Sunrise is Happiness Rally in Ohio, NARRA, late 70s

Looking for information on this rally. Basically anything. Pics, stories, exact location even. Im doing some historical studies if you will.

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

Well, first of all the name was Happiness is Sunrise, which might make for a more successful Google search.

Unfortunately probably the best source of info on this, RallyRacingNews.com, appears to be down at the moment.

Seems like it was run out of New York and Pennsylvania through the years as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2011 03:36PM by Doivi Clarkinen.

In the 70's the event was first based out of Olean, NY then Coudersport, PA. and run in early August. The events I went to in Coudersport, which is about 45 west of Wellsboro PA, were based out of the Potato City Inn with a spectator stage across the street from the Inn.
From what I remember the event started in late afternoon and finished up not long after midnight due to a compact route.
The one thing I remember clearly from one of the last events run the was spectating the last stage and John Buffum running it twice in the TR8, the second pass he was mixed in at the back of the pack, which seemed a little strange since the stage wasn't run twice in the schedule. The next morning on the way home we stopped at a diner for breakfast and Buffum was there. We asked if he did run the stage twice and he said, "Yea, I took him for a ride the second time", pointing to a kid next to John. The him was, I believe, a teenage Paul Choiniere.

Things were a little looser back then.

Sean Gallagher

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2WD...Less Traction More Action!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2011 10:14PM by stgallagher.

excellent thank you! Im trying to put together as much as possible of rallyings past, especially before its forgotten.

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

The Happiness is Sunrise Rally started out in 1968 as a 12 hour night rally put on by the Volvo Car Club of Western NY. I layed out the 1st year's event as a 250 mile TDS event around Western NY. Some say 1969, but I entered the Navy before the 1969 event and I had for many years a 1968 dash plaque in my collection. It stayed a local TDS rally for a few years before turning into the closed road event in Potter County, PA. It was held in PA because NY state would not close back roads and allow unlimited speed events, at the time. I believe that NARRA and SCCA sponsored the event the last year, but there's was some fallout between SCCA and NARRA or NARRA and the FIA. I worked the course the last year it was run and I believe John Buffum won that year in a rally prepared Porsche 911.

Your'e confusing 2 events. Sunriser 400 was in Ohio.

Happiness is Sunrise (HIS) was in PA, around Coudersport and Galeton PA. In the late 70's it used some of its easternmost stages used at that time were used as the westernmost stages of STPR. HIS was often HQd at the Potato City Motor Inn in US6 east of Coudersport. It was the first event I entered in ought'77 (DNS, scuffed piston driving the car to the event and figured out why 10 years later.....) and I navvied there in '80.

Sunriser 400 was HQ'd in Chillicothe OH and ran in numerous state forsts east and then south and the SW. It would run all the way down to the Ohio River town of Portsmouth and then back up to Chillicothe. In later years it ran a couple of times from Circleville. With the long route, it really was an endruance classic and you typcially got 125 to 150 stage miles in as many as 30 stages, starting Sat afteroon and ending as the dawn broke on Sunday. I saw one car careen off the road on a transit with the driver falling asleep, we got so tired. But you would be amazed at how adreniline would wake you up as the starter yelled "Go!"

If you come to SB or RWV, I'll drive you screaming out of the room with stories.....and I probably have a very limited number compared to many guys and gals.

There also was a Blue Heron Rally out of Erie, PA that was a TDS event. I don't remember the details as to what club ran the event.

SUNRISER 400

My favorite rally ever.

Never made it there. What made it you favorite?

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Don Kennedy

Quote
imnotcrazy
Never made it there. What made it you favorite?

24 HOURS!!! Trying to stay awake on transits, and then suddenly the adrenaline kicking in at the beginning of each stage.

Morning with the sun coming up was a special time (tired, but still rallying).

I would have loved to run the East African Safari (and other long rallies), but couldn't afford to.

There's a sunriser facebook group with some activity.

https://www.facebook.com/FansOfTheSunriser400

Right in my backyard and some great roads but the organizers don't seem too motivated to push into getting a for-real stage rally going. Roadblock seems to be not-rally-friendly-authorities with the ODNR or whatever. Not sure if a whiz-bang sales job and spon$or backing could actually put it over the hump or not.