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From: [email protected] (Ken Beard)
Subject: PRORALLY: Sandhills commentary and results
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X-Issue-No: 1571
Organization: Susquehanna MotorSports
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 02:25:38 GMT
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Press Notes and Final Results from the 1995 Sand Hills/Sand
Blast PRO Rally -- Compiled from material prepared by Andy
Shupack, (401)739-5677, (401)739-6729 Fax, Compuserve 76456,2652
Press Notes #1 Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally Round #1 - 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series February 10 - 10:00 PM
1. Welcome to Cheraw, South Carolina, and the Sand Hills/Sand Blast
PRO Rally, the first event for the 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series.
The sandy roads of the Sand Hills State Forest near Patrick, SC,
have already been reported to be wet and muddy, with more rain
predicted for tomorrow. The weather has been unseasonably cold all
week (10 degrees F on Tuesday night), but promises to be in the 50's
for the one-day event tomorrow.
2. This 70 stage-mile, six-stage event is a coefficient 3 divisional event
in which the nationally-licensed drivers will be awarded 60 percent
points. National drivers can either run for points at this divisional,
or at a similar event next month in Washington State. Because the
Quebec Rally in Canada is also this weekend, several top competitors
opted to run north of the border and then exercise their Doo Wop Rally
option in Olympia, Wash. March 18-19.
3. Some interesting items about Paul Choiniere's new Hyundai Elantra:
Buffum has taken technology from several Hyundai models and meshed it
with the proven Audi experience to come up with a combination that may
be hard to beat. Included are driveline components from an upcoming
Hyundai Sport Utility vehicle - named only as the HCD III. The car
was a DNF two weeks ago in Canada with John Buffum driving and Trish
Sparrow co-driving. It was an off-road excursion rather than a
mechanical failure. The car, which finished a close second to Frank
Sprongl's Audi in Maine in December, is just the test "mule" for a
second car which Libra Racing is building for the rest of the season.
They hope to debut the car at the Sunriser PRO Rally in Ohio in April.
4. Because of his busy schedule, Jeff Zwart will not be able to race his
Porsche in 1995. By the way, if you missed the feature article on the
front page of the Life section on Jeff (with color photo) in the
January 17 issue of USA TODAY, you should call them and get a back
issue.
5. Carl Merrill will join the series - complete with a new tub on his
powerful Ford Escort Cosworth - at the Doo Wop weekend March 18-19.
Merrill is running the Quebec rally this weekend.
6. Henry Joy's new right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer should debut at the
Sunriser event April 7-8 in Ohio. Henry is currently on his honeymoon.
Greg Lund's Ford Merkur Cosworth - with a reported 450 horsepower -
will make it first appearance in the friendly confines of the Wild West
PRO Rally in Washington April 21-22.
7. Because of a legal dispute involving ownership of their
Toyota All-trac rally car, Vinnie Frontinan and Frank Arruda will not
be at South Carolina. Vinnie flew to Ireland to run an event this past
weekend.
8. The Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX will be running in the
Open class with their Production GT car to garner Open point in
anticipation of taking possession of the ex-Peter Moodie Hyundai
Elantra which Rod Millen tested at Wild West in 1993. Ottey, who
bought the car from the Executive Motors people in Jamaica who
sponsored Moodie here last year in his Group A-winning effort, hopes to
have the car in time for his home event - Sunriser - in April.
9. John Buffum is in Europe this weekend running a vintage rally in Monte
Carlo.
10. At the close of registration on Friday, 20 cars have entered this
year's Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally.
11. The bad weather - snow and freezing conditions - in both the South and
the Northeast affected many of the competitor's trips to Cheraw. Ivan
and Olga Orisek burned up two tires on their tow vehicle trying to free
it from backyard ice in White Plains, NY. In South Carolina, where ice
is a rarity, schools were closed throughout the state today.
12. The Greg Trepetin Honda Prelude V-Tech will be making its debut in
South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how it runs against the
V-Tech of Jim Anderson, with a year of rally seasoning on his car.
Throw last year's Production rookie sensation Tad Ohtake into the mix
with his Ford Escort GT, and veteran Dick Casey's VW GTI (eligible
again for the class as rules moved the age of cars from six years old
to eight),the Production class could be the battle of the weekend.
13. In Production GT, defending champion Selcuk Karamanoglu has finally
stuffed all the goodies from his crashed Mitsubishi Eclipse into an
Eagle Talon he bought (hard because the Mitsu. was a five-speed and the
Talon was an automatic). He had opted to make the car's debut in
Quebec, however, leaving Cal Landau to be the favorite in Production GT
with his Eclipse.
14. No trucks or Group A cars are entered. The American Rally Association,
the governing body for the PRO Rally rules, is looking closely at both
classes in terms of low entries to determine whether the classes should
continue.
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST PRO RALLY
ROUND #1 - 1995 SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
February 11, 1994
Entry List
Start Car Driver/ Hometowns Vehicle/Class
Pos # Co-Driver
1 1 Paul Choiniere Shelburne, VT Hyundai Elantra/Open
Jeff Becker Great Neck, NY National
2 2 Bruno Kreibich Ridgewood, NY Audi Quattro/Open
Rod Hendricksen Clinton, NJ National
3 3 Tom Ottey Columbus, OH Mazda 323GTX/Open
Pam McGarvey Columbus, OH National/Div.
4 4 Cal Landau Coraopolis, PA Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Eric Marcus Dayton, OH National/Div.
5 5 Ivan Orisek White Plains, NY Audi Quattro/Open
Olga Orisek White Plains, NY National/Div.
6 6 Carl Fisher Greenville, NH Dodge Omni/Open
Ted Mendham Lyndeboro, NH National/Div.
7 7 Mike Villemure Westland, Mich. VW Beetle/Group 2
Rene Villemure Flat Rock, Mich. National/Div.
8 8 Dick Casey Fairfax Station, VA VW GTI/Prod.
Martin Dapot Reston, VA National/Div.
9 9 Leslie Suddard Wilmington, DE Dodge Charger/Open
Anne Thomas Nashua, NH National/Div.
10 10 David Ralakis Parker, TX Mazda 323GTX/GT
Garrett Davis Austin, TX National/Div.
11 11 Roland McIvor Beaver Falls, PA Ponitac Lemans/Group 2
Ellen Santarcangelo Beaver Falls, PA National/Div.
12 12 Tad Ohtake Dearborn, MI Ford Escort/Production
Bob Martin Goodrich, MI National/Div.
