Contact: Terry Epp Tel: 905-640-6444 Email: rally.cars@sympatico.ca		Date: June 29, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stouffville, Ontario - The 28th running of the Baie-des-Chaleurs Rally - Round 3 of the 2005 Canadian Rally Championship - will begin this Friday in Gaspesia, Quebec.

Some forty teams are entered in this event that is recognized as one of the most spectacular and most popular rallys on the schedule. Through the years, the Baie-des-Chaleurs rally has been the scene of many of the most amazing feats seen in Canadian performance rallying.

Peter Thomson of Toronto and his co-driver Rod Hendricksen of New Jersey have claimed two victories in a row so far this season aboard their Subaru Impreza WRX. They look forward to scoring a third consecutive win this weekend and if they would do so, they would practically be crowned champions.

However, the impressive crowd will be cheering for Sylvain Érickson of Gatineau, Quebec who will be making a welcomed return to competition. Érickson will be co-driven by his daughter Chloé and will be driving his mighty Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4. There’s no doubt that Érickson - an extremely spectacular driver to watch - will be aiming for overall victory.

Antoine L’Estage of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec - who drove his Hyundai Tiburon 4WD to victory in the Tall Pines Rally last November - looks forward to repeat his winning performance this weekend. A victory would be a perfect remedy for L’Estage who encountered several problems in the opening two rounds of the season. He will be co-driven by veteran Brian Maxwell of Port Hope, Ontario.

Several other teams will be in the hunt for victory and they include Americans John Cassidy and Matthew Iorio, both behind the wheels of Subaru Imprezas and who are currently classified amongst the top drivers in the standings. Expect to see a titanic battle for supremacy in the Group 2 class (two-wheel drive modified rally cars) between Quebec’s Jon Nichols and Alberta’s Gord Olsen, both driving VW Golfs GTi.

The 28th running of the Baie-des-Chaleurs rally will be held around of the city of New Richmond on 400 kilometres of road that includes 170 km of special stages. The arrival is scheduled for 5 p.m., Saturday July 2. Timing and scoring will be available on www.rallyebdc.com