Hey everyone! I know its a bit early but I recently booked my hotel etc. for the Ojibwe Forest Rally. I thought it would be good to get a group together to ride up to Detroit Lakes from the Cities. I'm Planning on leaving Thursday as there are some events that evening (details aren't out yet that I've seen) but I'm just seeing if there was anyone else going that would potentially want to drive up Thursday the 27th. We obviously have some time yet but just wanted to get it out there! http://ojibweforestrally.com/ 2016 site: http://ojibweforestsrally.com *Updated for current years rally! ** Updated the update! - SurlyOldManMN ***Updated title for current Year!
The event schedule is now out for the Rally! looks like there are some practice runs etc on Wednesday but I'm looking to get there by the 6 PM meet and greet with the drivers and teams on Thursday. Me and a friend are looking to leave by Noon Thursday to take care of hotel stuff etc. If anyone is interested in driving up together let me know! http://ojibweforestrally.com/2014-event-schedule
This is definitely going to be a don't miss year. Ojibwe Forest Rally will be a 3 day even this year with a Super Special Thursday evening at Buffalo River Raceway Park, forest stages Friday evening and Saturday AND with the final stage this year will be a tarmac stage in the city of Detroit Lakes! Spectator maps should be available online soon at www.ojibweforestrally.com but the best seat in the house will always be volunteering. To sweeten the volunteering deal this year there are a couple of really awesome worker only prizes including ride alongs on the practice stage AND at least one voucher for a volunteer to attend a multi day Team O'Neill Rally School. If you sign up to volunteer early you also get more than one entry into the drawings. Anyone that wants to volunteer and help me with course set up on Thursday afternoon should shoot me a pm. Its a fun way to learn to read a route book and get out on the stage roads before the race. Here's a little video to get you in the mood for the rally.
If I can get the days off from work I'm down for volunteering... Question, while volunteering is it frowned upon to take photos?
Volunteering is a great way to get photos without having to fight a bunch of other spectators for a good view. But you can't go wandering off from what you volunteered to do to take pics from or stand in an unsafe location. Your safety and the safety of the event comes first. Volunteering really is the best seat in the house.
Update: not sure if there was anyone that was planning to meet up thursday to head up to the rally from the cities but I may not be able to go anymore as ive been in the hospital the last few days. im still hoping to go but it just doesnt look too promising at the moment for me. If there was anyone else meeting up and willing to take charge of this please do!
So Detroit lakes 27-29 this month who's all gonna go? I went last year and was fun plan on going this year also.
I'm planning on driving up Thursday morning from the cities. If there is enough people, we should get a little convoy going.
Yeah I'll be there Thursday through Sunday. Gonna have my Subaru rally flag out! Event Schedule http://ojibweforestrally.com/2014-event-schedule
I'll be heading down early Friday morning (like 3 or 4 in the morning early). Still haven't gotten my working assignment yet though.
Just an Update! The Race schedules are out along with spectator Maps and Service locations. http://ojibweforestrally.com/spectator-guide
Hey there @Jnguyen it's Miguel (spectator captain). It was nice meeting you up there hope to see you again next year.
Hey @drac77 ! I looked for you on here but I had forgot your user name! I have to get myself to a Tuesday meet when your there! Thanks for making that spectator spot awesome for us! It was an awesome time! Definitely making it an annual thing!
Any insider info on this year's event? Have always wanted to see this but timing has always been off for us. Curious about the volunteering side as well. Also, just a general bump for anybody interested. Anybody going? Thoughts on prior years?
