15th – 18th October 2020: headquartered for three nights, in five-star accommodations on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the participants of the Canossa Fall Rally of New England, navigated 375 spectacular miles of roadway throughout the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire and along the Atlantic shoreline of Maine.
Designed as a trademark Canossa small batch, bespoke event, every facet of the Fall Rally of New England was designed around the concept of camaraderie, exclusivity and uniqueness. Every road was carefully chosen for their unique New England characteristics, the intimate dining experiences featured private venues and highly curated menus, while total roadside assurance and professional exotic-automotive service, including a covered roll-back car carrier with a back- up car, was provided by Autosport Designs, inc. of Huntington Station, New York.
The first day of the Rally of New England, was a 200-mile adventure that traversed epic roads deep into the White Mountain National Forest. For an added touch of New England authenticity, overcast skies and intermittent rain accompanied the Rally for the better part of the day, which did nothing to put off the 17 impassioned Rally teams, and only magnified the brilliance of the fall foliage through the spectacular tight and twisting mountain passes and wide open undulating valley roads of the White Mountain National Forest.
Along the way, the Rally made stops for a private olive oil tasting at North Conway Olive Oil Company, in North Conway, New Hampshire. An exploration along the famous Swift River which was followed by a private lunch at The Inn on Main in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. This intense first day of driving was concluded with a much-needed, laid-back dinner of locally-sourced New England fare, including lobster, clam chowder, mussels, clams, steak and corn on the cob.
Day two dawned with high winds and rain, leading the Canossa management team to making a snap decision to postpone the start of the Rally by two hours. At the start of the Rally, with the rain and wind now abating, the cars headed south towards Portsmouth, New Hampshire, twisting through classic New England villages along the Atlantic Ocean and stopping along the way to visit the circa-1879 Cape Neddick Lighthouse. Departing the lighthouse, the Rally made its way into the famous New England city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, first settled in 1630. By this time, the winds and rain had fully dissipated to revel a warming sun and full blue sky, as the Rally was now serpentining its way through the narrow streets and past the historically significant colonial buildings of Portsmouth.
Leaving Portsmouth, the Rally continued along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, skipping its way across the various islands that dot the Piscataqua River. The Rally circled back north and headed towards the famous New England town of Kennebunkport, Maine for a exquisite farm-to-table lunch, at Earth at Hidden Pond. Following lunch, the Rally concluded the day’s 100 miles in plenty of time to decompress at the hotel before dinner, whether at the pool, or the sauna or with a cocktail watching the stunning sunset across the Atlantic Ocean.
Sunday morning and the start of day three, the Rally teams were greeted to a very brisk temperature of 38 degrees, a thick blue sky and pure golden fall-time New England sunshine. The Rally navigated north into New Hampshire destined for the stunning 2.5-mile, 15-turn Club Motorsports race circuit, situated in the foothills of the White Mountains. Upon arrival at Club Motorsport, the Rally was given a safety preview of the circuit, including two reconnaissance laps. The Rally teams were then treated to two remarkable hours of open lapping.
Before the curtains were drawn on this final day of the 2020 Canossa Fall Rally of New England, the Rally teams and the Canossa team headed to the small town of Tamworth, New Hampshire to enjoy a final private lunch together at Art In The Age, which was followed by a casual awards ceremony next door at Tamworth Distilling.
Canossa North America wishes to express its most sincere gratitude to all participants of the 2020 Fall Rally of New England, for their camaraderie and dedication.
