Josh Vissers/Daily Mining Gazette Allan Dantes and Brandon Snyder, Group 5, in Car Number 50, a 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo Rexine, race up Mount Arvon during the 2018 rally.

HOUGHTON — The city of Houghton Police Department announced it will close a section of Lakeshore Drive at 1 p.m. Saturday for a portion of the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR).

Lieutenant Nick Roberts, CHPD, said the department will begin closing the section from the rear of the Magnuson Hotel, west to Quincy Street, near the Ambassador Restaurant.

The rally, the “oldest, toughest and meanest rally on the rally circuit,” is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and will serve in its traditional role as the final event of the National Championship Series.

Roberts said that while the street closure will begin at 1 p.m., it is not known the specific time it will again be opened for traffic.

“It won’t be until after they’re completely done with the final stage, so I don’t know,” said Roberts. “I think the final stage is around 5 p.m., and I think there’s 40 vehicles

Roberts said that while the street is closed, business along the section will remain open for business, and the department will do their best to make sure patrons can get to them.

“It’s important to keep the businesses open,” he said.

The rally has a long history in the Copper Country. In 1977, Jon Davis (deceased) succeeded in getting the Press On Regardless/Lake Superior Performance Rally headquartered in Houghton, where it remains today. Active in rally racing since the early 1960s, Davis won two national championships in the Production Class in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, Ford sponsored him for a season. In 1983, he stepped back from racing to help promote the sport.

Today, the LSPR is a world-renowned event and a favorite for many. Fall foliage provides a colorful backdrop to the rally’s gravel stages, and the street stage through downtown Houghton, lets fans get close to the action. The weather provides an interesting variable too; sunshine, rain, and snow are all possibilities at this dynamic event, states the LSPR website.