STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK
PHOTOS BY NILS RIBI AND KAREN BOSSICK
The scenery out the window of Hezy Shaker’s Hellbug will be a blur as the driver hits 230 miles an hour.
But drivers who take the time to notice will find a new landscape to enjoy as they whiz through the Sun Valley Road Rally.
The Ninth Annual Sun Valley Road Rally will take place on Gannett Road south of Bellevue on Saturday, July 22. And the Ketchum Cruise and Block Party on Friday, July 21 is moving from downtown Ketchum to Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road.
The rally venue was changed for better safety and access, said Dan Young, president of the Blaine County Drug Coalition, which is organizing the event.
The new location will not close Highway 75, as did the previous location at Phantom Hill north of Ketchum. And the new location will not necessitate shuttle busses for spectators.
“We feel the road is in better condition and we do not need to open and close the road,” said Young. “This gives us total control of who is on the road throughout the event. We also have better radio communications in the Gannett Road location. And eliminating the bussing situation is a big benefit.”
The road rally will begin with vehicle inspections from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, July 21, at Silver Creek Ford in Hailey. The public is invited to check out the Aston Martin DB11, McLaren, classic Corvettes and other cars expected to take part.
The road rally is expected to draw up to 200 supercars that can reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Drivers, who are expected to come from around the world, will be given the green light to press their gas pedal to the metal along a two-mile section of Gannett Road from Griffin Ranch Road to Pero Road. They are expected to reach their top speed at Pero Road before decelerating towards Baseline Road.
Spectators will be able to park a hundred yards from bleachers alongside the road, said Young. The viewing section will be 300 feet from the road. Food vendors will serve up hamburgers and other goodies.
Tickets are $25 and must be purchased through the website at www.thedrugcoalition.org prior to the event. Last year’s tickets sold out. No pets or alcoholic beverages are allowed. Sunscreen, hats and umbrellas are recommended. Porta-potties will be onsite.
The Ketchum Cruise and Block Party, meanwhile, will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, at Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road.
The event, which is free to the public, will give car lovers a chance to check out hundreds of classic and sporty cars ranging from Model T Fords to the modern-day McLaren 675 T as they enjoy live music and pickings from food vendors.
Drivers will parade their Porches, Ferraris, Bugattis and Bentleys from the YMCA parking lot at Saddle and Warm Springs Road up Saddle Road to Festival Meadows beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Car owners who wish to include their cars in the event should email info@thedrugcoalition.org. The evening will conclude with the raffling off of a 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
The Drug Coalition uses the money it raises from the event for drug prevention programs targeted at school youth. The Coalition typically raises about $150,000 from the road rally but hopes to raise more this year since it has eliminated the need for bussing and other costs associated with the Highway 75 location.
“We are hoping to fund a Parent Education Program, but the money also helps with the operating budget,” said Young. “We are committed to the health of our youth.”
For more information, go to http://thedrugcoalition.org/sun-valley-road-rally/.