Crown Rally, formerly Central Crown. Founded by two aging software engineers who recently gave up their hobbies as motorcycle racer/stunt rider to enter the safer world of 4-wheels. Step #1: buy a Porsche 911 & Dodge Viper. Step #2: Profit?
Step #1 was straightforward, and let’s just say we’re still working on step #2… but if this was about the money we would spend far less time planning rallies, and much more writing software. This is the true definition of a passion project, and it’s fueled by the incredible relationships we’ve made along the way, and the measurable impact our #rally4acause initiative has had on the causes we support.
With 5 years of rallies behind us, Crown Rally has become a household name in the Midwest car community, known for hosting unique driving events with great cars and even better people. Experiences that literally couldn’t happen anywhere else, happen on Crown Rally. Everything needs to be constantly evolving, and we fully recognize the awesome responsibility given to us by each attendee that signs up. Last year’s record 122-car grid on Crown Rally North tested our staff and infrastructure in unique ways that led to several core changes for our following event – Crown Rally South – and the foreseeable future.
And that’s what this first ever Blog entry is about: what to expect on Crown Rally 2018 – specifically what differences to expect when signing up and preparing for a 2018 rally compared to our previous events.
Routes:
Although the stay-over cities are the same in 2018 as they were this year, the routes between them couldn’t be any more different. Don’t worry, we’ll still be traveling ~75% of the way through hand-selected back roads with tight turns and elevation changes, they’ll just be different roads through different cities and towns (and states!?). The checkpoints will remain staffed and the routes remain top-secret, only to be revealed 1-by-1 on rally day. There will be several more key differences:
- Checkpoint Venues: More unique and interesting venues/locations along the route for those interested in stopping to experience the town. Completely different after-party & lodging plans as well.
- Length: Each day will have an approximate arrival time (which will be shorter than Crown Rally North), along with a “shortcut” option for anyone hoping to catch-up or finish sooner. Teams that take this option won’t qualify for the “Perfect Time” award, but they will still be taken on an incredible route that only diverts from the main pack for a short while.
- Group Lunch: We’re bringing back the mid-day lunch stops! Each day will have one checkpoint that allows teams to “check-in” and effectively stop their rally clock while they enjoy the food & chill vibes with the rest of the teams.
Communication Vs. Top-Secret:
Historically we’ve kept the majority of rally details secret from attendees to maintain an element of surprise throughout the event. Moving forward, we will be releasing a far more detailed itinerary very similar to the approach utilized for Crown Rally South to ensure a smooth experience for everyone:
- Checkpoints will remain 100% private. You will not know where your next checkpoint is until you’ve arrived at the previous.
- Hotel locations & details will be released well in advance. If you ever decide to skip some driving and head directly to the hotel, you’ll know exactly where to go.
- Rally launch locations, times, and activity details will be released well in advance.
- Track venues will be released well in advance so you can prepare for the proper type of track event on the appropriate day.
- Arrival & after-party details will be released well in advance, along with a map detailing locations, transportation options, security locations, and alternative parking (should you prefer, for example, valet vs. self-park or to tuck your car in a more private location).
After-parties
A lot of energy has been focused on creating unique and engaging after-parties that achieve the following:
- Interactive among attendees.
- Convenient arrival and departure (i.e. walking distance, rooftop bars, party busses/limos if necessary).
- Multi-faceted whenever possible to cater to different prefered vibes.
- City-wide shows/takeovers.
Security:
Crown Rally events have multiple launches, arrivals, and car showings open to the public which continue to attract more attention each year. During these events, several new security precautions will be put into place to ensure vehicles owners can relax without concern for the safety of their vehicle:
- Vehicles will always have a comfortable “disconnect” from all after-parties.
- VIP teams will receive dedicated security staff and their cars will be enclosed in stanchions w/ restricted access to badged attendees only.
- All vehicles will be watched and protected by security personnel overnight and during high attendance venues.
- Additionally, there will always be an off-site enclosed ramp option for anyone interested in completely hiding their car after they decide to retreat to the bar/hotel.
- Private parking areas will always be restricted to Crown Rally vehicles only.
Staffing:
We’ve dramatically expanded our rally staff to ensure that every team has a smooth experience from signup to rally completion.
- Tom Busen (tom@crownrally.com / 708-256-2892) will be your go-to contact for anything and everything leading up to the rally, as well as anything non-urgent during the event. Questions about lodging, comments on the livery options, help shipping your car, etc. Tom is your dude.
- Tanner Gadomski (tanner@crownrally.com / 320-282-7451) will be your rally dispatch contact during the event. If you need quick answers during the rally because you’re lost, stranded, or can’t remember the name of the hotel, Tanner will be available to help solve the issue.
- Javier Monesterio (javier@crownrally.com / 612-743-2043) is focusing on strategic checkpoint operations both leading up to and during the rally. He and his 20+ person volunteer team will work diligently to ensure that all teams have successfully navigated each checkpoint, and that the check-in experience was as smooth as possible.
- Justin Brouwer (justin@crownrally.com / 612-207-7026) will, for the first time, answer his phone, texts, and/or messages in the weeks surrounding the rally. But you will still get a much better response time with Tom or Tanner 🙂
- Adam Smith (adam@crownrally.com / 507-351-7625) is and always will be your party master. He will help lead the group to the best party vibes each night. When the official parties are over, he’ll still be partying in his suite, which you’re always welcome to join!
Sunday Funday
Anyone staying over the extra Sunday night, or anyone not driving back immediately can join us for an unofficial guided cruise through some fun roads and venues in our destination city. It will be small, low-key group which is sometimes exactly what’s needed after a rally.
Livery
New livery styles, colors, and finishes thanks to our incredible partners at 3M. We’ll be able to work with teams on full-wraps and various theme customizations better than ever before, along with earlier install dates available to those interested.