BY KAREN BOSSICK

A Detour de Force comedy show will be a new addition to this year’s Sun Valley Tour de Force sponsored by McLaren Automotive.

Gabriel Rutledge, winner of the Seattle International Comedy Competition will provide the high octane laughs at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at Extra Credit, 180 N. First Avenue in Ketchum. The show, which is open to the public, costs $45 and includes two drinks, with tickets available on www.sunvalleytourdeforce.com.

The show kicks off the 7th annual Sun Valley Tour de Force being held Thursday through Saturday, July 18-20. The Tour de Force, which gives car drivers the opportunity to see how fast they can push their cars on Highway 75 north of Ketchum, has been named the most unique car event in the country.

This year’s Tour de Force will celebrate the McLaren Senna, named after the late Brazilian Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna who won three F1 World Drivers’ Championship titles and 35 F1 Grand Prix races with the McLaren Racing F1 team between 1988 and 1993.

His nephew and former F1 driver Bruno Senna will attend this year’s Tour de Force to celebrate the McLaren Senna. Bruno Senna is the first driver to win a race in every class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and was the 2017 WEC world champion in the LMP2 class.

Car fans can see the McLaren supercars and others up close at the Sun Valley Tour de Force Car Show from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 19. The free event will be held at Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road and will include all the vehicles participating in Saturday’s high-speed event, as well as sponsor exhibits and local collectibles. Tour de Force T-shirts, hats and memorabilia will be for sale and there will be raffle prizes, as well.

The High-Speed Runs at Phantom Hill will take place on a three-mile stretch of Highway 75 near Cathedral Pines. Sawtooth National Recreation Area officials no longer allow the Tour de Force to set up bleachers and other spectator amenities, but spectators may watch as long as they remain 300 feet from the road.

The event will conclude with a dinner, comedy show and live auction Saturday evening. For tickets, visit https://sunvalleytourdeforce.com/event.

“We are looking forward to returning to Sun Valley as the title sponsor for this special event, which represents all that McLaren stands for: fun, family, community—and of course plenty of high-performance action!” said Roger Ormisher, vice president of Communications and Public Relations for McLaren, the Americas. “Our partnership with Sun Valley Tour de Force is very special, and both our customers and attending media love it. But best of all: it’s for a good cause.”

McLaren Automotive, which produces some of the world’s most spectacular ultra high-performance lightweight supercars, is headquartered in Woking, Surrey, England.

Proceeds from all the events will benefit The Hunger Coalition and other local nonprofits that provide mental health services, education and affordable housing in the Wood River Valley. Sun Valley Tour de Force donated $1.025 million in 2023 to The Hunger Coalition, Blaine County Education Foundation, The Space and BCFiRST, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health services for local first responders and their families.

“We are tremendously grateful for the continued partnership with Sun Valley Tour de Force,” said Krista Felton, Director of Philanthropy, The Hunger Coalition.