Wild West Pro Rally 1997

by Andy Schupack

76456.2652@compuserve.com

                                MEDIA_ALERT
 
Event:  1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally, round #3 of the 1997
        Michelin PRO Rally Championship.  Race cars from around the country
        will compete at high speeds on the challenging gravel forest roads
        owned by the the Simpson Timber Company southwest of the
        Shelton/Aberdeen areas of Washington State.
 
When:   Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, 1997
 
        Schedule
 
          Thursday (all times Pacific Standard)
          4:00 PM - 7:30 PM - Registration and tech inspection
                              South Puget Sound Community College
                              2011 Mottman Road S.W.
                              Olympia
          Friday
          9:00 AM - Media stage; members of the working media will
                    gather at Tyee Hotel, 500 Tyee Drive (off I-5 at
                    exit 102 in Olympia) to caravan into the woods for
                    rides at speed in a leading rally car.
          11:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Registration and tech inspection
                               South Puget Sound Community College
                               2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia
          4:30 PM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          6:00 PM - First car starts - one minute intervals,
                    Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          7:00 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
          8:20 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
         10:20 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
 
          Saturday
         12:08 AM - First car finishes - Day One
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          8:30 AM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
                    Downtown Shelton, Wash.
          9:00 AM - First car starts - Day 2 - Wild West PRO Rally
                    Downtown Shelton, Wash.
          6:07 PM - First car finishes - Day 2
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          7:00 PM - PRO Rally town meeting - everyone invited
                    Little Creek Casino
          8:00 PM - Awards banquet - Little Creek Casino
          9:00 PM - Awards presentations - Little Creek Casino
 
Where:  Rally headquarters will be inside the Little Creek Casino, Shelton,
        Washington.  Information and instructions on where to view the event
        will be available in the Press Room inside the Casino starting
        Thursday, April 10, at 3:00 PM.
 
                    
Duration: 120 stage miles, 275 total miles, 15 stages (combined two days)
Rank:  Full national PRO Rally (run in conjunction with a coefficient 3
       and a coefficient 2 divisional PRO Rally) awarding full national
       points towards the Michelin PRO Rally Championship national series.
       Presented by the Northwest Region of the Sports Car Club of America.
       The National PRO Rally series is sponsored by Michelin Tire
       Corporation and is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.
Interviews:  Drivers will be available at the rally headquarters and the
             parc expose and service areas per the schedule above.  Call
             Andy Schupack in the press room at (360) 427-7711,
             April 10 - 13.
 
Television Coverage: The 1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally will
                     be shown on ESPN2, now with coverage in 41.8 million
                     homes, on the following air dates:
 
                     Sat., May 3, 1997  -  4:00 PM (PDT)
                     Tue.  May 19, 1997 -  1:00 AM (PDT)
 
                     The ESPN2 coverage is produced by Replica Productions
                     of Cambridge, Mass., Doug Plumer, executive producer.
                     (617) 492-7444.
 
Expected Top National Entries:  Paul Choiniere - defending six-time overall
national champion - is back with his third new car in three years - a 1997
Hyundai Tiburon AWD; Carl Merrill - won both April and November rallies here
last year - in a brand-new, World Rally '97 Ford Escort Cosworth; Frank
Sprongl, defending Canadian champion, won Sno*Drift rally earlier in the
year - in an Audi Quattro S-2; Henry Joy, a close second to Choiniere in
'95, in a right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer; Selcuk Karamanoglu - won Doo
Wop Rally here last year and two-time Production GT champ - in a new Open-
class Eagle Talon; Mike Whitman - defending Group 2 champion, in a new Ford
Sierra Cosworth; Ralph Kosmides - Group 5 Toyota Supra - narrowly missed
class title last year in rookie season;  Sam Bryan, from Kent, Wash. -
fastest local competitor - Boeing engineer with factory-supplied Group 5
Saab 900 turbo; Janice Damitio, from Montesano, Wash., - top woman entered
in national event - in a Toyota Celica GTS 4WD - defending divisional
national champion - finished a close second in attempt to become first woman
to win a national rally driving title in 1995.
 
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and video crews onto
         the course on Saturday.
Media Info:  We will provide phone-ins on event information, driver
             interviews, and results.  We will fax stories and agate
             Saturday and Sunday.  We have B-roll available for TV.
 
Contact: Andy Schupack - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
                         national media liaison:
 
                         (401) 739-5677 - before April 10 and after April 13
                         (360) 427-7711, press room April 10 - 13
                                    # # #

    For Immediate Release    Contact:  Andy Schupack--------(401) 739-5677
                                       Press Room 4/10-4/13-(360) 427-7711
 

   LITTLE CREEK CASINO IN SHELTON HOSTS ROUND #3 OF THE '97 MICHELIN PRO
 
  RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP; DEFENDING CHAMP CHOINIERE PUTS NEW CAR TO THE TEST
 


SHELTON, Wash. -- April 8 -- For four of the last five years, Libra
 
Racing, of Burlington, Vermont, has brought a new car to the Little Creek
 
Casino Wild West PRO Rally, and for the most part, the Northwest has been
 
kind to the New England team of driver Paul Choiniere and car owner John
 
Buffum.
 
 
 
In '93, Libra debuted an Audi Quattro S-2 here, and Buffum, subbing for
 
Choiniere (who was home with an expecting wife), cruised to an easy win.
 
In '94, Choiniere was leading in by several minutes in the Audi when he
 
rolled the car in the Capitol Forest.  '95 saw the debut of the Hyundai
 
Elantra, and a narrow victory in an exciting event.  Last year, although
 
his '96 Elantra won the majority of the stages, bad luck early in the
 
event proved too much to overcome.
 


This year, with all his major competition in attendance, it will be
 
Choiniere in yet another new car - a 371 horsepower 4WD '97 Hyundai
 
Tiburon - trying to win an unprecedented sixth straight Michelin PRO Rally
 
national title, and seven in the last eight years.
 


The event, which takes place Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12, will
 
be run on the closed gravel logging roads of the Simpson Timber Company in
 
the Shelton/Aberdeen areas of Washington state.  For the second straight
 
year, the Little Creek Casino in Shelton is the event sponsor.
 
 In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
 
 navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
 
 event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed.  The cars
 
 start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 6 - 15
 
 stages which range in length from four to 25 miles.  Most of the rallies
 
 include night stages, making it necessary for competitors to adjust their
 
 driving style.  Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
 
 long straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
 
 winning the event.
 
