DWA! Sierra Rally 2025: Summer Camp for Grown-Ups (With Cars)
Words and Photos by Lane Skelton

The Driving While Awesome Sierra Rally 2025 wasn’t just a great drive—it was one of those rare weekends where the cars, the roads, and the people all clicked into perfect alignment. After 17 rallies, you’d think we’d have plateaued by now. But no. This was peak DWA!.

Our post-COVID rallies were still fun. The roads were great, the company solid, but something intangible was missing. The spark. The chaos. The sense of adventure that made those early rallies feel like the first week of summer break. Then came the 2024 Rally North, a bit of a turning point. The food was bad, the roads were incredible, and the hotel hangs were some of the best we’ve ever had. Crushing Natty Daddys with Amelia and Frank, and hanging out around the bonfires at our hotel until 2 am. Somehow, that rally broke the spell. Since then, it’s been pure momentum—like the DWA! spirit got a shot of espresso and a set of fresh tires.

This year’s Sierra Rally felt like the culmination of that revival. Over 80 cars and 100 people, all carving across some of the most glorious roads that California has to offer. It’s a special kind of magic—one minute you’re chasing a plume of dust from a DeLorean through a mountain pass, the next you’re cruising in formation with a convoy of Porsches, VWs, and BMWs as the Sierra foothills explode in fall color around you.

I brought my trusty 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera again—its fourth DWA! Rally outing—and I’m more convinced than ever that it’s my ideal rally companion. My old 944 might have been the underdog hero, but the 911 has that perfect balance of power, grip, and comfort (if you ignore the useless ventilation and nonexistent A/C). It’s analog perfection, the kind of car that rewards you for being awake, alert, and just a little reckless. One memorable section of road on day one was spent trying—and mostly failing—to keep up with John in his brand-new Cayman GT4, which felt like bringing a samurai sword to a knife fight. But even when I was two corners back, it didn’t matter. The joy wasn’t in the chase—it was in being there.

Day two was one of my favorite rally days ever! I spent the morning following Will’s Audi RS3 at a conservative pace, and that afternoon, I found bliss with over 20 miles of uninterupted nirvana, leading Mark in his ‘73 Sepia Brown hot rod 911, and Tom in his built ‘67 911 soft window targa Up to 9,000 feet and back down.

And when the day’s driving was done, the real the real fun begins. The hotel parking lot transforms into something between a group therapy session and a tailgate party. Cars cooling in the golden hour light, people cracking open Beeline beers, replaying the day’s best corners and sketchiest moments like war stories. It’s that summer camp for car nerds energy—where the cars are just an excuse to be together.

There’s something perfect about grabbing burgers and soft-serve ice cream on the Nevada border with friends new and old, surrounded by cars you can’t stop photographing. The backdrop? Aspen and maple leaves on fire with autumn color. The soundtrack? A mix of laughter, flat-six burble, and the faint of oil and tires cooling off.

It’s hard to explain the DWA! Rally to someone who hasn’t been. You can talk about the roads, the cars, the hotels—but what really defines it is the people. The camaraderie. The way a group of strangers turned life-long friends can turn into old friends over the course of a few hundred miles.

Seventeen rallies in, and somehow, the magic’s still growing. Maybe it’s because every rally is a little reminder that the best part of being a car enthusiast isn’t the driving—it’s the sharing.

The Sierra Rally 2025 was one for the history books. And if this momentum keeps up, our next adventure—Rally Ranch, coming this May—is going to be something truly awesome.

Check out more photos here