quattro Magazine Feature: Chasing Leaves, Midcon Mountain Rally 2025 

By: Eric Climer, Pauline Stutsman

Photos by: Scroggins Photography

You never really know what kind of weather you’ll get at the beginning of November in the South. It could be blazing hot and sunny, or bitterly cold and snowy. The same is true for the leaves on the trees. It’s nearly impossible to predict when peak fall foliage will arrive, especially when the window is so short in the middle of the U.S. Nevertheless, for the last three years, Audi Club Oklahoma has been chasing the foliage, yearning for the perfect weekend of colors, sun, and cool air. In 2025, everything finally came together.

In 2023, Audi Club Oklahoma hosted its first Midcon Mountain Rally. It was a passion project dreamed up by the chapter board to bring Audi enthusiasts together for a weekend of driving through the twisty roads of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. The first year was mostly off the cuff, as one might expect from a small chapter executing its first large event. The stops weren’t planned, the route was ambitiously long, and the leaves hadn’t changed. We would all remember the first day’s lunch spot, and we’d be surprised if the health department hadn’t shut it down by now. None of that mattered, though, because there was nothing more exhilarating than 17 Audis screaming down the open road together.

Midcon Mountain Rally has come a long way since that first year. In 2025, the rally welcomed 30 cars and more than 40 participants of all ages, some traveling from as far as Virginia to take part. Year after year, familiar faces return, bonding over a shared passion for cars and forming lasting friendships. What began as a club event now feels more like a reunion.

2025’s rally also featured something unexpected among the carefully limited non-Audi guest vehicles: a stunning KTM X-Bow GT-XR. One of only a handful in the country, the car carries something familiar under the hood—a 500 hp Audi five-cylinder engine paired with a seven-speed DSG gearbox. Naturally, it drew plenty of attention wherever it went.

The weekend began even before the rally officially started. Two meet-and-greet events were held beforehand—one in Tulsa and another in Oklahoma City—giving both new and returning participants a chance to connect before hitting the road. The following morning, drivers gathered at long-time club sponsor Tuff Industries in Tulsa, OK, the official starting point for the rally.

Once the Oklahoma City group arrived, hoodies, walkie-talkies, and swag bags were handed out, and the final door stickers—courtesy of Precision Films OKC—were applied. The group gathered for a quick rundown of the route and the weekend’s plans. Just like many corporate meetings begin with a safety moment, Midcon Mountain Rally does too. After that, the engines fired and the drive began.

Like much of Oklahoma, the first part of the journey was fairly unremarkable: flat highways stretching into the distance with few curves in sight. Still, the long straightaways gave Scroggins Photography an opportunity to capture rolling shots of the convoy. His gymnastic-like efforts leaning out of the chase vehicle to frame the perfect photos were impressive enough on their own.

To continue reading this story and more, click here to access the Q2_2026 digital issue of quattro Magazine. [Note: you must be logged in to your membership account to view]