13 13 Jim Anderson Carrboro, NC Honda Prelude/Prod.
Ben Greisler Philadelphia, PA National/Div.
14 14 Edward Mucklow St. Albans, WV Toyota Celica GTS
Robert Campbell Dunbar, WV Divisional
15 15 Sylvester Stepniewski Keansburg, NJ VW Scirocco
Adam Pelc Brooklyn, NY Divisional
16 16 Keith Kreisler Collegeville, PA Saab 900/Group 2
Greg Usavage Perkiomenville, PA National/Div.
17 17 Gerry Brinkman Freehold, NJ VW GTI/Group 2
Robert Barrall Bethlehem, PA National/Div.
18 18 Gregory Trepetin North Potomac, MD Honda Prelude/Prod.
Sonia Trepetin North Potomac, MD National/Div.
19 19 Raed Almakhtoob Greenville, SC VW Scirocco
Andrew Skinner Greenville, SC Divisional
20 20 Richard Grupp Norcross, GA
Al Macauley Lawrenceville, GA
Press Notes #2 Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally Round #1 - 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series February 11 - 2:30 PM
15. The #10 Mazda 323GTX of David Ralakis/Garrett Davis - a former Carl
Merrill/Libra Racing car most recently owned by Pat Ayer - is being run
by a new team, but the driver might be the most experienced racer in
the field. Ralakis ran on the world rally circuit for 12 years when he
lived in his native Greece in the '60s and '70s, including the 1000
Lakes of Finland, the East African Safari, and all through Europe with
factory Alfa, Renault and other teams. The last time he rallied,
however, was 1972, so he will have some catching up to do. His primary
sponsor is Le Texan Restaurants, which have locations in Monte Carlo
and Paris (France).
16. Changes in the entry list previously published include:
--The Dick Casey/Martin Dapot VW GTI is now #24.
--The Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort GT is now #66.
--The Greg Trepetin/Sonia Trepetin Honda Prelude is now #23.
--The Richard Grupp/Al Macauley #20 entry is a Toyota Corolla.
17. The #19 VW Scirocco of Raed Alamkhtoob/Andrew Skinner from Greenville,
South Carolina - the only local driver entered - was forced to withdraw
before the event as his car was damaged in transit to the rally. The
trailer dipped a wheel off the road and flipped. The crew was up all
night trying to repair it, but the final blow was the non-availability
of a replacement windshield this morning.
18. Jonathan Corey, one of the event sponsors, has a manufacturing facility
located right in Patrick, SC, only a mile from the start of the event.
The company provides high quality shirts for silk screen printers who
produce logo shirts for a wide variety of customers, including NASCAR
and IndyCar racing teams. If the shirts provided to drivers and co-
drivers for the rally - with the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally and South
Carolina Region/SCCA Logos on it - are any indication of the quality of
Jonathan Corey shirts, anyone who needs logo t-shirts should specify
this brand to their silk screener or ad specialty company.
19. 19 cars completed tech inspection at Martin Pontiac in Cheraw, and 19
cars took the countdown and started the rally from Quincy's family
restaurant in Cheraw at 1:01 PM EST in a light drizzle with the
temperature standing at 48 degrees F.
20. Everyone made it through the first stage successfully except the #11
Pontiac LeMans of Roland McIvor/Ellen Santarcangelo, which was
reported stuck at the beginning of stage #1. McIvor destroyed his
Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse last year at STPR, and is coming back
to the circuit this year in a slower Group 2 car.
Press Notes #3 Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally Round #1 - 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series February 11 - 7:30 PM
21. Stage #2 brought its share of mishaps because of the slick clay
surfaces that are intermixed with the sand-based roads. If a turn on
the forest road is badly rutted or washed out, the forest services
clears away the sand and builds the road back up with clay. Organizer
Greg Healey had warned the competitors that the sand surface would be
likely to grip better because of the week-long rain, but the clay
would be slick. The first DNFs, however, left the rally for mechanical
problems, not because of the course. The Villemure VW Beetle had an
oil leak which driver Mike Villemure figured they could nurse to the
service area, but enough oil didn't get to that fabled third cylinder
of the world's most famous air-cooled engine, and the powerplant threw
a rod. The car finished stage #2, but was forced out of the event.
22. A similar fate brought the Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse
effort to a standstill as oil leaked out of the filter (they theorize
that the filter shook loose) and they were forced to shut the car off
early in stage #2.
23. The Ivan Orisek/Olga Orisek Audi Quattro is also out of the event after
suffering numerous mechanical ills during the first three stages.
The Roland McIvor/Ellen Santarcangelo Pontiac LeMans left the
rally with ignition problems.
24. After four stages, 15 of the 19 starters were still running, and the
standings looked like this:
Driver/ Vehicle/Class Time
Co-Driver (min.1/100)
Paul Choiniere Hyundai Elantra/Open 44.86
Jeff Becker National
Tom Ottey Mazda 323GTX/Open 46.90
Pam McGarvey National/Div.
Bruno Kreibich Audi Quattro/Open 47.50
Rod Hendricksen National
Tad Ohtake Ford Escort/Production 54.73
Bob Martin National/Div.
Jim Anderson Honda Prelude/Prod. 55.38
Ben Greisler National/Div.
Carl Fisher Dodge Omni/Open 55.97
Ted Mendham National/Div.
Edward Mucklow Toyota Celica GTS 56.21
Robert Campbell Divisional
Sylvester Stepniew VW Scirocco 56.96
Adam Pelc Divisional
Leslie Suddard Dodge Charger/Open 60.50
Anne Thomas National/Div.
Gregory Trepetin Honda Prelude/Prod. 62.31
Sonia Trepetin National/Div.
Dick Casey VW GTI/Prod. 62.89
Martin Dapot National/Div.
Richard Grupp Toyota Corolla 63.75
Al Macauley Divisional
Gerry Brinkman VW GTI/Group 2 65.45
Robert Barrall National/Div.
Keith Kreisler Saab 900/Group 2 66.98
Greg Usavage National/Div.
David Ralakis Mazda 323GTX/GT 87.00
Garrett Davis National/Div.
Press Notes #4 Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally Round #1 - 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series February 11 - 9:30 PM
25. Round #1 of the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series is now in the books,
and, although Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker scored a well-deserved win
in their Open class Hyundai Elantra, this was not the typical Libra
Racing win. The motor mounts on the new Hyundai gave the engine too
much flex, and the result was a cracked power steering hose (thus, loss
of power steering), and a cracked exhaust (thus, a noisy car without
power steering). Add to this the hard-charging effort of the Tom
Ottey/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX, and Choiniere won the rally by only 40
seconds (official times coming shortly).
"We expect these kind of development problems as we learn about these
new systems," said Choiniere, "so we have to go home and rework the
motor mount assembly to make sure the engine doesn't have as much
flex."
As Ottey expects to be taking delivery of an Open class Elantra soon,
and moved his Mazda into the Open class to try to get points in
anticipation of that car, this was an important finish for him as well.
Unofficial times show Bruno Kreibich/Rod Hendricksen Audi Quattro
third, with the Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort GT fourth (and first
in Production) and the Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prelude fifth
(second in Production).
Other class winners include the Gerry Brinkman/Robert Barrall VW GTI
(Group 2) and the David Ralakis/Garrett Davis Mazda 323GTX (Production
GT). There were no Group A or Rally Truck entries.
Press Notes #5 Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally Round #1 - 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series February 12 -11:00 AM
26. A couple of corrections from previous weekend notes:
--Note #25 said that David Ralakis/Garrett Davis finished
first in the Production GT class. That would have been true, but
Ralakis only has a divisional license, so he is not eligible for
national points, thus there were no national Production GT finishers.
--Note #8 said that Tom Ottey has bought the ex-Millen Hyundai Elantra
from Executive Motors in Jamaica. In fact, Ottey hopes to run the
with sponsorship and Executive Motors support, but has not actually
bought the car.
27. Stages 5 and 6 turned out to be the undoing of many of the DNF
rallyist, with many either being stuck in the mushy sand or sliding
off on the slick clay. Here were some of the misfortunes:
--Mucklow/Campbell Toyota Celica - buried to the axle in mud.
--Kreisler/Usavage Saab 900 - dead battery/wet ignition.
--McIvor/Santarcangelo Pontiac LeMans (allowed to run stage 6
even though had already DNFed) - stuck in the muck.
--Fisher/Mendham Dodge Omni - wet ignition
Other DNF details:
--Orisek/Orisek Audi Quattro - broken suspension
--Casey/Dapot VW GTI - wet ignition
28. Some of the finishers also had mechanical ills which will have to be
fixed the before the next event. They include:
--Trepetin/Trepetin Honda Prelude (put shock through shock tower on
stage #3)
--Suddard/Thomas Dodge Charger (bent rear axle - stage #4,
repaired in service and went on to finish 7th OA.)
29. National points after one round:
Choiniere 12
Ottey 9
Kreibich 7.2
Ohtake 6
Anderson 4.8
Suddard 3.6
Brinkman 2.4
Trepetin 1.8
(Stepniewski and Ralakis - the other finishers - only have
divisional licenses are not eligible for national points)
Stage Times - Sand Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally - 2/11/95
Stage
Driver One Two Three Four Five Six Total
Choiniere 7.53 15.15 7.65 15:53 17.06 19.08 82.00
Ottey 7.83 15.09 8.10 15.88 17.03 18.54 82.47
Kreibich 8.17 15.72 8.12 15.52 17.03 18.09 82.65
Ohtake 9.35 17.68 9.38 18.32 18.81 20.49 94.03
Anderson 9.53 18.57 9.35 17.93 19.66 20.88 95.92
Stepniewski 10.22 18.08 10.12 18.84 20.20 21.57 99.03
Suddard 10.22 18.29 9.59 18.40 21.33 21.44 99.27
Brinkman 10.75 21.88 10.92 20.90 24.10 31.01 119.56
Trepietin 11.00 20.16 10.40 20.75 30.10 27.82 120.23
Ralakis 23.57 23.97 14.00 25.46 30.69 31.70 149.39
# # #
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST PRO RALLY
ROUND #1 - 1995 SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
February 11, 1994
Final Results
Fin. Car Driver/ Hometowns Vehicle/Class
Pos # Co-Driver Time (min:sec)
1 1 Paul Choiniere Shelburne, VT Hyundai Elantra/Open
Jeff Becker Great Neck, NY 82:00
2 3 Tom Ottey Columbus, OH Mazda 323GTX/Open
Pam McGarvey Columbus, OH 82:29
3 2 Bruno Kreibich Ridgewood, NY Audi Quattro/Open
Rod Hendricksen Clinton, NJ 82:39
4 66 Tad Ohtake Dearborn, MI Ford Escort/Production
Bob Martin Goodrich, MI 94:02
5 13 Jim Anderson Carrboro, NC Honda Prelude/Prod.
Ben Greisler Philadelphia, PA 95:56
6 15 Sylvester Stepniewski Keansburg, NJ VW Scirocco/Divisional*
Adam Pelc Brooklyn, NY 99:02
7 9 Leslie Suddard Wilmington, DE Dodge Charger/Open
Anne Thomas Nashua, NH 99:17
8 17 Gerry Brinkman Freehold, NJ VW GTI/Group 2
Robert Barrall Bethlehem, PA 119:34
9 23 Gregory Trepetin North Potomac, MD Honda Prelude/Prod.
Sonia Trepetin North Potomac, MD 120:14
10 10 David Ralakis Parker, TX Mazda 323GTX/Divisional*
Garrett Davis Austin, TX 149:24
*Divisional only license holders do not earn national points
Did_Not_Finish
4 Cal Landau Coraopolis, PA Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Eric Marcus Dayton, OH National/Div.
5 Ivan Orisek White Plains, NY Audi Quattro/Open
Olga Orisek White Plains, NY National/Div.
19 Raed Almakhtoob Greenville, SC VW Scirocco
Andrew Skinner Greenville, SC Divisional (DNS)
7 Mike Villemure Westland, Mich. VW Beetle/Group 2
Rene Villemure Flat Rock, Mich. National/Div.
11 Roland McIvor Beaver Falls, PA Ponitac Lemans/Group 2
Ellen Santarcangelo Beaver Falls, PA National/Div.
6 Carl Fisher Greenville, NH Dodge Omni/Open
Ted Mendham Lyndeboro, NH National/Div.
16 Keith Kreisler Collegeville, PA Saab 900/Group 2
Greg Usavage Perkiomenville, PA National/Div.
14 Edward Mucklow St. Albans, WV Toyota Celica GTS
Robert Campbell Dunbar, WV Divisional
24 Dick Casey Fairfax Station, VA VW GTI/Prod.
Martin Dapot Reston, VA National/Div.
20 Richard Grupp Norcross, GA Toyota Corolla
Al Macauley Lawrenceville, GA Divisional
# # #
---------------------------------------------
Ken Beard, Susquehanna MotorSports
[email protected]
---------------------------------------------
|
| from Ben Bradley's page
The Maine Forest Rally
December 1-3, 1995
Round Eleven
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Championship
Posted December 2, 1995:
1995 Maine Forest Rally - Entry List
Round #11 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Final Start Order/Entry List
December 1, 1995
Car
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Henry Joy IV Jimmy Brandt Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Lake Odessa, MI Michelin
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Grat Neck, NY Michelin
8 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro Open
Toronto, ONT Toronto, ONT Michelin
11 Bruno Kreibich Rod Hendricksen Audi Quattro Open
Ridgewood, NJ Clinton, NJ Michelin
14 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
5 Selchuk Karamanoglu Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon PGT
Bath, ME Plain City, OH Michelin
10 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Group 2
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
13 Jon Nichols Mike Koch VW GTI Group 2
Baie d'Urfe, PQ Nepern, PQ Michelin
14 Pat Ayer Raymond Cadieux Audi Quattro Open
Burlington, VT St. Lazare, PQ Nokia
15 Sylvain Erickson Gilles Nault Eagle Talon Open
Gatineau, PQ Gatineau, PQ Michelin
16 Sylvain Vincent Dominique Cyr Chevy S-10 Open
La Plaine, PQ LaPlaine, PQ Nokia
17 Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3 Group A
W. Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA Michelin
20 Tibor von Denes Henry Noga Audi Quattro Open
Butler, PA Glen Head, NY Nokia
71 Janice Damitio Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-Trac PGT
Montesano, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
19 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort GT Prod.
Dearborn, MI Goodrich, MI Michelin
21 Bob Elliott John Hart VW GTI Prod
Rutland, VT Hydeville, VT Bridgestone
22 Carl Fisher Ted Mendham Dodge Omni Open
Pittboro, NC Lyndeboro, NH Bridgestone
23 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Open
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin
24 John Vanlandingham Deborah Sweet SAAB 96 Group 2
Stoneham, MA Oak Ridge, NJ Michelin
25 Kurt Thiel George Thompson VW GTI Group 2
Rochester, NY Rochester, NY Bridgestone
26 Jerry Sweet Stuart Spark SAAB 99E Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliff Lk, NJ Michelin
27 Damon Mayers Matt Chester Toyota Corolla Group 2
Taunton, MA Atlanta, GA Bridgestone
28 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod
Peterborough, ONT Fairfax Sta., VA Nokia
29 Dean Fry Donnald Kennedy Subaru Legacy Open
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Nokia
33 Lesley Suddard Anne Thomas Dodge Charger Open
Wilmington, DE Nashua, NH Bridgestone
30 Chris Havas John Springer VW GTI Group 2
Richmond, VT Burlington, VT Michelin
31 Keith Kreisler Greg Usavage Mazda 323 Open
W. Chester, PA Perdasie, PA Michelin
34 C. Mantopoulos Barry Berg Audi Quattro Group A
Staten Island, NY Apple Valley, MN Nokia
32 Mark Cox Jim Gill VW GTI Prod
Steamboat Spr, CO Steamboat Spr, CO Bridgestone
# # #
Seven Islands Divisional PRO Rally
Friday, December 1, 1995
22 Carl Fisher Ted Mendham Dodge Omni Open
Pittboro, NC Lyndeboro, NH Bridgestone
33 Lesley Suddard Anne Thomas Dodge Charger O2
Wilmington, DE Nashua, NH Bridgestone
34 C. Mantopoulos Barry Berg Audi Quattro 4WD
Staten Island, NY Apple Valley, MN Nokia
21 Bob Elliott John Hart VW GTI U2
Rutland, VT Hydeville, VT Bridgestone
23 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro 4WD
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin
29 Dean Fry Donnald Kennedy Subaru 4WD
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Nokia
30 Chris Havas John Springer VW GTI U2
Richmond, VT Burlington, VT Michelin
48 Miroslaw Madej Dariusz Szerejko Suzuki Swift U2
Hicksville, NY Ryebrook, NY
41 Gerry Brinkman Bob Burnall VW U2
Freehold, NJ Bethlehem, PA
42 Arthur Wojcik Marzena Wojcik Ford U2
Maspeth, NY Maspeth, NY
89 Serguei Belousson Jose Vincente Mazda 626 4WD
Philadelphia, PA Newark, NJ
46 Paul Lelbel Janusz Manterya VW U2
New York, NY Brooklyn, NY
54 Chris Sanborn Heath Lachman Audi Quattro 4WD
??? ???
50 Steve Walkington Sandra Latreille Eagle Talon 4WD
??? ???
47 Thomas Brunn S. Olin-Dabrowski Subaru RS 4WD
Mahopac, NY Pleasant Valley, NY
44 Gail McGuire John Kemp Ford PU 4WD
Avon, NY Attica, NY
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series, Round #11
Press Notes #1
December 1, 1995, 12:45 PM
1. Good Morning from the Maine Forest Rally in Rumford, ME.
Snow is falling and the temperature is 24 degrees. A
slow moving storm is predicted to drop a minimum of 6
inches on the rally stages; more in the higher
elevations. The cold temperatures overnight caused some
consternation for the team of Henry Joy and Jimmy Brandt
as their gas lines froze. All is well at this writing.
The car is running well and has made its way to technical
inspection at AutoTech, an independent garage here in
Rumford.
2. Carl Merrill also had some trouble getting started this
morning. His truck, which will be driven this weekend by
Sylvain Vincent and Dominique Cyr, needed new spark plugs
and with the added strain of the cold weather overnight,
the engine was stubborn. He, too, is on his way.
3. Jimmy Brandt is enjoying a return engagement with the
Henry Joy team. Together last year, Joy and Brandt
finished fourth overall, third in the open class. Joy's
co-driver for the early part of this year, Chris Griffin,
is unable to compete due to illness. Griffin is here,
though, cheering the Mitsubishi Lancer on.
4. At 3:00 PM, with heavy snow falling, the field of 40
cars gathered in downtown Rumford. 31 cars are entered
in the National, 6 of whom are also entered in the Seven
Islands Division being run on tonight's stages. 9
additional cars are entered in the Divisional only.
