A Movement of Car Enthusiasts – Interview with Founder of GreenLight America

As a car enthusiast, it’s not often that you get the opportunity to take a road trip in your modified car. It’s even less common to go on a long distance drive with a group of other car enthusiasts. This year, you have a chance to be part of the first of what could be a series of rallies across the country. The GreenLight America rally will be departing from Portland, Oregon on June 27th, 2013 and will be arriving 1500 miles away in Las Vegas, Nevada 2 days later. Even though the drive itself and the chosen route should be epic in its own right, the organizers have picked some awesome pit stops along the way to make sure the participants get an even more memorable experience.

I first heard about the GreenLight America rally on the Import Meet forums. The organizer created a post promoting it in the Pacific Northwest section. I saw the post and immediately needed to know more about the event. I got in contact with the founder of GreenLight America and was able to ask him some in-depth questions about how this ambitious event originated and his plans for the future.

How it All Began

Ryan Charboneau founded GreenLight America with the primary goal of organizing an affordable alternative to rallies like the Gumball 3000. Ryan wanted to take the fundamentals of the Gumball 3000 rally and apply them on a smaller scale and make the event affordable for the average enthusiast.

Ryan describes the event as a “movement of car enthusiasts.” Although 1500 miles might seem like a long journey, checkpoints have been picked out that appeal to just about anyone (even girlfriends/wives). At these checkpoints, the participants can take a break from the long distance driving and get to know their fellow enthusiasts in a motorsports related activity. They also plan on staying at some of the nicest hotels available along the pre-determined route to Las Vegas.

The Inspiration for GreenLight America

When I asked Ryan about his inspiration for GreenLight America he said: “My inspiration for the event came from my love for cars and taking road trips. I have always been fascinated by the Gumball 3000 and love the idea of seeing the country one road at a time.”

“GreenLight America’s hope is to bring the road rally concept to the west coast and give people an opportunity to explore the northwest one road at a time,” Ryan explains.

For now, Ryan’s primary goal is to promote GreenLight America in any way that he can. He’s already posted the event on various regional car forums and is using social media to get the word out. His secondary goal is to team up with car clubs and businesses and get their support. Over the last few months, he’s been contacting them and many have been very supportive of the event.

 “We want to create an environment and outlet for car lovers to connect with one another and have the opportunity to drive their cars. There is a special feeling you get when it’s you, your car, and the open road. We want to bring this to any car enthusiast willing in an organized and safe manner,” he said.

His long term plan for the organization and future events is to spread across the country and not be constrained to the northwest. This may take a few years, but with the support of the car enthusiast community, it’s definitely possible. Ryan dreams of one day organizing a rally that stretches from coast to coast.

The Plan

Day 1 – June 27th 2013

Portland, OR to Boise, ID
Checkpoint: Fast Lane Boise (private indoor kart racing session)

Day 2 – June 28th 2013

Boise, ID to Reno, NV
Checkpoint: Reno Fernley Raceway (supervised track day – road racing and drag racing)

Day 3 – June 29th 2013

Reno, NV to Las Vegas, NV
Checkpoint: MGM Grand (Private party at Las Vegas nightclub)

The Route

I asked Ryan how he came up with the route for the first GreenLight America event. He said: “The route was selected based on two criteria. The first was the roads that the group would encounter along each leg of the trip. Right now, each leg offers a variety of speeds and sights that will give drivers the best driving experience. The second is the cities that we plan on staying in. Each city along the route offers a variety of fine dining, hotels and night life that will ensure that our time off the road will be just as entertaining as the time on the road.”

To ensure that this drive is as good as it looks on paper, Ryan confirmed that each member of the GreenLight America team has traveled the route. By driving it themselves, it allowed them to select the best driving route, the finest hotels, and confirm that all of the roads will be safe for the participants.

How to Register

Registrations for the GreenLight America are open on their website. Although some people might see the $1295 sticker price and be scared away, keep in mind that this price includes 3 nights in luxury hotels, a private karting day, a private track day and a private party at a high-end nightclub in Las Vegas. They will also be providing a full decal package for each vehicle. This price includes admission for 1 vehicle and driver and 1 extra passenger.

If you’re on the fence, make sure to register before April 1st since the price will go up to $1500.

Click here to register for the GreenLight America rally

Want to know more about GreenLight America? Check out their website here.