Liz Casteel and Tasha Krug are Honda engineers who competed together as Team Sand Mode in the 2019 Rebelle Rally, a grueling 1,500-mile off-road competition for women. These extraordinary engineers from Honda R&D Americas tackled the competition to pursue their outdoor passions and push the company’s future innovations to the next level. As the recipients of the Rebelle Rally Rookie of the Year award and Third Place winners in the Crossover Class, these superstars have proven that they can handle the toughest of challenges. Passionate and fearless women like them drive Honda forward with their challenging spirit.
What do you do at Honda?
Liz Casteel (LC): I’m a chassis reliability test engineer and that means I work on the suspension and frame of the car, to test and make sure it stays reliable for the life of the vehicle. So, in real-world terms, I check to make sure that your car lasts and will be okay when you run over potholes or railroad tracks, or hit curbs.
Tasha Krug (TK): I am a systems and drivability test engineer at Honda R&D Ohio. I calibrate engines for anything from ignition timing to the idle-stop controls or the OBD system — which are on-board diagnostics. I work on cars when I’m not at work, and at work I work on cars even more
What is the Rebelle Rally?
LC: The Rebelle Rally is an eight-day off-road navigation competition for women. It is one of the most intense and amazing things that you could ever do. It is very challenging but everyone who participated was so supportive, so it is one of the most empowering things you could do.
Why did you participate in the Rebelle Rally?
TK: We actually assisted at the 2018 Rebelle Rally, which was the first time Honda had participated. It was headed by Michelle Klein from Honda R&D Ohio. Liz and I helped prep the Ridgeline that her team took. Assisting them inspired us to participate so, this year, we became Rebelle Rally drivers.
LC: We also wanted to showcase Honda’s SUVs and their capabilities, and also wanted to challenge ourselves as engineers and as female drivers.
What vehicle did you drive in the Rebelle Rally, and what modifications did you make to it?
TK: We took a 2019 Honda Passport and gutted the interior. We put in an in-cabin tire rack for the two spares that we’re required to have for the rally. We also installed tow points, in both the front and the rear.
LC: Since we’re driving off-road, there are things like rocks or other obstacles that could damage the underbody, so we installed skid plates for protection. When we’re driving in the sand dunes, we could get stuck pretty easily. It’s really good to have recovery points, so other vehicles have a spot where they can attach a rope and pull you out of the situation. It was a really good opportunity to show what the Passport can do in off-road driving.
TK: By doing the Rebelle Rally, we took a Passport on roads that customers could potentially take them on. It was extremely beneficial to see how our cars are actually used in the real world. For Honda, it was incredibly important for us to participate to showcase our off-road capabilities and show the world it’s possible.
You two won the Rebelle Rally Rookies of the Year award. What was that like?
LC: Tasha and I tried to do the best that we could by going for as many checkpoints as possible.
TK: We got a podium finish and placed third in our crossover class! We also got Rookie of the Year, which is phenomenal. Usually, the Rookie of the Year is awarded to a 4x4, but we got it!
LC: It was one of the most amazing experiences that I’ve had, and it was more than either Tasha or I thought we could do. It really showed us how perseverance, research and preparation will really help you to attain your goal. The goal was to participate and do well, but we did much more than we thought we could.
What do you think it took to make the Rebelle Rally experience possible?
LC: It took a lot of teamwork, and a lot of pushing and pulling within our relationship. During the rally, we challenged each other a lot to make sure we didn’t give up. We pushed each other to go further.
What was your team like?
LC: Our entire team was definitely a collective of people within Honda — a lot of associates who worked really hard. This experience partnered a lot of people who were experts in the field with a lot of novices to help all of our associates grow in both teaching and learning. Many of them didn’t have much off-roading experience when we started, but we’ve all grown and learned a lot. We had a couple of people who are off-roading experts and they’ve really helped us grow as a team. They taught us what equipment we needed and what kind of situations we could expect to get into. So, they’ve been really, really helpful.
Do you have any women colleagues who influence your work?
LC: When I first started at Honda, my group leader showed me that you can have a real work-life balance having a family and being able to work as a full-time engineer. I really appreciate her being a role model and showing me that it’s possible.
Why is it important to have women role models?
TK: I think it’s important to have a female mentor to help guide you. You want to see yourself as successful and you want to know how to get there. Having a female mentor will help with that. A female colleague competed in the Rebelle Rally last year, and her experience motivated us to do the same.
What was the hardest part of the Rebelle Rally?
TK: We couldn’t use any phones or electronics, especially anything with a GPS in it. The only tools we had were a plotter, a compass, and all the topographical maps for areas we were going to be in. It was important to use our eyes to look for different points of interest, noticing our surroundings and always knowing where North was.
LC: When you’re driving in the desert, it’s really hard to find your way while navigating and driving within the correct speed limit. There are a lot of different factors that go into it. Many times, Tasha and I would eat on the fly because it was so difficult to find time to stop and take a break.
Was this type of navigation new to you?
TK: I had looked at topographical maps before for hiking. At the Rebelle Rally, the use was completely different. Being in environments that I’ve never been in before and driving across 1,500 miles of difficult terrain over 8 days was completely new. I learned how to triangulate my position. I learned that my compass was my best friend and how to plot checkpoints on the map.
How has the experience changed you?
LC: It definitely made it easier for me to face challenges. It made me less fearful and more willing to take risks. This helps me to move forward and take on challenges that I might not try otherwise, because I’m less afraid of failing and more interested in learning from failure or success.
TK: The Rebelle Rally has definitely left an impact on my work. It showed me that I can accept failure and to not let my fear of failure ruin how I work or live my life. Moving on from failure can make your intended goal so much more impactful. Even if you fail, you can take a moment to realize that it happened and that it’s okay — it happens to everyone. That’s how you learn.
Basically, evaluate how you’re going to tackle the next challenge or attempt whatever you were trying to do again.
LC: Personally, it has made me a lot more confident in my job and in embracing failing and trying again. I think this experience has really shown Honda and the women within Honda how much can be can achieved if you’re passionate enough.
