100 Acre Wood 1978

ROLLA, Missouri -- Sports Car Club of America's 100 Acre Wood Professional
Rally lived up to advance billing as one of the roughest on the Pro Rally
circuit last weekend when Vermont's John Buffum led just six other finishers
to the checkered flag.

In winning his second straight SCCA Pro Rally of the year and taking
the 100 Acre Wood title for the second time in as many seasons, Buffum
finished with 10,389 penalty points in his British Leyland TR 7.

John Chalmers and Bill Potvin of Findley, and Toledo, Ohio, respectively,
were second in a Dodge Colt, collecting 11,528 penalty points.

Heavy snow Thursday and Friday before the event reduced the course by four stages,
dropping stage mileage from 125 to 75 in the snowcovered event.

And the course, like last year, took its toll. Of 34 starters just
seven finished. Last year, Buffum took the victory after leading nine of
the starting 27 teams to the finish line.

While the 1977 Pro Rally champion and co-driver Doug Shepherd were
leading the pack the St. Louis entry of Gary Schreider and Susan Truxal
was causing excitement.

Competing in his first Pro Rally, Schreider started dead last at 34th
but had moved to fifth by the final stage. The bid fell short when
Schreider stuck his four-wheel drive International Scout in a snow bank
to become one of the DNF's just scant miles from the finish line.

In third was Eric Jones and Roger Sieling of Columbus, Ohio with
11,661 penalty points in a Datsun 510. Tom Tolles and Jean Rizor were
fourth in a Volvo 142 with 11,711 points.

Penalty points are based on elapsed time.

Next Pro Rally will be April 8-9 when the Big Bend Bash is run in Alpine, Texas.