Welcome back Tesla rally!

One of the cancellation victims of COVID-19 last year at this time was the annual Tesla Road Trip Rally that was started in 2014 by former Custer Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Dave Ressler and his brother-in-law Rod Hoffman of Evergreen, Colo., who was, and is, a Tesla electric car owner.
The expected 90 cars this year are a far cry from the first year when 10 cars were here, nine of them from Colorado and one from Wyoming, according to Hoffman. Past rallies have seen cars come here from as far away as Southern California, South Florida, Montana and Ontario, Canada.
We can thank the fact that Tesla founder and owner Elon Musk ran out of juice and got stranded in Custer on April 1, 2014. He was with his wife and four little boys while attempting to drive from Fremont, Calif., to New York in his Tesla Model S85 and didn’t fully charge in Lusk, Wyo., because it was snowing, before heading to Custer.
Ressler was summoned to the Rocket Motel where the family was staying to help Musk’s security detail get the car to French Creek Campground where it got charged enough to get to Rapid City the next day. He showed his appreciation to Custer by having 22 “destination” chargers installed at local motels, with Tesla footing the bill. Later, due to popular demand of Tesla car owners at an annual rally, eight “Super Charger” stations were installed adjacent to Dakotamart Gas at no cost to the city.
Hoffman and Ressler decided to hold the first Tesla rally here in Custer the following May in 2014.
The Tesla cars will be on display this Friday from 5-7 p.m. by Mt. Rushmore Brewing Co. with owners on hand to answer any questions. This is an opportunity to see these futuristic rolling computers on wheels up close and personal and visit with the owners.
We welcome back the Teslas and their owners to the seventh annual “Sound of Silence” Road Trip Rally!