 

Besides Choiniere, who won Round #2 of the Michelin series here last month
 
at the Doo Wops event, several other 4WD, 300 hp-plus cars will be
 
contesting the overall event title.  Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine,
 
won both events here in 1996, and will be chasing Choiniere in a 425-hp
 
1997 Ford Escort Cosworth, brand new for this season.  Henry Joy, from
 
Atlanta, Mich., is always competitive here in his right-hand-drive
 
Mitsubishi Lancer, while last year's Doo Wop champion, Selcuk Karamanoglu,
 
from Bath, Maine, has built a new Open class Eagle Talon.
 
 

Tied with Choiniere for the early points lead is Frank Sprongl, from
 
Mississauga, ONT., Canada, in his Audi Quattro S-2, on the strength of his
 
cold-weather win in Round #1 in Michigan.  Defending Group 2 champion Mike
 
Whitman, an America West pilot from Farmington, NM, will be debuting a
 
right-hand-drive Ford Sierra Cosworth, while San Jose's Rui Brasil is
 
always dangerous in his Audi 4000 Quattro.
 
 

In some of the other classes, Kent, Washington's Sam Bryan is the favorite
 
in his factory-sponsored, Group 5 class Saab 900 turbo.  The Group 5
 
 class, the two-wheel-drive version of the Open class (cars over 2.4-liters
 
adjusted displacement, but with open engine, transmission and suspension
 
options), are not quite as fast as the Open cars, but will finish well
 
overall in this event.  Bryan hopes to build on his victory here in
 
November after a disappointing first year in the car.
 


His main competition in Group 5 are two Toyotas.  The Toyota Supra of
 
Ralph Kosmides, from Newport Beach, Calif., won the recent Doo Wop rally
 
series for the second year in a row, lead Group 5 for most of last year,
 
and won the manufacturers title for Toyota.  Bruce Newey, originally from
 
rally-rich New Zealand, but now living in Atlanta, had mechanical problems
 
all of last year, but hopes his Toyota Celica is sorted out for '97.
 


The other top contenders are in the Production GT class, which allows
 
turbocharging and four-wheel-drive, but limited suspension and almost no
 
engine modifications.  Janice Damitio from Montesano, the fastest woman in
 
the field - hopes to build on her Doo Wops last month success in her
 
Toyota All-trac.  Roger Hull, a former national champion from Prescott,
 
Ariz., will give chase in his Eagle Talon, as will the new Subaru Impreza
 
of Lee Shadbolt from Portland.
 


The event starts Friday afternoon at 4:30 PM with a display of cars at
 
The Little Creek Casino in Shelton, with the cars leaving for the first

stage at 6:00 PM.  Spectator information will be available starting
 
Thursday afternoon at the Little Creek Casino.
 

Produced by Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., the event will be
 
telecast by ESPN2 with half-hour broadcasts Saturday., May 3, at
 
4:00 PM (PDT) and Tuesday, May 19, at 1:00 AM (PDT).
 
 
The Michelin PRO Rally Championship is not only a contest of who is the
 
best driver on forest roads, at high speed in the middle of the night, but
 
also a competition between car preparers and manufacturers.  He or she
 
whose car is sturdily built and who can avoid damaging off-course
 
excursions into trees or ditches, stands a chance of winning.
 


Besides the fastest, overall competitors, there are less exotic cars
 
running in different classes which allow less modifications.  The cars
 
vary from all four-wheel-drive, turbocharged, highly-modified racers,
 
to various Production classes allow very few changes to the stock vehicles
 
driven on the street.  All PRO Rally cars have safety equipment including
 
aircraft-style safety harnesses, roll cages, and fire extinguishing
 
systems.
 


Tires play an important part in a winning rally effort. They must be
 
equally reliable on many driving surfaces; the asphalt of the transit
 
roads that rallyists traverse to get to the competition stages, as well as
 
varying conditions on the competition stages themselves.  Stages, many of
 
which are unpaved, can change from sandy to clay to gravel in the space of
 
a few hundred feet.  Sometimes rain will turn a perfectly ordinary dirt
 
road into a quagmire within minutes.
 
 

Most of the top competitors will be using specially constructed Michelin
 
Pilot High Performance Rally tires, which not only come in various
 
compounds for different road surfaces, but have rugged carcass and
 
sidewall designs to resist puncturing under the stressful rally
 
conditions.  The tire company has recently renewed its three-year
 
agreement with the Sports Car Club of America to promote one of the
 
 fastest growing motorsports in the country as well as its Pilot line of
 
street tires.
 


Michelin, which brought the radial tire to the world more than 50 years
 
ago, is the world's largest tire company.  It has 19 plants in North
 
America and produces tires to fit every type of vehicle, from bicycles to
 
the Space Shuttle.
 
 

 The 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship consists of ten events, and is
 
 sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, and sanctioned by the Sports Car
 
 Club of America.  The 1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally is
 
 presented by the Northwest Region of the Sports Car Club of America.
 

               Round #3 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
        Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally - Shelton, Washington
               Preliminary National Entry/Start List - 4/11/97
 
Start   Car  Driver/             Co-Driver/        Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.   No.  Hometown            Hometown          Division/Tires
-----   ---- ------------------  ----------------- -------------------
 
   1      1   Paul Choiniere      Jeff Becker       Hyundai Tiburon/Open
              Shelburne, VT       Great Neck, NY    National/Michelin
 
   2      3   Selcuk Karamanoglu  Tony Lumino       Eagle Talon/Open
              Bath, ME            Westbrook, ME     National/Michelin
 
   3      7   Henry Joy IV        Michael Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer/Open
              Atlanta, MI         Kingston, Jamaica National/Michelin
 
   4      2   Carl Merrill        Lance Smith       97 Ford Esc Cosworth/Open
              Ogunquit, ME        S. Burlington, VT National/Michelin
 
   5      4   Rui Brasil          Carlos Tavares    Audi Quattro/Open
              San Jose, CA        San Jose, CA      Nat./Div./Michelin
 
   6      6   Ralph Kosmides      Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
              Newport Beach, CA   Seattle, WA       Nat/Div./Michelin
 
   7     900  Sam Bryan           Rob Walden        Saab 900/Group 5
              Kent, WA            Seattle, WA       National/Michelin
 
   8     10   Mike Whitman        Paula Gibeault    Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
              Farmington, NM      Ridgecrest, CA    National/Michelin
 
