A cacophony of engines echoing on the hills, muffled by trees. Blurry glimpses of speed whizzing past. Dirt-slinging drivers pushed their cars to the limits, billowing dust across the road, obscuring the track, the woods – the world. This is Nameless Rally.

Derik Nelson and Adam Newell drove their 1999 BMW M3 (not pictured) into victory by securing 1st place on the Ray Damitio rally course and 2nd place on the John Nagel Rally course – the only 2-wheel drive car in the top 5.

Second place went to car 232, a Subaru WRX STi driven by Mark Tabor and Kathryn Hansen, while third place went to car 339, a Subaru WRX driven by Chris O’Driscoll and Tracy Manspeaker.

There were many competitors that did not finish (DNF), though their fight is no less worthwhile. Rallys are proving grounds of grit for gearheads – each component of a car needs to be finely tuned, wrenched tight, or secured properly in order for the car to finish.

Burst hoses, overheating, accidents, and more took competitors out left and right. Competitors that DNF’d on the first day were allowed to take to the track on the second day, baring passage of tech inspections. Whereas DNF’s on the second day led to an overall DNF.

Nameless Rally came about in the void that was left when Olympus Rally vanished. Washitonians took matters into their own hands and created this NASA RallySport sanctioned rally, not through Rally America – Olympus Rally’s sanctioning body.

Audiences turned out in droves to view Nameless Rally from the spectator locations, along with the starting line, the finish line, and the service area near the Little Creek Resort and Casino, just south of Shelton.

Nameless Rally has not yet announced whether or not they will return next season, however Olympus Rally has announced its return for the 2014 racing season.

Just in case it wasn’t obvious, I’m trying to get a lot of experience in auto-journalism as well as general and science related journalism and media. Well, this weekend I was lucky enough to get a chance to create videos and photos on stage at the PNW’s very own Nameless Rally.

It was amazing to be: Right. There. You couldn’t get a better seat in the house. There is nothing like hearing the cacophany of engines echoing on the hills and, yet, muffled by the trees. Then, bursting forth from the tree laden roads, a blurry glimpse of speed, dust – and one rock that pelted me like a bullet in the back. I have been christened by the rally. (Video to come…Maybe.)

On our way home, we realized that this was heaven. Auto journalism is where we want to be; whether its trackside, roadside, or manufacturing side – this is the life I (we) would love to live.

Bucket list item checked off… Moved to the career possibilities list.