Club Happenings – Fall 2019: Whack Your Turkey Rally
by NJ BMW CCA
By Jeff White
It was a cold and rainy morning on the last Sunday in November when an intrepid group of 52 club members, friends and family gathered in Flemington to run the NJ Chapter’s annual Whack Your Turkey rally. Once again, the rally was being run as a charity event to benefit NORWESCAP, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping low income families in northwest New Jersey through a variety of services including a food bank and nutrition assistance.
First time Rallymasters Tim Farnsworth and Rob Chrzanowski decided that having run as participants for many years, it was time to sit on the other side of the scorer’s table and be the fiendish clue-masters. The rally route began at the Flemington circle and sent us through a combination of winding back roads searching for clues connected by stretches of higher speed country roads where drivers and navigators could catch their breath and just drive.
We enjoyed views of Flemington, surrounding farms, Stanton, up to Quakertown and then around Clinton. It is likely that this route set a new NJ Chapter record for the most single lane bridges crossed in a single drive – some of which were beautiful, old iron bridges. We finished at the Clinton Station Diner where early arrivals filled the antique rail car dining area with the overflow crowd in the main dining room.
When all the scores were tallied (and pleas for alternate answers denied), the class winners were announced. In the Competition Class, Andy and Liz Potechko edged out the runner-up team of Neil Gambony and Ross Karlin out of a field of 11 teams. Their prize was a pair of watches. In Family Class, Joaquim Noronha and family took first place out of a field of 7 teams. Their prize was a 2-year extension to their BMW CCA membership. However, no one went home empty handed as door prizes were available for everyone courtesy of Chapter sponsors and excess Chapter inventory. Most importantly, we raised in excess of $600 for NORWESCAP to provide food assistance for those in need during this holiday season.
If you didn’t make it this year, plan to come next season. It is a great way to see scenic rural roads in NJ that you are likely not to have driven, you can bring the kids and it supports a great cause.