5. The Fire Departments of Rumford and Orlando each sent
their hook and ladder truck and the two extended their
ladders to form an arch over the start line. A 6 foot
handmade wreath was hung between the ladders. The last
time such a ceremonial arch was formed was for the local
veterans of the Gulf War upon their return.
6. The team of Bob Elliott and John Hart plan a conservative
run tonight, testing the traction on their Bridgestone
Blizzak tires. Elliott won the Prod Class here last year.
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin Pro Rally Series, Round #11
Press Notes #2
December 1, 1995, 8:00 PM
7. Bruno Kreibich looked a little strange wandering around
Parc Expose, wearing heavy, weather appropriate gear from
the waist down and a light jacket above. When asked,
Bruno explained that while his defroster worked, no other
heat-distribution element in the car was functional. As
a result, above the waist the ambient temperature in the
car was 90 degrees and around the feet it was frigid.
This is probably an improvement over what happened to him
at two rallies earlier this season. In both cases, he
went through standing water and spray on the windshield
caused a fogging problem which his defroster would not
handle. With poor visibility, his finishes were hurt.
8. The team of Bruno Kreibich and Rod Hendricksen combined
undoubtedly have the most PRO Rally experience of any
team in the field. Kreibich is the only person who has
been competing continuously in SCCA PRO Rally since the
sport was first sanctioned in 1972. Hendricksen also
began running in SCCA PRO Rally in 1972, but like several
others, he has run off and on over the years.
9. Frank and Dan Sprongl drove all night to get to the rally
and driver, Frank, was showing the effects of little
sleep on the starting line. When they left home near
Toronto, Ontario, they met the leading edge of the storm
and followed it east, making for a very long trip.
Frank's goal for tonight was just to get through it and
get on to tomorrow's stages.
10. Selchuk Karamanoglu is running his first rally since Rim
of the World in May. He has a new Eagle Talon on which
he has been trying to mate parts from the Mitsubishi
Eclipse he wrecked at Tall Pines Rally in Canada last
year. After several false starts, he seems to have cured
his problem with the transmission and left town on
schedule. Last year, Selchuk won the Production GT
class.
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #3
December 2, 1995, 1:35 AM
10. Here are the points breakdown for the various classes
going into this final event:
--Overall: The Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai
Elantra has the inside track to clinch their
fourth straight national championship if they
can finish ninth or above, or if Henry Joy
doesn't win in his Mitsubishi Lancer. Carl
Merrill was in the hunt in his Ford Escort
Cosworth until he overheated and DNFed in the
Lake Superior event in October.
--Production GT: Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge hold a
slim lead in the class going into the
event in their Toyota All-trac, but the
Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi
Eclipse are favored to win the season
title based on their greater number of
victories. If Cal finishes, he wins
the title. If Cal DNFs, Janice wins.
If both DNF, Janice wins.
--Production: Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin in their Ford Escort
GT have already clinched the title.
--Group A: Bruce Newey, who wins the title with several
co-driver, clinched the Group A championship
in his Toyota All-trac with a win at Lake
Superior in October.
--Group 2: Sam Bryan/Rob Walden clinched the title in
their Saab 900 with a win (and second-place
overall finish) at the Lake Superior rally.
11. The SCCA Board of Directors has passed a resolution
which should ensure the orderly start ofthe 1996
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally season. See CompuServe
message #702212 in section #9 for details.
# # #
Maine Forest Rally
Preliminary Results (after four stages)
December 2, 1995, 12:30 AM
Out of the Rally: 27 Mayers/Chester Toyota Corolla
15 Erickson/Nault Eagle Talon
33 Suddard/Thomas Dodge Charger
# Driver/Co-driver SS1 SS2 SS3 SS4 Total
4 Joy/Brandt 854 834 1458 2420 5566
1 Choiniere/Becker 881 847 1463 2420 5611
3 Merrill/Bellefleur 844 830 1492 2500 5666
8 Sprongl/Sprongl 848 871 1502 2455 5676
21 Elliott/Hart 900 887 1555 2597 5939
11 Kreibich/Hendricksen 883 869 1523 2691 5966
14 Ayer/Cadieux 854 853 1720 2575 6002
16 Vincent/Cyr 913 898 1626 2650 6087
13 Nichols/Koch 951 918 1635 2593 6097
19 Hurst/Bohn 867 908 1592 2738 6105
5 Karamaoglu/Bittner 971 930 1570 2690 6161
66 Ohtake/Martin 939 921 1647 2722 6229
22 Fisher/Mendham 943 940 1740 2760 6383
12 Landau/Marcus 1010 912 1655 2830 6407
23 Orisek/Orisek 974 933 1658 2858 6423
20 von Denes/Nogas 980 966 1667 2960 6573
34 Mantopolos/Berg 1062 958 1678 2919 6617
24 Vanlandingham/Sweet 1022 972 1757 2873 6624
25 Thiel/Thompson 983 962 1708 2999 6652
26 Sweet/Spark 982 970 1792 2943 6687
32 Cox/Gill 977 1005 1792 3059 6833
30 Havas/Springer 980 972 1757 3156 6865
31 Kreisler/Usavage 1072 1010 1770 3035 6887
29 Fry/Kennedy 1000 1044 1897 3244 7185
10 Bryan/Walden 1957 875 1575 2824 7231
28 Watt/Casey 1053 1051 1945 3346 7395
71 Damatio/Trowbridge 1065 1040 1745 4352 8202
17 Davis/Greisler 1034 1015 1880 4670 8600
# # #
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #4
December 2, 1995, 10:35 AM
13. Mike Hurst and Rob Bohn are debuting a new car this
weekend: a Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX which
will be campaigned in the 1996 Divisional series with Rob
Bohn driving. The team is also preparing a Group 5
Porsche 911 Carrera which they anticipate will be ready
for the Sand Hills PRO Rally. The team of Sam Bryan and
Rob Walden are also planning an assault on the new Group
5 title in 1996.
14. All 40 cars took the start on schedule beginning at 4:01
PM EDT, and the rally is underway.
15. After the first two stages, reports are that nearly
everyone is still running although several cars went off
in the deep snow and needed help to get back on. The Sam
Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 launched into a snowdrift, but
Janice Damitio and Amity Trowbridge forsook their title
chase to help out their fellow competitor. Gerry
Brinkman and Bob Burnall's VW GTI slid on the ice and got
stuck just off the course and the Audi Quattro team of
Chris Sanborn and Heath Lachman lent them a hand.
16. The first stage seems to have had an unmarked chasm dead
center of the typical line. The hole did not directly
claim any victims, but seems to have contributed to some
teams' later problems.
