Have you heard of the Gazelle Rally? Dominique Serra of France created this unique African sporting event 25 years ago as a way to empower women and return to the roots of adventure racing. Once I tell you about it, you won’t forget it.

Alyssa Roenigk grew up in Butler County, loved racing and was a member of the Lernerville clean-up crew as a kid. Her parents, Joy and Fred Roenigk, eventually moved the family to Florida where Alyssa attended the University of Florida and graduated with a degree in journalism.

In 2003, she began a career at ESPN, where she is currently a broadcast journalist and senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. With ESPN, she has traveled the world, covering five Olympics, multiple Super Bowls and college football championships, and more than 20 X Games events.

When Alyssa first heard of this unique women’s-only rally across the Sahara Desert, she was intrigued. “ Each year, I promised myself I would find a way to cover this incredible event,” she says.

Then, in November, her friend Chrissie Beavis, a professional rally driver and navigator and X Games gold medalist who raced the Gazelle in 2013, called and asked if Alyssa wanted to be her teammate.

The Gazelle Rally is a grueling test of driving and navigation skill across southern Morocco’s most beautiful and challenging terrain. Woman as young as 18 and as experienced as 65 have competed in this rally, which allows no GPS, communication systems or technological assistance as teams navigate the shortest distance between checkpoints over nine days of competition.

Instead, they use only traditional navigation tools – a compass, outdated maps and course plotters. The event is an incredible test of endurance, patience and teamwork, and it pushes competitors to their limits.

“It also brings out the best in its competitors,” Alyssa said after returning home to Los Angeles from the race. “I witnessed the most incredible acts of sportsmanship and resiliency and was so inspired by all of the competitors.”

Alyssa and Chrissie competed in the crossover class in a 4x4 Sprinter van and were one of two American teams sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. They became the first American competitors to win the Gazelle Rally in any class in the event’s 25-year history. “That was just the icing on the cake,” Alyssa said. “Chrissie was the rock star of our team and it was incredible to have this experience with her, and to win was amazing. But that is the least important thing I will take away from this experience.”

Award winner

A big congratulations to Dow Carnahan for winning the 2015 Outstanding Radio Coverage of Sports award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.

Carnahan, who is Lernerville Speedway’s announcer, is employed full time at Latrobe’s WCNS 1480. In addition to Lernerville, Carnahan has covered St.Vincent College basketball for over 30 years as well as Latrobe High football, basketball, and local news throughout his career.

The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters’ will recognize him May 4 in Hershey.

News and Notes

Mercer Raceway paid $4,000 for the Sprint feature last Saturday and Adam Kekich was the winner. Only 17 Sprints supported this event.

Joe Kelley has decided to join the winners rather than continue to fight. Like the majority of the Stock field, he is now sporting a Chris Schneider Chassis.

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is the sole owner of the original All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars. Veteran race official Don Grabey was hired as Series Director. Grabey, has worked with the World of Outlaws since 1997, first as a technical inspector and then as the competition director since 2007. The UNOH schedule boasts 50 races.

It is a perplexing thought to realize that semi-retired Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws Champion, will not be on the 2015 World of Outlaws Sprint tour. Instead, Kinser is expected to run in about 40 races in his Tony Stewart Sprint. They will be personal preferences with the emphasis on staying closer to his home in Bloomington, Indiana.

The 2015 Miss Butler County is Lyric Beth Ackelson. She is the daughter of Mike and Beth Ackleson. Mom has appeared in numerous plays in Pittsburgh and Dad Is a WFMJ TV News and Sports commentator and former Lernerville assistant public relations person. Up next for Lyric will be the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant in June. They are the first mother-daughter duo to be named Miss Butler County.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler.