Ram Power Wagon and Chevy Colorado ZR2: Stock Trucks Shine at the 2017 Rebelle Rally

2018 chevy colorado zr2 rebelle female girl rally
Chevy Colorado ZR2 (photo credit: Rebelle Rally)

The 2017 running of the Rebelle Rally is a 1,200 mile week-long rally complete with two all-stock pickup trucks on the podium. The Rebelle Rally is an annual endurance off-road event with all female competitors. The rally covers nearly every off-road terrain you can think of (with the exception of mud) through the Nevada and California deserts. This rally is not about flat-out speed. It’s about teamwork, navigation for shortest path between checkpoints, and precision off-road driving during the Time Speed Challenge (TSC) stages.

Out of the 36 teams that entered the race this year, half used Jeep Wranglers as their off-road racing machines. In fact, a modified 1999 Jeep TJ won the rally overall. A stock Ram Power Wagon of Nena Barlow and Chris Mayne won the “Bone Stock” 4×4 vehicle class and came in second overall. A stock Chevy Colorado ZR2 of Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe came in third overall to round out the podium.

Ram Power Wagon Rebelle Rally (photo credit: Nena Barlow)

Nena Barlow says: “The Rebelle Rally is all about teamwork. Each team consists of three teammates: driver, navigator, and vehicle. If all three work great together, that is the key to success.” Nena reports that the Power Wagon was a great off-road racer for this rally despite its formidable size and weight. The truck was not that completely at home in high speed desert sections, but it shined in rocky terrain, dunes, canyons, and steep climbs.

The Rebelle Rally is scored on the team’s ability to navigate difficult terrain without the use of GPS (no smartphones are allowed here). It’s about paper maps, compasses, and raw terrain navigation skills. The team with the shortest distance traveled between checkpoints wins.

Emme Hall recollects: “This year’s rally was more challenging than the inaugural 2016 rally. The terrain and windy weather during the week made it for an exciting challenge.”

The TSC stages are timed road-book based challenges. There is a set travel distance that each competitor must complete within three seconds of a set time. If you are too fast or too slow, you lose points.

Here is the 2017 Ram Power Wagon on TFLtruck’s most difficult off-road test – the Cliffhanger 2.0.

The Chevy Colorado ZR2 takes on the Cliffhanger 2.0 mountain trail side-by-side with Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon.