WELLSBORO, PA – For the 32nd year, the tradition of rally cars thundering through the state forests near the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon will again announce the coming of spring to Tioga County, but, like all traditions, time brings changes and improvements.

For this event, the biggest changes include a new event sponsor – Waste Management, North America’s largest recycler, and a new format which includes rallying for the first time on Friday as well as Saturday.

Other firsts for this North Central Pennsylvania classic include a spectator-friendly schedule which includes daylight-only competition, and the use of the Tioga County Fairgrounds for two special close-course stages which will provide additional excitement. As always, STPR is an alcohol-free event.

Now known as the Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, presented by Citizens and and Northern Bank, STPR, which is round five of the Rally America Championship Series, will take place June 6 and 7, 2008 in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. The rally, promoted by the Finger Lakes STPR Motorsports LLC committee, is chaired by Meridith Croucher, from Newark, New York (Rochester area), and she welcomes the changes to this year’s event.

“As the sport of performance rally continues to evolve, with younger competitors and new fans, we must adapt our event to the changing times. As we work with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to strike a balance between recreational use of state forest land and preserving the beauty of the land, we have found another partner – Waste Management – that shares similar environmental goals through its recycling efforts in North America. We are proud to welcome them to our SPR family, and hope that rally competitors and fans can learn more about preserving our resources from these organizations,” said Ms. Croucher.

“We are excited about sponsoring this event, the longest running road rally in the country,” said Area Vice President Jim Dancy. “We share the same commitment to conservation, stewardship and environmental protection. Just as the rally during its long history has brought changes and improvements over time, Waste Management historically thought of as a trash company is much more. It has evolved to an environmental services company increasing waste-based energy production, increasing recyclable materials processed, supporting the local economy, and reusing our resources by preserving and restoring increasing acreage for wildlife habitat, with presently six Pennsylvania landfills and close to 7,800 acres in Pennsylvania certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council.”

The Susquehannock Trail ProRally (STPR®) was first conducted by the Finger Lakes Region, SCCA in 1977, with the assistance of members of other sports car clubs in the Rochester, NY area. Members of these clubs (Triumph Touring Club, Corvair Owners Club, MG Car Club and others) had experience with previous performance events such as the Snowblower and Lunar Lunge which ran out of Rochester as early as 1965 and were part of the M.O.N.Y. series (Michigan, Ohio and New York), the forerunner of the ProRally series.

In the United States, performance rally teams have a driver and co-driver (or navigator) for each car, and the competitors race on segments (or stages) on closed public roads, trying to get from the beginning to the end of the stage as fast as they can. Unlike other forms of motorsports, there is no practice allowed, and the course is not revealed to the competitors until the navigator receives the route instructions before the start of the event. The navigator then barks out the route instructions while the drive proceeds – sometimes at speeds exceeding 100 miles-per-hour – through forest, desert, and logging around at events around the country. The cars, all street legal to allow driving on public roads between racing stages, are compact and sub-compact cars with varying amounts of performance modifications depending on the class they are running in. The sight of these cars, running at speed through the woods to beat the clock, makes exciting spectating for the fans who come out to watch performance rally.

STPR was the last of the great endurance events on the national schedule maintaining the one day format and is designed with a high stage/transit mileage ratio and, thanks to the outstanding cooperation of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), some of the best and most demanding roads in the country. In 2008 STPR changes to a new 2-day format to better utilize new competitive content, and give spectators more daylight viewing options. Featured this year will be a new Super Special Stage at the Tioga Couty Fairgrounds sponsored by Subaru and run once on Friday and once on Saturday. STPR® has six spectator locations to show the sport to maximum advantage in all its exciting aspects to the public and media.

The Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally® presented By Citizens and Northern Bank is a National Rally, approximately 265 miles long with approximately 122 miles of competitive stages. The Sherwood Forest Rally is a Regional Rally (for competitors who are not running for national Rally America Championship points), coefficient 3 that includes Stages One through Eight and is approximately 75 miles. The Finger Lakes Rally is a Regional Rally, coefficient 2 that includes Stages Nine through Thirteen and is approximately 47 miles – both Regional rallies are run in conjunction with the full national event.

The Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is sanctioned by Rally America. Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2008, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Portland, Ore., to Bethel, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses of gravel, dirt or snow.

Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action-sport event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. For more information, visit www.rally-america.com.