| Driver: | Jeremy Butts, Grand Rapids, MI. - Mechanical Engineer |
| Co-Driver: | Peter Jacobs, Grand Rapids, MI. - Computer Software Engineer |
| Crew: | Drew Ritchie, Kurt Winkelman, Derek Harris, and anybody else that will crew for food. |
The first rally I ever watched was the 1993 POR. I was working finish control in the freezing weather, and after seeing the washed out roads, the smashed up cars, and the brakes that were on fire, I wanted more than ever to be a participant in the most brutal and pure motorsports there is.
I love the idea of competing in a road-based car; most rally cars are capable of much better performance on dirt than I ever imagined. The thrill of being on a road at racing speed that I have never seen before also intrigued me.
After 5 years of watching various ProRallies, I had had enough and decided to be a competitor. I needed a rear-wheel drive car because I was confident with that, and it needed to be a manual, so I picked a Plymouth Arrow. The car is kind-of slow for a race car, but there are times when I am glad to have a slower car. The car is all steel and all of the windows are still glass, so just using some fiberglass panels and bumpers, along with some lexan, it should be easy enough to shave off a couple hundred pounds in the future.
Our first event was scheduled to be Sno*Drift 1998, but that was cancelled a week before the event. I signed up for Ski Sawmill because I thought it would be a good learning experience, and it was a relaxed entry into the sport, with friendly people all over. The event turned out to be very muddy, and except for an off-road excursion into a river and a 5-minute time penalty, it was en excellent race.
During Headwaters, the shifter broke off in the transmission and I drove 3 more stages stuck in third gear until the clutch decided to blow up 3 miles before the finish.
Ojibwe was going great until the second day, when a large rock lept out of the bank and attacked the side of my car, taking the rear axle off, and sending me into a deep ditch on our side. I still have not corrected all of the damage to the car. It still has a bent rear end housing and a broken frame up front.
For LSPR I told myself that I was going to drive in the middle of the road, and I mostly did. We managed some good times, even with rocks wedged in between my wheels and calipers on Friday night.
| Car: | |
| 1977 Plymouth Arrow | |
| Engine: | 2.6 liter, 4-cylinder, 130 h.p. |
| Weight: | 2500 lbs. |
| Tires: | Pirelli P7 (from mid-eighties) |
| Lights: | 3 IPF’s |
| Class: | Group 5 Divisional |
| Finishes: | |
| 1998 Ski Sawmill | 3rd O2 (First ProRally!) |
| Headwaters | DNF (transmission failure) |
| 10,000 Lakes (Ojibwe) | 1st O2!!! |
| Paul Bunyan’s Ride (Ojibwe) | DNF (large rock and then roll) |
| Ottawa (LSPR) | 2nd O2 |
| Keweenaw Challenge (LSPR) | 4th O2 |
For the 1999 season I will be competing in all of the CENDIV events along with STPR and Maine (hopefully). The goal is to win the Group 5 Divisional series, but I will be running against some VERY fast competitors.
A new Arrow (1980) is already in the development stages for the 2000 season. The new Arrow will be very light, about 2200 lbs., and have at least 200 h.p. This Arrow will remain the factory colors of gold and brown with orange pinstriping, so at least I will look good out there!
Jeremy can be contacted at:
(616) 676-2104
jdbutts@mtu.edu