Peking to Paris and an extraordinary opportunity
Welcome to the fifth edition of Scenic Route: Voices — a series spotlighting unique stories from the world of driving. This month, Kris Clewell shares a story of optimism, perseverance, and how waxing poetic about the Peking to Paris Rally led to an amazing scholarship that grants the recipient a once-in-a-lifetime rally experience complete with the keys to a refreshed ride. And see how the goodwill of others is helping to create pathways to expand access to rally driving for everyone.
Kris is a podcast host, writer, videographer, and grandpa car connoisseur and one of the minds behind Overcrest Productions.
Take the car
Words and photos by Kris Clewell, @overcrestproductions
Life can be boring, much of it caught in mundane day-to-day activities. Our daily experiences get filed away, congealing into an amalgamation of grey, tedious, nebulous memory. It’s unavoidable; humans just can’t record the minutiae of everyday existence. It is, however, important to hit the brakes from time to time, to give the mind something new. The best break from this monotony is exploration.
At Overcrest, we believe the ultimate tool for exploration is the car. And that the best road
you’ve ever driven is the one you haven't driven yet — and no other mode of transport can
take you to more places or expose you to new experiences quite like it. The goal of the Overcrest Rally is to harness the freedom that comes with exploring unseen and unknown
destinations. Every year, hundreds gather in remote small towns across America to escape the
minutiae of everyday life and embrace adventure.
“At Overcrest, we believe
the ultimate tool for
exploration is the car.”
It was 2021. We had recently recorded a podcast episode where we nostalgically discussed the
idea of rallying across Asia in the Peking to Paris Rally, but we lamented our inability to afford
such an adventure. The next morning, we received a message from Eric Augustyn. He
expressed his wish to support our participation in the rally. Eric had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis was not promising. Facing an existential crisis, he was reaching
out to make a difference.
After the call, we gathered to brainstorm, imagining the ideal car for the journey. An old VW
Rabbit? A sturdy Mercedes diesel? Reliability, we figured, would be crucial in Mongolia. We
pondered the logistics: Would we need spare transmissions? What if we broke down without a
support team? Would we face life-threatening situations? The excitement was palpable.
However, over the next few days, reality set in. The cost seemed prohibitive, and while Eric
wasn’t deterred, we certainly were.
The fundamental mission of Overcrest was always in our minds: to encourage as many people
as possible to embrace our ethos of exploration, to take to the road, seek new experiences, and
forge connections. While the trip promised to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we believed
there were better ways to achieve our goal. So, we redirected a portion of the funds we would
have spent on the Peking rally into creating the Utah Overcrest Rally. This first national-level
event truly embodied the essence of Overcrest and left an indelible impression on everyone
involved.
Over the years we’ve received countless messages about how the rally has changed people’s
lives. A son who repaired a relationship with their father. People who discovered the value of
exploration in how it helped their mental health. Stories both harrowing and touching. Much of
the rally happens off the grid where people can unplug, decompress, and get in touch with
someone they hadn’t met in a while. Themselves. We knew what exploring and driving did for
us, but we were stunned by the impact that it had on everyone else
After Utah, we wondered how we could do something truly good with Eric’s generosity, and how
Overcrest could inspire others to do good. We talked to Eric about starting a scholarship that
would get people out to experience Overcrest. It would become The Eric Augustyn Free Ride
Scholarship. Now cancer free, Eric jumped in without a second thought.
We set out to find a person — and a car — to bring together for the ultimate Overcrest
experience: an all-expenses-paid trip to the rally in Eastern Oregon, complete with a fully
restored car for an unforgettable adventure. Our approach was to make the experience
application-only. No raffles or auctions. We poured over hundreds of applications, many of
which were harrowing, inspirational, and heart-wrenching. One stood out: Israel (Izzy) Vega. We
were genuinely inspired by Izzy’s tenacity, optimism, and perseverance through hard times,
encompassing physical, mental, and financial challenges.
“We set out to find a person –
and a car... for the ultimate
Overcrest experience.”
To find and build a car, we needed help. Eric’s generosity was one thing, but building a car,
finding parts, and the logistics of the Free Ride program started to grow rapidly. Khalil and
Byron from Liechtbauwerkstatt, BMW experts in Costa Mesa, California, found us a 1991
BMW 325is as a place to start. It was rust free but needed work. FCP Euro donated a huge
amount of parts, AC Solutions dialed in the climate control, H&R provided the suspension, and
Scheel-Mann donated a set of seats. The car was meticulously restored by Leichtbau and
delivered to Oregon, where Izzy and his brother Antonio drove it in the 2023 Overcrest Rally.
The question arose about what to do with the car once we were finished with it. Funded by
charitable contributions and goodwill, we decided to auction it off on Bring a Trailer. The
proceeds would benefit the 43 Institute, the late Ken Block’s foundation, dedicated to “creating
paths of opportunity for the exceptionally driven who may lack the proper support system for
growth and success.”
Read Izzy’s entire application here and find out more about the Free Ride Scholarship on the Overcrest website or Instagram.
More images from their journey
