High Desert Trails Rally Organizers Kristopher Marciniak and Christine Marciniak are pleased to announce that they will be using new roads for the April 9th, 2011 event. Announced this week with a Google Earth Rally Road Fly-Over video, the new stages were revealed in a spectacular visual that had viewers asking about the cost of the aviation fuel. The video was created and edited entirely on the computer using Google Earth and some free video capture software. From flowing desert landscapes to up-hill hairpins, the full length video can be seen here on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihcwc0ogJ8g
More videos at: http://www.youtube.com/hdtrally

The organizers utilized this medium for a couple of reasons as Kris explains: “These are totally new roads for the rally and we wanted them to speak for themselves. I can describe a stage to someone, but when you see the terrain and the road in three dimensions, it gives you a clear indication of how awesome these roads are. Now that you have a complete picture, I think you’ll definitely want to participate.”

In the spirit of blind rallies of old, the exact roads, route, and stages will not be disclosed to the competitors until the organizer provided stage notes hit co-drivers hands. What we can tell you is this: The roads are a comfortable distance from rally headquarters in Ridgecrest, California. The event will be a Coeffecient 3 (at least 60 stage miles) with a central service location. The organizing team has been working with the county and other local interest groups to secure the use of the roads. To celebrate our history, High Desert Trails will be offering a “Special Invitation Early Entry Fee” for those of you that have run High Desert Trails in the past (1973-2010), we will be offering a discounted early entry fee. All you will need is verifiable documentation that you were on the entry list and started the High Desert Trails Rally anytime in the past thirty seven years. More details will be available on the rally website as we get closer to the event. We hope you can join us!

High Desert Trails was originally run in 1973 by Mike Gibeault & Gary Potts. Continuing off and on for a number of years, the rally made a comeback in 2008 when Ray and Donna Hocker ran it as a shakedown rallysprint. In 2009 seeing an opportunity to keep the rally alive, Kristopher & Christine Marciniak organized their first event. The rally continues to run today!