   9     28   Roger Hull          Karen Burrows     Eagle Talon/PGT
              Prescott, AZ        Mesa, AZ          Nat./Div./Goodyear
 
  10     26   Steve Gingras       Bill Westrick     Mitsubishi Eclipse/PGT
              Elk River, MN       Orion, MI         Nat./Div./ Michelin
 
  11     17   Janice Damitio      Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS/PGT
              Montesano, WA       Seattle, WA       Nat/Div./Michelin
 
  12     96   Bruce Newey         Matt Chester      Toyota Celica/Group 5
              Atlanta, GA         Atlanta, GA       National/Michelin
 
  13     27   Bill Malik          Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240/Group 2
              Burbank, CA         San Francisco, CA Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  14    117   Ken Stewart         Doc Schrader      Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
              Grove, OK           West Memphis, AK  Nat./Div./Cooper
 
  15     37   Lesley Suddard      Anne Thomas       Dodge Charger/Group 5
              Wilmington, DE      Nashua, NH        Nat./Div./Michelin
 
                                  
  16     42   Jack Brodhead      Jim Jump           Mazda 323GTX/PGT
              Hoquiam, WA        Hoquiam, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  17     29   Steven Walker      Dave Lowe          Mazda 323GTX/Open
              Issaquah, WA       Maple Valley, WA   Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  18     79   Lee Shadbolt       Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/PGT
              Tigard, OR         Tigard, OR         Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  19     81   Richard Losee      Kent Livingston    VW GTI/Group 2
              Provo, UT          Salt Lake City,UT  Nat./Div./Michelin
 
                                    # # #
 
Divisional_Entry
 
         11   Todd Hartmann       Kirk Knestis      VW GTI/U2
              Issaquah, WA        Seattle, WA       Div.
 
         67   John Lane           Scott Huhn        Volvo 262/02
              Bellevue, WA        Seattle, WA       Div.
 
         74   Jim Breaseale      Christy Breazeale  VW Rabbit/U2
              Seattle, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
         82   Glyn Trafford      Bart Vogelzang     Mazda 323GTX/04
              Duncan, BC         Duncan, BC         Div.
 
         48   Simon LeVear        Kevin Poirrer     Datsun 510/U2
              Tigard, OR          Rainier, OR       Div.
 
         70   Shawn Callahan      Mark Craig        VW Scirocco/U2
              Rochester, WA       Seattle, WA       Div.
 
         61   Debbie Sjodin      Geoff Case         Plymouth Arrow/02
              Lynnwood, WA                          Div.
 
         19   Mark Simons        TBD                Toyota Corolla/U2
              Buckley, WA                           Div.
 
         43   James Unger        Kara Unger         Toyota Celica/4WD
              Gresham, OR        Gresham, OR        Div.
 
         72   Terry Unger        Tim Unger          Plymouth Fire Arrow/02
              Boring, OR         Boring, OR         Div.
 
         32   Neville Green      Angela Romeo       Merkur XR4ti/02
              Olympia, WA        Olympia, WA        Div.
 
         40   Bob Wakehouse      Todd Terp          Fiat X1/9 - U2
              Aloha, OR          Yamhill, OR        Div.
 
         84   Michael Leonard    Leon Owens         Saab 99/O2
              Bothell, WA                           Div.
 
         80   Nate Tennis        Sean Gilbert       Saab 99EMS/U2
              Carnation, WA      Seattle, WA        Div.
 
         31   Monty Horn         Jiselle Waterhouse Datsun 510/02
              Olympia, WA        Olympia, WA        Div.
 
         45   Bonnie Hertz       Vance Walker       Dodge Colt/02
              Tualatin, OR       Tualatin, OR       Div.
 
        122   Jake Dekovic       Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/4WD
              Lynnwood, WA       Seattle, WA        Div.
 
         83   Chris Tudor        Tim Dutton         Audi Quattro/04
              Seattle, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
        110   Tim Paterson       Joel Wright        Mazda 323GTX/4WD
              Redmond, WA        Lynnwood, WA       Div.
 
         85   Todd Lengacher     Tina Warner        Datsun 210/U2
              Portland, OR       Portland, OR       Div.
 
                                    # # #
 

               Round #3 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
        Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally - Shelton, Washington
                           Final Entry/Start List
 
Start   Car  Driver/             Co-Driver/        Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.   No.  Hometown            Hometown          Division/Tires
-----   ---- ------------------  ----------------- -------------------
 
   1      1   Paul Choiniere      Jeff Becker       Hyundai Tiburon/Open
              Shelburne, VT       Great Neck, NY    National/Michelin
 
   2      3   Selcuk Karamanoglu  Tony Lumino       Eagle Talon/Open
              Bath, ME            Westbrook, ME     National/Michelin
 
   3      7   Henry Joy IV        Michael Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer/Open
              Atlanta, MI         Kingston, Jamaica National/Michelin
 
   4      2   Carl Merrill        Lance Smith       97 Ford Esc Cosworth/Open
              Ogunquit, ME        S. Burlington, VT National/Michelin
 
   5      4   Rui Brasil          Carlos Tavares    Audi Quattro/Open
              San Jose, CA        San Jose, CA      Nat./Div./Michelin
 
   6      6   Ralph Kosmides      Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
              Newport Beach, CA   Seattle, WA       Nat/Div./Michelin
 
   7     900  Sam Bryan           Rob Walden        Saab 900/Group 5
              Kent, WA            Seattle, WA       National/Michelin

   8      8   Mike Whitman        Paula Gibeault    Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
              Farmington, NM      Ridgecrest, CA    National/Michelin
 
   9     77   Roger Hull          Karen Burrows     Eagle Talon/PGT
              Prescott, AZ        Mesa, AZ          Nat./Div./Goodyear
 
  10     26   Steve Gingras       Bill Westrick     Mitsubishi Eclipse/PGT
              Elk River, MN       Orion, MI         Nat./Div./ Michelin
 
  11     17   Janice Damitio      Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS/PGT
              Montesano, WA       Seattle, WA       Nat/Div./Michelin
 
  12     96   Bruce Newey         Matt Chester      Toyota Celica/Group 5
              Atlanta, GA         Atlanta, GA       National/Michelin
 
  13     22   Pete Lahm           Jimmy Brandt      Datsun 510/Group 2
              Phoenix, AZ         Lake Odessa, MI   National/Michelin
 
  14     27   Bill Malik          Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240/Group 2
              Burbank, CA         San Francisco, CA Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  15     37   Lesley Suddard      Anne Thomas       Dodge Charger/Group 5
              Wilmington, DE      Nashua, NH        Nat./Div./Michelin
                                   
  16    117   Ken Stewart         Doc Schrader      Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
              Grove, OK           West Memphis, AK  Nat./Div./Cooper
 
  17     42   Jack Brodhead      Jim Jump           Mazda 323GTX/PGT
              Hoquiam, WA        Hoquiam, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  18     29   Steven Walker      Dave Lowe          Mazda 323GTX/Open
              Issaquah, WA       Maple Valley, WA   Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  19     79   Lee Shadbolt       Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/PGT
              Tigard, OR         Tigard, OR         Nat./Div./Michelin
 
  20     81   Richard Losee      Kent Livingston    VW GTI/Group 2
              Provo, UT          Salt Lake City,UT  Nat./Div./Michelin
 
                                    ***********
 
Divisional_Entry
 

  21    110   Tim Paterson       Joel Wright        Mazda 323GTX/4WD
              Redmond, WA        Lynnwood, WA       Div.
 
