10th Texas Hill Country Rallye

Story and pictures courtesy of Jamie Novak.

We had organized an Austin Caravan to this years HCR. Of course, my boss decided to call a Friday afternoon 2pm meeting that conflicted with the starting time for my departure and group caravan. Oh well, The back road route was planned and I would just meet up with them later. As you will come to read the weekend does not always go as planned...

Finally, the meeting is over and I am on the road about 3:15. ARGGH immediately I hit early traffic trying to cross Austin. Once I get through downtown the roads start to open up a bit. Maybe this will not be so bad after all.
   

Next thing the phone rings. Charles (ChasV) is also late leaving work. He is about 2 exits behind me. We said we would meet at a highway intersection where our turn-off is.
   

We start heading West out of Austin. Destination: Fredericksburg TX. I then call another friend to see how far behind we are from the group. Based on the clock we were 55 minutes late by this point. Newsflash! HWY 71 West is closed due to an accident. LifeFlight is on the scene and the caravan is turning around. Bad news for some. Good news for Charles and I. Next thing we are all one group.
   

After rerouting our travel plans due to the road-closure we are back on familiar turf. Those twisty TX backroads of the Hill Country. Finally time to relax and try to make up some time.
   

After some miles we finally get to the good stuff. Water crossings and all there is nothing like the Hill Country roads.
   

Doing my best Jack Olsen Shot at speed. All smiles for me. The air is "relatively" cool, the top is down and the flat-6 is singing a beautiful song!
   

We hit the final stretch of highway in to FBurg and then arrived at the hotel. The car count was significant. There were many last minute additions to the roster. Everyone was having a great time. Beers were being consumed.
           
       

Smiles were on all faces and the bench racing and BS continued into the night well past our traditional parking lot BBQ Brats.
   

Saturday Morning we all met for breakfast. We overwhelmed the small diner. It was bad enough that it took 25 minutes to take the orders. Remember all does not go as planned this weekend. We were thankful to have Luis, Leon, and Eduardo also known as Team Mexico. They braved the border and headed North. They are all great friends and drivers. You are welcome anytime to visit!
           

While we were waiting for food Stefan was enjoying the moment. I think this conversation was about how they should have taken that left at Albuquerque
   

After the bellies and gas tanks were full we all set out to enjoy the days drive. And what a drive it would be.
The morning clouds were a welcome site with the open top car. At least the SPF70 would last a little longer. I usually end up driving solo. This weekend Al was in town and grabbed shotgun. He was a great companion, navigator and photographer. Thanks Al!
I ran point for the first group. We hit the road with about 8 cars. Life was good.
                   

Hwy 39 follows the river. It was unusual to see water in the river given the drought that TX is in. Good thing these are all spring fed. Where is my suit? I could stand to cool off a bit!

Eventually we picked up our first group off two wheeled cruisers. this group was rolling along well but not as fast as we would have liked.
   

Eventually they turned off and we were back up to the speed we were running early on before traffic.
   

After 20 minutes of connection roads that were straight we headed back into the twisties. Yes, HWY336 is the first of the "three sisters". Easily one of the Best roads in TX. This trio could easily be considered the "Dragon" of TX. The upper part starts with long sweepers. After the introduction we continued to the next 27 miles of Pure Bliss!
           
       

We stopped at the top of the ridge for a photo session and to check what was behind that tree over there!
   

Back on the road. Hey we know those guys. Yes, Group 2 caught up with us as we were getting in the car.
   

Finally a gas stop. We caught up with Group 3. They shortened the route slightly due to the delay at breakfast. After gassing up we were now one large group. 911s as far as we could see. At first we were stretched out approaching 337. Then gaps formed as the twisty roads dictated the pace. Eventually we stopped at another scenic hill top. this was mostly to regroup.
       

At this point we were all tired, hot and hungry! I know I was cooked at this point. JMZ loving the reserved parking. Yes, everyone is friendly in TX. Even our signs are friendly. At this point we were all tired, hot and hungry! I know I was cooked at this point. JMZ loving the reserved parking. Yes, everyone is friendly in TX. Even our signs are friendly. By the time we arrived. David, Gay and Casey the dog were relaxing in the shade. You may have seen pictures of Casey in a 2010 issue of Automobile. He is a well traveled Labradoodle. Once inside, lunch was served. Cool beverages and great conversation continued a great day. Even the passengers needed to cool off in the shade. Veronica and Leigh were enjoying the rockers after spending the morning in a vintage Porsche! We all wished our wives were as cool! Thanks to the Silver Spur Ranch for a great lunch.
           
           

Cool we are back on the road for more fun. The heat and a full belly were too much for Al. He needed to rest his eyes a bit. At least I knew where I was headed and did not need a navigator. We made it back to the hotel. the targa was a little dirty from the trip. A few hundred miles of backroads will do this. the only issue was a severe oil leak that is getting worse. I think I sloshed enough oil out of the breather to make the New Horizon look small.
           

After a dip in the pool to cool off, and a shower to wash off the filth it was time for dinner. The Rathskeller is a well known basement restaurant in FBurg. The funny thing is that basements are almost non-existent in TX. A good time was had by all.
               

I know that some will thank me for organizing. I helped with the route. Stefan at GTS Classics did a brunt of the front-end organization. Morrie did most of the back-end organization. PP donated some great door prizes and givaways as well as donations from Mayo Performance and the Sierra Madre Collection.
I am blessed to have great friends that I get to drive with. We share a common interested through these cars. It was wonderful to meet some new faces and fantastic people.
Now, how many of you will be newbies to our Rallye next year? We had representation from the West Coast and South of the Border. What about the Mid West, SE and East Coast? Yes, this is a challenge for those in-state and out of state.

You can also follow the event on the following bulletin board threads:
Pelican Parts

Early 911S Registry

912 BBS