We Won Our Alcan 5000 Rally Class (And Took 2nd Overall)

September 30, 2025 / Andy & Mercedes Lilienthal / 1 Comment

We did it! Team Crankshaft Culture won the 2S class (trucks/SUVs, “seat of pants”) again at this year’s Alcan 5000 Summer Rally! We won this class in 2024 at the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally in an INEOS Grenadier, and we did it again this year in a 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport!

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We Were Guests On the Overland Journal Podcast

August 2, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Recently, Mercedes and I had the pleasure of appearing on the Overland Journal Podcast hosted by Scott Brady. We did the show while attending the 2024 Overland Expo-West event in Flagstaff, AZ. During this interview, the three of us talked about a host of topics including the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally, driving the INEOS Grenadier,…

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2024 Alcan 5000 Rally Video Playlist is Live

March 27, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Our 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally story continues! We made rally recap videos for each day of the 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally. You can find these short 1:30 vids on a playlist on the Crankshaft Culture YouTube channel. Conversely, you can stay right here and watch each Alcan 5000 Rally video below. Yes, they’re in vertical…

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Alcan 5000 Update: We Won Our Class In the INEOS Grenadier!

March 5, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

As you may know, we took an INEOS Grenadier on the winter 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally. Well, we won our class in the INEOS, edging out 16 other trucks and SUVs to take the top spot in the 2S class.

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Vehicle Reliability: An Automobile Has To Earn My Trust.

February 18, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

When I get a new or new-to-me vehicle, it needs to earn my trust. I can’t hop in any car or truck and just assume it’s going to let me go the distance. Vehicle reliability can’t just be assumed. Any automobile has to earn my trust.

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The Winter 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally is Almost Here

February 16, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

You know the song “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”? Well, it’s mid-February in our house and you can change that title to “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Alcan.” The Winter 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally is almost here.

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Alcan 5000 INEOS Grenadier First Drive (Sorta)

February 4, 2024 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

In case you haven’t heard, we’re running the 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally in an INEOS Grenadier. We just picked the French-made 4×4 this weekend. So where’d we take the INEOS Grenadier (in Eldoret Blue) and what’d we do with it?

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10 Days, 10 Reels, 5,000+ Miles: An Alcan 5000 Rally Recap

December 21, 2023 / Mercedes Lilienthal / Leave a comment

It’s exactly two months to the day of the winter Alcan 5000 Rally start line. Andy and I are partnering with INEOS Automotive to drive their Grenadier Trialmaster 4×4 for the competition. The 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally starts February 21 and runs through March 1.

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Announcement: Crankshaft Culture to Pilot an INEOS Grenadier in the Upcoming 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally

November 22, 2023 / Mercedes Lilienthal / 3 Comments

We’ve got big news! Andy and I are partnering with INEOS Automotive to drive their Grenadier Trialmaster 4×4 for the winter 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally! The start line is less than three months away.

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The 2023 Wicked Big Meet Is A Big, Wicked East-Coast Subaru Show

September 1, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

The 2023 Wicked Big Meet is one big east-coast Subaru show and part of the Subiefest family of Subaru-centric events. Held June 11, 2023 at Stafford Motor Speedway outside of Hartford, CT, Wicked Big Meet is billed as America’s largest Subaru enthusiast festival. It also kicked off the 2023 Subiefest series. Mercedes and I flew…

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