The 64th Porsche Parade Gimmick Rally

"Spring Break Rally"

Held on Thursday, July 25th, we’ll be staying local, and being cool. This year it’s going to be a Spring-Break themed “scavenger hunt & find the answers" rally in and around Fort Lauderdale. We will be visiting a number of famous Fort Lauderdale car-related and spring-break related locations, including the iconic Champion Porsche dealership in Pompano Beach. Just like Spring Break, this one will be fun in the sun and go by all too quickly! You can do the rally in less than 4 hours, but plan some extra time to visit & tour the unique destinations you will be stopping at along the way. You will need to get out of your car at each stop to answer questions or find clues, and you will also have some choices to make about which fun places to visit (or visit them all!) You definitely can do this rally in a rental car or tow vehicle, in case you cannot bring your Porsche. You can also compete in the 2-Person class or the 2-Plus Passengers class, so if you have more than 2 seats, bring some friends! This rally is family friendly, and has at least one destination designed to please the whole family!

Gimmick Rally History:

Looking back, the first Parade Gimmick Rally was held 14 years ago at the 50th Porsche Parade in Hershey, PA. It was a new Parade event, inspired by the success of the fun, low-key gimmick rallies held across PCA on the regional level. That first route traveled through the Lancaster Amish countryside with multiple-choice questions to answer. From 2006 to 2009, local regions hosted the Gimmick Rallies, with a variety of styles, themes and scenic countryside – from coastal San Diego to the rarefied air of Colorado.

The Gimmick Rallies since 2010 have been organized in a fairly consistent manner; an average driving time of 3+ hours, with an eye to highlighting the local history, unique attractions, scenic drives and overall flavor of each Parade location – including suggested stops along the way for something that you might not otherwise see or experience anywhere else. The “gimmicks” have generally been developed by something unique about the route and its possibilities that “inspires” the rallymaster…. and that changes every year. Just like a box of chocolates... you never know what you’re going to get!

2018’s “Get Your Kicks on Route 66!” rally featured many iconic and historic Missouri locations, such as the Wagon Wheel Motel, where the task was to match vintage postcard images with their current appearance.

2017 was the infamous “Doozy of a Floozy” Poker Rally, crossing the border from Spokane into Idaho’s silver mining town of Wallace; over Dobson Pass, and with a fabulous cast of characters right out of the famous saloons and bordellos. This one will be hard to forget!

2016’s Covered Bridge Selfie Rally featured 16 covered bridges marked on a map. Entrants had to plot their own route with the lowest total mileage, and prove they found each bridge by taking a selfie.

2015 in French Lick, Indiana we ran The Rally for the Roses with a horseracing theme, searching for clues and finding scavenger items at the Kentucky Derby museum and scenic surrounding towns.

2014’s Monterey scenery was incredible – both inland and along the coast, and rallyists had the choice of driving either one of the routes, or both, for the overall trophy.

2103 saw Porsches going forwards or backwards around Michigan’s Mission Peninsula, passing each other every which way, with a unique selection of photos to identify along the way.

2012’s Salt Lake gimmick was all about the numbers - speed limit, caution and grade signs – adding and subtracting your way through the gorgeous mountain passes.

2011’s route traveled from Savannah to and through the unique Low Country and southern charm of South Carolina, with an eye for the signs.

2010 St. Charles rally followed the Lincoln Highway through Illinois using a Jeopardy-themed Q and A.

Ellen Beck
Parade Gimmick Rallymaster