11-Aug-16 – It is not a race but competitive drivers from Minneapolis will converge on Chicago this weekend. After finishing the third annual Crown Rally, they will stay overnight at the new LondonHouse hotel on Wacker Drive. Crews will arrive at the hotel between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. after driving from an undisclosed location in Wisconsin.

Organizers call the event a “navigational adventure.” 100 teams, each consisting of a driver, navigator, and optional entourage, will drive 750 miles on back roads, crossing 12 checkpoints. They must select the best routes while competing in various challenges. Obeying speed limits and other traffic laws, the goal is to arrive at the finish line as close to the time set a week ago by a Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Before arriving in Chicago, the rally will be at a private drag strip “one and a half hours north of Chicago,” according to rally co-founder Justin Brouwer.

Each team paid an entry fee of at least $1,500, with $100 going to charity. Although the rally is open to all makes and models, most of the vehicles entered in the event are exotic, luxury, and sports cars.

Last year, rally cars and participants stayed overnight at Hotel Chicago across the river from LondonHouse. In July, the hotel at Marina City hosted participants in the Rally Kings driving event from Detroit to Chicago and back.

(Right) A 2013 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve “Joker” Scoggins and Jocie “Harley Quinn” Scoggins, two participants in the Rally Kings driving event. The cars parked overnight at Marina City on July 23 as drivers stayed at Hotel Chicago. Photo by Bob Martin.

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