Beach Road magazine Car Rally set on June 13

The 3rd Annual Car Rally will be held on June 13 and this early, organizer Beach Road Magazine said entry forms are now available with a minimal fee of $15.

The magazine’s account manager, Susan Marchitti, said participating drivers must be 16 years old or above.

Winners will win cash prizes with the awarding ceremonies to be held immediately after the rally.

“Encourage families and tourists to join. Bring as much people as you can but they must be in seat belts,” said Marchitti.

Introduced on Saipan for the first time two years ago, this event is a form of motoring competition on public or private roads where a driver and navigator(s) work together to try to match wits with the organizer who has given them instructions with a route to follow. The course is predetermined, but will not be revealed in advance.

Every car gets a set of instructions that may contain tricks, traps and diagrams designed to steer them off course, so it’s important to pay close attention and remain alert.

Questions that pertain to the course itself will need to be answered along the way, so drivers need to stay on track.

There may also be items to find or collect, which will need to be presented at the end for extra points.

Each car will leave the start at two-minute intervals and proceed to a checkpoint where they will get a new set of instructions.

“The event is timed, but it is not a race. The winner is the driver that best matches the speed, time and distance requirements with the greatest precision,” Marchitti noted.

A time allowance is allotted to each team, which they can use if they arrive late or early at checkpoints due to traffic, bad weather, getting lost, etc.

All traffic and safety laws will be enforced, and each driver must provide a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, and current registration.

Participants are welcome to decorate their car for the event, granted it is legal and safe.

This year, the rally is open to visitors, company-sponsored teams and drivers 16 and over (parental consent waiver is required for those 18 and below).

Registration forms are available in Beach Road Magazine and soon at Subway Restaurants. Entry forms can be dropped off at the second floor of the Transpac Business Center in Gualo Rai on Chalan Pale Arnold Road, with the $15 entry fee.

After dropping off your entry form, all participants will receive a copy of the Car Rally Rules, which will give a more detailed description of the event and indicate what kinds of things to expect on the instructions.

For more information, call Marchitti at 234-6449 or 483-3145. Prizes will be awarded at an awards party at a yet to be announced location.

As of Friday afternoon, four companies have confirmed sponsorships for this year’s event: American Red Cross, Brown Tree Snake, Budget Car Rental, and Joeten Enterprises, Inc.