Tour De Forest Rally 2019
SHELTON, WA - This year, Tour De Forest was a single day regional event. Without the large national teams and the crowds that accompany them, there was more time to spend talking with the local teams about what the sport and community meant to them. In the motorsports world stage rally is a bit niche in the states; but gaining popularity year by year. The community is small, with teams and individuals jumping in to support, repair, drive, and co-drive at each even. If there’s a chance that a car can make it to an event, friends and even family will team up to make a race entry successful. It’s as much a fight against the stage and environmental conditions as it is a fight for podium positions. Every car that makes it through a race day is a win for the community.
Like last year’s Fall rallies in the PNW, it was a cold and rainy affair, with dust being replaced by light rain and a heavy fog that rolled in partway through the afternoon. The first car on stage was at 1:30pm this year, with stages going in to the evening. even with the rain letting up, teams had to navigate the muddy forestry roads with dense fog obstructing their lights. For myself on the back end of the camera lens, the combination of atmosphere and headlights made for some incredibly dramatic scenes.
