Toyota has announced its return to the Rebelle Rally, a special event testing two-woman teams as they tackle desert terrain.
According to a press release, Toyota will send 12 internal team members to take on this 11-day rally through Nevada and California. These team members will work to navigate the desert terrain over eight days of competition.
Additionally, Toyota will field a two-woman team from outside the company for the first time. This team will feature Rachelle Croft, CEO of Expedition Overland and XOverland Ranch, and driving partner Taylor Pawley. This duo scored a win in the 2019 Rebelle Rally and will seek another victory on Oct. 8-18.
“We are thrilled to work with Rachelle and Taylor, who have demonstrated their passion for off-roading both on the course and outside of it,” said Samantha Barber, senior manager of production engineering at Toyota and multi-year participant in the Rebelle Rally.
“Following their example of pushing boundaries and embracing new challenges is an inspiration to us, and we are excited to see our own engineers join this year’s event to test the performance of our vehicles in the tough course of Rebelle Rally.”
Along with fielding teams in the Rebelle Rally, Toyota will continue to serve as the presenting webcast partner. Fans can watch the competition from the comfort of their homes.
The Rebelle Rally tests the two-woman teams over several days
A key part of the Rebelle Rally is the challenge of navigating without technology. Teams can not have GPS systems, nor can they use their phones. They must tackle the terrain using compasses, maps, roadbooks, and other old-school methods.
The competitors must tackle challenges while navigating the terrain. The list includes finding hidden checkpoints separated into categories.
The green checkpoints have a prominent flag on the course. The competitors have these checkpoints marked on their maps. The blue checkpoints have small flags on the course. These locations are not on the maps.
The black checkpoints, the most difficult of them all, are not on the maps. They do not have flags, so the competitors have to find the designated checkpoints to the best of their ability. The Rebelle Rally scores the competitors based on “distance to the bullseye.”
What sets the Rebelle Rally apart from other off-road events? The main thing is that all of the teams feature women drivers and co-drivers.
Another significant different from some of the other high-profile rallies is that the vehicles in the two classes are basically stock. Although the Rebelle Rally allows the teams to install larger, aftermarket fuel tanks and aftermarket suspension systems.
The vehicles must also have standard three-point safety belts, DOT-approved tires designed for highway use, and two tow points.
The 4×4 Class features vehicles with “4-wheel-drive (4WD) and having a two-speed transfer case (low range).” The vehicles in this class are primarily trucks and SUVs.
The X-Cross Class features vehicles with a “unibody construction and all-wheel drive (AWD) with no low range.” This class has small SUVs and all-wheel drive crossovers.