2021 Red Clay Rally Video | Competing in the hills of Kentucky

Last October, I flew to Chattanooga to link up with a friend that I met at Overland Expo. Our half-cocked plan was to compete in the infamous 2020 Red Clay Rally. A 3 day, 700 mile Overland Rally that spans both Kentucky and Tennessee. And eats vehicles for lunch. Loaded into his 80 Series Land Cruiser, we linked up with an existing team of five vehicles for the competition. We ended up finishing the rally in 10th that year and had a blast. We also made some mistakes, and learned a lot. Enough to take another stab at it in 2021.

What we improved for 2021

With a full year to get ready, the decision was made to trim the team from six to three vehicles. Addressing a weak point from 2020, we upgraded our communications with Midland Radios. Invested in new Mud-Terrain tires for the Kentucky sauce we expected to encounter. And reinforced the drivetrains on our rigs. Route mapping and pace timing were also dialed-in. Running redundant GAIA navigation and separate timing platforms on all three vehicles allowed us to remain fluid and not rely solely on any one vehicle.

The team

From 3 different directions, we descended on a beautiful valley just outside of Clay City, KY. Our 2021 team includes LJ from Nashville, TN in his 100 Series Land Cruiser. Jeff from Signal Mountain, TN in his 80 Series Lexus LX450. And myself from Northern Michigan in our trusty little FJ Cruiser. Three mechanically similar lifted Toyotas with 35″ mud tires and lockable front and rear differentials. Our respective co-drivers; Billy, Dave and Ryan would all play critical rolls navigating, timing and guiding the vehicles through some difficult obstacles in the days to come.

The 2021 Red Clay Rally would be operating all 3 days from the same base-camp location. So we set-up our tents and Jeff’s DIY trailer and got comfortable. Having not seen each other since last years event, conversation quickly picked up where we left off. Discussing what we’ve been up to, our past adventures and our plans for the rally. We enjoyed dinner, drinks and a campfire while taking in the beautiful fall colors. As the sun set over the valley and a full moon rose, we eagerly anticipated the 3-day adventure that lay ahead.

2021 Red Clay Rally Video:

No words can accurately describe the next three days of competition. (See video above) It was grueling, brutal on the equipment and challenging. Yet still a lot of fun as we traversed the beautiful Kentucky landscape. To put it into perspective, 40 teams started the rally on Friday evening. Stage 1 went into the night with some teams returning to camp well after midnight. The last team returned at 5:30am. And the stage distance was only 44 miles…

Fortunately, Team #9 negotiated the first stage drama-free and rolled into camp about 5 hours after we started. With no major mechanical issues, both team and vehicle passed its initial test. However, the carnage continued through Saturdays Stage 2. By Sunday, only 25 teams remained for the final stage of the rally. Like I said, this competition eats teams and vehicles for lunch. And when the dust finally settled and the checkered flag flew on a sunny afternoon, only 11 teams rolled across the finish line within the allotted time limits. This is clearly NOT a beginners event. Or one for the damage adverse.

Teams from all over the US and at least 1 international team that I know of came to test their mettle at the Red Clay Rally this year. A true test of men, women, teamwork and machine. All walks of life and a wide range of vehicles showed up to compete. If this is something you want to participate in, I suggest you take a look at the Red Clay Rally website. Get on the forums and learn as much as possible. Then get your shit together, find a couple like-minded friends for your team, and we’ll see you at next years Red Clay Rally.

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