  22     11   Todd Hartmann       Kirk Knestis      VW GTI/U2
              Issaquah, WA        Seattle, WA       Div.
 
  23     19   Mark Simons        Christopher Volk   Toyota Corolla/U2
              Buckley, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  24     43   James Unger        Kara Unger         Toyota Celica/4WD
              Gresham, OR        Gresham, OR        Div.
 
  25    122   Jake Dekovic       Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/4WD
              Lynnwood, WA       Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  26     45   Bonnie Hertz       Vance Walker       Dodge Colt/02
              Tualatin, OR       Tualatin, OR       Div.
 
  27     31   Monty Horn         Jiselle Waterhouse Datsun 510/02
              Olympia, WA        Olympia, WA        Div.
 
  28     48   Simon Levear        Kevin Poirrer     Datsun 510/U2
              Tigard, OR          Rainier, OR       Div.
 
  29     67   John Lane           Scott Huhn        Volvo 262/02
              Bellevue, WA        Seattle, WA       Div.
 
  30     72   Terry Unger        Tim Unger          Plymouth Fire Arrow/02
              Boring, OR         Boring, OR         Div.
 
  31     84   Michael Leonard    Leon Owens         Saab 99/O2
              Bothell, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  32     74   Jim Breaseale      Christy Breazeale  VW Rabbit/U2
              Seattle, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  33     80   Nate Tennis        Sean Gilbert       Saab 99EMS/U2
              Carnation, WA      Seattle, WA        Div.

  34     70   Shawn Callahan      Mark Craig        VW Scirocco/U2
              Rochester, WA       Seattle, WA       Div.
 
  35     61   Debbie Sjodin      Geoff Case         Plymouth Arrow/02
              Lynnwood, WA       Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  36     83   Chris Tudor        Tim Dutton         Audi Quattro/04
              Seattle, WA        Seattle, WA        Div.
 
  37     82   Glyn Trafford      Bart Vogelzang     Mazda 323GTX/04
              Duncan, BC         Duncan, BC         Div.
 
  38     86   John Luch          Dean Delcalzo      Audi Quattro/04
              Denver, CO         Englewood, CO      Div.
 
  39     87   Paul Mariga        Steven Amlie       Toyota Corolla/U2
              Jefferson, OR      Stayton, OR        Div.
 
  40     85   Todd Lengacher     Tina Warner        Datsun 210/U2
              Portland, OR       Portland, OR       Div.
 
  Sat.   62   Justin Gladden     Brett Ineson       Datsun 510/U2
              Vancouver, BC      Portland, OR       Div.
 
  Sat.   44   Scott Fuller       Ben Bradley        VW GTI/02
              Portland, OR       Portland, OR       Div.

Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 10, 1997, 9:00 PM PST
Press Notes #3
 
6.  Henry Joy and Carl Merrill are back with their respective Mitsubishi
    Lancer and Ford Escort Cosworth, but Merrill's car is brand new for
    1997.  Described by crew as the "same man with a clean shirt and new
    underwear," Merrill's car saw its first gravel mileage this morning
    at the media stage, and he liked what he experienced.  Although the
    power was about the same as his '95 chassis, the car seemed a little
    tighter.  We'll know more as the real rally begins.
 
7.  Mike Whitman, the defending Group 2 national champion, has taken the
    double jump from 2WD to 4WD and left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive.
    He says he is comfortable with the increased horsepower of an open-
    class car, and is getting used to 4WD, but is finding his biggest
    challenge learned the "dogbox" (clutchless) transmission and the
    backwards shift pattern associated with right-hand drive.
 
8.  Frank Sprongl, who won the SNO*DRIFT rally in his Audi Quattro to open
    the season in February, will not be entering this event due to problems
    getting parts for his car and the long, storming drive necessary to get
    here from Toronto.
 
9.  Selcuk Karamanoglu, whose Production GT Eagle Talon was undefeated in
    class last year, winning his second national title in three years,
    moved up to Open class later in the season, almost beating Choiniere,
    Merrill and Joy on several occasions, and winning the Doo Wops III &
    IV overall.  This year, Selcuk built a brand new Open class Eagle Talon
    which puts out more than 360 horsepower on the dyno.  The problem is
    that it has no rally miles on it yet, so Selcuk will be "testing the
    car's ability and limits" at this event.
 
10. The Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington, is sponsoring this
    event for the second time, having rolled out the welcome mat for the
    rally community at the Pacific Forest PRO Rally last November.
 
11. The Production GT field is very competitive, with Roger Hull's Eagle
    Talon, Steve Gingras' Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Janice Damitio's Toyota
    Celica all capable of sweeping the class.  Ms. Damitio is the hometown
    favorite, from nearby Montesano, and she is the defending divisional
    national champion.  Hull has always done well here, even back to his
    days in the Jeep pickup, and Gingras has arrived from Minnesota with a
    new sponsor - Act II Microwave Popcorn.  Another car to watch is the
    new Subaru Impreza driven by Lee Shadbolt, who finished very well at
    Doo Wops last month.
 
12. Group 5 will provide excitement if the top runners stay on the road.
    Ralph Kosmides, who has lots of local experience in his Toyota Supra,
    and Sam Bryan, whose factory Saab 900 seems to be over his '96 teething
    problems, should stage a good battle, with Bruce Newey's Toyota and
    Lesley Suddard's Dodge Charger capable of fast times.
 
