Pocono News Section

Rally Racing Takes Over Tioga County

Rally Racing Takes Over Tioga County - Friday, June 4, 2010 at 04:10AM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Friday June 04 2010
ANTRIM TOWNSHIP, TIOGA COUNTY- So you like racing, but maybe NASCAR's not your thing? The perfect alternative-rally racing- is waiting for you out in central Pennsylvania.

Just a few miles south of Wellsboro, top drivers are testing themselves against some tough terrain. It's the 34th annual Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally.

Rally Master Alan Smith said, "We get thousands of spectators out here. You get people that are interested in cars. You get people that are just interested in the area. It brings a lot of tourism."

It brought Tammy McKinney all the way from Zanesville, Ohio

She noted, "My son loves rally racing, plays the video games. He wanted to come to a race. This is the first time for us."

And as car after car zipped by in the second stage on Friday afternoon, fans here say they'd take this over Pocono anyday.

McKinney continued, "I just think this is more exciting. I mean NASCAR's a great sport, but it's kind of 'round and 'round you go. So this is great."

The Susquehannock Trail event is one of nine in an annual national series.

The rally race covers fourteen stages and about 260 miles. It's an endurance battle that takes more than 12 hours to complete.

Smith explained, "Whoever can traverse that section of road the quickest, you add all those times up, and the shortest time wins."

37 teams are competing in the race this year and tens of thousands more people will show up in Tioga County to check out all the action.

Smith added, "We fill up the hotels, we fill up the restaurants, bring a lot of people into the area. It's a great thing."

The Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally events continue Friday night and all day Saturday in Tioga County.