Rally Connex organizers were concerned that this year’s Rock Hound Rally wasn’t going to happen, but the word now is that the dual-sport event is a go.
The rally, a two-day romp through Ontario’s Kawartha and Madawaska highlands, was supposed to run Aug. 20-21 this summer, but for a while, it looked as if organizer Kevin Burnett would be unable to put it together, as work commitments were pulling him out of province. That’s all been straightened out now, and the rally is set to run as scheduled.
The rally starts at the Limerick Lodge and Marina Saturday morning and runs all day, heading back to the lodge for a barbecue, then out for another two-hour spin. There’s another optional loop following breakfast and the awards presentation Sunday morning. You don’t have to take the course competitively if you don’t want to – Rally Connex says the route makes a pretty good tour – but if you do wish to race for points, your team will leave before the riders just looking for a leisurely down the trails. The terrain through the loop is supposedly pretty similar to the ground covered in Rally Connex’s famous Paris to Dacre Challenge, so if you plan to run that next year, the Rock Hound Rally is a good way to brush up your skills.
Rally Connex says the course is suitable for aggressive dual-sport bikes with engines in the 450-900cc range, and you’re going to need aggressive tires.
Interested? The lodge has already been reserved for the event, so if you want to attend, email Rally Connex’s Lynda Burnett at rallyconnex@gmail.com with “Rockhound 2011Lodge” in the subject line. Rooms are double occupancy, and once beds are all booked up, there are tent sites available (cost is $70 for meals and lodge rooms, and will be $40 for tent site and meals once the lodge is booked up).
Breakfast will be provided at 7 a.m. Saturday morning before the ride starts, and if you wish, you can also book yourself to stay at the Lodge Friday night; you must make those reservations through the Lodge itself (613-474-2144, info@limericklodge.com).
Want more information? Email Rally Connex at rallyconnex@gmail.com or check out their website – details aren’t there yet, but they’re supposed to be coming soon. Or, you can check them out on YouTube – see a video from the 2009 rally below.
[…] the Rockhound Rally, you ask? It wasn’t on the schedule we received at CMG, and the event was almost canceled last year, so it’s possible Rally Connex plans to drop […]