The crisp morning air caressed my cheeks as I walked out of my hotel early in the morning. An eerie, dense fog glossed over the empty road in front of the building, accompanied by the distant street lights painting the edges of the street. Many people littered the parking lot and approached trailers that quickly unveiled Rally Cars in the fog. The ever-increasing crowd climbed on trailers, tugged on straps, and hopped into their trucks to their next location. I got into my vehicle and followed the crowd as we slowly navigated through the narrow, windy road suspended in the low-level cloud.
The American Rally Association’s Tour De Forest (TDF) Rally is a regional Stage Rally competition through the forest roads of the Olympic Peninsula. TDF marks the fourth of five ARA events in the Pacific Northwest and is a consistent fan favorite amongst teams and fans alike. Just a week before the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) in Marquette, Michigan, regional and National competitors use this event to remain dialed in after the motorsports “summer break.”
I pulled into the service area as the few lights of the McCleary, WA, Simpson Door Factory created a golden hue of small, makeshift clouds. Trailers carrying the Rally cars poured into the service area and began emptying as mechanical crews, drivers, and co-drivers unloaded and began preparing for the upcoming competition. This year, TDF hosted two stages that ran twice each, creating 32.2 stage miles. Cars are released on Stage in 60 second intervals with the fastest team going first. For TDF 2024, Driver Sam Albert (@samalbertrally) and Co-Driver Krista Skucas (@kskucas) lead the pack with a Subaru containing a Ferrari engine.
Rally, a competitive off-road motorsport, requires two people to be in the vehicle: a driver and a co-driver. Unlike track-based racing, Rally drivers and Co-Drivers only view the roads once before they race on them during a slow-speed evaluation called a “Recce.” During the Recce, the driving team develops “Stage Notes,” which are coded, written directions for the upcoming turns, climbs, and narrowing of roads. Unlike larger events, TDF hosts a same-day Recce, which drastically compacts the schedule of events.
The two Stages, “Kennedy Loops” and “Two the Towers,” featured rugged, heavily rocky roads with sharp hairpins and steep hill climbs and descents, not only challenging the skills of the driving team but the vehicle itself in unrelenting conditions. During recce, the lazy sun creaked over the hills of the Olympic Mountain, burning the fog and revealing the immense valley below. A simple mistake could send a driver spiraling over an edge, which results in a several-hundred-foot drop.
Before the Rally commenced, I picked my spot several miles into the stage. I lightly climbed a rocky slope along the stage road, overseeing the prepossessing hills and valley below. The radiant sun danced in between the clouds and revealed itself for one of the final sunny days in the Pacific Northwest. I tucked myself into the mountain face as I heard the roar of the immensely powerful Ferrari engine echo throughout the mountains. I patiently waited to compress the shutter as the sound of the engine came closer and closer. Suddenly, the engine, accompanied by the rubber of the tires shooting rocks, rounded a corner as the first car soared by. I compressed my shutter, hoping to nail the shot, as I only had one chance to capture the vehicle. In a blink of an eye, the car disappeared around the face of the mountain, and I anxiously awaited for the next car.
Twenty-eight cars entered TDF, and like precision clockwork, they all passed. As the last car passed, a safety team of dedicated volunteers passed to alert the workers and media that the stage was safe for transit. Rallying is a race against time, and similar to competitors, the press must also race to find the next spot. I hopped back in my car and navigated through the stage to ensure that I could be in position before the next Stage started.
My second spot was a mile and a half into the final stage, inside a corner of the incredibly dense and mossy woods. Like the original location, I anxiously waited for each car to pass, feeling the wind pushing against me with every passing. As the stage came to a close, I once again climbed into my vehicle and navigated through the stage and back to the service area to see the winners of the Rally.
Separated through several classes, the teams awaited the final results. Finally, a shout across the service area indicated that the crowd should gather in a semicircle. For overall time, first place was secured by Car #457 driven by Driver Sam Albert (@samalbertrally) and Co-Driver Krista Skucas (@kskucas) with a time of 36:35.5. Second place was won by car #621, driven by Driver Andy Miller (@millerrallyteam) and Co-Driver Shaun Tracy finishing with a time of 36:53.6. In third place, car #972 with driver Cooper Anderson (02_subuwu) and Co-Driver Ethan Curtis (@ethan_reed) finishing with a total time of 37:33.0.
In the L4WD class, car #209, piloted by Driver Madelyn Tabor (@madelyntaborracing) and Co-Driver Sophia McKee (@ruffianrunner) secured third in class. Tabor recently completed the World Rally Championship Women in Motorsports camp in Poland. Tabor was one of fifteen women globally to be selected for this training camp aimed at developing rally drivers internationally. She will be competing at LSPR from October 11 to 13 to close out the American Rally season. For regional drivers, the next event, Mike Nagle Rallysprint, will be held at the beginning of November.
Erick Huertas
Erick Huertas is originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was introduced to the social aspect of cigars during his schooling in San Antonio, Texas. Around this time, he also developed a growing interest in writing and photography, using his phone camera and notepad to capture the world around him.
Erick solidified his passion for photography and adventure when he completed the Trans-American Trail in the summer of 2021 with his Land Rover Discovery 3. Since his 2021 expedition, he has been interviewed on several podcasts and has written extensively about the open road.
In 2023, Erick became involved in Grassroots motorsports by covering local Rallycross through the Northwest Rally Association, local autocross, and other events. In late 2023, he debuted as a photographer in the American Rally Association and has since covered events with Pan American Superbike and Formula E.
When not traveling, Erick can be found on Whidbey Island, Washington. You can contact Erick via email at [email protected], on Instagram at @_ebhphoto, or on his website: www.erickhuertas.smugmug.com
