The Recharge Rally

By: Louli Kourkounakis

Photo Cred: Will Pohlman, Joe Knepper and Louli Kourkounakis

Rally. Some of the most well-known are the Gumball, Cannonball, and One Lap of America. Some of the more known to us in the Audi world are TT East and TT West. Something each of these share is the fun and camaraderie of the car community. Recharge Rally is no different. 

The Recharge Rally began years ago when founder, Ryan Cook, felt he could improve the rally model. The first two years were a pay as you go. The third year, they began charging. Each year has grown, bringing new experiences all the way.

2022 marked the fifth run of this 4-day/3-night event. Recharge always begins in Ohio, where most of the participants are from. Each year a different route is planned; this year beginning with a pre-party in Columbus where food trucks and drinks were provided and decals for the rally were applied. It was a great relaxed atmosphere to check out rides and get to know some of the people we’d be spending the rest of the week with.

The first morning, anticipation was building as we arrived at the rally launch location, the Rich Street Bridge. From there, we drove to Pitt Race Complex near Pittsburgh where we enjoyed watching burnouts and donuts on the skid pad while waiting for rain to pass. Once it did, the track let us out and drivers got to push their cars on the track.

We ended the day at the event hotel in downtown Pittsburgh with reserved floor for our rooms and reserved parking area for the cars. The night was filled with dinner, drinks, and conversation at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Park. For those wanting to party the night away, there was an after party in the parking garage.

Day two involved travel from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., and first by way of Vinoski Winery for brunch. Back on the road, our mix of cars (Audi and others) was trailed by the media crew in a minivan outfitted with all the safety rigs needed for some amazing rolling shots while the group traveled from place to place.

Carefully chosen backroads allowed for some fun spirited driving on to D.C. Our hotel by the water had amazing views of this section of the city, and we had just enough time for a quick shower before heading out to dinner on the 2nd floor of a restaurant/bar nearby.

Day three, some of the rallyists got up early to see the sights in D.C., taking the opportunity to see the monuments before heading south to Dominion Raceway for some track time and lunch. After that, we headed north to our final destination, Philadelphia. 

Moshulu, “the world’s oldest and largest square rigged sailing vessel still afloat,” was our final dining destination, an amazing place to end our journey. The night ended with dinner, awards, a champagne toast, and even a proposal! It was the end of our adventure, but not the end of the rally. The rest of the group headed back to the hotel for one final parking garage party!

One of the amazing things about the Recharge Rally is their focus on charity. This year, they raised enough funds to purchase 15 iPads for a local organization, the Heinzerling Foundation.

Going into this event, we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what we really wanted out of it either. But after having been a part of the Recharge Rally, it’s definitely something I can say we want to do again!