HELLO!
My name is Greg Clower, I live in Roanoke Virginia. I grew up during the “muscle car” era, but always had an affinity for the sports car, in particular the British sports car. When I got married in 1976 all I had to my name was a 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mark III and 600 dollars in the bank and a Marantz stereo system. . I still have the wife and the Spit! She is in many pieces waiting to come alive again sometime in the future. (The Spit that is) I now have a 69 and a 76 MGB. I must admit the 76 is the better of two. The 69 is a bit ratty.
I never joined a “sports car club” in the past. My career as an engineering officer in the Merchant Marine took me to sea for many months at a time. I just never got around to it.
I do have friends who were in the “clubs” back in the day. The big one here in Roanoke was called Old Dominion Sports Car Club. They did some auto cross and rally’s that involved time, speed and distance. They also did the occasional “fun rally” which was just to get you to the party so to speak.
The idea for this rally came to me about 3 years ago. I visited a business near Boones Mill VA. This business is way off the beaten path. After I had completed my “work”, I took off on the back roads and was sort of just driving and went up a mountain and came out on Route 221 south of Floyd VA. As I was driving (in my van) I kept telling myself I should be in the MG as it was a gorgeous day the roads are curvy and I could be getting in some shift time. Well, within a few weeks I had a request to visit this same business and this time I did drive the MG. As I drove around these back roads an idea slowly came to me, RALLY!!! A fun rally, a clue based rally. I started the research, ordered some VDOT maps, and then I took summer weekends and early fall to drive, write clues, drive, write some more clues and spent mucho money on gas. I decided to hold this rally in Floyd and Floyd County VA. Floyd is about an hour south of Roanoke and is a neat little town with lots of “stuff” going on during weekends. There are a couple of wineries and the Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby. I hoped to pull participants not just out of Roanoke but Danville, Martinsville and North Carolina. The are well with in driving distance.
The name came from the Blue Ridge Mountains of course. The artwork is modified from a vodka bottle. The rally is not just for sports cars. If you would like to enter a school bus or a dump truck you are welcome. Now I do not want to dis the car shows. I enjoy a car show as much as the next guy. But if you are sort of tired with sitting and telling the same stories looking at the same cars and want to drive a little with your favorite person, this just may be the ticket for you.
In the heading it says Second Annual. The first rally was last year (2010) and we had 4 vehicles show. A van, pick up, an MGB, and a Toyota. Of course these are my friends who supported me as well as becoming infected with my enthusiasm. I also learned to market it a little better than last year. I have dropped the price to make it a little more attractive and plus some proceeds will go to a local charity that needs help. You may ask why October? Well it is after Labor Day, school is back in, vacations are over, it is not blazing hot, I am not competing with the Shenandoah car show in Waynesboro or Mayberry Days in NC. (I ran into that last year) and hopefully the weather will hold nice.
So…..I invite you to join us October 8th, 2011 for the Second Annual Blue Ridge Sports Car Rally. We will try to make our own party afterwards.
I have real wall hanging plaques for both Drivers and Navigators who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd plus some other goodies to give away.
If you would like to be a Sponsor its easy $20.00 will get your name, business, in memory of or project announced and printed were it needs to be.
Have a great day and hope to see and meet you at the Rally.
Greg
