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100-MPG Vehicles to Participate in “Rally Green”, Departing
Knoxville, Iowa, on Sunday, August 15, for California Fleet of High-Mileage
Vehicles Prove the Power of Sustainability
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (June 26) - Ten distinctive high-mileage cars, trikes and
trucks will roll into towns from the Midwest to the California coast on a
mileage competition the third week of August. The green flag drops Sunday
morning, August 15, in Knoxville, Iowa, and the convoy crosses the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Friday, August 21. Knoxville is home to the
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the rural Iowa community will
just have wrapped up the 50th annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals, August
11-14, which is the sport of sprint car racing’s annual national
championships on the half-mile Knoxville Raceway dirt track. The museum will
host the competitors in its parking lot on Saturday afternoon, August 14,
following their appearance in the Knoxville Nationals Parade on the town
square.
Rally Green showcases amateur-built and modified production vehicles “to
offer an alternative transportation vision” across America, said Bill
Buchholz, rally organizer and entrant.
With interest accelerated by higher gas prices and a diminishing supply of
crude oil, Rally Green brings together developers of practical prototype
vehicles from around the United States to show what can be done. Power
sources range from fuel-efficient gas engines, to diesel-electric hybrids,
to a biomass reactor that gassifies wood, trash and debris. Body designs are
equally creative ranges of roadster to futuristic pod – you’ll know Rally
Green when you see it coming.
“I think we have such an amazing variety of characters driving such fabulous
cars that the country will be listening,” said Buchholz.
Rally Green is an offshoot of a 100-mile trial last summer in New England
called the One-Gallon Challenge. Buchholz and his Maine Automotive X Team
entered Dirigo, their diesel-powered tadpole trike that had taken shape in
Buchholz’ Camden, Maine, boat building shop.
“Dirigo was originally built to compete in the Progressive Automotive X
Prize. But structural modifications to the prize inspired the organization
of a ‘regular guy’s X Prize,’ Rally Green,” Buchholz said. “What better way
to promote cool cars than to get great mileage?,” Buchholz thought.
The Rally Green route averaging 350 miles a day has built-in stops to engage
all kinds of people in a conversation about fuel economy and sustainable
transportation.
Day One begins festively in the midst of Knoxville’s 50th celebration of
sprint car racing and its famed Knoxville Nationals. Rally Green has a place
in the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce-organized parade on Saturday, August
14, before receiving a grand send-off on Sunday. Later on the first day, the
entourage will pick up US 34 West to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Other overnight rests on the map are scheduled for Colby, Kansas, Aug. 16;
Aspen, Colorado, Aug. 17; Delta, Utah, Aug. 18; and Carson City, Nevada,
Aug. 19; finishing a triumphant trek by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco.
The 2,200-mile course tests endurance along some truck-heavy Interstates,
mountain passes and desolate desert, but most of the route is along US
highways and secondary roads.
Several of the entrants have long-distance experience, but, for a few, Rally
Green will be a first real run.
The Entrants
Buchholz outlined the Rally Green lineup:
Tom Bell, of Florida, has been an independent thinker and tinkerer for most
of his life. He’s been building a hybrid trike with automotive components.
David Hudson designed and is now producing the Hudson Stinger in Michigan, a
lightweight motorcycle-powered three-wheeler with an all-weather body.
The Eco Car is sold through David Joner’s company, Eco Motors. The nicely
detailed production car is powered with a one-litre gas engine, but has all
the bells and whistles, even electric windows.
Dirigo is a front-wheel-drive tadpole trike designed and built by the Maine
Automotive X Team. The stylish body is cedar and carbon fiber and is powered
by a three-cylinder diesel.
Jack McCornack’s Oregon-based business, Kinetic Vehicles, provides kits and
components for home-built automobiles. Jack will be driving MAX, a
high-mileage multi-fuel sports car made for Mother Earth News.
Dave Nichols founded 21st Century Motors in Connecticut to develop and
promote his biomass reactor designed for practical applications in cars and
trucks. The reactor processes wood, trash and debris into combustible gases.
George Packer is part of a team in Vancouver that built what was first known
as the Ale, and now the eVaro, a stunning tadpole trike powered by a
parallel hybrid drive system.
Jay Purdue, of Tennessee, has designed and built a tandem trike called
Tri-Hybrid Stealth, a diesel/electric powered drivetrain with the added
capacity for pedal charging the batteries while underway.
Harry Ricker’s family has been growing Maine apples for eight generations
and now they have diversified to develop Ricker Truck, a small
front-wheel-drive truck featuring a very low bed and air suspension.
Roo Trimble is an industrial designer working in Massachusetts who has spent
more than two years building RooPod, a small diesel-powered all-aluminum
trike. Rally Green will be his first big drive.
The chase/support vehicle for the rally will be driven by Michael Stephano,
a yacht captain, diesel mechanic and real estate broker.
The cars are competing for daily and overall mileage honors but are not
racing for time. Rally organizers left the road wide open for creativity as
to fuel type and body design. “We have no rules except that entrants have to
expect to complete the course, and that the vehicle can compete reasonably
within the 70-100 mpg range,” said Buchholz, adding, “the vehicle has to
have some level of ‘wow’-factor, as well!”
For more information, visit www.dirigocar.com for videos, course maps, Rally
Green blog, and links to entrants’ web sites. Fans can follow Rally Green on
Facebook as well. The non-profit National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum,
which hosted the Iowa State University (ISU) solar car and team in April and
May as part of its Earth Day celebration, is proud that Rally Green chose
the “Sprint Car Capital of the World” in which to start it’s week-long
mileage competition.
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