Hummer takes on sports cars in rally

By CONSTANCE SEE

Whitefish Pilot

A chance to meet Paris Hilton wasn't the impetus behind driver Rick Blake and co-pilot Jim Archer's decision to participate in the invitation-only 2007 Bullrun rally last week.

Beginning in Montreal, Quebec, on May 12 and finishing in Key West, Fla., on May 18, this was the fourth annual Bullrun rally.

Hilton was a flag girl in the first rally in 2004 and was scheduled to race this year, but when the heiress was caught driving with a suspended license, violating her alcohol-related probation, and a judge on May 4 sentenced her to jail, she dropped out of the race.

The Big Sky Boys team from Whitefish didn't even notice. That's not why Blake paid the $17,500 entrance fee and joined the 65-car rally. With special detailing promoting Hope Ranch, a therapeutic school for teenage girls north of Whitefish, the men hoped to raise funds and awareness of the non-profit school where Blake served on the board of directors for four years.

Blake and Archer even ignored the invitation they received on Wednesday to attend a rally party at the Firestone Club in Orlando where Hilton, out on bail, was scheduled to show up.

"I'm not going to the club," Blake said. "It's 10 miles away, and I'm not big into the party scene. I'm 48, not 22."

More important than Hilton and her paparazzi, last Wednesday marked the day when the Whitefish team moved ahead of 12 other cars into seventh place after they escaped the long arm of the law.

"In our Hummer, we got up to 92 one day, but some of these cars can do 230 to 250 mph," Blake said. "We were somewhere in Georgia when a cop pulled over a car ahead of us driving 130. When that happened, 12 other cars hit the first exit to try to run and hide. That tanked the cop. He left the car he'd pulled over, whipped around and arrested all the others. Took them off in handcuffs. They all posted the $1,250 bond. We finished in seventh place that night."

The Big Sky Boys were in a custom H1 Alpha Hummer. Blake said only 400 were made for civilians. The Alpha has a 6.6 liter turbocharged Duramax diesel engine. He moved the seats back, added seat massagers for the long ride and, most importantly, two navigation systems.

Blake said other drivers told him they're carrying radar detectors, multiple police scanners and radar jammers.

The Montana men are taking on custom-built cars, including a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo SE, a 2006 Porsche Cayenne and a Porsche Carrera 4S.

"Paul and Sean from Britain shipped their Peugot over," Blake said. "The car started breaking down. Finally, they left it in the shop and rented a Crossfire to continue the rally. Two fellows from Boston rented a Cadillac and they're competing in a rental. There was even a 1976 Trans Am like Burt Reynolds rode in the Cannonball Run."

Each morning, the drivers were given a 3- by-5 card with their next destination. The team could select the route that best fits their vehicle's capacity.

Blake said his Hummer is not very swift around winding mountain bends. He tried to avoid the mandatory racetrack run last Thursday morning that placed them in the back of the pack.

Staying ticket-free and safe are the men's top goals while having fun and promoting their cause.

Hope Ranch and its school, the Star Meadows Academy, currently have 25 students with the capacity for up to 36.

"We're an emotional-growth school for teenage girls struggling with emotional issues like depression and substance abuse," said director Linda Carpenter.

Executive director since 2003, Carpenter was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.

A non-denominational Christian-based program, she said the staff believe a spiritual component is part of the key pathwork the girls take on when they sign up.

The school has just started a soccer league. They're putting in a beach volleyball court and are trying to raise funds to finish two new buildings including a dining hall.

"What surprises me is the number of teenage kids that suffer from depression," Carpenter said. "There's data out there that says two-thirds of all high school kids are suffering from some level of depression. We have a lot of girls with post-traumatic stress from traumas, including substance abuse, sexual abuse or head injuries from accidents."

Students ages 13-17 attend Hope Ranch for an average of 15 months. Many keep in contact by phone, e-mail or drop by after graduation to maintain the friendships they made.

Blake said he almost didn't make the rally when two of his friends were unable to co-pilot.

"When my second choice said his wife was planning something this week, I started sweating," Blake said. "I called up Jim and said, 'Let's meet for lunch.' I told him about the rally and he agreed to be my co-pilot. Jim handled all the phone calls and read the maps, entering coordinates into the system. I couldn't have done it without him."

On the road, Blake and Archer met a new friend, David Katz, a New York Mets board member.

"Katz is a big hunter," Blake said. "He'll be visiting us in Montana pretty soon."