Ojibwe Forests Website * ProRally Results * ClubRally Results
MEDIA ALERT
SCCA ProRally Championship Round 7 - Ojibwe Forests
TOPEKA, Kan. - The SCCA ProRally Championship stays up north, moving from Maine
to Minnesota this weekend for the Ojibwe Forests SCCA ProRally. An impressive
field of performance rally cars and drivers from across North America and
overseas will compete on the fast and smooth (but often sandy) state forest
(Paul Bunyan, Two Inlets, Smokey Hills and White Earth) roads in the upper
reaches of northcentral Minnesota. This performance rally event is sanctioned
by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The SCCA ProRally Championship is
presented by Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Subaru of America and the
Air Force Reserve. The Ojibwe Forests Rally is presented locally by Luther
Subaru of Bloomington.
When & Where:
August 22-23, 2003; Bemidji, Minn.; approximately 180 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minn.
Headquarters Hotel Friday/Saturday Press Room; Event and Media registration
Northern Inn and Convention Center (Adjacent to Bemidji-Beltrami Airport; Bemidji, MN 56601)
Hotel main phone: 218.751.9500
Complete Event Schedule: (subject to change)
Wednesday, 20 August, 2003
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM RallyFest (presented by Luther Acura Subaru of Bloomington), Bloomington Minn.
Friday, 22 August, 2003
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Registration: Northern Inn Press Room - Bemidji
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Scrutineering - Northwest Technical College 905 Grant Ave. SE, Bemidji, MN
9:30 AM - 2:00 PM Competitor Registration - Northern Inn
5:30 PM - 11:40 PM Leg 1: Ojibwe Forests ProRally & Paul Bunyan’s Ride ClubRally
Approx.
1:00 AM - 3:00 AM Pizza Party and posting of Leg 1 provisional scores.
Saturday, 23 August, 2003
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Late Press Registration: Press Room - Northern Inn (room open to midnight)
12:00 PM - 12:00 AM Leg 2: Ojibwe Forests ProRally & 10,000 Lakes ClubRally
Approx.
9:00 PM - 2:00 AM Awards Party and Scores - Northern Inn
Who to watch this weekend:
Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America driver David Higgins leads the John Woolf
Cup standings with 158 points currently. If Higgins can manage a repeat of last
year, when he finished runner-up to his brother Mark, or secure any spot on the
podium, he will win his second-consecutive Woolf Cup Championship.
Lauchlin O’Sullivan is second behind his teammate (Higgins) in the point standings.
It has been a steady and solid year for the first-year member of Team Mitsubishi,
with three podium finishes on the season, including the last two events - Oregon Trail and
Maine Forest, respectively.
Ramana Lagemann continues his search for a win this season as part of Subaru
Rally Team USA. After battling a flat tire and eventual rolled car early on,
Lagemann showed major fortitude in scratching his way back from 54th to a
13th-place finish.
Air Force Reserve driver Tim O’Neil sits just behind O’Sullivan in third place
in the standings. Down 58-46 currently, if O’Neil continues to battle with
O’Sullivan in the same manner the pair did at Maine, one slip by O’Sullivan
could mean a spot in the runner-up position for O’Sullvan with two events
remaining. O’Neil had a string of four-straight podium finishes snapped when he went
off-course during the second day of action at Maine.
FIA Group N points leader Mark Utecht will have a chance to run in his "back yard"
this weekend. The Stacy, Minn. native currently has a six-point advantage
(32-26) over Shane Mitchell, who did not earn any points at Maine after
suspension problems knocked him out of the rally.
Eric Burmeister enters the weekend as current leader in the Woodner Cup
(top overall 2WD driver). He sits just three points ahead of Christopher Whiteman,
who is entered in the race as well.
Production GT has a tight battle going on as well, with Bruce Davis slightly
ahead of Valdemaras Maciukevicius, 57-54. Both men are entered for this rally,
meaning that neither one can afford to falter with only three events remaining.
Brian Vinson and Doug Shepherd continue their intense pursuit of the Group 5
class crown. Vinson holds a 48-46 lead over Shepherd currently. Shepherd
stormed to the top of the field with two consecutive first-place class finishes
in the last two events. Vinson did not run at Oregon Trail and finished second
at Maine behind Shepherd, which was good enough to maintain his lead for the time being.
In the Roy Donison Cup (top Production class driver), Mike Halley returns to
action following a short layoff during Maine. Halley holds a comfortable lead
in the race for the Cup, leading Trevor Donison (son of the cup’s namesake) 45-23.
Additional news interest:
Things can’t get much tighter than they are right now in the Woodner Cup
standings as five different drivers are all within 15 points of each other.
While Burmeister leads currently, Whiteman is only three behind him and Scott
Fuller, Brain Scott and Shepherd are at 45, 44 and 41 points, respectively.
Temperatures are expected to cool significantly this weekend after the area has
been baking in temperatures from 95 to 100 degrees. Rain is forecast for the
first part of the week but should move out and give way to partly cloudy skies
and temperatures in the 70s during the day and upper 50s during the nighttime
hours over the weekend.
