The Sno*Drift Rally will again kick off the Rally America series as the only race to feature real fast cars on real slick snowy roads.”It attracts drivers from all over the world,” said Kent Balogh, Lewiston Sno*Drift Rally committee member. “In the past we’ve had drivers from Great Britain, Australia, China, Poland and Italy. Last year’s winner was David Higgins from Wales.”
The first Sno*Drift Rally was organized in 1966, and it has been the kickoff event for the national rally series since 2005. The rally features two- and four-wheel drive cars without studded tires racing a total of 130 miles on icy, snow-banked roads at high speeds.
This year’s two-day rally begins at noon Friday, Jan. 30, in downtown Lewiston, where the rally cars will be available for view. The race start time for the first car is 2:30 p.m.
On, Saturday, Jan. 31, the cars will be available for viewing in downtown Atlanta at 8:30 a.m. and the start time for the first car will be at 10 a.m.
“There aren’t any changes this year,” Balogh said. “We’re sticking to the same successful format. All the other committee members live downstate. Our committee starts meeting in early or late June to plan the rally by telephone or internet.”
Balogh was a committee member when he lived downstate and liked Lewiston so much he moved there when he retired. He said there are 18 committee members and 200 to 250 additional volunteers that put on the rally.
“The volunteers come from all over Michigan and beyond,” he said. “We wish we could get more local volunteers involved.”
Aside from working at the rally both days, Balogh said one of his biggest tasks is getting 9,000 to 10,000 free spectator guides out to Montmorency, Otsego and counties beyond.