PORTLAND, OR — Whether it’s the opening rounds at Portland International Raceway or the tortuous and challenging logging roads around Vernonia, the Oregon Trail Rally always has something special to offer. This year, some of the world’s best drivers on and off road will compete in and around the Portland area from May 15 - 18.

Conditions so far this year have included two rallies in the snow and a third in freezing weather, so the always-unpredictable Oregon spring is the unknown factor at the Oregon Trail Rally. Even though the event has moved from its traditional April time slot to mid-May for 2008, there’s no predicting what will happen as these high-performance cars and competitors take to the forests and hills of Hillsboro and Vernonia.

Always one of the series’ most beautiful courses, the Oregon Trail rally covers gravel roads through the lush forests of western Oregon. The rally takes place through old growth tree stands and logging roads deep in the Tillamook State Forest. Ditches, trees, boulders, and occasional steep drop-offs make concentration as important as all-out speed in this challenging event.

This year, Subaru Rally Team USA’s Ken Block is looking to make it three event wins in a row after back-to-back victories in Missouri’s Hundred Acre Wood Rally in February and the Olympus Rally in eastern Washington last month. Combined with a 5th place at January’s season-opening Sno-Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan, Block has a strong lead with 54 points to second-place driver, Canada’s Andrew Comrie-Picard, with 41.

Also entered in this year’s event is two time defending Oregon Trail winner, Andrew Pinker. He is looking to get his season back on track after a slow start to the season in his Rockstar Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRX STi. After failing to finish the first two events, and gaining only 8th place points in Olympus last month, Andrew is happy to be heading back to the Oregon forest: he has dominated the event the last two years, and a win would definitely kick start his season.

The Oregon Trail Rally will take over Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square from 11 AM to 1 PM on Thursday, May 15th to kick off the weekend’s activities. 20 Rally cars along with their respective drivers will be on hand to show off their cars, sign autographs and answer questions. Actual racing will begin on Friday, May 16 at Portland International Raceway. The event continues with forest-road competition on Saturday and Sunday near Vernonia, Oregon.

New and old Rally America fans will enjoy several great spectator locations to watch the excitement pass right in front of them as they cheer on their favorite competitors. Cars competing in the rally are street-legal vehicles modified for safety. The cars are separated into five classes ranging from stock to highly modified. There are currently 11 different makes of automobiles registered in Rally America, led by Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

The 2008 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events throughout the country in many different weather and road conditions spanning the forest logging roads in Minnesota, the high-altitude Yampa River Valley in Northwest Colorado to the Pacific Northwest forest and coast paths.

Rally America drivers are competing for valuable points in the first six races in the 2008 season to qualify for spots to compete in X Games 14 as Rally Car Racing will make its third showing at this summer’s X Games in Los Angeles.

The Oregon Trail Rally will also be Round 1 of the "Max Attack! Triple Crown Rally Series." This three event series is set up to reward drivers of two wheel drive vehicles such as VW GTI's, Honda Civic's, and Dodge SRT-4's, three popular two wheel drive cars seen across the country in rallying. This overlay, independent championship has chosen the Oregon Trail Rally for the second year in a row to start their series.

"We are excited and honored to host the opening round of the Max Attack! Championship for another year," said event Co-Chairman Matt Tabor. "This year we are planning to have a designated section in the service area so all of the Max Attack! competitors can stay close, compare times and enjoy the camaraderie this type of championship has." More Max Attack! information can be found at www.max-attack.com.

About 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 Pomeroy, Wash., to Bethel, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers will be 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.