Words by Dante Cavazos. Photos by Lane Skelton/ Matt Brown

On a foggy frigid morning approximately 50 people gathered in Carmel at the Starbucks on Rio Road to prepare for the Coastal Range Rally Classic. This three-day road tour paid homage to Driving While Awesome’s first rally through their own backyard, the Coastal Range (duh). Central California is home to a tremendous redneck wine country and some of the most dynamic roads within a stone’s throw of home base, Santa Cruz. Since Paso Robles is such an ideal landing place, the guys at DWA! planned an “out and back” styled event where each of the day’s final destination would be the same block of hotels. We set out of Carmel to reach these hotels, but first… we rally.

The group charged through Carmel Valley and over the 101 freeway to familiar landscape from a previous event, Rally From Home South. As the day progressed, we were met with smooth tarmac and ideal weather. The routes were getting nice and twisty when everybody decided to regroup in the middle of the mountains to chat, laugh, and go pee-pee. Matt Farah and his lovely wife Hannah attended the rally in the new Nürburgring Edition AMG GT Black, redefining what It means to bring “a bazooka to a boxing match”(@thesmokingtire). The racecar was parked roadside next to some period correct vehicles and the sheer size was evidence of its contemporary roots. The car wasn’t ideal for the event because of its width and ride height, but the car’s finer details and carbon fiber work were spectacular. Contrasting the GT Black was an absolute killer 190e 2.3 16v owned by Bid Nerd’s very own- Michael Deeb. The car was the epitome of 1990’s Mercedes Benz and showcased the artful simplicity of Rad era styling against the massive curves and aerodynamic design of the GT. After this quick breather we charged on to Parkfield, a small town owned by V6 Ranch that’s known for its quirky restaurant and quant scenery. An awesome uphill section led to a three-mile dirt road that dropped us directly into town. Although it was littered with rocks and the occasional washboard texture, the downhill was spirited and very technically challenging. After the three-mile long butthole pucker, it was time to slam pizza and collect some photos of everybody’s cars in the dusty and unique scenery.

Parkfield is surreal. Earthquake capitol of California, the town is established almost directly on the San Andreas fault which is the exact reason the population has settled at eighteen. Parkfield was seemingly run by a band of corgi’s and the occasional stray cat that ate hardy due to the excess of pizza crust the group was handing out from lunch. With a ball of dough settling in the tummy we bailed to Paso Robles for the end of the first day. Upon arrival we discovered a fallen soldier, Drew’s Volvo V90 with an LS swap blew the differential from a “spirited” take-off, marking the one and only breakdown on the entire rally. We would pour one out for the Vololvo in the parking lot shortly after. Once checked in, the group headed to a downtown Irish watering hole named Pappy McGregor’s. DWA! treated us to a hosted dinner by a taco man who served Mexican food like Kobe played basketball, with all time greatness. After the celebrations we headed back to our beds to catch Z’s for an action-packed day two.

The Siberian winter resumed on day two as we woke up to our cars laminated in a fine layer of ice. After fueling up and tossing water on the windshield, the group collected at the Downtown City Park to have a driver’s meeting in preparation for the day. Trying slow, we skidaddled out of Paso and ultimately headed towards Taft, a small town in the southwestern edge of the San Juaquin Valley. After a short drive out of town, we dove into a rollercoaster section that was paved with intense camber and banks more extreme than any road I’ve ever seen. Nose to tail, batches of the most rad cars charged through the fall foliage and into nirvana. At the end of the thoroughfare was a dirt turnout and the entire group pulled over to recount how unbelievable the road was.

Day two would continue to be breathtaking as we bombed through the Coastal Range and into the desolate dry landscape surrounding Soda Lake. A pilar of DWA! rallies is the sheer diversity that presents itself anytime the group gathers in the wild. BMW is always well represented by a mix of E30, E36, and E46’s that perform exceptionally in the various terrains. The cars possess a balance and performance edge that is only eclipsed by the enormous number of Porsche 911’s that come to play. The 911 contingent was strong on this rally which is not unusual, what was particularly compelling was the unmatched quality. The group of prime time 911s were on show at the Soda Lake overlook where the entire group met up for a photo op and a short walk up the hill to have a great view of the entire valley. After the mini-Radwood show, we bombed some exceptional roads to Taft and back home to Paso Robles for a hosted dinner at a prime-time beer garden, The Backyard.

The group gathered around after dinner for the awards and to celebrate the crew for organizing another excellent rally. For each event, the attendees get the opportunity to nominate somebody for “people’s choice”. This award is given to an individual(s) who represents the rally spirit and convinces the group that they brought something special to the event. For Coastal Range Rally Classic, these people were Joe DeBattista and his wife Sabrina. This crazy couple has been a staple on past rallies and always seem to find their way into whacky cars like a fully raced out 60’s Mustang, a Peugeot, a Herbie the Lovebug replica, and for this event, a Mercury Marauder. Yes. An automatic big body Ford that was driven like a bat out of hell. Not only was the car a unique choice, but Joe and Sabrina are also always approachable and in good spirits despite any shortcomings they may face with their odd automotive choices. Bravo Joe. You deserve it.

The third day tends to be a short one, but no less enjoyable by driving standards. We toured through the vineyards and across some rural landscape that led us to Cambria. From there, our last destination was the “Elephant Seal” vista point located on HWY 1. We all met in the parking lot to do final photos and give proper goodbyes to our friends from down south. The rally was an absolute success. We covered close to 800 miles over three days and the rally went without any incidents. This is a testament to the excellent curation of roads and expert guidance from Warren, Lane, and Art. Attending a rally is an absolute pleasure. Having access to the combined knowledge of the DWA! crew for routes, landmarks, and entertainment is worth its weight in gold. Thank you for the opportunity to rip, see you in the spring.