I'll be up there again, hopefully doing medical. As far as volunteering, it always feels like a bit of a mess and unorganized (usually because people sign up, and then don't show), and then other people show up with different skills who didn't sign up, so there's a lot of last minute shuffling. It always seems to just work out though. I usually get shuffled quite a bit because I can do (and have experience with) medical, radio, start/finish control, spectator captain, marshal, and sweep. Being a marshal or a spectator captain is usually a great gig- you can get put in some awesome places and watch the rally. Other things like sweep are exhausting and you don't get to see much of the actual rally, but you do get to drive the roads they're racing on. There were rumors of doing an entire day in and around Detroit Lakes, but since it's still a 2 day rally this year, that probably isn't happening. Hopefully Travis Pastrana will be there too to give Higgins a fight! Last year we had L'Estage (and Subaru Rally Team Canada), Higgins and Pastrana which was fun until L'Estage broke his car.
k, so, there are two sites. One of them sucks and is from 2015, that's the one in the OP. Here's the real site, updated the OP with it: http://ojibweforestsrally.com
This would be kick ass to go to. I looked on the site, but didn't have any luck finding one...is there a map of the course somewhere? I've never been there, or to any rally for that matter. How does a rookie like myself know where a good spot to spectate from is? I'm guessing there are designated spectating "stations"? Or do you just go wherever within reason? Is there a fee to attend? Maybe I'm blind but not seeing much info on the site Edit: found the spectators page and got clarification on where to spectate and cost (free). http://ojibweforestsrally.com/spectators/
Another thought - is there any opportunity to see the cars up close and chat with drivers before the event or are they kept pretty isolated from the public? I know at NHRA events, all spectators have a pit passes and can see the cars in the pits and chat up the drivers if you catch one around.
Generally, they usually do not have course maps/spectator locations until about a week or two before the start of the rally. I would just keep checking the site before you go. It will be printable so i recommend doing that. Also, there is a Parc Expose before the start of the rally. This is usually the same day the rally starts depending on the start time and how they schedule. Last year it started a couple hours before the actually rally started and they left one at a time from the expose to the first stage. The stages are a ways away from Detroit lakes to plan on cruising there early if you want to get good spots to watch from. Parking near the course is tight too since you are just on small dirt roads. Plan on where you want to be to watch for example if you want to follow the head cars through the rally, you'll have to leave once they go by the first spectator locations and see if you can hike it to the next spectator location. etc. It is a lot of fun! There are volunteer options as well. Sadly, I cannot attend this yer but i will be going to Lake Superior Rally to get my fix in, in October. Little more of a hike but well worth it.
I just got everything squared away. I'll be up in the area on Wednesday. Haven't decided if I'm going to volunteer yet or not, but I'll be there for Fri-Sat stages for sure.
Looks like the only thing going on Wednesday is the Subaru meet and greet and Thursday isn't open to the public (maybe if you're a volunteer though?). I really want to go. I wish the stages were run on Saturday and Sunday. I'm not sure I can get that Friday off. It's also about a 5hr drive for me lol so going for one day really wouldn't be worth it.
Do people just throw a tent up wherever they want in the woods or is that frowned upon? Just wondering if I'd have to make arrangements for a hotel or campground or something or just wing it.
I will be going, I'm co-driving for advanced 1 or 2. There is a meet and greet at muscatel Subaru in Moorhead Wednesday night. Thursday has yet to be determined (I know we have bannering to do and drivers have recce). Friday usually has a parc expose downtown Detroit lakes in the afternoon, then the rally starts after that and goes till about 10-11pm. Saturday starts earlyish and runs till dusk. They will be running the street stage again in downtown Detroit lakes to finish the rally. If you have the time, volunteer, you get much better spots to watch from and don't have to deal with a huge crowd of people. You also get to drive down the stage to get to your spot and continue that stage after!
I'll be running around in the national forests from Thuesday-Sunday and am planning to happen across this at some point. Will be watching to see when/where folks are meeting up!
There is some camping the the State Forests, either at a site or dispersed camping but the rally roads close so early and open back up again pretty late. So you have to be mindful that you can't cross or be on the rally roads until they open back up, which could be after midnight on Friday. Some people get a hotel in Detroit Lakes or Park Rapids. Camping at a camp ground can also be tough as some don't let you enter after a certain time and the rally runs pretty late on Friday if you're volunteering. If you're not volunteering you still might need to stop spectating early to make the curfew. The final 2 stages on Saturday are in Detroit Lakes and should be a pretty good show. Amy
