
rally is a bear to prepare, and Tom Josefec and company, the organizers and
helpers should be commended. Tom has already begun to plan (scheme) next
years rally.
Jack
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