13. The two Group 2 front-runners have been running the class since its
    inception three years ago, and both have class wins to prove it.  Pete
    Lahm has a new Datsun 510, replacing the one he totalled in Ohio in
    September, while Bill Malik's Volvo 262 has been freshened for the
    season. Rookie Richard Losee's VW GTI rounds out the class.
                                   # # #

Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 11, 1997, 10:00 PM PST
Press Notes #4
 
14.  40 cars (19 nationals) started the 1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West
     PRO Rally outside the casino at 6:00 PM PST under sunny skies.  Almost
     immediately, Selcuk karamanoglu's new Eagle Talon suffered problems,
     blowing off the turbo hose several yards into stage one.  Selcuk, with
     new co-driver Tony Lumino - also a Mainer, suffered numerous new-car
     problems, including rough idling and power steering fluid leaks, but
     was still seventh overall after the end of the evening (stage #6).
 
15.  The other Mainer - Carl Merrill and his new Ford Escort Cosworth -
     also suffered first stage problems, breaking a front half-shaft, and
     then, on stage #3, broke a rear suspension piece that lead to his DNF.
     Merrill also had some early rally brake problems, but the '97 Escort
     was fast enough long enough to let the competition know Merrill will
     be very competitive all year.
 
16.  Besides Merrill, there were several other DNFs on the first night of
     the event.
 
     --Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge were running second overall and well
       ahead of their Production GT competitors when they rolled their
       Toyota Celica AWD on stage #5.
 
     --Leslie Suddard/Anne Thomas lost the transmission on their Group 5
       Dodge Charger, and will try to get it fixed in Seattle in time to
       run Rim of the World in three weeks in Southern California.
 
     --Richard Losee/Kent Livingston went out on stage #1 with mechanical
       problems in their ex-Dave Peterson VW GTI.
 
17.  Henry Joy/Michael Fennell lost time due to a broken CV joint, leaving
     them with 2WD on stages #4 and #5, where they lost more than 2 minutes
     to leader Paul Choiniere.  They lost another minute on stage #1 as
     they were stuck behind Selcuk when he had his turbo hose problems.
 
18.  Speaking of Choiniere, his Libra Racing crew were making very few,
     minor adjustments to the '97 Hyundai Tiburon AWD enroute to his
     3:08 lead after the proceedings on Friday night.  Sam Bryan/Rob Walden
     were second overall and first in Group 5 in their Saab 900, while
     Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes were only five seconds behind in their Toyota
     Supra.  With his problems, Joy slipped to fourth, and Rui
     Brasil/Carlos Tavares rounded out the top five in their Audi Quattro.
 
                                   # # #
Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 11, 1997, 10:00 PM PST
Press Notes #5
 
19.  National standings after 6 stages (Friday night):
 
 
 Car #
    1      Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker       Hyundai Tiburon Open	45:10
   900     Sam Bryan/Rob Walden             Saab 900 Group 5		48:02
    6*     Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra Group 5	48:07
    7      Henry Joy IV/Michael Fennell     Mitsubishi Lancer Open	48:43
    4*     Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavares        Audi Quattro Open		49:22
   26      Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick      Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT	50:22
    3      Selcuk Karamanoglu/Tony Lumino   Eagle Talon Open		51:04
   77      Roger Hull/Karen Burrows         Eagle Talon PGT		51:37
    8      Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault      Ford Sierra Cosworth Open	51:48
   29      Steven Walker/Dave Lowe          Mazda 323GTX Open		51:54
   27      Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan     Volvo 240 Group 2		53:06
  117      Ken Stewart/Doc Schrader         Chevy S-10 Pickup Open	53:22
   96      Bruce Newey/Matt Chester         Toyota Celica Group 5	53:49
   79      Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund         Subaru Impreza PGT		56:07
   22      Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt           Datsun 510 Group 2		56:13
   42      Jack Brodhead/Jim Jump           Mazda 323GTX PGT		56:39
 
 DNF
 
    2      Carl Merrill/Lance Smith         Ford Esc Cosworth Open
   17      Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS PGT
   37      Lesley Suddard/Anne Thomas       Dodge Charger Group 5
   81      Richard Losee/Kent Livingston    VW GTI Group 2
 
 *one-two in divisional event


Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 12, 1997, 1:00 PM PST
Press Notes #6
 
20.  37 Starters - 16 of them running for national points - started day
     #2 of the Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally, which left from
     downtown Shelton, Wash. this morning at 9:00 AM PST.  Before we get to
     today's action, there are updates on last night's action which need
     attention:
 
     --More on the Janice Damitio rollover.  By stage four, she and Amity
       Trowbridge were flying with the big boys, running second overall
       behind Paul Choiniere and carving a clear lead in Production GT.
       They went into a ditch and Janice tried to power back up onto the
       road when the ditch ended abruptly with a steep dropoff, and the 4WD
       Celica could not recover.  With this car having so many rally miles
       on it, the Damitios hinted (separately) that it might be time to
       look into building a new car for the '98 season...
 
     --The six stages Friday night also signaled the end of the Sou'Wester
       Divisional PRO Rally, which was won by the Toyota Supra of Ralph
       Kosmides/Joe Noyes.  They finished more than a minute ahead of Rui
       Brasil/Carlos Tavares, whose Audi Quattro lost time when it got
       stuck behind a faltering Carl Merrill.  Kosmides had some of his own
       problems, spinning on each of the first three stages.  In the class
       rankings, Kosmides/Noyes won the 02 class, with Rui winning the 4WD
       category and the VW GTI of Todd Hartmann/Kirk Knestis winning U2.
 
     --To sort out the confusion (mainly caused by the drooping eyes of the
       series PR guy last night), Lesley Suddard's first name does not end
       in .
 
     --The Richard Losee/Kent Livingston DNF was caused by a broken wheel
       bearing, which the crew replaced overnight, and the VW GTI was back
       on the road for today's divisional.
 
     --The rest of the field will probably find out today that it is not a
       good idea to spot Paul Choiniere a three minute lead after the first
       day of the rally.  Paul is very adept at guiding his Hyundai Tiburon
       around the stages just as fast as he needs to keep a decent lead,
       saving his equipment and letting others make a mistake trying to
       chase him.
 
     --In Group 5, Ralph Kosmides and Sam Bryan have a good battle going,
       with only five seconds separating the Saab 900 and the Toyota Supra,
       while Steve Gingras took over the Production GT lead after Janice
       rolled, and he has a 1:33 lead in his Mitsubishi Eclipse over the
       Eagle Talon of Roger Hull/Karen Burrows.
 
