PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee held its 2024 Tour & Rally School on April 7 at the Valhalla Farm of Skip Conrey. Eighteen club members took part and brought 12 cars, slightly more than the turnout in 2023. Our instructors were longtime experts and veteran PCA members Steve G for gimmick rallies and Bob R for TSD rallies. As a Tour & Rally Committee co-chair, I served as the tour instructor.

The school, as usual, was designed for PCA members who want to learn about or bone up on gimmick and time-speed-distance (TSD) rallies, in preparation for the competitive rallies in this year’s Porsche Parade (PCA's national convention), as well as in our own region. It is also aimed at members who may be interested in learning to plan and create their own driving tours or in volunteering to be lead drivers.

The day began with breakfast at the party barn in Skip’s 90-acre farm in Marriottsville, MD. Then 50-minute classroom sessions on tours, gimmick rallies and TSD rallies followed. Lunch was at Facci Ristorante nearby.

A short TSD rally followed, starting and ending at Valhalla. It was the same rally created by Bob for last year’s Tour & TSD Rally School, based on a route that I had devised. The hourlong sample rally was meant to give the school attendees a chance to apply and reinforce their classroom learning. Participation in the rally was optional, but was encouraged. All attendees took part

Everyone appeared to have enjoyed the exercise. It was won by Hansel B and Carolyn B. Bill K and son Will came in second, while Rich and Kris T finished in third place.

Rich and Kris had previously won the 2019 “One-Lane-Bridge TSD Rally,” which was the sample event of that year’s TSD Rally School, conducted by Bob. As a navigator, Carolyn came in second in last year’s Chesapeake Challenge Gimmick Rally, with driver Jonathan S.

The TSD rally in last year’s Tour & Rally School was won by Steve and Marsha B. They did very well again this year. In fact, they would have won second-place honors had they been eligible for them – they were not because the TSD rally they had won in 2023 was identical to this year’s sample event. As repeat participants, they would have had a huge advantage. They kindly bowed out, but took part in the competition just for fun. The others were new to the rally and had to start from scratch.

Missing in the group photo, in addition to myself, were Steve G and George O, as well as Chad and Gabriella W. Unfortunately, all four had to leave early.

Our thanks go to Skip of Conrey Construction for his unfailing kindness and hospitality.

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