Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Fight drug use and win a Porsche

4th annual Road Rally coming to Blaine County

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By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Twin Falls driver Bob Shillington drove this 2011 Porsche GT2RS at 192 mph in last year’s Sun Valley Road Rally fundraiser for the Blaine County Community Drug Coalition. This year’s rally is set for Saturday, July 28, on state Highway 75 north of Ketchum. Express file photo

Nine-hundred and fifty people still have a chance to buy a brand new Porsche for $100.

That's the price for a raffle ticket, and the Blaine County Community Drug Coalition, as of Monday, had sold 550 tickets of the 1,500 available.

The Black 2012 Porsche Cayenne, valued at $48,200 and on display near Atkinsons' Market in Ketchum, is being raffled off as part of the Drug Coalition's fourth annual Sun Valley Road Rally, where drivers with fast cars get to see how fast they are on a 3.2-mile stretch of state Highway 75 north of Ketchum. The highway will be closed intermittently to through traffic while the rally is in progress on Saturday, July 28.

The rally, the major fundraiser for the Drug Coalition, which strives to keep youngsters from using drugs and alcohol, last year grossed about $250,000.

There are a couple of changes for this year's rally, including a Ketchum Cruise Parade, where rally drivers and other folks who own vintage automobiles can show their machines to the public. The Cruise is scheduled for Friday, July 27, from 6-8 p.m. Spectators will be allowed to vote on their favorite automobiles in several categories and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

"The whole idea is there are a lot of people that have nice cars but aren't interested in driving them at high speeds, so we're inviting them to show them off," said Terry Basolo, Drug Coalition executive director.

The Cruise entrance fee is $100.

Also new this year is a new rally format that will speed up the pace of the race.

Instead of running heats of six cars, the race this year will feature 12-car heats, with drivers leaving the starting mark at about one-and-a-half-minute intervals.

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"We expect to do a total of 60 in five heats," Basolo said. "It will be more exciting for the spectators."

This year's rally will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Highway 75. Drivers will start in the Cathedral Pines area and then head south at speeds approaching 200 mph. Spectators will get to watch the action from a grandstand area about two-thirds of the way through the course. Traffic on the highway, as in the past, will be delayed for 20-minute intervals while each heat is underway.

Last year's winner, Bob Shillington of Twin Falls, set a new course record at 197 mph in a black 2008 Porsche GT2.

In addition to Porsches, last year's race cars included Ford GTs, Jaguars, Ferraris, Mustang GTs, a Camaro, a Lotus Espirt, a Lamborghini and vintage racers, including a Cobra and a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.

The public will get a chance to see this year's race cars and meet the drivers prior to the rally at a morning concourse from 8-9:30 a.m. in the lower parking lot at River Run Lodge.

Saturday's rally will be followed by a gala dinner and auction starting at 6 p.m. at River Run Lodge. A live auction will be held, driver awards will be presented and the Porsche Cayenne drawing will be held. Music and dancing will follow.

Porsche raffle tickets can be purchased at Atkinsons' Market locations in Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue.

Additional information and ticket purchases for the Porsche raffle, gala dinner, rally or other events are available through the Drug Coalition at 727-8768 or at info@sunvalleyroadrally.com.

Tickets are also available to win a chance to be a passenger in a Porsche rally car driven by veteran Indy car driver Johnny Unser. For $25, someone will get to run the rally with the pro behind the wheel. Only 1,000 tickets are being sold. The drawing will be held at the Ketchum Cruise.

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com

Basolo leaving Drug Coalition?

Terry Basolo, longtime executive director of the Blaine County Community Drug Coalition, will be stepping down from his post while he pursues a master's degree in addiction counseling at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore.

But Basolo won't be leaving the Drug Coalition altogether. Instead, he'll assume the role of drug-free communities coordinator, a post now held by Jay Hedrick, who is leaving for family reasons.

Though Basolo's last day as executive director will be Oct. 1, he said he'll continue as interim director, if necessary, until his replacement is found.

Basolo said he'll be moving to Portland, but will be in Blaine County for probably about a week each month.

He acknowledged that it's going to be a busy time for him, but also said: "It's going to be exciting." Basolo already has a master's degree in public administration.

"I received my first masters degree while working at the Drug Coalition full-time," he said. "It's difficult, but it can be done."

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