The Midnight Grind: Recapping the 2026 Polar Bear Rally
The Vital Stats Event: 2026 Polar Bear Rally (MLRC) Location: Ormsby, Ontario (Limerick Community Centre) The Winners: Eric Vanderwal (Driver) & Zach Jansen (Navigator) The Surface: Surprisingly "texturized" and grippy snow. Photo by: Ian Lalonde The Tall Pines Legacy & The "Ham-Fisted" Strategy The Polar Bear Rally is more than just a navigational exercise; it’s a high-stamina pilgrimage to the "Rally Capital of Canada." The 2026 route traversed the same hallowed ground used during the Tall Pines Performance Rally , offering teams a chance to tackle legendary stages without the roll cage and HANS device. Photo by Bruce Leonard & MLRC For winners Eric Vanderwal and Zach Jansen , the strategy was deceptively simple. Despite the lack of formal pace notes, Vanderwal leaned into the "remarkable" grip levels of the fresh snow. "Our concerns that the overnight chill would lead to icy conditions turned out to be unrealized," V...
