By Kristin Shaw, GM News contributor
By Kristin Shaw, GM News contributor
In 2024, Nicole McKinnon, program manager for offroad racing, tackled the Rebelle Rally for the first time in a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. At eight days, the Rebelle is the longest competitive off-road navigation rally in the United States. Don’t call this a race, though: it’s all about precision navigation, teamwork, and endurance.
This year, McKinnon teamed up with Savannah Theisen, vehicle software and integration lead, and they emerged with the Colorado ZR2 Bison battle-tested and unscathed. That’s an incredible feat, considering this year’s competition included an inordinate number of gnarly weather events, like the remnants of a hurricane. And flash floods that created rivers of mud. And high winds that swirled into a sandstorm.
The Milford Offroad Chicks, named for their shared love of raising chickens, were tasked with chasing 200-plus checkpoints across three states (California, Utah, and Navada) and more than 1,500 miles. Through it all, they counted on their Chevy truck to get them through it.
“The Colorado rose to every single challenge, and it handled it all in stride,” McKinnon says. “Mechanically, the truck was completely sound. Since both of us are engineers, our diagnostic skills are solid and we could handle anything we needed to adjust on the fly.”
Mapping the rally without digital tools
Drivers today are accustomed to their in-car navigation systems and smartphones for turn-by-turn instructions. Before the start of the Rebelle Rally, all competitors are required to deactivate their navigation systems or cover them completely. Plus, all electronic devices that include GPS – phones, laptops, smartwatches, and more – must be sealed for the duration of the competition.
Maps distributed during the rally aren’t the Rand McNally variety you may have grown up following in the back of your parents’ Chevrolet Caprice station wagon. Rebelle Rally maps are monochromatic topographical maps that show a mass of curved elevation lines spooned into each other, notched railroad lines, powerline paths, and trails. Sometimes, rally organizers delete key landmarks and routes to add to the challenge… as if it’s not already difficult enough. Through it all, the GM team kept their spirits high.
“I think we were smiling the entire time,” Theisen says. “We relished the rough and difficult stuff.”
For part of the rally, teams followed Route 66 and camped out across the street from Roy’s, a classic landmark along the way. A parade of trains typically blow their whistles and horns all night long, making good sleep elusive. Add sleep deprivation to the list of trials for a recipe for forging incredibly strong people. Veteran Rebelles call this “Type 2 fun”: something that may not be enjoyable at the time, but an experience to look back on with pride.
“The type of competition sets itself apart because of the complexity it brings to the table,” Theisen says. “It’s not just about being a skilled driver or being able to drive fast; it’s about navigating, time management, testing your precision and your communication skills. It’s all-encompassing.”
The Colorado ZR2 Bison finishes strong
Fast-paced desert rallies like the Baja 1000 are dominated by purpose-built, custom vehicles. In contrast, the Rebelle Rally was designed to be a showcase for stock production vehicles sitting in driveways around the world. The checkpoints are offered with alternate “X” options on craggier, rock-crawling terrain for vehicles that can take it on, and teams in crossover SUVs without a low-range transfer case can choose slightly smoother routes.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, McKinnon emphasizes, was immensely capable in the challenging terrain.
“We had a well-equipped and well-engineered vehicle,” she says. “Several people commented about how impressed they were with the truck. It represented the company and was an excellent reflection of our work and our products.”
It wasn’t just the truck that represented GM with class; McKinnon and Theisen also proved to be thoughtful, upbeat competitors who went out of their way to help others. For instance, they used their winch to help another vehicle that got stuck on a hill at the Glamis Imperial Sand Dunes. McKinnon and Theisen say it’s all worth the effort.
“It is one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had,” McKinnon says. “There is nothing that compares to the fun and the magnitude of human beings who surround you at the Rebelle Rally. It made me very proud to represent GM in a group of people who are collectively that incredible.”
In 2024, Nicole McKinnon, program manager for offroad racing, tackled the Rebelle Rally for the first time in a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. At eight days, the Rebelle is the longest competitive off-road navigation rally in the United States. Don’t call this a race, though: it’s all about precision navigation, teamwork, and endurance.
This year, McKinnon teamed up with Savannah Theisen, vehicle software and integration lead, and they emerged with the Colorado ZR2 Bison battle-tested and unscathed. That’s an incredible feat, considering this year’s competition included an inordinate number of gnarly weather events, like the remnants of a hurricane. And flash floods that created rivers of mud. And high winds that swirled into a sandstorm.
The Milford Offroad Chicks, named for their shared love of raising chickens, were tasked with chasing 200-plus checkpoints across three states (California, Utah, and Navada) and more than 1,500 miles. Through it all, they counted on their Chevy truck to get them through it.
“The Colorado rose to every single challenge, and it handled it all in stride,” McKinnon says. “Mechanically, the truck was completely sound. Since both of us are engineers, our diagnostic skills are solid and we could handle anything we needed to adjust on the fly.”
Mapping the rally without digital tools
Drivers today are accustomed to their in-car navigation systems and smartphones for turn-by-turn instructions. Before the start of the Rebelle Rally, all competitors are required to deactivate their navigation systems or cover them completely. Plus, all electronic devices that include GPS – phones, laptops, smartwatches, and more – must be sealed for the duration of the competition.
Maps distributed during the rally aren’t the Rand McNally variety you may have grown up following in the back of your parents’ Chevrolet Caprice station wagon. Rebelle Rally maps are monochromatic topographical maps that show a mass of curved elevation lines spooned into each other, notched railroad lines, powerline paths, and trails. Sometimes, rally organizers delete key landmarks and routes to add to the challenge… as if it’s not already difficult enough. Through it all, the GM team kept their spirits high.
“I think we were smiling the entire time,” Theisen says. “We relished the rough and difficult stuff.”
For part of the rally, teams followed Route 66 and camped out across the street from Roy’s, a classic landmark along the way. A parade of trains typically blow their whistles and horns all night long, making good sleep elusive. Add sleep deprivation to the list of trials for a recipe for forging incredibly strong people. Veteran Rebelles call this “Type 2 fun”: something that may not be enjoyable at the time, but an experience to look back on with pride.
“The type of competition sets itself apart because of the complexity it brings to the table,” Theisen says. “It’s not just about being a skilled driver or being able to drive fast; it’s about navigating, time management, testing your precision and your communication skills. It’s all-encompassing.”
The Colorado ZR2 Bison finishes strong
Fast-paced desert rallies like the Baja 1000 are dominated by purpose-built, custom vehicles. In contrast, the Rebelle Rally was designed to be a showcase for stock production vehicles sitting in driveways around the world. The checkpoints are offered with alternate “X” options on craggier, rock-crawling terrain for vehicles that can take it on, and teams in crossover SUVs without a low-range transfer case can choose slightly smoother routes.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, McKinnon emphasizes, was immensely capable in the challenging terrain.
“We had a well-equipped and well-engineered vehicle,” she says. “Several people commented about how impressed they were with the truck. It represented the company and was an excellent reflection of our work and our products.”
It wasn’t just the truck that represented GM with class; McKinnon and Theisen also proved to be thoughtful, upbeat competitors who went out of their way to help others. For instance, they used their winch to help another vehicle that got stuck on a hill at the Glamis Imperial Sand Dunes. McKinnon and Theisen say it’s all worth the effort.
“It is one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had,” McKinnon says. “There is nothing that compares to the fun and the magnitude of human beings who surround you at the Rebelle Rally. It made me very proud to represent GM in a group of people who are collectively that incredible.”
