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I shot this video last year when the BABE Rally made its third annual pit stop in Harrisonburg (I just missed them in 2007). Since 2006, the junk car enthusiasts haven’t ventured much further than the Best Western next to Shoney’s. But this Monday evening, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance and Clementine plan to welcome the 50-plus teams downtown.

I emailed Jessica Chase, program manager at HDR, about what’s changed this year. She responded:

I was really intrigued by the Rally when I first heard about it last year. It seemed silly that all these teams were in Harrisonburg and stuck over in the Best Western parking lot side of town. This year I actually have a friend helping out with one of the teams. When he asked if he could stay at our house the night his team is in town, it reminded me that I had intended to contact the BABE organizers and work with them on bringing the teams into downtown … Depending on when they arrive, I’m going to try to get everyone to park on the roof of the Water St. deck for a junk car show.

The teams leave NYC Monday morning. Chase said that at least some of the cars that don’t end up in the scrapyard between there and here may be on display atop the Water Street deck, while the drivers and mechanics eat and drink at Clementine. The teams are expected to start arriving in town after 6:00.