A group of luxury car enthusiasts found themselves in hot water this past Tuesday in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, as they turned the picturesque roads into what resembled a personal racetrack.
The four individuals were part of a high-end car rally that has been traveling across the country this week, according to a representative from the National Park Service. They were apprehended by 12 rangers through strategically coordinated traffic stops.
“Such behavior is not only unsafe in national parks but also irresponsible and completely unacceptable,” noted Chip Jenkins, the Great Teton Principal, in a statement.
The racers were participants in the Outrun event, organized by the NU Rally for owners of “supercars and hypercars.” This particular rally is designed to navigate through scenic byways from Washington to Las Vegas, with fees ranging between $900 and $13,995. Participants were told they would “feel the energy in the Teton range,” as reported.
While details about the drivers remained undisclosed, the NPS noted that luxury sports cars were involved and they were traversing well-known mountain ranges adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Fortunately, staff, visitors, and wildlife were unharmed, according to the agency.
The NU Rally has regulations that require participants to adhere to traffic laws and even discourage any sort of racing among participants. Their terms clearly state, “Nu Rally is not a race. You must not compete with other participants in any way.”
Nonetheless, participants have been known to bend the rules somewhat. In fact, the Nu Rally’s TikTok account featured a clip showcasing an impressive Grey Roadster during this week’s event.
At Grand Teton, these rally participants shared the roads with countless other drivers, as the park draws over 3 million visitors annually, with June being one of the peak months. The area is also home to various threatened wildlife species, including Grizzly Bears and Canada Lynx, as mentioned on the NPS website. Requests for comments from Nu Rally went unanswered.
