Ryan Millen and his 2016 Toyota RAV4 finished strong at the New England Forest Rally, earning a second-place victory. It's a strategic win that keeps them in the running for the championship, with only two more races left.
Licensed by Rally America, NEFR is one of six National Championship rallies that take place in the U.S. It is held on the back roads and logging tracks of western Maine and northern New Hampshire. The 100-mile course is littered with big stones and windy roads, making it very difficult for even the most seasoned racers.
At the close of NEFR’s Stage 1, Ryan Millen fell behind two other competitors by only a few seconds. However, by Stage 3, the RAV4 strategically moved into second place, ending the first day of the two-day race. On the final day, Millen pushed his 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE to end the competition with a second-place victory. Millen finished the rally with a total time of 1:34:18.8 over 10 stages, a sparse 13.8 seconds off of first place. “The stages were fast and flowy,” said Millen. “Day one had us trailing slightly, but we knew most of the rally took place the next day, so that’s where the real time could be made.”
The 2016 RAV4 ran like a champ throughout the entire race. The only problem it encountered was a bent wheel. "It was a nearly perfect drive," said Millen. "I gave it all I had. We didn’t leave much on the table. I’d love to have had a five point lead going into the next race, but second keeps us in the hunt, and we’re feeling good going into the last couple races of the season."
Millen and his team now move onto the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota on August 26, 2016.
