NEWRY, ME -- Ex-factory driver Ramana Lagemann and Canadian Andrew Comrie-Picard will fill the last of 12 starting positions at the first-ever X Games Rally next week in Los Angeles.

Both earned their spots at the hotly-contested Maine Forest Rally last weekend. The two top finishers who had not already been invited were called up to compete against some of the best in the sport at the X Games Rally.

Although it first appeared that Italian driver Alfredo “Dedo” DeDominicis had won the rally, a 24-second penalty applied after he crossed the finish line on Saturday dropped him from first to fifth position – and handed the second X Games position to Comrie-Picard. The penalty generated some controversy as DeDominicis said he knew he was leading and backed off late in the race to preserve his car. He said if he had known he had a 24-second gap to make up, he would have pushed harder.

With an eye toward their 2006 Rally America championship standing, DeDominicis’ team opted to take the full 10 days allowed under the rules to propose a detailed appeal of the penalty ruling that cost the team their first-place result. The committee can then take up to 15 days to review evidence and make a decision. The team said it was more important that they take the time to carefully try to regain points in the championship than rush the process in order to try for an X Games position.

Also selected to compete at the August X Games Rally are: former World Rally Champion Colin McRae, motocross-superstar and Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana, eight-time U.S. champion Paul Choiniere, drifter Rhys Millen, 2005 U.S. champion Pat Richard, D.C. Shoes founder and Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block, 2005 Production GT champion and stunt driver Tanner Foust; and 2005 North American and Rally America Open class champion Matt Iorio, former Mitsubishi driver Lauchlin O’Sullivan, Australian champion Andrew Pinker.

The Rally America national championship is a challenging, all-season series comprised of nine events across the country, beginning with Sno*Drift in January and wrapping up 12 months later with the Reno Rally in Reno, Nevada.

The annual X Games is the premier action sports event in the world, featuring athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Rally. X Games 12 will be telecast live on ESPN and ABC.

Rally America, a Minneapolis, MN, based corporation, holds the sanctioning and marketing rights to the Rally America Championship. The company was founded in 2002 by rally driver and CPD Rally Team owner Doug Havir.