17. Tibor von Denes and his co-driver, Henry Noga got plenty
of practice changing tires on their Sakis Hadjiminas
prepared Audi Quattro as they, more than anyone else,
kept getting flats - three in the four evening stages.
Tibor admitted to having gone off "a couple of times".
18. Sylvain Vincent and Dominique Cyr are having an hot and
cold evening. Carl Merrill's Chevy S-10 Pickup Truck
which the pair are running would provide heat to the cab
only when idling. At speed, the pair would freeze!
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #5
December 2, 1995, 12:20 PM
19. By the end of four stages, all of the national
competitors (except the team of Sylvain Erickson and
Gilles Nault) were still running, but the transit stage
back to Rally Headquarters at the Madison Hotel finished
off a couple of the teams. Damon Mayers and Matt Chester
suffered a fire inside the passenger compartment along
the way, probably caused by a wiring problem. Luckily,
their small fire extinguisher was able to handle the
blaze, preventing a disaster. Lacking the time to trace
the original problem as well as replace the melted wiring
components, the team withdrew.
20. Leslie Suddard and Anne Thomas were apparent victims of
the hole on stage one. In the later stages of the
evening Suddard noticed the transmission becoming noisy,
so the crew checked the transmission fluid, and when it
was found to be down a little, added some. That helped
for a while, but by the end of the fourth stage, the
system would no longer hold fluid. A split in the
housing was allowing the fluid to run out as fast as it
was poured in.
21. The Landau-Damitio battle is heating up. Landau has had
transmission troubles at other rallies this season,
finishing twice in two-wheel drive. Again last night,
the tranny started "clunking", possibly heralding a new
failure. But Damitio, too, is having transmission woes.
She admits that the Toyota All-Trac keeps getting stuck
in gear. Again, if both drop out, Damitio wins.
22. Rick Davis and Ben Greisler were also bitten by stage
one's big hole. Davis said they had "performed last
rites" on their 5th spoiler this season. After driving
through the hole (and losing some time), Davis moved over
for Vanlandingham who was catching up, and ended up
getting stuck in the snow. They were able to extricate
themselves though, but are running well down.
Posted December 4, 1995:
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #6
December 2, 1995, 1:20 PM
23. The team of John Vanlandingham and Deborah Sweet were
forced to withdraw this morning when they were unable to
repair some damage done to their Saab 96 on last night's
rough stage roads. During the final stage of last
night's activities, one of the shock towers poked through
the bodywork and on the transit back to the Madison, the
other popped through as well. Although it appeared that
they could make the necessary parts and weld them in
place, time ran out.
24. Vanlandingham and Sweet were hoping to win their class in
both the summer and winter Maine Forest Rallies. Other
competitors who could potentially sweep the Maine tours
are: Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur and Cal Landau/Eric
Marcus.
24. Ivan and Olga Orisek seem to have finally sorted out
their early problems with the new (this year) car, and
for the first time in recent memory, they had a good
first day. Last year at this time, Olga had come down
with the flu, and could only whisper at Ivan.
25. The weather this morning at the start in downtown Rumford
was 24 degrees with strong winds blowing yielding wind
chills in the subzero category. Scattered snow flurries
were nearly indistinguishable from the blowing of the
snow which fell last night, but the forecast is for
generally clear weather through the day. 38 cars left
the start, 27 National or National/Divisional and 11
Divisional only.
26. Unofficial results from last night's Seven Islands
Divisional PRO Rally are:
U2 - Elliott/Hart 5939
4WD - Walkington/Latreille 6361
Open - Fisher/Mendham 6410
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #7
December 2, 1995, 3:00 PM
27. The temperature in Oquossoc as the rally passed through
at 10:00 AM was 3 degrees; it was colder at the higher
elevations of the rally stages and the wind was just as
strong as it had been in Rumford. Spectators huddled in
their cars waiting for the rally special stages to start,
but a delay in getting the ambulance in began a day of
delays.
28. Rally organizer John Buffum was forced to cancel two
stages due to the deep snow. Rather than shorten the
rally to only six stages, today's stages 5 and 6 were
scheduled to be rerun after the service in Oquossoc.
29. On stage 5, the Jon Nichols/Mike Koch VW GTI and the
Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99E both went off into the
snow requiring a tow truck to extricate them. Since
stage 6 is the reverse of stage 5, the rally added up
additional delays to clear the course. Henry Joy
continues to hold a slim lead.
30. When the first cars finally made it to service, they
brought tales of treacherous driving: snow covering ice,
a deep ridge of snow down the center of the roadway. Ice
seems to be the defining factor in today's stages. Henry
Joy has dropped back after 6 stages are complete. Ice
clogged his turbo intake filter and the engine became air
starved. Thick ice on the rear deck changed the balance
of the car due to the change in weight distribution, so
all of the handling characteristics were different. Paul
Choiniere is having trouble with a water pump belt. Ice
is sucking up into the engine and coating the belt
causing it to slip. All of the cars are having
visibility problems due to icing of their windshields and
windshield wipers. Service crews are using their time
chipping away at the shell encasing each of the cars.
The fire department in Oquossoc has opened their door and
put out an industrial type heater, and each of the cars
in turn are pulling up to the doors and starting the
meltdown.
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #8
December 2, 1995, 4:00 PM
31. The rally continues to get further behind schedule.
Besides the delays to clear rally cars from the course
between stages, the organizers have been having to chase
snowmobiles from the course. After service, the rally
was nearly 1 1/2 hours behind schedule.
32. Multiple reports of cars off course came in after stage
6. Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge alone pulled out 3
cars before completing the stage. The rally truck of
Gail McGuire and Jon Kemp are out after being unable to
recover from an off course.
33. Several of the service crews were scrambling to hook up
lights as the teams got ready to return to the special
stages. With the major delays, it appears likely that
the rally will finish in darkness. The Elliott/Hart
entry left service without lights, but radioed back to
have another car on the team bring the lightbar to the
start.
34. One new entry who is still in the hunt is the team of
Mark Cox and Jim Gill. Both driver and co-driver are new
to rallying, but both have extensive experience with
driving on snow and ice. Cox owns and Gill instructs at
the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat
Springs, CO. The pair are renting a VW GTI from Bob
Elliott's stable and are running in their first National
PRO Rally.
35. Frank Sprongl must have awakened refreshed this morning.
From a fourth place, 1.10 minute deficit, Sprongl has
surged to a 2 minute lead over Carl Merrill after 6
stages. Sprongl alone seems unfazed by the ice and snow,
while others continue their troubles.
