14th Annual Moonshine Rally May 31, 2014

[mdrburchette]

Moonshine Rally- Family Car Fun Ride

14th Annual Appalachian Moonshine Run
Saturday, May 31, 2014

Official Press Release-MOONSHINE RALLY
"CALLING ALL CARS"
14th Annual MOONSHINE RALLY, 2014
Saturday, May 31st, 2014
Downtown Elkin North Carolina
Car Line-up Starts at 9 AM
$20 Tax-Deductible Entrance Fee,
100% of the registration fee and any additional donations will go directly to
The DSP Lupus Research Memorial Fund
Mandatory Drivers Meeting 10:30 AM
First Car out 11:00 AM

Way back in the 1920’s, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, you could hear the thunderous roar of those feeling the need for speed, and racing their good ole stock cars on the back roads. Running the mostly unpaved twists and turns with hundreds of horsepower under your hood, if you made it to your destination without dropping off a mountainside or getting a flat tire, you were lucky. But if your vehicle was full of liquid gold, known as White Lightning or Moonshine, it meant you were going to get some money in your pockets! Outrunning the “coppers” seeing those flashing lights behind them, I’d bet my bottom dollar that those White Lightning runners probably put the pedal to the metal on the moonlit back roads. No offense to our lady drivers (I am one myself), but I have never heard of a woman running Moonshine back in those days. However, maybe the ladies were never caught! If you know of a female bootlegger, let me know!

Most Southerners and stock car racers will swear that running Moonshine was the birth of NASCAR. No matter what, these thrill-seeking drivers, or liquor outlaws as I’ll call them, were famous for running White Lightning from the makers to the thirsty buyers. Most of these drivers were not of legal driving age, much less old enough to drink. Being pulled over could mean confiscation of your precious home brew, no money in your pocket, jail time and the law breathing down your neck all the time, waiting for that one wrong move to bust a bootlegger. Hauling liquor in those days was a very serious crime, and law enforcement prided themselves in catching these White Lightning runners. After all, this was during Prohibition. Although, rumor has it, cops were some of the best customers.

Join us on Saturday, May 31, 2014 and you will have the opportunity to run on some of the same roads and routes bootleggers ran way back when. The Triad Austin Healey Club and Rally Master Jon Saylor will host the 14th Annual Moonshine Rally in beautiful, revived downtown Elkin North Carolina. Jon has a passion for cars, and is the proud owner of several beauties of metal nature. He loves to run his Austin-Healeys on the back roads and breathtaking scenic highways. Jon said, "When I slide into #7, I feel like a teenager again, and drive like one too!"

Beautiful and not-so-beautiful cars of all makes and models begin lining up earlier than 9 AM on Main Street in Downtown Elkin. Registration is on-going. The mandatory drivers' meeting is held promptly at 10:30 AM, and the first car out will be at 11:00 AM. Jon has laid out an approximately 90 mile course from the center of Elkin to a surprise destination. The journey will take 2 to 3 hours to complete. This is NOT a speed race (legal speed limits enforced and encouraged), but a TSD (time-speed-distance) rally - unlike the old White Lightning runners, speed in delivering your golden liquid is not a priority. This event is all about leaving the starting line, your navigator directing you to the check-in point, monitoring your speed, taking the not-required breaks, and finishing as a winner. This course is run on local roads and follows all laws, including legal speed limits. Law enforcement will generously assist at the starting line and will be present throughout the event.

Rally Master Jon Saylor uses his vast driving experience and knowledge of the area when laying out the course, including elevation changes and tight turns in the mountainous terrain. Participants are not provided course directions until they are at the starting line, so make sure your navigator is attentive. Don't be surprised if Jon throws you a curve - he has been known to have multiple routes. It is the driver and navigator’s goal and duty to reach the end point in the correct time, with a one-second penalty for each second of late arrival but a two-second penalty for early arrival. Taking breaks, reading directions, and following CAST are critical to your victory! The destination is unknown to all participants.

In the past, destinations have included North Carolina wineries and private residences. A meal will be available for purchase, along with the company of fellow drivers and their stories.

Last year's rally had 119 cars, and this year we are looking to reach at least 150. The bigger the event, the more money we are able to raise to find a cure for Lupus.

The DSP Lupus Research Memorial Fund was established by Betty and Bill Scales in memory of their daughter Diane Scales Pulliam who died in 2000 due to complications resulting from lupus. With a small volunteer fundraising committee, they have raised over $87,000.00 hosting several types of fundraisers from 2000-2013. In 2010, the DSP fundraising committee were presented with and jumped at the opportunity to team up with Jon, The Triad Austin Healey Club and The Appalachian Moonshine Rally. The Lupus Foundation of America oversees many requests for funding each year, and determines who receives the research money. Both Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center have benefited from this event.

WHEN: Saturday, May 31, 2014.
WHERE: Downtown Elkin, North Carolina
FEES: $20 Tax Deductible Fee

GREAT PRIZES AND FAME -If you are the winner, of course!

ALL CARS WELCOME - Bring your Miata, BMW, Volkswagen, family van, Formula One car, Viper or Caddy. If it runs, bring it on!

Finish line - Somewhere FANTASTIC! I bet it will be a winery.

[FiatMac]

If you missed this you missed a fun event. Thanks for the info Denise! Good to see you there.

Over 170 cars completed the rally. I think I counted 5 or 6 Spiders and at least 1 Abarth 500. There may have been more there. I am not very good at remembering names so chime in if you were there.

Winning car had only 7 penalty seconds!!

[mdrburchette]

It was great seeing you there, Stan. We did have a great showing of Fiats this year. Hope to see more in the future.