MEXICO, ME -- The 2007 New England Forest Rally (NEFR) will take place on July 13 and 14, 2007 in Mexico, Maine and Berlin, NH. The NEFR is round six of the 2007 Rally America National Championship Series as well as the wild-card qualifying event for the 2007 Summer X Games.

Approximately 100 rally racers from throughout North America and the world will compete in this year’s NEFR. Top American drivers, such as X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana and 2005 North American Rally Cup Champion Matt Iorio, will battle with other international competitors such as Andrew Pinker from Australia, as well as Antoine L’Estage and Andrew Comrie-Picard of Canada. The Rally America sanctioned event is expected to draw thousands of spectators from all over the United States and Canada as top national and regional teams fight for precious championship points.

Rough and rugged logging roads with some of the longest stage roads on the circuit set the tone for the New England Forest Rally. Always a favorite with drivers due to the technical demands of the course, this rally is also a crowd pleaser because of its stunning scenery and wildlife. Quintessential northeastern settings such as winding creeks and one-lane bridges add not only beauty to the race, but also added excitement when encountered by drivers at breakneck speeds.

In total, the teams will compete on 10 different stages covering 96 miles of racing over both, wide two-lane as well as narrow one-lane roads. The excitement of two and four-wheel-drive cars traveling on gravel roads at more than 100 miles-per-hour is a thrill for both for spectators and competitors.

The sport of performance rally racing has the largest live attendance of any sport in the world – more than 1 billion people world wide will attend performance rally races in 2007. Rally racing is a motorsport where teams race against the clock, one at-a-time, on closed roads at the fastest speed possible on stages they have never seen before.

Teams will race in street legal, but highly modified cars that are based upon current popular car models such as the Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi EVO, Dodge Neon, Volkswagen Golf, and Mazda 6. The race weekend will begin at the Sunday River Resort on Thursday, July 12 with registration, technical inspectional and a kickoff party with driver autograph signings. A press reception will follow at the The Sunday River Brewery with top national and regional teams available for interviews. The competitive stages will start on Friday, July 13 in Mexico, Maine.

On Friday, July 13, the day will start with a Parc Exposé and ceremonial start at the Mexico Recreation Park in Mexico, Maine. The hugely popular “jump” signifies that competition has begun. The first day of competition will feature four different stages totaling 28 miles, the majority of them finishing at night. The next day, the NEFR will restart on Main Street in Berlin, New Hampshire, where the teams will transit out to race a number of long, grueling stages.