Maine Forest Rally
SCCA/Michelin PRO Series, Round #11
Press Notes #9
December 2, 1995, 5:30 PM
---------------------------------------------------
The Toronto, Ontario team of brothers Frank and Dan Sprongl
have won the Maine Forest Rally for the third time, bettering
the record of Shelburne, Vermont's Paul Choiniere and his co-
driver Jeff Becker of Great Neck, NY, who finished second.
Ice and cold were the major factors in the rally as
Choiniere's Hyundai Elantra threw a belt in Saturday's second
stage due to ice and snow in the engine compartment.
Maine native Carl Merrill of Ogonquit and his co-driver John
Bellefleur of Thornhill, Ontario, finished third, a scant few
seconds behind Choiniere and Becker. Henry Joy IV and Jimmy
Brandt of Atlanta,MI and Lake Odessa, MI respectively
finished fourth after leading for the first five stages of
the rally.
With their second place finish, Paul Choiniere clinches the
overall driver's championship for the 1995 SCCA Michelin PRO
Rally Series and Jeff Becker will take the overall title in
the Co-Driver category. Choiniere and Becker had already
locked up the driver and co-driver categories in the Open
Class.
---------------------------------------------------
36. The Production GT title is decided. Cal Landau and Eric
Marcus finished the rally which guarantees them the top
spot in the year-end standings.
37. In 1991, at the first Maine Forest Rally, Bob Elliott was
in a hot battle for the Production class lead with Mark
Molnar when Molnar went off in snow ahead of him. Always
a sportsman, Elliott stopped and pulled Molnar out, but
then was held up waiting to pass him. This year history
repeated itself when Tad Ohtake, who was leading by 4
minutes, spun, not 100 yards from where Molnar had, and
again, Elliott was the hero. When the rally was over,
Elliott still didn't know in what order they finished!
1995 Maine Forest Rally - Final Results
Round #11 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
December 2, 1995
Car Class/
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro Open
Toronto, ONT Toronto, ONT Michelin 151.91
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin 153.81
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin 154.00
4 Henry Joy IV Jimmy Brandt Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Lake Odessa, MI Michelin 154.96
11 Bruno Kreibich Rod Hendricksen Audi Quattro Open
Ridgewood, NJ Clinton, NJ Michelin 162.58
14 Pat Ayer Raymond Cadieux Audi Quattro Open
Burlington, VT St. Lazare, PQ Nokia 164.12
5 Selchuk Karamanoglu Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon PGT
Bath, ME Plain City, OH Michelin 166.35
14 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin 171.95
21 Bob Elliott John Hart VW GTI Prod
Rutland, VT Hydeville, VT Bridgestone 177.63
34 C. Mantopoulos Barry Berg Audi Quattro Group A
Staten Island, NY Apple Valley, MN Nokia 178.20
25 Kurt Thiel George Thompson VW GTI Group 2
Rochester, NY Rochester, NY Bridgestone 179.13
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort GT Prod
Dearborn, MI Goodrich, MI Michelin 183.30
19 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin 184.21
26 Jerry Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99E Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliff Lk, NJ Michelin 186.96
29 Dean Fry Donnald Kennedy Subaru Legacy Open
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Nokia 191.17
32 Mark Cox Jim Gill VW GTI Prod
Steamboat Spr, CO Steamboat Spr, CO Bridgestone 194.85
30 Chris Havas John Springer VW GTI Group 2
Richmond, VT Burlington, VT Michelin 201.74
28 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod
Peterborough, ONT Fairfax Sta., VA Nokia 205.20
71 Janice Damitio Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac PGT
Montesano, WA Seattle, WA Michelin 214.56
22 Carl Fisher Ted Mendham Dodge Omni Open
Pittboro, NC Lyndeboro, NH Bridgestone 221.00
13 Jon Nichols Mike Koch VW GTI Group 2
Baie d'Urfe, PQ Nepern, PQ Michelin 230.15
31 Keith Kreisler Greg Usavage Mazda 323 Open
W. Chester, PA Perdasie, PA Michelin 247.14
10 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Group 2
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin DNF
15 Sylvain Erickson Gilles Nault Eagle Talon Open
Gatineau, PQ Gatineau, PQ Michelin DNF
16 Sylvain Vincent Dominique Cyr Chevy S-10 Open
La Plaine, PQ LaPlaine, PQ Nokia DNF
17 Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3 Group A
W. Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA Michelin DNF
20 Tibor von Denes Henry Noga Audi Quattro Open
Butler, PA Glen Head, NY Nokia DNF
23 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Open
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin DNF
24 John Vanlandingham Deborah Sweet SAAB 96 Group 2
Stoneham, MA Oak Ridge, NJ Michelin DNF
27 Damon Mayers Matt Chester Toyota Corolla Group 2
Taunton, MA Atlanta, GA Bridgestone DNF
33 Lesley Suddard Anne Thomas Dodge Charger Open
Wilmington, DE Nashua, NH Bridgestone DNF
# # #
Boise Cascade Divisional PRO Rally
Saturday, December 2, 1995
Car Class/
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
34 C. Mantopoulos Barry Berg Audi Quattro 4WD
Staten Island, NY Apple Valley, MN Nokia 112.03
50 Steve Walkington Sandra Latreille Eagle Talon 4WD
Williamstown, QUE Williamstown, QUE 115.25
47 Thomas Brunn S. Olin-Dabrowski Subaru RS 4WD
Mahopac, NY Pleasant Valley, NY 115.60
21 Bob Elliott John Hart VW GTI U2
Rutland, VT Hydeville, VT Bridgestone 118.24
29 Dean Fry Donnald Kennedy Subaru 4WD
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Nokia 119.32
30 Chris Havas John Springer VW GTI U2
Richmond, VT Burlington, VT Michelin 133.09
41 Gerry Brinkman Bob Barrell VW U2
Freehold, NJ Bethlehem, PA 133.71
51 Josh Wortzel Joel Richards Dodge Neon U-2
Waltham, MA Newton, MA 142.71
22 Carl Fisher Ted Mendham Dodge Omni Open
Pittboro, NC Lyndeboro, NH Bridgestone 156.90
23 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro 4WD
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin DNF
48 Miroslaw Madej Dariusz Szerejko Suzuki Swift U2
Hicksville, NY Ryebrook, NY DNF
42 Arthur Wojcik Marzena Wojcik Ford U2
Maspeth, NY Maspeth, NY DNF
