Rising From the Ashes

Story by Jeffrey Aronson. Photos by Chris Jeyes, Land Rover Media

You’ve probably heard it too: Off-road events, organized by Green Oval enthusiasts, kept the spirit of Land Rover’s legendary capabilities alive and well, while Jaguar Land Rover focused on “refinement” and a “sense of well-being” in “the most demanding urban environments.”

To which we say, “Phooey!”

For 2021, Land Rover has resurrected the spirit of off-road through two competitions: the Defender Trophy for enthusiasts and the TReK Off-Road Competition for the dealer network.

We can thank the 2019 launch of the new Defender and, to a lesser extent, the new Discovery, for this change in attitude. Defender sales now make it the second best-selling model behind the Range Rover Sport (North America market) or the Range Rover Evoque (worldwide) for reviving this newfound emphasis at Land Rover. The Defender V8 [see Spring 2021 issue -ed.] and the 2022 Defender Trophy editions have galvanized the attention of enthusiasts, both old and new.

In August, Land Rover announced that it would create 220 Defender Trophy-edition Defender 110s exclusively for the US market. The Defender is based on the P400 X-Dynamic SE, tow hitch receiver, air suspension, off-road, advanced off-road capability and cold climate options packages. It also includes an expedition roof rack, front “under shield,” mud flaps, integrated air compressor, load space rubber mats, deployable ladder and an optional, dealer-installed factory winch kit. These Defenders will come wrapped in a color scheme inspired by the Defender Works V8 Trophy.

If you purchase one, Land Rover is offering 90 owners the opportunity to form a two-person team to compete in the Defender Trophy Competition in October at the Land Rover Experience Biltmore in Asheville, NC. Registration will begin on September 24, 2021. Competitors will confront on-road and off-road challenges, physical obstacles and team-building conundrums. Land Rover Experience and Land Rover Drive Team experts will be on hand to provide expert coaching and training on extreme driving techniques – and then you put your training to the test.

Better yet, if you win at the Biltmore, Land Rover will send your team to the UK for the international Defender Trophy competition at Eastnor Castle, Land Rover’s spiritual off-road home, in February 2022. The official rules caution hopefuls in advance that “The Grand Prize [event] is an ‘experience,’ and not a vacation. The winner and travel companion will be expected to participate in long days of driving, including periods of extreme off-road driving in varying weather conditions, physical exertion, problem-solving and off-road challenges as well as teamwork exercises. The driving portion of the Trophy Experience may include dangerous activities that many result in injury or death.”

In addition to the Defender Trophy competition, Land Rover continues the TReK competition for the dealer network; for this year, the competition vehicles are Defender 110s. According to Land Rover’s Joe Stauble, the 2021 competition will feature 70, three-person teams, from dealerships across the country. They’ll be split into seven groups beginning in mid-September.

We sought out participating dealer teams for their reactions. In Northern New England, the TReK team will come out of Land Rover Bedford (NH), comprised of Noah Sanders (Service Manager), Jim Chafe (Shop Foreman and 30-year Service Tech) and Justin Alley (Parts). This is the first time they’ve entered a team. I spoke with Justin, a long-time enthusiast who owns an ’06 LR3, an ’06 Range Rover, a ’96 Discovery I, and an ’08 LR3 run by his wife, Lily. “I can’t wait for the competition – it’s our first time – but we’re so busy that we can’t practice in advance. I’m claiming the kayak competition as mine, and I’m still working on improving my orienteering skills. I feel confident that we’ll represent Northern New England well.”

In the Pittsburgh, PA region, Jaguar Land Rover Short Hills, in Canonsburg, and JLR North Hills, in Wexford, will each send a team. The South Hills team includes Vice President Trent Neely, and Service Techs Rickey Kallon and Nate Rak. Competing for North Hills will be Sales Consultant Madison Rotto and Service Techs Matt Mroz and Tim Drummond. It’s no surprise that these dealerships are participating, as they’re owned by the legendary auto racing Rahal family [see sidebar on page 37]

Joe Eberhardt, the President of Jaguar Land Rover North America, calls the competitions a “special shared experience honoring the rich heritage of the Land Rover brand” – to which we say, “Yay!” ///

The hills surrounding Pittsburgh, PA are alive with the sounds of engines, due in no small part to the Bobby Rahal Group auto dealerships in the area. Two are Jaguar Land Rover dealerships Keeley Delibovi – in Wexford, Land Rover North Hills, and in Canonsburg, Land Rover South Hills.

Bobby Rahal won the Indianapolis 500 as a driver in 1986 and as a team owner in 2004 and 2020; he has a real appreciation for Land Rover: “It’s a great privilege to represent Land Rover in the Pittsburgh area. It’s such an iconic brand, and the attention to detail and craftsmanship is apparent in every model they make. The new Defender is no exception. It’s such a cool vehicle. It doesn’t matter if you’re a car person or not, you’ll have a lot of fun with it.”

Bobby’s son, Graham Rahal, who still drives in the IndyCar series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, told us, “I own a Land Rover Defender and love it. It’s perfect for what I do. I drove it to Lake Tahoe and it fit my mountain bike and gear, and it handled every terrain with ease. Land Rover did an amazing job with this one.”

Keeley Dellibovi, the New Car Sales Manager at Land Rover North Hills, remembers traveling to the Mid Ohio racetrack to watch Graham Rahal compete. His Graham Rahal Performance Racing shop – and a Ducati dealership – are nearby in Brownsburg, IN. Keeley cares more for speed – she owns a Jaguar F-Type – than off-roading, but is really pleased that the dealerships will compete in the TReK competition. She also enjoyed seeing the display of heritage Defenders at the opening of the Canonsburg dealership in 2019.

Don Turner is the New Car Sales Manager at Land Rover South Hills. The Pittsburgh native admits that when he started out 6 years ago, “I wasn’t a car guy, but now I have Land Rover teaching me so much about heritage. It’s brought me a new level of appreciation for the marque.”

“I’ve learned offroading through the new Discovery and new Don Turner Defender launches, and I’m hooked. When you see the knowledge of the Land Rover Experience instructors, and then get behind the wheel, taking people who had never done it before and making them succeed… the capabilities of the Land Rover vehicle helped make up for my novice deficiencies. We watched lifted Jeeps tackle rock climbs on trails, and then ran the same trails on our stock Land Rovers. It really created a new appreciation for what Land Rover is actually building.”

Wonder what Bobby and Graham Rahal would do with a Defender V8. ///