36th running of STPRŪ is the longest running gravel performance rally in America! Williston, VT — The fourth round of the Rally America National Championship, the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPRŪ), rolls into Wellsboro, PA on June 1-2, 2012 with a large 68 car entry list. All season long teams have come out in full force to contest the Rally America National Championship since the season opener's 70 car field at the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, MI. The STPRŪ competition heats right back up with the entrance of new competitive teams bound to shake up the standings or play spoiler to those with national title dreams. Rally America points leaders David Higgins and Craig Drew, both from the U.K., nearly locked the Rally America National Championship title with a decisive win at the Oregon Trail Rally. The team sits 35 points ahead of the pack with three more events to go, but only 2 points separate 2nd and 3rd place making the STPRŪ Rally an important event in deciding many team's fates. Canadian Rally Championship regular, Leonid Urlichich from Thornhill, Ontario with co-driver Carl Williamson, have been impressive in his Rally America season debut and needs to protect their second overall placement from a hard charging Adam Yeoman, the 2011 Rookie of the Year. Yeoman sits just one point behind in third place overall after landing his first podium finish at the Oregon Trail Rally. Notably, Rockstar Energy Drink's Antoine L'Estage from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and co-driver Nathalie Richard hurt their chances for another Rally America title with a second consecutive DNF at the recent Oregon Trail Rally. The team is Higgins' closest rival in the Series, but will attend STPRŪ with plans to win it. 2011 Super Production (SP) Class Champs, Travis and Terry Hanson, will resume the overall and SP Class battle after missing the last round of the Championship. The team sits fourth in the overall standings and only one point behind Lauchlin O'Sullivan in the SP standings. O'Sullivan missed a chance to build a larger lead over the Hansons at Oregon when he failed to finish with mechanical problems. While the Hansons and O'Sullivan duke it out, Ramana Lagemann from Somerville, MA, last year's SP Class STPRŪ winner, has entered for his first event this season. He is an instant favorite to win the class and possibly crack the overall podium. The 2WD Class was shaken up at the Oregon Trail Rally when Australia's Summit Rally Team entered with two uniquely prepared Nissan Silvias. Summit's Will Orders won the class in his Rally America debut and placed an impressive fourth overall. Up to this point, Chris Duplessis from Bethlehem, NH has been dominating 2WD. Unfortunately, the much anticipated battle between Duplessis and Orders never materialized when Duplessis skipped Oregon. Rally fans will finally see Duplessis take on Orders at STPRŪ as a test of American driving talent versus the world, and gauge 2WD supremacy. But don't count out Andrew Comrie-Picard from Hermosa Beach, CA driving a 2011 Scion xD. Comrie-Picard has finished in second place all season and that consistency helped him assume the 2WD Class lead by 7 points after Oregon! Another notable driver Dillon VanWay from Carencro, LA has much to prove after a DNF at the last round in his 2012 Ford Fiesta. He'll be hot on the heels of Orders, Duplessis and Comrie-Picard to keep his 2WD title bid alive. Fans who cannot attend in person can catch some live event streaming and video recaps, as well as regularly updated stage times and results, at Rally-America.com. For a complete schedule of the event, please visit Rally-America.com. A spectator guide will be available for download shortly. See the entire STPRŪ Rally entry list here: http://rally-america.com/events/2012/STPR/entries/ The 2012 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by TeleBlend, VP Racing Fuels - the Official Fuel of Rally America, ParkNBlend, Subaru of America, Ford Racing, Exedy Racing Clutches, Hawk Performance Brakes, DMack Tyres USA, GrimmSpeed and RECARO seats.
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