While temperatures will be cooler, the forests and lakes of the area will
provide an abundant supply of mosquitoes. West Nile Virus is a potential
concern and spectators and press are advised to dress with long sleeves and pants,
and be sure to use plenty of insect repellent.
Event Rank:
This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event. Drivers earn
points toward the national championship, and supporting manufacturers (Subaru,
Dodge, Mazda and Mitsubishi) earn points toward overall and class Manufacturers’ Championships.
Press Credentials, Visuals, Interviews & Media information:
Event Press/Photo credentials will be available at registration on Friday and
pre-event Saturday morning. Full access to stages will be restricted to
properly credentialed media members who have also secured a vest through
registration. Access to post-event activities will require a press pass only.
Credentials are available only to members of accredited media outlets. Identification
and/or work assignment required. Minors are not eligible for Press or VIP
credentials.
During the event, action photography will also be possible from
spectator areas along the rally course. Drivers, codrivers and crew will be
accessible throughout the event, including the Saturday afternoon service.
Media relations will be able to provide driver and co-driver interviews, event
results and other information via telephone and E-mail.
Contact: Curtis Kitchen - Public Relations Manager, SCCA, Inc.
Pre-event: 785.357.7222 (office) 785.232.7228 (fax);
At-event: 785.633.7977 (cell)
Email: ckitchen@scca.com
Time zone at event: Central Time (GMT - 6 hours)
SCCA Home: http://www.scca.com
SCCA Ojibwe Forest ProRally: http://www.ojibweforestsrally.com
The SCCA name and logo is a registered trademark of the Sports Car Club of
America, Inc. ProRally, ClubRally and RallyCross are service marks of the SCCA.
For immediate release
22 August 2003
Start Order and Late Breaking News:
Bemidji , Minn. - The field is set and the roads are ready for the start
of Round Seven of the SCCA ProRally Championship. The hot weather which
affected the state parks earlier this week has subsided and conditions are
picturesque with temperatures in the 70s, low humidity and partly cloudy
skies. Dust is a potential concern as it has not rained since Wednesday
and Northwest winds have been blowing. However, there is a 30 percent
chance for showers Saturday morning, which could be a great help on day
two of the rally.
- Lauchlin O’Sullivan and co-driver Christian Edstrom drew the top slot
during Thursday night’s seeded draw and will start the rally Friday
evening at 6:30 p.m. (approx.), in O’Sullivan’s Mitsubishi Lancer
Evolution.
- Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Michael Orr
will run this event for Driver and Co-driver Championship points only.
SCCA ProRally Open Class Manufacturer Championship rules require that
two cars must be entered for a manufacturer to earn points. Team Subaru
currently has one car only, having not named a replacement driver and
co-driver since Mark Lovell and Roger Freeman's fatal accident at Oregon
Trail last month.
- Duncan McMath, the usual co-driver for Julian Reynolds, is not at the
event due to scheduling conflicts. He is being replaced by Ieuan Thomas,
who is a regular co-driver in the British Rally Championship, but has
never competed in the SCCA ProRally Championship.
- British Rally Championship stars John Lloyd and Pauline Gullick, who
made their US rallying debut here last year, are back for a second try
at this challenging rally, this time driving Paul Choiniere’s 2002
manufacturer championship winning Hyundai Tiburon coupe.
- Group 5 driver Doug Shepherd is paired up with a new co-driver, Al
Kaumeheiwa, instead of his usual co-driver Pete Gladysz. Shepherd is
currently two points behind his teammate, Brian Vinson, 48-46, in the
Group 5 driver championship standings. Kaumeheiwa drove Shepherd’s Dodge
SRT-4 at Sno*Drift earlier this year.
