Earlier this week we had the pleasure to speak with Cyrus Eslami, the owner and creative mind behind Truleo Rally. Many of you may have not heard of Truleo yet, and thats okay. But in a nut shell it’s a non-profit organization that hosts rallies all over the United States. We wanted to find out more and learn all about Eslami and his concept.

Questions & Answers:

AP: What is your name?

CE: Cryus Eslami.

AP: What is it you do yourself for a living?

CE: I work in regulatory affairs at a small credit rating agency. I also do work on cars on the side, maybe even a bit more than I do at my job. Being a huge Porschephile and overall car enthusiast makes the balance quite difficult.

AP: Whats TRULEO’s goal for 2015?

CE: The main goal for 2015 is to create a fun, memorable, and rewarding experience for everyone involved in our events. Concurrently, we aim to receive positive recognition from the organizations we contribute to and keep the trend going strong for future events.

AP: Will you be participating?

CE:  100% absolutely yes! Both by personally donating, as well as driving in the rally of course.

AP: What will you be driving?

CE: I will be driving my 996 Porsche 911 GT3. My daily driver, as a matter of fact.

AP: What sparked this idea?

CE: Good question. Well, for starters, I guess it began when I wanted to participate in the Gumball 3000 and realized it would be impossible for myself and a co-driver to get a team let alone find sponsors/afford all the costs. I realized there are so many people out there who want to drive their cars in a cool rally like Gumball 3000 or the Bullrun but can’t afford the $67,000 entry fee or don’t want to freight their cars across the Atlantic. A key player in what sparked the idea of the TRULEO Rally was the words and works of the legendary Magnus Walker. I look up to him as his journey through life landed him in an amazing place today because he stuck to his gut, wasn’t easily discouraged, and took plenty of risks. Magnus will always be a role model of mine. Lastly, the final spark was a niche I uncovered; Gumball contributes a sizable amount to charity, and there are smaller rallies that cost much less but do not have as upscale accommodations such as those of Gumball. My goal was to create a road rally with high end accommodations, and give the participant the choice to actually pick which charity they would personally want to donate to, from a list of 45 (and growing) participating charities.

AP: Can you explain TRULEO a bit more in depth?

CE: The TRULEO Rally is a non-profit charity driving event in numerous regions of the nation that implements the pleasure of driving with other automotive enthusiasts and hobbyists that contributes to your choice of 45 participating charities.

AP: You say non-profit?

CE: Being a non-profit organization, participants will be provided with a tax deductible reciept with your charity’s federal tax-ID number. The TRULEO Rally’s main focus is to combine the fun and adrenaline rush of driving on some of the most amazing roads around, while giving back by contributing to the charity of your choice. “Driving to open new doors”

AP: Similar to the Gumball 3000?

CE: We’ve all heard of the Gumball 3000 and Bullrun Rallies, and maybe some of us have even participated in them! But not all of us may want to pay $20,000-$70,000 to beat our cars up and spend a week+ in different continents, arranging foreign insurance coverage, paying to have our cars flown back to the US, and then after the finish have to worry about transporting our cars back to our homes; that all defies the convenience factor we strive for. We want everyone to enjoy and experience the taste of rallying.

AP: You say everyone, what kind of cars are these rallies aiming for?

CE: Anybody with a valid driver’s license. Individuals, businesses, anybody and anything with a driver’s license and four wheels.

AP: How organized are routes?

CE: Each drive is carefully planned and includes accommodations that will ensure optimal comfort and relaxation. Our “caravans” will be extremely organized with pre-planned percautions. Each car will be provided with a walkie-talkie radio on a fixed channel for the team and team leader to communicate in case you need fuel, experience a breakdown, or any other matter. As for the rally part, the leader car is fitted with a state of the art radar detector and will notify all cars of any potential warnings.

AP: What is the ultimate goal of TRULEO?

CE: Our goal is to create an enjoyable, memorable, stress free drive & rally through some of our own hidden treasures right in our backyards, while conveniently starting our journey at a meeting point close to home. Making it a weekend event is a convenient factor because some of us may not have schedules to accomodate weekdays. Of course, anyone is welcome to register regardless of your location!

AP:  What can drivers expect?

CE: From photo ops, meeting new people who share the same interest, spending quality time with your co-driver, to experiencing beautiful scenic sites, building a truly memorable experience is our guarantee!

AP: How do things look so far?

CE: For starters, we don’t have much exposure at all, yet. I need to get the word out there, even if it involves pushing back Burlington and Virginia Beach. If that’s not the case, then I’d do my best to bump down the entry cost without cheeping out on the accommodations. (For Burlington we’re booking rooms overlooking lake champlain, and for VA beach hotels on the water.) So theres a lot to play with. But if this hits the right demographic in it’s current state, then problem solved!

AP: Anything else you would like to mention?

CE: We invite you and everyone else to take on an enjoyable and memorable experience, while making a difference at the same time. “Driving to open new doors”

AP: Thanks Cyrus for your time.

CE: Thank you!

Find out more about the TRULEO RALLY HERE!

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