ABOUT
"We’re proud to sponsor Amanda Skelly from the Noble Star Rally Team."
- Rob Wiley of Link ECU
"Rally racing is not just a form of racing; it's a way of life. It's a thought process, a goal, a light at the end of the tunnel."
- Skelly
SPECIAL THANKS TO MY CURRENT PARTNERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE CHASING MY DREAM:
Whiteline
The FIRM
(Florida International Rally
& Motorsports Park)
Tire Streets (MRF Tyres)
5 Star Design
(Window Tinting & Graphics)
MeLe Design Firm
OMG AutoSpa
I was introduced to the sport of rally during the 2006 Sno*Drift Rally, located in Atlanta, Michigan. Later that year I purchase my first Subaru (of many). It was a black 1998 Impreza 2.5RS Coupe, that I named “Sassy”. Shortly thereafter, I began competing in the Detroit Region SCCA Rallycross events and was instantly bitten by what we call “the rally bug”. I was hooked. I continued spectation the Sno*Drift Rally for the years to follow and continued competing in rallycross. I expanded my experience in 2009, when I began competing in TSD (Time Speed Distance) rally events through the same region.
In 2007, I met a phenomenal person, Matthew Noble Marker, at a Detroit SCCA Rally X. He proudly drove his stage rally 1995 Impreza L at the event. Matt insisted that I sat in his rally car after I commented on it; even going as far as to buckle me in. For me, this was a defining moment. I knew from then on that I wanted to someday build my own car for stage rally; and after sitting in Matthew’s car and feeling his enthusiasm and love for the sport, I knew I needed to chase after my dreams too.
On 30 April 2011, a wave of grief flowed over rally community when Marker was involved in a fatal crash during the Olympus Rally. This great loss sparked the desire to somehow help the family and community in honoring Marker’s memory. That following summer, my Subaru had spun a bearing and I decided it was time. It was time to begin the build process which I had long anticipated, and it would be my way of saying “thank you” to Marker all those years ago for inspiring me. It would be my way of honoring his memory and helping to carry the torch of his passion for rally. On his birthday that fall, I met with his amazing parents by campfire and asked their permission to name my rally team after their son. And, so became the birth of “Noble Star Rally”.
Over the next 4 months, Sassy went under the knife as the build process began. Everything came full circle as I debuted in stage rally during the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally; that very same event which I was first introduced to the sport; and that very same event where I hugged Marker for the last time.
In March 2015, my trusty Subaru was retired after the completion of the Sandblast Rally in Cheraw, SC. I had competed in 15 full stage events (26 total starts) at the time. That season I tried my hand at co-driving with my teammate Matt Peterson, which resulted in a 3rd place finish in the 2WD class. I continued to build on my co-driving experience over the years, as well as continuing to compete as a driver by renting the Broken Motorsports Subaru Impreza rally car. Meanwhile, I began the large undertaking of planning and building my next rally car; a 1997 Subaru Impreza L, who is appropriately named “Stitch”.
In July 2017, my new rally car neared completion and during an attempt to shakedown the new build, we experienced catastrophic engine failure during the New England Forest Rally in Newry, ME. Over the fall and winter, the car was given a complete overhaul by TurboTime of Apex, NC; including having the cage cut out and re-fabricated by Restoration Race Works, Inc. of Raleigh, NC. In the spring of 2018, I was able to finally give my car a proper shakedown at the Eastern TN RallySprint in Tazewell, TN. I have successfully competed in the 2018 Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in PA, and the New England Forest Rally in ME. I was also fortunate enough to attend a few large automotive events with my new car which included; Hyper-Fest 2018 at VIR, the Wicked Big Meet (Subaru Enthusiasts) in CT and the 2018 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Tradeshow in IN where my car was hosted at the Link ECU booth.
​
For the first time in my racing career, I competed Nationally in 2019 and I found myself atop the podium quite a few times! I spent a lot of time this season focusing on building my skill set in and out of the car and trying out new opportunities to prepare for 2020. I chose to take the co-driver team course at OZ Rally Pro Training in February, with renowned Co-Drivers Alex and Rhianon Gelsomino; where I learned to write my own pace notes and plan more appropriately for events. I have recently partnered with The Florida International Rally and Motorsports Park (FIRM), where I have received training in my rally car, and have had the opportunity to also instruct.
​
I am so excited to announce I took 1st Place Driver in my class (NA4WD) for the 2019 American Rally Association Eastern Region Championship!
​
It feels good to look back and say "I did it". I accomplished the many goals I had always set out to reach. This season, I am headed back to the basics. We are giving the current car a solid refresh for next year, and will be focusing on returning to the good old fashioned form of grassroots racing. Our team will be spotted at some of our favorite events on the East Coast and Midwest area of the US. Stay tuned for more announcements to come!
​
HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS AMAZING JOURNEY! SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL!
​