Ojibwe Forests SCCA ProRally Championship Round #7 22-23 August 2003
Top 30 Start Order (subject to revision)
(Note: First car on entry list is a phantom car. The phantom car is an
honorary two-minute window given in remembrance of Car no. 4, Mark Lovell
and Roger Freeman)
Start Car# Class Driver Country Co-Driver Country Car
1 4
2 6 Open Lauchlin O’Sullivan USA Christian Edstrom USA 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
3 13 Open Barry Johnson UK Stewart Merry UK 2002 Hyundai Tiburon
4 29 Open Tim O’Neil USA Alex Gelsomino USA 2002 Ford Focus
5 1 Open David Higgins UK Daniel Barritt UK 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
6 5 Open Ramana Lagemann USA Michael Orr UK 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
7 25 Open Seamus Burke IRE Charlie Bradley IRE 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. 6.5
8 15 GN Julian Reynolds UK Ieuan Thomas UK 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
9 45 GN Shane Mitchell IRE Paul Donnelly IRE 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
10 83 GN Mark Utecht USA Jeff Secor USA 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
11 88 Open Doug Havir USA Scott Putnam USA 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
12 374 Open Leon Styles USA John Dillon USA 2002 Mitsubishi Evolution VI
13 12 Open John Lloyd UK Pauline Gullick UK 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
14 78 Open Paul Dunn USA Bill Westrick USA 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV
15 89 GN Wolfgang Hoeck USA Julie Lin USA 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII
16 122 Open Dennis Martin USA Kim DeMotte USA 1997 Mitsubishi Evolution IV
17 52 G5 Doug Shepherd USA Al Kaumeheiwa USA 2003 Dodge SRT-4
18 50 Open Steve Gingras USA Alan Perry USA 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
19 46 G5 Matt Johnson USA David Kean USA 1988 Volkswagen Golf
20 94 GN Craig Peeper USA Ian Bevan UK 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
21 771 GN Matthew Iorio USA Phillip Ho USA 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
22 42 G2 Eric Burmeister USA Cindy Krolikowski USA 2002 Mazda Protégé
23 143 G2 Chris Whiteman USA Mike Paulin USA 2003 Dodge Neon SXT
24 91 GN Jonathan Bottoms USA Eric Dahlgran USA 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX
25 81 PGT V. Maciukevicius USA E. Bogusevicius USA 2000 Subaru Impreza
26 55 G5 Brian Vinson USA Richard Beels USA 2003 Dodge SRT-4
27 527 Open Chris Gilligan USA Joe Peterson USA 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
28 60 PGT Bruce Davis USA Lee Sorenson USA 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
29 96 G2 Brian Scott USA David Hackett USA 2002 Ford Focus SVT
30 93 G5 Robert Olson USA Conrad Ketelsen USA 1989 Porsche 911
Information regarding the start order list:
Car # = number on vehicle. Cars numbered under 200 are Pro entries.
Cars over 200 are generally ClubRally (regional) entrants, with first digit
denoting their home division (2,3 = West coast, 8,9 East coast).
Class = Open - fastest; are cars with considerable modifications
P (Production) - slowest; are cars very near showroom stock configuration
N (FIA Group N) - production based rally cars built to global competition standards
G5 - two wheel drive high HP cars; G2 - two wheel drive lower horsepower cars
GT - high horsepower production (stock) cars
For immediate release
22 August 2003
Day 1 Results and News:
Higgins Surging After Slow Start, Holding Off Lagemann
Bemidji, Minn. - After losing a minute and dropping from first to third
place after Special Stage Four, thanks to a punctured tire and subsequent
flat, Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America Driver David Higgins powered
his way back to the front by the end of day one of the Ojibwe Forests
ProRally, Round Seven of the 2003 SCCA ProRally Championship.
Higgins drove on the flat for almost six miles on SS3, dropping from the
top spot he had earned after starting fourth. He also sustained damage to
the left front of his bumper and fender after the tire came apart.
However, his crew replaced the bumper during a two-hour service area after
SS4.
Subaru Rally Team USA Driver Ramana Lagemann, badly needing a solid event,
sits second overall after seven stages, six seconds behind Higgins.
Lagemann was exceptionally consistent on every stage Friday, posting the
fastest stage time on SS5 and the second-fastest times on every other
stage.
Team Mitsubishi’s Lauchlin O’Sullivan took advantage of Higgins’ flat tire
and posted the fastest time on SS4 by 14 seconds, which briefly gave him
the lead going into service. At the end of SS7, Sullivan was nine seconds
behind Lagemann and 15 seconds in back of Higgins.
Air Force Reserve Driver Tim O’Neil and Barry Johnson (who is in his very
first USA Rally event, coming over from the British Rally Championship),
are in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Following up an impressive first-place class finish at Maine Forest, FIA
Group N competitor Julian Reynolds is setting himself up for a repeat with
Friday’s performance, finishing the day in sixth place overall and first
in Group N. Class point leader Mark Utecht is second, 1:26 behind
Reynolds and ninth overall. Shane Mitchell, who is just behind Utecht in
points, is seven seconds behind Utecht.
Doug Shepherd turned in a great Friday performance in his Dodge SRT-4 and
holds a 1:11 advantage over his Dodge teammate, Brian Vinson in Group 5.
Shepherd is currently just outside the top 10, almost two minutes behind
Mitchell. Vinson is 15th overall.
Matt Johnson leads Chris Whiteman’s Dodge Neon by 50 seconds heading into
day two. Johnson sits 16th overall and is paired with co-driver Dave Kean
for the first time ever. Kean is the usual co-driver for Chris Havas, a
Group 5 competitor who is not entered this weekend.
Lithuanian PGT regular Valdemaras Maciukevicius, leads the class by 13
seconds over Dave Lafavor, even though Maciukevicius incurred a 12-second
penalty after a late check-in.
Mike Halley entered the field as one of two Production Class entries (Jake
Himes the other) and only has to finish the rally to win the class after
Himes rolled his car Friday on SS5. Halley, in his Volkswagen New Beetle,
has enough points that he will wrap up the Donison Cup (top Production
Driver) by starting either Wild West or at the Lake Superior ProRally.
The second and final day of the Ojibwe Forests ProRally is set to begin at
4:45 p.m. (approx.) following the parc expose from 3:00 p.m. to 4. Final
news and results will be released as soon as they are made available and
can be seen at www.scca.com