| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | December 5, 1983 |
GRAYLING, Michigan -- New Zealander Rod Millen claimed his third PRO Rally win of the season with a convincing 15 minute victory in the 268 mile Sports Car Club of America Sno*Drift in northern Michigan.
Millen of Costa Mesa, Calif., and his co-driver, Mike Parris of Los Angeles, took over the lead on tHe ninth stage afer john BuFfum put his Audi Quattro into a big rock destroying the transmission, some suspension, and bending the frame. At that point, the Mazda of Millen and Buffum's Quattro were within a few seconds of one another. Second place went to Mark and Andrew Klos of Fenton, Mich., who until this event had never finished in the top 10 at a PRO Rally, Their 4wd Jeep was a great help in the ice and snow of the back woods of Michigan.
Third went to Don Jankowski in his Dodge Charger, just 48 seconds behind the second place car. Jankowski had entered the event in the Production Class, but when a protest was made against his car, he switched to the Open Class rather than take a chance on being disqualified. That was probably a good choice as several other cars which were protested either failed to finish or were disqualified. In all, six protests were filed against Production Class cars. Four of the cars failed to finish and the two that did (Guy Light, Olds Omega and Gary Eaton, Peugeot 505) were disqualified. Light had finished second and won the Production Class in the provisional results and Eaton had been fifth overall and second in the Production Class.
After the protests were settled, the Production Class went to Calvin Landau of Coraopolis, Pa., in a Dodge Charger. He and co-driver Craig Marr of Chico, Calif., finished a half minute ahead of Ohioans Dan Coughnour and Eric Marcus in a Dodge Shelby. Third went to Gene Henderson and Jim Kloosterman in an AMC Eagle SX/4, Oddly, Steve Nowicki, whose Plymouth Arrow failed to finish after holing its oil pan on the ninth of the rally's 18 special stages, became the 1983 Production Champion because no one can overcome his point lead. Henderson was the only driver with a mathematical chance, but he needed a win at Sno*Drift and next week in Carson City to do it.
While the rally ended about 8:00am it took four hours for the protests to be sorted out and resolved. Nowicki's Arrow, Garry Henderson's Eagle, Erik Zenz's Saab 99, and Jankowski's Dodge were all protested in one form or another. Gene Henderson filed five of the claims, and Light filed the claim against Garry Henderson's Eagle.
The rally teams had to brave 10-degree temperatures and ice and snow-covered roads which claimed 11 of the 40 starters. In addition To Buffum's accident, at least two cars rolled and retired and several more went off the road into snpw banks. Jon Woodner's Peogeot made it to only the third stage before the tranmission filled up with neutral putting them out of the event before they even got started.
The teams now load up tHeir cars and start immediately for Nevada as the Carson City International PRO Rally is less than a week away. More than 60 teams are expected for the final event of the season and the run off to see if Audi or Mazda will be 1983 PRO Rally Manufacturers Champion.
SCCA CONTACTS: Tim Cline, 321 Saw Mill Road, Guilford, Connecticut 06437 (203)453-1742
T. Michael Moreland, 6750 S. Emporia St., Englewood, Colorado 80112
EVENT: Sno*Drift EVENT CONDUCTED BY: Detroit Reqion, SCCA
LOCATION: Grayling, Michigan LENGTH: 268 miles, 18 stages
DATE: December 3-4, 1983 WEATHER: Very cold, clear, snow on ground
ENTRANTS: 40 FINISHERS: 29 TERRAIN: Flat, woodlands
PROD. PROD.
FIN. CHAMP. MFG. CHAMP. MFG.
POS. DRIVER/CO-DRIVER/HOMETOWN CAR SCORE POINTS POINTS POINTS POINTS
1. Rod Millen, Costa Mesa, Calif. Mazda 115.49 20 20
Mike Parris, Los Angeles, Calif. RX-7 20
2. Mark Klos, Fenton, Mich. AMC Jeep 130.09 15 15
Andrew Klos, Fenton, Mich 15
3. Don Jankowski, Farmington, Mich. Dodge 130.88 12 12
Karen Landau, Coraopolis, Pa. Charger 12
4.(1P) Calvin Landau, Coraopolis, Pa. Dodge 134.47 10 20 20
Craig Marr, Chico, Calif. Charger 10 20
5.(2P) Dan Coughnour, Englewood, Ohio Dodge 134.90 8 15
Eric Marcus, Xenia, Ohio Shelby 8 15
6.(3P) Gene Henderson, Pinckney, Mich. AMC Eagle 136.77 6 12 12
Jim Kloosterman, Cincinnati, Ohio 6 12
7. Carl Kieranen, Toivola, Mich. Mazda 137.19 4
Jerry Bruso, Toivola, Mich. RX-3 4
8.(4P) Davieson Annis, Framingham, Mass. VW Rabbit 137.21 3 10 10
Jim Blumenfeld, Weston, Mass. 3 10
9. Doug Ort, London, Ontario Mazda 138.48 2
Dave Munsch, London, Ontario RX-3 2
10 Mike Purzycki, Fenton, Mich. AMC Jeep 139.09 1
Ken Middleton, Holly, Mich. 1
PRODUCTION CLASS WINNERS
1. Calvin Landau, Coraopolis, Pa. Dodge 134.47 20 20
Craig Marr, Chico, Calif. Charger 20
2. Dan Coughnour, Englewood, Ohio Dodge 134.90 15
Eric Marcus, Xenia, Ohio Shelby 15
3. Gene Henderson, Pinckney, Mich. AMC Eagle 136.77 12 12
Jim Kloosterman, Cincinnati, Ohio 12
UNITED STATES RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ELEVEN EVENTS
DRIVER (Current Car) PRODUCTION DRIVER (Current Car)
1. John Buffum, Audi 120 1. Steve Nowicki, Plymouth 102
2. Rod Millen, Mazda 100 2. Gene Henderson, AMC 87
3. Jon Woodner, Peugeot 83 3. Guy Light, Oldsmubile 74
CO-DRIVER PRODUCTION CO-DRIVER
1. Doug Shepherd 100 1. Craig Marr 86
2. Ginny Reese 83 2. Jim Kloosterman 75
3. R. Dale Kraushaar 77 3. Brian Berg 68
MANUFACTURER PRODUCTION MANUFACTURER
1. Audi 135 1. Plymouth 96
2. Mazda 127 2. AMC 88
3. Peugeot 63 3. Dodge 86
SEED WINNERS
FIA/SEED 1 - Millen/Parris SEED 4 - Landau/Marr
SEED 2 - Henderson/Kloosterman SEED 5 - Klos/Klos
SEED 3 - Jankowski/Landau SEED 6 - Beach/Binder