The rally truck driven by Dan Spalinger and co-piloted by Ben Nadeau makes a turn during an event.
The New England Forest Rally is returning to western Maine and northern New Hampshire this weekend, and so are the big names of Travis Pastrana and David Higgins, among others.
A new name in this year’s event is Lewiston native and Hebron resident Ben Nadeau, who will be the co-driver for Dan Spalinger in a 2009 Nissan Frontier rally truck.
The 27th New England Forest Rally is a two-day event taking place around Newry, Maine, and Errol, New Hampshire. It’s also the fifth round of the American Rally Association National Championship.
Both Pastrana and Higgins will look to get back on top of the podium. Seamus Burke and Martin Brady won last year’s event, ending Higgins’ two-year run alongside co-driver Craig Drew. Pastrana will be gunning for his first win since taking three of four events from 2007 to 2010.
Higgins and Pastrana are also currently competing closely for the ARA open class title.
Other names to remember in the field are Irishmen Barry McKenna and multiple-time rally champion Andrew Comrie-Picard.
John Cassidy and his Last Ditch Racing team out of Bangor have been knocking on the door of competing with the big names. Cassidy is a NEFR veteran.
Like many teams, Spalinger and Nadeau will attempt to just make it to the end of the two-day event, let alone competing for a title. The multi-stage race is as much a battle of attrition as it is a battle of speed. The event is broken down into 13 stages totaling more than 110 miles of dirt-road racing against the clock. Breaking down is always a possibility, no matter the driver or the car (or truck, in Spalinger and Nadeau’s case).
The Nissan Frontier of Dan Spalinger and ben Nadeau sits idle during an expo before an event recently.
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