     --Group 2 has the Volvo 240 of Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan well in
       front, leading the Datsun 510 of Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt by more than
       three minutes.
 
                                   # # #


Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 12, 1997, 4:00 PM PST
Press Notes #7
 
21.  National standings after 10 stages (Saturday afternoon)
 
 Car #   Driver/co-driver                 Car/class/time
 
    1      Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker       Hyundai Tiburon Open	1:30:41
   900     Sam Bryan/Rob Walden             Saab 900	Group 5		1:35:13
    7      Henry Joy IV/Michael Fennell     Mitsubishi Lancer Open	1:36:53
   26*     Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick      Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT	1:38:0
    3      Selcuk Karamanoglu/Tony Lumino   Eagle Talon Open		1:38:12
    4*     Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavares        Audi Quattro Open		1:39:32
    8      Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault      Ford Sierra Cosworth Open	1:39:41
    6      Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra Group 5	1:40:04
   27      Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan     Volvo 240 Group 2		1:43:43
  117      Ken Stewart/Doc Schrader         Chevy S-10 Pickup Open	1:45:20
   96      Bruce Newey/Matt Chester         Toyota Celica Group 5	1:45:23
   79      Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund         Subaru Impreza PGT		1:49:44
   22      Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt           Datsun 510 Group 2		1:50:17
   42      Jack Brodhead/Jim Jump           Mazda 323GTX PGT		1:50:19
   29      Steven Walker/Dave Lowe          Mazda 323GTX Open		1:50:38
 DNF
    2      Carl Merrill/Lance Smith         Ford Esc Cosworth/Open-suspension
   17      Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS/PGT-rollover
   37      Lesley Suddard/Anne Thomas       Dodge Charger/Group 5-transmission
   81      Richard Losee/Kent Livingston    VW GTI/Group 2-wheel bearing
   77      Roger Hull/Karen Burrows         Eagle Talon/PGT-electrical
 
  22.  With 5 stages to go, some dramatic things have happened, but, as we are
       in the unusual position of have scores before stories today, we can
       just point out what has happened, not why.
 
       --Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker in their Hyundai Tiburon have extended
         their overall lead to more than 4-1/2 minutes over the Saab 900 of
         Sam Bryan/Rob Walden.  Henry Joy/Michael Finnell took over second
         place on Stage 8, but then lost two minutes to the field on #9 -
         we'll have to find out why.  Meanwhile, Bryan is staying between 10 -
         30 seconds behind Choiniere on each stage, running maybe his
         strongest rally so far in the new car.  Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick
         are fourth behind Joy in their Mitsubishi Eclipse, and are runaway
         leaders in Production GT after Roger Hull/Karen Burrows had their
         Eagle Talon quit on stage #9 with electrical problems.  The Lee
         Shadbolt/Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza, having a fine event, is now
         second in PGT, but 11 minutes behind Gingras.
 
       --In Group 5, a flat tire on stage 10 caused the Ralph Kosmides/Joe
         Noyes Toyota Supra to lose 4 minutes to the field, and more
         importantly, four minutes to class leader Sam Bryan.  Ralph is still
         five minutes ahead of the Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica,
         which is now third in class.
 
       --Selcuk Karamanoglu/Tony Lumino are 5th overall, with their car
         settling down after yesterday's problems.  Selcuk has been running
         competitive times to the leaders, except on stage #8, when he lost 45
         seconds.
                                     # # #



Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 12, 1997, 6:00 PM PST
Press Notes #8
 
23.  As the Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally will be coming to a
     close in a little less than an hour, there are a few details we forgot
     to mention earlier.
 
     --Steve Gingras and his wife Trish were blessed with a baby daughter -
       Katherine Rose - on March 19.  She was 8 lbs., 4 oz.
 
     --Paul Choiniere and his wife had similar good luck back in February,
       with the birth of the fourth son, Oliver.
 
24.  Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavares, running sixth after 10 stages in their Audi
     Quattro, were forced to retire with internal engine problems.  They
     had lost time behind Henry Joy on stage #9 as Henry had an electrical
     problem and slowed to a crawl.  Rui also had similar bad luck
     yesterday, being stuck behind Merrill when Carl lost his half-shaft.
     Brasil's team is building an Audi Quattro S-2 which he hopes will be
     ready for Rim of the World.
 
25.  The right-hand-drive Ford Sierra Cosworth of Mike Whitman/Paula
     Gibeault are running their first event, and were as high as seventh
     overall and second in the divisional when the car lost its turbo on
     stage #11.  In a yeoman effort, the driver and crew changed the hot
     turbo in service, and the car is back on the road.  They also had a
     fuel pump problem as the car wouldn't restart at service, but quick
     diagnosis of a corroding fuse fixed the problem, and the car is still
     running.
 
26.  The Terry Unger/Julie Unger (Julie replaced Tim Unger for today's
     event) Plymouth Fire Arrow hit a tree on stage #11, with the driver
     and co-driver being taken to the hospital for a precautionary
     check-up.  We'll give you an update as soon as we have one.
 
27.  The 1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally, round #3 of the
     Michelin PRO Rally Championship, is now over, and Paul Choiniere and
     Jeff Becker have capture their second straight win in the Northwest
     and their first national win in their new Hyundai Tiburon.   Choiniere
     sprinted out to an early lead and was never challenged as the Hyundai
     required only minor tweaking and a change of spark plugs to cruise to
     a 6:39 victory.
 
     The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II of Henry Joy/Michael Fennell was
     second despite a myriad of problems including electrical malfunctions
     and a broken CV joint.  Third overall was the factory Saab 900 Group 5
     car of Sam Bryan/Rob Walden, which won its class for the second
     straight national rally and showed that it can compete straight-up
     with similarly-power 4WD racers.  This was also the first top three
     finish overall for the Saab, which debuted last spring.
 
     Other class winners included the Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick
     Mitsubishi Eclipse (Production GT) and the Bill Malik/Farina
     O'Sullivan Volvo 240 (Group 2).
 
                                   # # #
 

    For Immediate Release   Contact:  Andy Schupack--------(401) 739-5677
                            4/13 until 8:00 PM EDT (360) 427-7711, ext 3054
 
 
    CHOINIERE SCOOTS TO MICHELIN PRO RALLY WIN IN DRY WILD WEST EVENT;
 
 NEW CARS FARE WELL AS '97 NATIONAL SEASON, ESPN2 EVENTS GET A FAST START
 


SHELTON, Wash. -- April 13 -- An usually dry race weekend in southwest
 
Washington state brought new rally cars and large crowds to the Simpson
 
Lumber Company logging roads, but the field of 40 cars let the Hyundai
 
Tiburon of Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker out to an early lead.  The
 
defending national champions then cruised to a 6:29 victory in the car's
 
national debut at the Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally - Round #3
 
of the 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship.
 


