WASHINGTON — It’s a scavenger hunt backed by a lot of horsepower: WTOP Car Guy Mike Parris will be a member of one of 80 teams hitting the road July 14 in the Smoky Mountain Rally.
Parris says that on Day 1, the teams will meet in Knoxville, Tennessee, and will be handed a paper with clues, riddles and pictures. The objective is to find the locations laid out by the rally organizers, then snap a picture next to each location.
“Each day starts early with a piece of paper and a set of clues,” Parris says. “There are a few pictures or hints of where I have to end up, and it’s usually someplace really off the wall. The roads are off the beaten path and all the cars look like race cars — even the minivans — with all the stickers and decals for the charity and the sponsors of the event.”
Parris says driving is in his blood and he is looking forward to spending up to 8 hours a day in his Pontiac GTO during the rally.
The rally isn’t about speed. The rules say anyone who gets to the locations too quickly, or gets pulled over for speeding, risks being disqualified. “It’s differently fun trying to get from point A to point B and trying to keep under the speed limit,” Parris says.
The rally will include police escorts as they go from Knoxville to Hendersonville, North Carolina, and finish in the Athens, Georgia, area. Parris says drivers will get into the spirit of the event by decorating their cars and wearing costumes.
“There might be a Fred Flintstone look-alike driving a car,” Parris said.
This is Parris’ fifth year participating in the event, which also raises money for charity. This year, Parris says, the rally will raise more than $100,000 for Hope For The Warriors, which helps active duty military, veterans and their families.
