2020 isn’t strong enough to keep Nissan from the annual Rebelle Rally off-road racing competition, and the automaker is once again sponsoring Team Wild Grace. Members ( and auto enthusiasts) Sedona Blinson and Lyn Woodward will helm a 2020 Nissan Frontier outfitted with the latest NISMO off-road accessories for the 1,243-mile race. But this two-woman team has more to it than a kitted-out truck — here’s a closer look at the racers themselves.
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Meet Team Wild Grace
Blinson and Woodward are both off-road-racing enthusiasts. Blinson is a preschool teacher, while Woodward is a journalist for Kelley Blue Book.
This Rebelle Rally won’t be Blinson and Woodward’s first rodeo. Last year, Blinson and Woodward were behind the wheel of a 2020 Nissan Armada. They took sixth place in the competition — which was a first-ever team-best accomplishment. In previous years, Team Wild Grace has driven a 2017 Nissan TITAN and a 2018 Nissan Armada.
Woodward is optimistic about the team’s performance this year. “Our first goal is to always compete hard, but I don’t see any reason why Sedona and I can’t win it all this year,” she stated.
Get to know the 2020 Nissan Frontier
It’s no secret the Nissan Frontier overdue for an update — the current generation began back in 2005, and the model has remained largely unchanged over the past 15 years. That said, the 2020 model boasts an updated powertrain, giving it a best-in-class 310 horsepower.
Even though the Frontier is no spring chicken, the racers seem confident in their ride. “We’ve taken the 2020 Frontier on a couple of trial runs, and it’s been an absolute rock star,” Woodward stated. She further praised the Frontier for its refreshed V6 engine.
Michael Soutter, vice president of Nissan Aftersales U.S, expressed his delight for Team Wild Grace’s participation in the Rebelle Rally, as well as the chance to showcase the Nissan Frontier’s new accessories. “These new NISMO off-road parts, created by people who deeply understand trucks and the desire for ultimate off-road performance, will elevate Frontier to a new level of capability.”
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If you want to follow Team Wild Grace’s journey, check out their Instagram or the Rebelle Rally website.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.