The 371 horsepower, 4WD Hyundai, built a two-minute lead in the first
 
three stages, and allowed Choiniere do what he does best - adjust his
 
driving style to maintain a lead and save the equipment.
 
 

"With the floods, ice storms and high winds having damaged the forest and
 
forced last-minute road-clearing activity, the roads were rutted and
 
rocks were everywhere, so letting the rest of the field play catch-up
 
helped the Hyundai last and caused problems for our competition.  We also
 
gained an advantage by being first car on the road on a course which was
 
dry and dusty compared to the usual rainy and muddy conditions," said
 
Choiniere, who has won the national title six of the last seven years.
 
 

Indeed, a combination of rough roads and new car teething problems slowed
 
down Choiniere's competition, including the right-hand drive Mitsubishi
 
Lancer of Henry Joy/Michael Fennell, which was second overall despite a
 
broken CV joint and electrical problems.
 
                                  
The new '97 Ford Escort Cosworth, one of the cars that came to the Little
 
Creek Casino with no rally miles on it - and the only car in the field

which replicates a current FIA World Rally entry - had numerous brake and
 
half-shaft problems before being forced to retire with a broken rear
 
suspension.
 
 

Despite some problems, the other new cars finished, including defending
 
Production GT champion Selcuk Karamanoglu with Tony Lumino in an Open
 
Class Eagle Talon (fourth overall); the right-hand drive Ford Sierra
 
Cosworth of Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault (eighth overall); the Production
 
GT Subaru Impreza of Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund (second in class, 12th
 
overall; and the Group 2 Datsun 510 of Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt (second in
 
class, 13th overall).
 
 
 
The sentimental local favorites saw both ends of the spectrum, with Janice
 
Damitio, from nearby Montesano, rolling her Toyota Celica 4WD into a ditch
 
at high speed on Friday night after winning stage #3 overall and moving
 
into a commanding lead in her class.  The good news was that the Sam
 
Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 Group 5 entry, after a hard-luck rookie season,
 
finished a strong third overall and swept to victory in class.
 
 

 The other class winners were the Volvo 240 of Bill Malik and Farina
 
 O'Sullivan, which was eighth overall and first in Group 2; and the
 
 Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse of Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick - sixth
 
 overall and first in class.
 

Produced by Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., the event will be
 
telecast by ESPN2 with half-hour broadcasts Saturday., May 3, at
 
7:00 PM (EDT) and Tuesday, May 19, at 4:00 AM (EDT).
 
                                  
                                    -

 The 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship consists of ten events, and is
 
 sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, and sanctioned by the Sports Car
 
 Club of America.  The 1997 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally was
 
 presented by the Northwest Region of the Sports Car Club of America, and
 
 sponsored by the Little Creek Casino, of Shelton, Wash., the place "that
 
 just keeps getting better and better."
 
 
 
 The next Michelin PRO Rally Championship event - the Rim of the World PRO
 
 Rally - will take place May 2 - 4, 1997 in Palmdale, California.
 
                                   # # #

               Round #3 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
        Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally - Shelton, Washington
                           Final National Results
 
Finish  Car  Driver/             Co-Driver/        Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.   No.  Hometown            Hometown          Tires/Time (hrs:min:sec.)
-----   ---- ------------------  ----------------- -------------------------
 
   1      1   Paul Choiniere      Jeff Becker       Hyundai Tiburon/Open
              Shelburne, VT       Great Neck, NY    Michelin/2:21:44
 
   2      7   Henry Joy IV        Michael Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer/Open
              Atlanta, MI         Kingston, Jamaica Michelin/2:28:13
 
   3     900  Sam Bryan           Rob Walden        Saab 900/Group 5
              Kent, WA            Seattle, WA       Michelin/2:29:00
 
   4      3   Selcuk Karamanoglu  Tony Lumino       Eagle Talon/Open
              Bath, ME            Westbrook, ME     Michelin/2:30:07
 
   5      6   Ralph Kosmides      Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
              Newport Beach, CA   Seattle, WA       Michelin/2:33:30
 
   6     26   Steve Gingras       Bill Westrick     Mitsubishi Eclipse/PGT
              Elk River, MN       Orion, MI         Michelin/2:32:33
 
   7      8   Mike Whitman        Paula Gibeault    Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
              Farmington, NM      Ridgecrest, CA    Michelin/2:39:52
 
   8     27   Bill Malik          Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240/Group 2
              Burbank, CA         San Francisco, CA Michelin/2:41:37
 
   9     96   Bruce Newey         Matt Chester      Toyota Celica/Group 5
              Atlanta, GA         Atlanta, GA       Michelin/2:42:14
 
  10    117   Ken Stewart         Doc Schrader      Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
             Grove, OK           West Memphis, AK  Cooper/2:44:09
 
  11     29   Steven Walker       Dave Lowe         Mazda 323GTX/Open
              Issaquah, WA        Maple Valley, WA  Michelin/2:51:04
 
  12     79   Lee Shadbolt        Paul Eklund       Subaru Impreza/PGT
              Tigard, OR          Tigard, OR        Michelin/2:52:06
 
  13     22   Pete Lahm           Jimmy Brandt      Datsun 510/Group 2
              Phoenix, AZ         Lake Odessa, MI   Michelin/2:53:02
 
                                    # # #
 




 Did Not Finish
 
          2   Carl Merrill        Lance Smith       97 Ford Esc Cosworth/Open
              Ogunquit, ME        S. Burlington, VT Michelin - Suspension
 
          4   Rui Brasil          Carlos Tavares    Audi Quattro/Open
              San Jose, CA        San Jose, CA      Michelin - turbo
 
         77   Roger Hull          Karen Burrows     Eagle Talon/PGT
              Prescott, AZ        Mesa, AZ          Goodyear - electrical
 
         17   Janice Damitio      Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS/PGT
              Montesano, WA       Seattle, WA       Michelin - rollover
 
         37   Lesley Suddard      Anne Thomas       Dodge Charger/Group 5
              Wilmington, DE      Nashua, NH        Michelin - transmission
 
         81   Richard Losee       Kent Livingston   VW GTI/Group 2
              Provo, UT           Salt Lake City,UT Michelin - wheel bearing

