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2011 Sturgis Mustang Rally - Full Throttle SaluteNot Just For Pickups and Harleys Anymore, Sturgis Celebrates our favorite ride From the March, 2012 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By Dale Amy
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See anyone you know? Swarming... See anyone you know? Swarming the downtown core with Mustangs--and Mustangers--of all vintages is a Saturday tradition at the Sturgis Mustang Rally. But that's only part of the fun that SMR offers. At first glance, the idea of successfully staging a multi-day Mustang event way out in the western reaches of South Dakota--far from any major urban center--might seem just a little, well, optimistic. After all, it's more a land of pickups than ponycars. But after our overdue first visit this past Labor Day weekend, we've come to realize that its Black Hills locale is just one more reason to put the Sturgis Mustang Rally on your event calendar for next September. Rather than being compressed into a day or two at a single venue, SMR's five-day takeover of Sturgis and vicinity represents more of a Mustang lifestyle happening, not unlike Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach. Sure there's a varied, scheduled itinerary that includes drag racing, a poker-run tour, an autocross, a burnout contest, a Mustang-themed auction, and Saturday's virtual takeover of downtown Sturgis for a multi-block judged car show, but SMR is also a great opportunity to stretch your Mustang's legs through some picturesque countryside or simply hang out with fellow 'Stangheads for a few relaxing days at the end of summer. And it's well attended, this year having something like 750 freshly detailed ponies angle-parked downtown throughout the day on Saturday and over 100 signed up for the evening's bracket-style drag racing. We got in too late to capture Thursday evening's burnout contest. We also missed the 7 a.m. departure of Friday's 160-mile poker run tour, which by all accounts, covered some staggeringly scenic territory, including Mt. Rushmore. We did, however, digitally document the antics of Friday's launch-box competition--basically the world's shortest dragstrip at only 66 feet--and some of the rounds of autocross action that took place Friday and Sunday. But enough talk. The best way to get a feel for SMR is to have a look through our lens as we capture just a few highlights of this year's gathering. Then start making plans for next September... Horse Sense: Mark you calendars for August 31 through September 2, 2012, for this year's rally.  On the tarmac east of the...  On the tarmac east of the structure you can find a variety of vendors and a staging area for the day's on-site competitions. Though these may look like classics, they are in fact S197-based creations from Retrobuilt. Vendors/exhibitors on-site included Ford Racing, Roush Performance, Miller Motorsports, UPR, and others, including...  Inside the 'Dome are more...  Inside the 'Dome are more vendor spaces, the show's registration and help counters, a couple of bars, lots of seating, and some stages. Folks come and go during the day, and in the evenings, this massive space is filled with the sound of bands or guest speakers. Like all of SMR, there's a casual efficiency to the Thunderdome.  ...our old pal Steve Saleen...  ...our old pal Steve Saleen and his SMS Supercars crew. Steve was also guest speaker at the event's Sunday evening awards ceremony. In fact, the black SMS you see here under the canopy was auctioned off that same evening.  Thunderdome's paved area was...  Thunderdome's paved area was large enough to set up a challenging autocross course that combined good speed sections with a couple of tight-turning circles like the one this New Edge Saleen is negotiating. As you've probably guessed, the white stripe helped clarify the rather lengthy course layout.  This football-field-sized...  This football-field-sized structure and its surrounding paved acreage, collectively known as the Thunderdome, serve as headquarters for many of SMR's activities. Located a couple miles east of downtown Sturgis, this is where the autocross, burnout, and launch-box competitions took place, and it's where vendors and exhibitors set up shop.  The wildly enthusiastic driving...  The wildly enthusiastic driving instructors from Miller Motorsports Park hauled a small fleet of track-prepped S197s over from Utah and gave autocross rides all weekend long to anyone brave enough to strap into the shotgun seat.  This shot--looking west and...  This shot--looking west and taken from the same vantage point as our lead photo--was taken not long after 9 a.m. You can see that the cars already stretch on for a good six or more blocks, but you can't see that they're also parked on the side streets running off each side of Main Street.  Saturday was mainly occupied...  Saturday was mainly occupied with the downtown car show. This community center parking lot served as an early morning pre-stage area, where participants were separated into various show classes and then led into the downtown core by the side-by-side ATV--an orderly way of filling block after block of Sturgis' core parking spots.  This is the 66-foot dragstrip...  This is the 66-foot dragstrip that hosted what's known as the Launch Box contest. The object? When the Tree goes green, go like stink until you cross the line marked with the checkered flag, then come to a complete stop before the next line on the pavement. Not easy, as it turns out, but it's a hoot to watch the attempts.  As we left Thunderdome Friday...  As we left Thunderdome Friday evening, we noticed this gaggle of Mustangs parked right across the road in front of the Full Throttle Saloon, a colorful establishment that even has its own TV reality show, despite--or maybe because of--being open only a few weeks of the year.  If that weren’t enough show...  If that weren’t enough show cars, we then turned around and took this photo, looking east at a bunch more. In all, there were somewhere around 750, and at 4 p.m. most of them headed off to the Thunderdome where they formed up for a huge, escorted parade back through Sturgis and the surrounding area—with a stop for a loud pipes contest in front of one of the local bars.  Vendors were also set up in...  Vendors were also set up in the downtown area, this one doing a cam swap right on Main Street as we sauntered by.  There's little chance of going...  There's little chance of going hungry or thirsty in Sturgis thanks to the many bars/restaurants set up to deal with the annual biker onslaught. This one has particularly good steak tips.  This downtown landmark also...  This downtown landmark also did a booming business all weekend long. Bars not your thing? The town of Deadwood, about 20 minutes west, combines Old West tourist sites with casinos galore. Between natural beauty and man-made amusements, boredom will not be a problem at SMR.  On Saturday evening, everyone...  On Saturday evening, everyone headed to the dragstrip--and by  During dinner, an auction...  During dinner, an auction of Saleen and Ford memorabilia began, and guest speaker Steve Saleen talked about his racing and car-building history. And credit to the organizers and chefs--the prime rib was fantastic!  The autocross competition...  The autocross competition continued on Sunday, and then attention turned to the Thunderdome for the awards banquet. Event registrants got to roll the dice for a chance to win an SMS Mustang. (No one managed to get the necessary roll, but that's why it's called gambling, I guess.)  That's Steve in the sports...  That's Steve in the sports jacket, addressing the well-fed throngs of Mustang enthusiasts. He'd brought along this black SMS--uniquely lettered up as Crazy Horse, American Breed--which was auctioned off (for $56,000, as we recall) as part of the evening's festivities. The event continued into Labor Day on Monday with a Mustang Rodeo back at the Thunderdome, but we had a plane to catch. We sure hope to be back in 2012...
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