Minneapolis, Minnesota -- CPD Racing will be moving up to Open class in the Sports Car Club of America’s ProRally Championship for the 2002 season. Last year the team, consisting of driver Doug Havir and co-driver Scott Putnam, drove a Subaru WRX in the Production GT class. This year they have made an arrangement with Prodrive, the company that builds the factory Subarus for the World Rally Championship, to provide and maintain a WRX for the SCCA Open Class.

"We learned a lot last year," said driver Havir. "It was our rookie season, but we took it carefully, learning how to drive the car, and had some respectable finishes."

"The new car will be quite a step up from the PGT Subaru," said co-driver Putnam. "We know we are up against a lot of experience in the Open class, so we’re concentrating on learning the car and finishing events to gain experience ourselves."

Havir competed in the SCCA’s Central Division ClubRally Championship during 2001, finishing third in class and seventh overall in his second event, the Paul Bunyan ClubRally in Bemidji, Minnesota. His best result for the year came at the final event, the Keweenaw ClubRally in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where he won the Production GT class and was second overall.

CPD Racing’s new Subaru, currently under construction at Prodrive’s headquarters in England, is scheduled to arrive in the United States in February. For Sno*Drift in Michigan, Havir and Putnam will use the 2001 Subaru WRX that was driven at the start of last season by Mark Lovell, who went on to win the SCCA ProRally Drivers Championship in 2001. Lovell drove this same car to second overall at last year’s Sno*Drift, and to first overall at the Oregon Trail ProRally last April. Pat Richard drove the same Subaru at the Lake Superior ProRally last October and placed third overall.

CPD Racing
Driver:         Doug Havir, Golden Valley, MN
Co-driver:      Scott Putnam, Richfield, MN

Sponsors:       Bloomington Subaru, Subaru.net
2001 ClubRally Results  PGT     Overall 
08/17   10,000 Lakes ClubRally  4th     14th 
        Bemidji, MN (Co-driver: Al Kintigh)

08/18   Paul Bunyan ClubRally   3rd     7th 
        Bemidji, MN (Co-driver: Al Kintigh)

09/07   Sou’Wester ClubRally    6th     25th 
        Shelton, WA

09/08   Olympus ClubRally       3rd     5th 
        Shelton, WA

10/19   Ottawa ClubRally        3rd     7th 
        Houghton, MI

10/20   Keweenaw ClubRally      1st     2nd 
        Houghton, MI

Important web sites for further information:
www.sccaprorally.org
www.subaru.net
www.subarurally.net
www.specialstage.com