         42   Jack Brodhead       Jim Jump          Mazda 323GTX/PGT
              Hoquiam, WA         Hoquiam, WA       Michelin - mechanical

                                    # # #


Sou'Wester
Coefficient 2 Divisional PRO Rally
April 11, 1997
Shelton, Washington


    Reg  Div
    Cls  Cls   Driver/Co-Driver                  Vehicle          Time
    
 1   1    O2   Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes          Toyota Supra       48:07
 2   1    O4   Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavares         Audi 4000Q         49:22
 3   1    U2   Todd Hartmann/Kirk Knestis        VW GTi             49:40
 4        O4   Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick       Mitsu Eclipse      50:22
 5   1    O4   Tim Paterson/Joel Wright          Mazda 323 GTX      50:42
 6   2    O4   Jim Unger/Kara Unger              Toyota Celica      50:49
 7        O4   Roger Hull/Karen Burrows          Eagle Talon        51:37
 8   3    O2   John Lane/Scott Huhn              Volvo 262          51:40
 9        O4   Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault       Ford Sierra        51:48
10   1    O4   Steve Walker/Dave Lowe            Mazda 323 GTX      51:54
11        U2   Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan      Volvo 240          53:06
12   1    O4   Ken Stewart/Floyd "Doc" Shrader   Chevy S-10 PU      53:22
13   1    U2   Mark Simons/Christopher Volk      Toyota Corolla     53:41
14   3    O2   Michael Leonard/Leon Owens        Saab 99            53:55
15   2    U2   Monty Horn/Jiselle Waterhouse     Datsun 510         53:57
16   1    O4   Jake Dekovic/Katie Callahan       Mazda 323 GTX      55:09
17   4    U2   Jim Breazeale/Cristy Breazeale    VW Rabbit          55:10
18   2    O2   Bonnie Hertz/Vance Walker         Dodge Colt         55:55
19   3    U2   Nate Tennis/Sean Gilbert          Saab 99            55:56
20   2    U2   Simon Levear/Kevin Poirier        Datsun 510         56:02
21   3    O4   Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund          Subaru Impreza     56:07
22   2    O4   Jack Brodhead/Jim Jump            Mazda 323 GTX      56:39
23   3    O2   Terry Unger/Tim Unger             Plymouth Arrow     58:13
24   3    O4   Glyn Trafford/Bart Vogelzang      Mazda 323 GTX    1:01:23
25   3    U2   Paul Mariga/Steven Amlie          Toyota Corolla   1:04:21
26   3    O4   John Luch/Dean Delcalzo           Audi Quattro     1:06:31
27   3    O4   Cristian Tudor/Tim Dutton         Audi 5000Q       1:14:50
DNF  1    O4   Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge   Toyota Celica    Roll
DNF       O2   Lesley Suddard/Anne Thomas        Dodge Charger    Trans
DNF  3    O2   Debbie Sjodin/Geoff Case          Plymouth Arrow   ??
DNF  3    U2   Shawn Callahan/Mark Craig         VW Scirocco      ??
DNF       U2   Richard Losee/Kent Livingston     VW Golf GTi      Ball Jt
DNF  3    O2   Todd Lengacher/Tina Warner        Datsun 210       Elec



Wild West
Coefficient 3 Divisional PRO Rally
April 12, 1997
Shelton, Washington


    Reg  Div
    Cls  Cls   Driver/Co-Driver                  Vehicle          Time
    
 1       O4    Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick       Mitsu Eclipse    1:42:01
 2   1   O4    Tim Paterson/Joel Wright          Mazda 323 GTX    1:42:07
 3       U2    Richard Losee/Kent Livingston     VW Golf GTi      1:45:08
 4   1   O2    Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes          Toyota Supra     1:45:23
 5   1   U2    Todd Hartmann/Kirk Knestis        VW Golf GTi      1:45:49
 6   2   O4    James Unger/Kara Unger            Toyota Celica    1:47:10
 7   3   O2    John Lane/Scott Huhn              Volvo 262        1:48:02
 8       O4    Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault       Ford Sierra      1:48:04
 9       U2    Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan      Volvo 240        1:48:31
10   1   O4    Ken Stewart/Floyd "Doc" Shrader   Chevy S-10 PU    1:50:47
11   2   U2    Monty Horn/Jiselle Waterhouse     Datsun 510       1:51:02
12   3   O2    Todd Lengacher/Tina Warner        Datsun 210       1:53:48
13   3   O4    Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund          Subaru Impreza   1:55:59
14   2   O2    Bonnie Hertz/Vance Walker         Dodge Colt       1:57:32
15   1   O4    Steve Walker/Dave Lowe            Mazda 323 GTX    1:59:10
16   3   U2    Justin Gladden/Brett Ineson       Datsun 510       2:01:17
17   3   O4    Glyn Trafford/Bart Vogelzang      Mazda 323 GTX    2:01:59
18   4   U2    Jim Breazeale/Cristy Breazeale    VW Rabbit        2:03:22
19   3   U2    Paul Mariga/Steven Amlie          Toyota Corolla   2:04:33
20   3   O4    Cristian Tudor/Tim Dutton         Audi 5000Q       2:07:33
21   3   O4    John Luch/Dean Delcalzo           Audi Quattro     2:09:21
22   2   U2    Simon Levear/Kevin Poirier        Datsun 510       2:32:05
DNF  1   O4    Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavares         Audi 4000Q       Engine
DNF  1   U2    Mark Simons/Christopher Volk      Toyota Corolla   Clutch
DNF  2   O4    Jack Brodhead/Jim Jump            Mazda 323 GTX    Distrib
DNF      O4    Roger Hull/Karen Burrows          Eagle Talon      ECM
DNF  3   U2    Nate Tennis/Sean Gilbert          Saab 99          Trans
DNF  3   O2    Michael Leonard/Leon Owens        Saab 99          Roll
DNF  1   O4    Jake Dekovic/Katie Callahan       Mazda 323 GTX    Flat
DNF  3   O2    Terry Unger/Julie Unger           Plymouth Arrow   Crash
DNF  1   U2    Scott Fuller/Ben Bradley          VW Golf GTi      Hd Gskt


* Div. results provided by Ben Bradley





 
 
Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally will be telecast on ESPN2 on
Saturday, May 3, at 7:00 PM Eastern, with Marty Ried and John Buffum
doing the commentary.
 
Next Michelin PRO Rally Championship event:  Rim of the World PRO Rally,
May 2  - 4, Palmdale, California.





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