If you’ve ever considered yourself a car enthusiast, a car geek, nerd, or anything that’d evoke the thought of “automotive passion”, you’ve probably heard of a rally. If not, a rally is in the most basic terms of a collection of car owners going for a drive. These drives are generally mapped out with the intent of giving drivers the rare opportunity of testing their vehicles limits handling and speed while including a more scenic background. While we are all capable of discovering these routes on our own, many of us simply do not have the time to do so which presents the value of organizations such as Squad Driven.
I’d consider myself a die hard enthusiast. Through the years I’ve sought out every opportunity I could to enhance my driving ability, my automotive knowledge, and my network of like minded enthusiasts. Prior to 2020, I had never participated in a rally. I had probably over 50 track events under my belt, engaged in all kinds of formal go kart races including up to 18 hour endurance team events, had gone to many car meets….but never a rally.
Everything changed in 2020. No, I’m not talking about COVID19. In August of 2020, I joined Squad Driven for their East Coast Run and since then enthusiast life has never been the same. The multi-day rally experience is unlike anything you could experience on your own. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely been to a car meet. When you find yourself a the rally launch, there’s an electricity and excitement in the air. This is the first time you meet all the participants and the cars you’ll be associating with them. I had no idea the adventure I was about to embark upon.
When you depart, there’s a certain nervous energy about getting on to the road….that is until you hear the bark of the V8’s, the yell of boxer 6’s, the shriek of the V12’s. Something in your mind clicks. You feel like you’re on something so much larger than just a drive. It may sound crazy, but no one in the world in that moment could take away that feeling. No Elon, no Bezos. Once you all have collected on the route, you get the kind of feeling where the rest of the world goes away. You focus on the road and you push the pedal down. And of course it’s all the more enjoyable when the social media team is capturing every moment!! We love our cars, how they look…but when do you get a moment of your car captured alongside literally millions of dollars worth of other cars with you? This is special. The sounds, the sights…everything.
Alright let’s slow down. First gas stop. If you’ve never participated in a gas station takeover you’re missing out. If you’ve experienced it, this will trigger memories of laughter, elation, and maybe some relief! You get out of your car to see 20-30 sports cars stopped or pulling into that first gas station to refill after what was most assuredly a spirited drive. You step out, take a deep breath, and all you see are smiles on the faces of every other driver. This is when you start to build relationships that will last a life time.
-Matthew Berman