SDHQ Racing

We’re kicking off your morning with some live action at the with and in the ! Hit the link in the bio to check it out the live broadcast!

🔥

All dressed up, nowhere to go…for less than a week!

The final countdown is on, and then it’s time to make those lists, check em twice, and head to tech.

Shouts to , ; and today of all days, - for giving us the opportunity to compete in this year!

Rebelles are built a little different.

📍: Somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert.
📅: The morning after the SEMA show.
🛻: Stunning (as always, but especially in that soft sunrise light).
📷:

Who's ready to go play in the desert?

with BuiltRight Industries!

When it comes to high-quality storage solutions on the Rebelle Rally , there was never a doubt that we wanted to work with the team at BuiltRight Industries.

One of the most challenging parts of the day-to-day during the Rebelle is the "stuff" management - most off-road rigs don't deal with office supplies floating around the cabin (think pencils, rulers, post-its, giant clipboards). When you need those things, and you're in a time crunch, you don't have the luxury of casually hunting around for them. After basically living out of a mobile office for a week plus, you just want to have what you need at the ready.

We collaborated with them to make sure we had all of our most important stuff right at hand - from ways to store our water bottles and hydration systems (on our seatback molle panels) to where to store extra pencils, highlighters, and rulers within an easy reach (in a BR pouch on the door). They helped us ensure the necessities we'd need at night (our stove, sleeping bags, and more) were secured non-projectiles that we could easily grab without digging for stuff at the end of a long day on the trail.

BuiltRight truly knows what they're doing when it comes to durable, well-made storage solutions, and the versatility of their panel systems is unmatched. We're proud to be running BuiltRight products as we reflect on 2023, and prep for 2024! With one year in the books, we'll show you some of the changes we're making soon!

It's 's birthday!

Help her celebrate this milestone with a little gift - after all, 21 is big deal!

She likes great sushi, desert tortoises older than she is, big trucks, and most of all - help offsetting the costs of the .

Pick up a gift card in her name at https://www.rebellerally.com/product/gift-card/, or click that link in our bio!

If you really don't love her enough to do that, I guess she'll have to settle for birthday wishes. Drop 'em below!

from 2023 😍

SDHQ Racing SDHQ Racing is Serena Pruett (SDHQ Offroad) and Kirstin Backes (COBB Tuning).

✅ Rebelle Rally 2023

Now loading... Rebelle Rally 2024

to what SHOULD have been the worst part of the Rebelle for SDHQ Racing (and a couple of reasons why it wasn't that bad).

The night before this photo was taken, we were flying high - we'd landed in Ridgecrest after the first marathon night, and our first goal for the week had been accomplished: clawing our way into the (incredibly competitive) 4x4 Group A - the top half of the (4x4) pack.

And it was on to Goal #2: Hit the middle of Group A, top 25%.

The night that this photo was taken, that goal had to be forgotten. Two flat tires (and only one spare) took us off the trail between checkpoints 1 & 2, and we were done for the day, while the heroes at the mechanics truck (and back on the home front at ) worked magic to pull us back in for Day 5.

We collected a total of 28 points, and lost 40 in penalties for on-course assistance and outside assistance (the tire delivery). End of day total: 0 points, by the mercy of the rule book (and the fact that negative scores don't exist). But there was no way around that. We threw the day in the fu....back seat.

We could've been demoralized, but instead - we re-plotted, re-strategized, put our heads together, and were able to support our fellow Rebelles as they came off the tail end of a long, tough day.

All we could do was move on, and keep our spirits up. Well, that and sneak in showers while base camp was empty in the middle of the day. Hey, back off. We needed them after rolling around in the dirt digging out the truck. Sweat + trail dust = muddy people. Gross.

In the end, it was a test of our team. We could have chosen a better route, we could've taken a different line. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

None of that mattered. We were still in it together.

The Rebelle Rally doesn't break teams - teams break teams. And we didn't break.

No blame game, no shame game. Heads on straight, and a new plan. Only one team (well, two I guess...) can win the Rebelle, but every team has a chance to win the day, every day. SDHQ Racing won day 4, with a goose egg on the board.

Teamwork makes the dream work, brother.

Want to know what a day on the Rebelle Rally is like?

Here's 's take on a day in the life, with editor's notes from .

Wake up at 5 am [K: to Emily's cowbell]

Wait in line for the bathroom

Go to the big tent and claim your table

Plot plot plot, route plan

Grab breakfast and snacks that you will forget to eat

Haul everything to the truck

Load up, helmets on [K: this is where I immediately begin whining about the helmet.]

Jess says good morning and sends you to the starting line.

Shuffle everything in the truck while you move up [K: Pretend it's not nerves, and is instead a deep need for organization.]

Game face ON

[K: game face immediately destroyed by a live camera and Katie knocking on your window with a mic in hand.]

Hurry off the line (at walking speed) so you're not dusting everyone out

Panic because you never know if you are doing it right [K: hopefully this in year 2? Probably not.]

While you are driving, double check that what you are trying to get to is actually possible in the amount of time that you have to get there. [K: this is SO hard. Staying confident, but not too ambitious is the key to not derailing an entire days points.]

Get lost [K: panic, experience deep, but short-lived, shame from the right seat]
Regroup
Back on track

Snag a juicy black diamond

Blue point
Green point
Blue point

Why are there so many flags?! Okay, just pick the right one.

Green checkpoint

Why isn't this on the map?! [K: It's a trick! It's not your checkpoint! Move along!]

Blue point
Blue point

Eat some sunflower seeds, and suddenly remember that water is something you should have from time to time.

Blue Point
Blue Point

Finish line in the nick of time

Find the homies

Lick your wounds, calm down teams that maybe.... didn't have the best day

Set up camp
[K: This is where you shower on great days, and take a baby wipe shower on the good days - water is super limited, and showers are a luxury when you're on the rally.]

Delightful dinner with friends

[K: Read your scores as they come out and celebrate/cry, aspire to be less competitive with yourself]

Ear plugs in

Knock out and repeat!