STURGIS, S.D. – During 2025 budget discussions in December, Mayor Kevin Forrester shared that there would be some strategic changes in the city’s approach to the Sturgis Camaro Rally, namely, the city would move away from being the host.
He said at that time that the Rally was providing diminishing returns, so the city was looking to revamp the management of the event.
In 2024, there were 205 participants with 118 registered cars at the event. That was down from 274 participants and 151 registered cars in 2023.
“Our objective with these changes is to leverage our resources wisely, allowing us to continue delivering enhanced services our community and visitors expect,” Forrester said.
Within the last month, the Black Hills Camaro Club, based in Rapid City, announced that they would take over the event and were moving it to Spearfish in 2025.
In response to inquiries about the continued operation of the Sturgis Camaro Rally website, city officials explained that it will temporarily remain active to direct traffic to the new event location.
“We have setup a new website for the Camaro Rally, but right now most google searches for the Camaro Rally are going to the Sturgis website. In an attempt to get people to the new website, we are asking if you could please put a ‘redirect’ on your website. This will allow a seamless transition to our new website when people click on the old website,” said Angie Black, Assistant General Manager of the Spearfish Holiday Inn & Convention Center.
The Sturgis Camaro Rally began in 2010 at the urging of Sturgis resident Bernie Pettis. Soon, the Black Hills Camaro Club stepped in to help with planning the annual event.
Organizers of the Sturgis Camaro Rally wanted to create a gathering to celebrate the car’s heritage, performance, and community.
The event was designed to bring together Camaro owners from all over the country, offering a variety of activities, including car shows, drag racing, autocross, and scenic cruises through the Black Hills. The rally also features social events, vendor displays, and opportunities for attendees to connect with other Camaro enthusiasts.
In recent years, the Black Hills Camaro Club withdrew from hosting duties, a role that was subsequently taken up by the City of Sturgis.
