| Contact: Michel Poirier-Defoy Tel: (450) 491-2480 E-mail: lpindfoy@sympatico.ca | Date: February 9, 1999 |
| EVENT: | Rallye de Québec | |
| LOCATION: | Québec, Québec | |
| STATUS: First event in 1999 | February 12 - 14 | |
| STATS: 16 special stages | 180 Km of speed sections | |
| TOTAL RALLY DISTANCE: 620 Km | Two day event |
Final 1998 standings: Frank Sprongl, 120 points; Tom McGeer, 57; Keith Townsend, 50; Jon Nichols, 45; Barry Latreille, 39; Carl Merrill, 38; Steve Barnes, 26; Chris Havas, 24
| Marques Championship: | Open: Audi | Group 2: Volkswagen |
| Production GT: Subaru | Prod. Sport: Volkswagen | Prod. 1750: Honda |
| 1999 SUBARU CANADIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 12 - 13 | Rallye de Quebec | Quebec City, QC |
| Feb. 26 - 28 | Rally Perce Neige | Pembroke, ON |
| May 22 - 23 | Bighorn Rally | Hinton, AB |
| May 28 - 29 | Rocky Mountain Rally | Calgary, AB |
| July 2 - 3 | Rallye Baie des Chaleurs | New Richmond, QC |
| Sept. 10 - 12 | Rally of the Voyageurs | Parry Sound, ON |
| Oct. 29-31 | Rallye Auto Charlevoix | Pte-au-Pic, QC |
| Nov. 20 - 21 | Rally of the Tall Pines | Bancroft, ON |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
QUEBEC CITY -- More than 30 teams will be rolling in to Quebec City this weekend, to take part in the inaugural race of the 1999 Subaru Canadian Rally Championship presented by Yokohama. Not only will the rally feature heated competition, it will also take place right in the middle of the famous Quebec Carnival festivities.
As teams prepare to race on almost 650 kilometers of frozen forestry road in the region of Portneuf, one battle in particular will be heating-up between Frank and Dan Sprongl, of Mississauga, ON, and their rivals, Tom and Trish McGeer of Georgetown, ON.
Old rivals reset clocks
The Sprongl's, in their Castrol Audi Quattro S2, took first place in all but one race of 1998s grueling season. The McGeer's, on the other hand, had to be content with a string of second place finishes. Despite that, they did manage to put their Subaru Impreza WRX in first place, but only once. Expect to see the McGeer's fighting extra hard this year for top spot on the podium.
The Sprongl's might also feel a little heat from Jean-Marc Alcaraz. At the same rally one year ago, he was leading, but an unfortunate lack of grip in a tight corner turned into an offroad excursion. That also meant Alcaraz's Import Expert Mazda had to forfeit. He's back again this year, and could be a threat.
When American Sakis Hadjiminas brought his all-wheel-drive, twin-turbo Audi V6/Volkswagen Fox kit car at the Rally of the Tall Pines in 1998, he wowed spectators with his hybrid machine. Now totally prepared for the 1999 season, this fire-breathing Fox from New York State, will undoubtedly keep the Sprongl's on their toes, and the crowds on the edge of their... snowbank!
Spectators are guaranteed excellent competition this year. A whole host of other teams have set their sites on winning the 1999 championship. Keith Townsend, of Mississauga, Ont., and Barry Latreille of Cornwall, Ont., will be driving at the limit, as will Yves Barbe and Sylvain Vincent, former Quebec champions. Celebrated ice racer and two-wheel drive rally champ Jon Nichols, will also be out in his Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Spectators welcome
The Plains of Abraham and the Hippodrome will host the first two and last two stages of the Quebec rally. While spectators are welcome at all stages, the Plains and the Hippodrome will feature designated viewing areas, while a special guide is recommended for the others. The rally will be televised at a later date on both RDS and TSN.
The Subaru Canadian Rally Championship will be run eight times this year, between February and November. It is sanctioned by the Canadian Association of Rally Sport and sponsored by Subaru Canada and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. Additional information is available from the CARS website at www3.sympatico.ca/rally.cars
For more information, contact:
Stephen Mostad mostad@onramp.ca
or
CARS (905) 640 - 6444