89 Serguei Belousson Jose Vincente Mazda 626 4WD
Philadelphia, PA Newark, NJ DNF
46 Paul Kelbel Janusz Manterya VW U2
New York, NY Brooklyn, NY DNF
44 Gail McGuire John Kemp Ford F-150 Pick-up 4WD
Avon, NY Attica, NY DNF
54 Chris Sanborn Heath Lachman Audi Quattro 4WD
Norwalk, CT Burlington, VT DNS
# # #
Seven Islands Divisional PRO Rally
Friday, December 1, 1995
Car Class/
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Bob Elliott John Hart VW GTI U2
Rutland, VT Hydeville, VT Bridgestone 59.39
50 Steve Walkington Sandra Latreille Eagle Talon 4WD
Williamstown, ONT Williamstown, ONT 63.61
22 Carl Fisher Ted Mendham Dodge Omni Open
Pittboro, NC Lyndeboro, NH Bridgestone 64.10
23 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro 4WD
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin 64.23
34 C. Mantopoulos Barry Berg Audi Quattro 4WD
Staten Island, NY Apple Valley, MN Nokia 66.17
47 Thomas Brunn S. Olin-Dabrowski Subaru RS 4WD
Mahopac, NY Pleasant Valley, NY 66.98
30 Chris Havas John Springer VW GTI U2
Richmond, VT Burlington, VT Michelin 68.65
29 Dean Fry Donnald Kennedy Subaru 4WD
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Nokia 71.85
41 Gerry Brinkman Bob Barrell VW U2
Freehold, NJ Bethlehem, PA 80.19
46 Paul Kelbel Janusz Manterya VW U2
New York, NY Brooklyn, NY 81.19
42 Arthur Wojcik Marzena Wojcik Ford U2
Maspeth, NY Maspeth, NY 95.53
48 Miroslaw Madej Dariusz Szerejko Suzuki Swift U2
Hicksville, NY Ryebrook, NY 99.81
33 Lesley Suddard Anne Thomas Dodge Charger O2
Wilmington, DE Nashua, NH Bridgestone DNF
89 Serguei Belousson Jose Vincente Mazda 626 4WD
Philadelphia, PA Newark, NJ DNF
54 Chris Sanborn Heath Lachman Audi Quattro 4WD
Norwalk, CT Burlington, VT DNF
# # #
SPRONGLS PLOWS TO SECOND STRAIGHT MAINE FOREST VICTORY; CHOINIERE
SNAGS FIFTH SCCA/MICHELIN NATIONAL TITLE IN SIX YEARS
RUMFORD, Maine -- December 3 -- Showing their Canadian winter rally
heritage, Toronto's Frank Sprongl with brother and co-driver Dan Sprongl
swept the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally field for a two-minute victory in their
Audi Quattro S-2 at the Maine Forest Rally.
The event, run on the Boise Cascade Forest roads in Southern Maine,
featured snow-covered and icy conditions as well as sub-zero
temperatures - just what the Canadians like.
"We didn't do very well on Friday night as we had been up all night driving
to the event, but a good night's sleep and experience in the snow really
helped our cause. Our Audi Quattro S-2 was the perfect Arctic racer,"
said Frank Sprongl, who had clinched his second straight Canadian rally
title last month.
Finishing second, but clinching his fifth SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally national
championship in the last six years was Shelburne, Vermont's Paul Choiniere,
with co-driver Jeff Becker, who Hyundai Elantra overcame a water pump belt
problem in the early stages to stay in contention.
Third overall was the Ogunquit, Maine-based team of Carl Merrill and John
Bellefleur in a Ford Escort Cosworth, followed by the right-hand drive
Mitsubishi Lancer of Henry Joy and Jimmy Brandt.
Other class winners included Selcuk Karamanoglu/Yorgi Bittner, from Bath,
Maine, in an Eagle Talon (Production GT); Bob Elliott/John Hart, from
Rutland, VT, in a VW GTI (Production); Constantine Mantopoulos/Barry Berg,
from Staten Island, NY, in an Audi Quattro (Group A); and Kurt Thiel/George
Thompson, from Rochester, NY, in a VW GTI (Group 2).
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed. The cars
start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 6 - 24
stages which range in length from four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies
include night stages, making it necessary for competitors to adjust their
driving style. Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
long straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
winning the event.
As this was the last event of the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally season, national
champions were also crown. Besides Choiniere's overall national title, the
class champions included Cal Landau/Eric Marcus, from Coraopolis, PA, in a
Mitsubishi Eclipse (Production GT); Bruce Newey/Charles Bradley, from
Atlanta, GA, in a Toyota All-Trac (Group A); Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin, from
Dearborn, MI, in a Ford Escort GT (Production); Sam Bryan/Rob Walden, from
Kent, WA, in Saab 900 (Group 2); and Dave Turner/Ben Bradley, from Hemet,
Calif., in a Mitsubishi Pick-up (Rally Truck).
In other year-end news, the Sports Car Club of America announced the
tentative 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally schedule, which includes 11 events.
SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
PROPOSED 1996 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
EVENT DATE LOCATION STATUS
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST March 16 - 17 Cheraw, SC* Coefficient 3
DOO WOP III & V March 23 - 24 Olympia, WA* Coefficient 3
WILD WEST PRO RALLY April 12-14 Olympia, WA National
RIM OF THE WORLD May 3 - 5 Palmdale, CA National
SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL June 1 - 2 Wellsboro, PA National
PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY June 22-23 Prescott, AZ Coefficient 3
(or October 5-6)
MAINE FOREST SUMMER RALLY July 26 - 28 Rumford, ME National
OJIBWE FORESTS PRO RALLY August 23 - 25 Bemidji, MN National
SUNRISER 400 September 27-29 Chillicothe, OH National
LAKE SUPERIOR PRO RALLY October 18 - 20 Houghton, MI National
PACIFIC FOREST RALLY November 8 - 10 Olympia, WA National
(plus year-end awards)
*Competitors may start EITHER Sand Hills/Sand Blast or Doo Wop III/IV.
Manufacturers may count EITHER Sand Hills/Sand Blast or Doo Wop III/IV.
The Maine Forest Rally was presented by the New England Region of the
Sports Car Club of America, with assistance from the Blue Mountain Region
of the SCCA. The National PRO Rally series is sponsored by Michelin Tire
Corporation, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, and
administered by the American Rally Association.
# # #
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