Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2001
For more information,
Contact: Patrick Richard
Rocket Rally Racing
Phone: 604-803-6095
Fax: 604-803-6095
E-mail: patr@axion.net

Rocket Rally Racing comes second overall at Voyageurs
Win marks third consecutive podium trip for team

VANCOUVER, BC -- Rocket Rally Racing won its class and grabbed second overall at the 2001 Rally of the Voyageurs. The team dominated its Production class (P4) during the event and finished first, just ahead of its nearest rival and fellow Subaru Canada Rally Teammate John Paynter. Voyageurs, September 28 to 30 in Parry Sound, Ontario, was the sixth event in the 2001 Subaru Canadian Rally Championship.

This win was the third in a row in the Canadian Championship in which Rocket Rally Racing won its class and finished second overall. The strong showings have put the team in the lead in the 2001 National Championship for production-based rally cars (P4 class) and have also, surprisingly, placed the team second in the overall Canadian Championship standings, with just two events remaining. In the overall standings, the team is behind 2000 champion Tom McGeer and just ahead of six-time Canadian champion Frank Sprongl.

The team lost its power steering early in the event and the roads’ rocky conditions caused damage that briefly slowed the team's 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX, but otherwise driver Patrick Richard and co-driver Ian McCurdy had a clean event. It was a tough rally, with tight and rough roads, and over half the entries didn’t finish.

"We spent most of the event in a great battle with John Nichols and his Open class Lachute Subaru. And Sylvain Erickson’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV was not far behind us. Aside from the two stages where we had the damage, we were able to shadow Nichols the whole time. Both Nichols and Erickson retired on the tough 11th stage Nichols rolled his car and Erickson had engine trouble," said Richard. "Since the three of us were pushing hard, we broke away from the rest of the field. After they retired, we were left cruising in third overall." An unusual late-stage retirement from McGeer promoted the team to second place, behind Sprongl.

Rocket Rally Racing and the Subaru Canada Rally Team are supported by OMP, DMS Shock Absorbers and Globalstar Communications. Rocket Rally Racing is part of the three-car Subaru Canada Rally Team.

Rocket Rally Racing’s next Canadian championship event is the Rallye Internationale de Charlevoix, November 1 to 4 in Quebec.

Rally of the Voyageurs will be televised nationally several times on The Sports Network (TSN) and Reseau des sports (RDS), beginning on Saturday, October 13, on TSN at 11 am Eastern.

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Patrick Richard, Rocket Rally Driver
info@rocketrally.com
www.rocketrally.com
p. (604) 803-6095


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