2024 Buckeye-BMWCCA & MORPCA Covered Bridges TSD Rally Driving Tour

Join us on June 22nd for a the 2024 Buckeye BMWCCA and MORPCA Covered Bridges TSD Rally Driving Tour, a fun-filled day cruising the backroads of Union County, Ohio while offering the opportunity to try out Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) Rallying during a friendly intra-car club competition.

Details of the Event and Sign up Links Below!

Date: Saturday, June 22nd 2024

Start Time: Arrive between 9:00 and 9:30 AM (A more specific arrival time will be assigned to you after you register).

Start Location: The Honda Heritage Center.  24025 Honda Pkwy, Marysville, OH 43040

Ending Location: North Market, Bridge Park.  6750 Longshore St, Dublin, OH 43017
Parking on the top level of the “Howe Garage” (Above The North Market)

Ending time: Driving finished at approximately 12pm.

Deadline for Registration: 11:59 pm on Wednesday, June 19th.

Registration Link: Track Rabbit TSD Registration (this registration link includes the required waivers so all individuals participating must register – please select your event type (TSD or Driving Tour) and role (Driver, Navigator, Passenger.)

Informational Zoom Meeting: Thursday, June 20th @ 8pm. Link will be sent to registered participants.

Description:

Join your club for a fun and scenic drive through the backroads and covered bridges of Union County Ohio.

• There will be two ways to participate in this tour:

1. Traditional driving tour:  Follow the written instructions, obey local speed limits, and enjoy the roads and bridges.  You will not be scored or included in the competition, but will enjoy a scenic Saturday morning drive ending in a group meetup.

2. TSD (Time/Speed/Distance) Rally Competition:  Follow the written instructions, including detailed instructions about what average speed you should try to maintain.  You will score points (one per second) by arriving early or late to a series of GPS checkpoints.  The goal is to be “on time” at each checkpoint, scoring as close to zero as possible.  In the end, scores will be tallied and winners from each club will be crowned.  We will also have a BMW vs. Porsche team score.

   1. There will be 4 timed “zones” occurring during the rally.  In between the timed zones, you will be following traditional driving tour instructions, with no timing or scoring.  These untimed zones will give you a chance to relax and enjoy the various covered bridges along our route.  You will be able to stop and take pictures or take a break at some of the bridges.

• After the tour/rally is complete, enjoy food and drinks (purchased on your own) with other BMW and Porsche club members while we announce the winners and hand out prizes.

• You will be asked to decide on your registration if you plan to participate in the TSD rally or follow the route as a traditional driving tour.  We ask that you give your best estimate but changes will be due by the end of the instructional zoom meeting (see details below.)

• Difficulty:  Since this will be almost everyone’s first time doing a TSD rally, we have created an “easy” introductory rally for you all.
  The instructions will not get you lost, or attempt to trick you in any way.
  Just follow the instructions, pay attention to your odometer and speedometer, and look for the road sign listed in the next instruction, and you will do just fine.

• Partners: Note, this will be a self guided tour, with written instructions.  Therefore, a navigator is required for each car.
  Some people find doing this type of competition with their partner as their navigator/driver stressful…
  This rally should be simple enough not to cause too much strife, but you may want to consider alternative pairing ideas with other club members.
  Maybe 2 husbands in one car, and 2 wives in another.  Or maybe use a teen or adult child as your navigator.  If you want to participate but don’t have a navigator, put a post up on your club’s facebook page and see if anyone wants to join you.

• Road Conditions: All roads will be paved, but there can be some loose gravel and potholes.  Extremely low ground clearance is not recommended.  Some of the backroads we will be on will be relatively narrow. Can you do this tour in an X7 or Cayenne, absolutely. But, if you have multiple cars to choose from, I’d go for the small coupe / convertible / sedan.

• An evening Zoom meeting will be held on Thursday, June 20th at 8pm, to go over tips and tricks for TSD, explain the special smartphone app that we will use to track each car, and answer any questions.  Attendance of this zoom meeting is required, to avoid unnecessary confusion Saturday morning.  If you cannot attend the zoom, you may request the recording be sent to you instead.