For over 50 years, Ghosts, Goblins, Spooks, Spirits, the Dead, the Undead, and even those that WISHED they were dead, have returned to haunt the Cascade Sports Car Club (CSCC) Halloween Rally. Like many road rallies today, it carries a rich history (some may say long and varied). Decorative dash plaques can be found in many a racer’s den or trophy room sporting witches and bats. To think that 30 years ago, entries were capped at 100 cars!
In 2018, the CSCC event saw 17 entries, with almost half the field in costume, including the cars themselves and even some haunted checkpoints. Of note was a Smokey and the Bandit Subaru Impreza, replete with a mustached “Burt” and a navigator in a wedding dress. There were two Zombie doctors, and even an Ace Ventura driving a rhino (who failed to make the start…). The story of Whisker’s the Cat was told in the checkpoint slips.
How did these early events attract so many entries? (see the dash plaques) Sure, there were just more people out enjoying their cars in the past, and many chose rally as their outlet. But “back-in-the-day” the Cascade Sports Car Club had a great system in place. In order for a ROAD racer to win a championship, they needed WORKER points along with racing wins to take home the big trophy. So racers spent the season on the track, but as fall descended, they realized that they needed to WORK an event to win the championship. So when Halloween came, they lined up by the score to man checkpoints, become haunted house monsters, or to help build the sets. With so many workers and great attractions, the entries poured in. Alas, those days are gone, but the spirit of the rally lives on.
This year, at one checkpoint, navigators had to reach into a bowl of slimy “worms” to pull out their Check Point critique slip (wet wipes provided). Prizes were awarded to best-dressed team and best-decorated car. Teams had an option to stop at the haunted corn maze and pumpkin patch before heading to the Rogue Brew Pub in North Plains, Oregon for the awards.
The rally dished out more tricks than treats to contestants. Rallymasters Monte and Victoria Saager, laughed maniacally and rubbed their hands during the driver’s meeting. The fun began with a classic ODO trap, take 30 minutes to complete NRI 14, yadda, yadda but the ODO check ended on instruction 13… Then there were 2 NRI’s (Numbered Route Instructions) out of sequence. The next diabolical trick was a note saying to PAUSE 1 MINUTE if the distance between NRI 30 and NRI 31 was more than a mile. Most teams paused, but the eventual winners told me that they estimated that the distance between the two NRI’s was about an inch or less (as printed in the Route Instructions). There were a total of 9 traps (tricks?) over 4 legs. Here is one more for you to ponder:
NRI 19 RIGHT @ Second OPP (opportunity)
NRI 20 Replace the word “Second” with the word “First” in NRI 19
(The scores are shown below)
It was a gorgeous fall day and with the last warm glow of the afternoon sun starting to set Whiskers lay sleeping on the front porch. A large Jack-o-lantern had been placed by the front step with smaller ones lining the walkway to the porch.
“It’s coming, it’s coming!” sang the children as they skipped past. Whiskers closed her eyes and sank back into her sleep.
In her dreams, she could see the children coming to the porch. They would knock on the door, shout trick or treat, and receive a treat. If she was lucky the children might even take an extra minute or two to give her a little pet. Who’s to say what fortune might come on Halloween from petting a black cat?
Now, it’s not well known but cats are vivid dreamers and Whiskers was no exception. Falling deeper into sleep she saw herself pawing down the street to a house with two doors. Above a very large door, a sign read HUMAN while SPIRIT appeared over a much smaller door.
She pushed open the smaller door and entered and as she did she heard a voice from beyond calling, “Whiskers… Whiskers…”
As Whiskers sank deeper into her dream the voice kept calling softly from beyond, “Whiskers… Whiskers…” Strange yet familiar. “Whiskers…” She took a step through the door, then another. “Whiskers… Whiskers…”
The voice kept calling. “Whiskers… Whiskers Kitty… Oh, there you are. Come on Whiskers Kitty, come inside.” Whiskers awoke to see her master calling and sleepily headed for the door knowing that there was much more to dream and so much to be done as Halloween was still another four days away.
|
Car #
|
Driver / Navigator
|
Class
|
Leg 1
|
Leg 2
|
Leg 3
|
Leg 4
|
Total
|
|
5
|
Larry Lefebvre / Brandon Harer
|
UNL
|
4
|
49
|
3
|
0
|
56
|
|
2
|
Jim Martin / John Kisela
|
UNL
|
139
|
24
|
1
|
14
|
178
|
|
14
|
Dave Sacry / Kathy Sacry
|
SOP
|
18
|
81
|
42
|
210
|
351
|
|
15
|
Sean Andersen / Tonia Andersen
|
SOP
|
50
|
181
|
1
|
155
|
387
|
|
3
|
George Olson / Jeff Zurschmeide
|
SOP
|
20
|
210
|
101
|
111
|
442
|
|
10
|
Marcus Gattman / Kerrie Steppenson
|
SOP
|
19
|
300
|
42
|
177
|
538
|
|
9
|
Eric Olbricht / Madelaine Olbricht
|
NOV
|
82
|
300
|
43
|
150
|
575
|
|
1
|
Jordan Green / Michael McCauley
|
NOV
|
207
|
144
|
93
|
158
|
602
|
|
12
|
David Gattman / JoAnn Gattman
|
SOP
|
95
|
236
|
300
|
41
|
672
|
|
6
|
Chad Thomsen / Alex Costaneda
|
SOP
|
135
|
180
|
159
|
245
|
719
|
|
13
|
Torm Kelsey-Green / Kasey Klaus
|
SOP
|
300
|
3
|
123
|
300
|
726
|
|
8
|
Jack Haner / Caitlin Szabo
|
NOV
|
300
|
112
|
143
|
208
|
763
|
|
16
|
Tom Young / Rose Young
|
SOP
|
32
|
300
|
163
|
300
|
795
|
|
4
|
Andrew Kary / Marty Lawrence
|
NOV
|
214
|
300
|
102
|
300
|
916
|
|
7
|
Nishant Singh / Phillip Dandurand
|
NOV
|
17
|
300
|
300
|
300
|
917
|
|
11
|
Christophor White / Twyla Blanksma
|
NOV
|
300
|
300
|
143
|
226
|
969
|
|
17
|
Lawrence McCatrin / Christy Temple
|
SOP
|
300
|
300
|
300
|
300
|
1200
|
