Rebelle Rally is one of the most unique motorsports events. In essence, it is a 10 day, 1.600-mile navigational rally. America’s first all-woman rally raid takes place in the unforgiving and gruesome Nevada and California deserts, where the temperature changes are extreme, the terrain is terrifying, navigation is hard and driving conditions are unfavorable to put it kindly.

376 women endured the terrain, conditions, and overcame the difficulties since the rally’s inaugural race in 2016. They tested the limits of cars like the new Ford Bronco, and drove some unique and awesome cars, like this Rivian R1T, to ever cross a rally event's starting line. Here are 10 facts about the Rebelle Rally.

Related: These Are The Greatest Group A Rally Cars Ever

10 Founded By Emily Miller

Via: Rebelle Rally

Emily Miller’s name is well-known in the off-road racing and rally community. She is trained by Rod Hall, who is the winningest off-road racer of all time and an overall motorsports legend. Miller’s career started in 2004. During her driving years, she had accumulated several class victories at Baja 1000 and Vegas to Reno, the longest rally in the US.

Via: Ford Motor Co.

She is also the first and the only Ironwoman, she drove the aforementioned Vegas to Reno rally all by herself to become one, she did it twice and won the three-day race in 2009. Now, she is inspiring and teaching women to drive and enjoy off-road and rallying.

9 Longest Competitive Off-Road Rally In The US

Via: Rebelle Rally

Rebelle rally is the longest competitive rally, both in terms of distance and time. It takes 10 days with 8 days of driving and while the course is a closely guarded secret, it is known to be the longest off-road rally raid in the US. It is held in October of every year since 2016.

Via: Ford Motor Company

It is one of the most grueling rallies on the planet, and it happens to be all female. Participants cover close to 200 miles every day to find checkpoints. There are several awards, both for cars and the teams.

8 The Course Changes Every Year

Via: Rebelle Rally

Rebelle rally traditionally starts near Lake Tahoe but the course changes every year to provide additional challenges to the teams. This is important because, before all, Rebelle is a navigational rally, and some teams join the rally every year. This way, they keep the competition fair and clean.

Via: Ford Motor Company

But in general, it took place around the deserts of Nevada and California and extended all the way to the Mexico border. The teams need to navigate and drive precisely around the extreme landscape of the deserts

Related: Everything We Know About Extreme E Off Road Racing

7 Speed Is Important But Not The Key

Via: Rebelle Rally

It is not just a race of speed. The course has a little bit of everything, and it is important to approach the challenges carefully. Teams drive for 10-12 hours every day, testing their own and the car’s endurance. They have to cross dunes and crawl rocks like an off-road race and time their moves.

There are no tarmac routes in the course, so the speed is not of the essence like it is in many motorsports, but the precision and strategy is. Teams have to plan their days carefully in order to win.

6 Totally Analog Navigation

Via: Rivian

One of the defining features of Rebelle Rally is teams depend solely on a map and a compass to find their way through the desert. They surrender their phones, GPS devices, and computers at the start of the race. This adds a layer of complexity to the race as it’s hard to navigate through the desert landscape without any technological help.

Via: Ram Trucks

The role of a navigator is important when competing in Rebelle Rally. As the checkpoints are secret, the drivers rely solely on their teammates to stay competitive throughout the race. The navigators need to set a good route to the next checkpoint while the drivers skillfully climb over rocks and sand dunes.

5 Mostly Stock Cars and Jeeps

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To race, you just need a 4WD or AWD car. As this is the only rule regarding the cars, the field is pretty diverse. Most of the teams race in stock cars and the stock cars are all you need, according to Emily Miller. They even have their own class as “Bone Stock”

Via: Rebelle Rally

Not all cars are created equal. Teams need sturdy vehicles to stay competitive. While the cars are very diverse, the most popular cars are Jeep Wrangler and Rubicon, and Subaru Forester. These cars are off-road capable even if they are stock. That’s why they are so common in rally raids.

4 Some Of The Most Interesting Rally Cars Ever

Via: Rolls-Royce Motor Co.

The field has its fair share of the usual suspects like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Subaru Forester. But it has some interesting choices too. Some cars you never think that could rally whether they are too expensive for rally raid or because of technical reasons. But Rebelle Rally has one of the most diverse cars of any motorsport organization.

Via: Rivian

There are cars like the Mercedes-Benz G550, which is a $300.000 luxury SUV, Rivian’s fully electric pick-up truck, the R1T, some old school and cool cars like Ford Bronco and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, probably the most luxurious crossover-SUV on the market right now, and winner of the 2019 Crossover class.

3 The Proving Grounds For the Manufacturers

Via: Ford

Toyota, Honda, Ford, Ram, Rivian, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Rolls-Royce, and many more. They all sponsor cars, send factory teams, some send engineers and mechanics. They all want to win and test their vehicles' off-road capabilities. Cars like the new Bronco made their first outings while racing the Rebelle Rally.

Via: Rebelle Rally

Rebelle is one of the most hardcore off-road rallies ever, and it tests the limits of women and the machine. To win, you simply have to be the best. Manufacturers prove their designs, get an understanding of the endurance and compete to build the best cars.

Related: 2020 Rebelle Rally-Prepped Nissan Frontier Debuts NISMO's New Off-Road Performance Parts

2 The Ultimate Off-Road Challenge

Via: Rebelle Rally

The course for the Rebelle Rally changes every year and presents a new set of challenges along the way. It’s the ultimate off-road challenge because having the best car is not always the answer. The terrain is treacherous, and one calculation error can put you out of contention if you got stuck on soft sand and couldn’t get out or facing an impassable sand dune.

Via: Ram Trucks

The women do everything to beat the tricky terrain, the extreme temperature changes, the hard-to-predict weather. To win, you have to be prepared for the hard times and plan your moves strategically.

1 Any Woman Can Race

Via Rebelle Rally

While the Rebelle Rally is one of the most grueling races around, you don’t have to be a professional racer to take part in it. If you took part in your local off-road events or do some desert driving, you can race at Rebelle Rally. The rookies are encouraged to race and there are both online and on-site training.

Via: Ford Motor Company

Rebelle Rally is the longest rally raid in the US, you will race on a challenging desert landscape and try to master ever-changing conditions, due to rain and wind. It only happens to be an all-female race. If you think you are up for the challenge and have a 4WD or AWD car, you can take part in this competition. 

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