BusinessTN

It began with a simple challenge: "If you think those roads are something, you should check out the roads where I'm from."

Those words led to Labor Day weekend 2005 and the arrival of 16 wild-eyed rally racing teams at the two-traffic-light town of Linden in Perry County. They had come to see if its country roads were as twisted and sadistic as promised. They were.

With the inaugural Rally Tennessee--a low-key trial run with intentionally limited advertising--an overall success, and this Labor Day weekend's second running cautiously building on that, Perry County is poised to make a big name for itself as home of a premier international sports car racing event. Not bad for a county with the state's lowest population per square mile.

Although a modest sport stateside, rally racing is big in Europe. The sport features "street legal" cars (the same that fans use in their daily lives) on real roads. And with the designation of longest all-tarmac race in the States, Rally Tennessee has found its niche.

"Rally's tradition in the United States has been on dirt and gravel roads," says Kendall Russell, CEO of Rally Promotions, the national promoter for the race. "Rally Tennessee really breaks that tradition and introduces a more European style of rally."

In 2005, local organizer Richard Spicer spearheaded a grassroots campaign to launch the race after his son issued the aforementioned challenge to a professional driver. The race grew despite little advertising again this year--Perry County dished out just less than $1,000, spent mostly on posters for the event. The field of registered drivers increased from 16 to 24, and 100 tickets sold compared to an estimated 15 in 2005. Souvenir vendors sold out of shirts and the overall economic impact reached $240,000--about $115,000 more than last year. Spicer ensured local volunteer fire departments and rescue squads 92.7% of the ticket sales revenue this year. The rest was spent on local-flavored prizes for the winning teams--bottles of wine from Keg Springs Winery in neighboring Lewis County adorned with arrowheads donated by Bill Garcia of Linden.

Drivers say they will be back next year. They're giddy about those twisted country roads, and Perry County's raw hospitality sets the hook. With a new (in fact the first) chamber of commerce executive director on board, plans are in place for state tourism grants and larger media campaigns from both local and national organizers.

In all, Rally Tennessee promises to be a major economic boon for a community heretofore dependent on hunting, river recreation and the annual Heritage Days for its tourism dollars.