RUMFORD, Maine -- July 16 -- At no other motorsports events around the country can the race fan and the local community residents get involved more than the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rallys, and the upcoming Maine Forest Rally in Rumford July 26 - 27 is no exception.
Although the two-day event has traditionally had a significant number of night racing stages, organizer John Buffum has decided to schedule all the high-speed racing for daylight hours, providing the fans with greater opportunity to see this cars travel the Boise Cascade, International Paper, and Seven Islands paper forest roads at more than 100 miles-per-hour.
"Although night racing is exciting for the competitors, it is hard to spectate," said Buffum, a Colchester, Vermont resident who is the all-time PRO Rally win leader. "Racing will run from approximately 4 - 8 PM on Friday night and 9:00 AM - 8:20 PM on Saturday."
Spectator maps and directions to viewing areas will be available starting Wednesday, July 24, at Madison's Hotel, Route 2 in Rumford, the Great Rumford Chamber of Commerce in downtown Rumford, or by call the rally headquarters hotline at (207) 369-0403 (starting July 24 at noon). Activities get underway on Thursday, July 25, with a time-speed-distance (TSD) event open to the public for street vehicles to benefit the Greater Rumford Community Center, which runs gymnastic programs for kids of all ages. The Center, started by the Oxford Paper Company (now Boise Cascade) in the late 1800's as a recreation center, now has 180 kids learning gymnastics from 2-1/2 - 19 years of age.
The TSD event, open to all licensed drivers, will go on public roads at posted speed limits, and will test skills at following directions and meeting time deadlines. The entry fee is $25, which will go directly to the Greater Rumford Community Center, and all entrants will automatically be entered in a drawing - among entrants only - to win a set of Michelin tires valued at up to $800.00.
Registration for this event will take place Thursday, July 25, at 3:45 PM at the American legion Hall, Congress Street, in downtown Rumford.
The Greater Rumford Community Center will also receive the proceeds of a general raffle for a second set of Michelin tires, a raffle which has already started in the Rumford area. For information on the raffle or the charity rally, call the Chamber of Commerce at (207) 364-3241.
What follows is a schedule of the rest of the rally weekend activity, with all events free and open to the public:
Event: 1996 Maine Forest Summer Rally, round #6 of the 1996 Michelin PRO
Rally series. Race cars from all around the U.S. and Canada will
compete at high speeds on the challenging logging roads of the
Boise Cascade Paper Co., the International Paper Co. and the Seven
Islands Land Co., near Rumford, Maine.
When: Friday - Saturday, July 26 - 27, 1996
Schedule
Thursday, July 25
4:00 PM - Charity time/speed/distance rally to benefit the Greater
Rumford Community Center gymnastics programs-registration
at the American Legion Hall, Congress Street, downtown
Rumford.
Friday, July 26
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Registration, Madison's Hotel, Route 2, Rumford
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Scrutineering, AutoTech Garage, Rumford
3:30 PM - Parc Expose - display of cars - Congress Street, downtown Rumford
4:00 PM - Start, Maine Forest Rally - Congress Street, downtown Rumford
9:00 PM - Information scores posted - Madison's Hotel
Saturday, July 27
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM - Late registration/scrutineering for divisional competitors, Madison's Hotel
9:00 AM - Start, Day 2, Maine Forest Rally - Madison's Hotel
1:00 PM - Lunch break/service - Oquossoc
8:20 PM - Finish of Maine Forest Rally - Oquossoc
11:00 PM - Provisional scores posted - Madison's Hotel
Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Madison's Hotel, Route #2,
Rumford, Maine. Maps guiding spectators to viewing areas will
be available at the Rumford Chamber of Commerce, or at Madison's
starting Thursday, July 25.
Duration: 118 stage miles, 300 total miles, 10 stages
Rank: Full national PRO Rally, with one coefficient 3 divisional PRO
rally to run 83 stage miles with the national event. The Maine
Forest Rally is presented jointly by the New England Region of the
Sports Car Club of America and the Blue Mountain Region of the SCCA.
The National PRO Rally series is sponsored by Michelin Tire
Corporation and sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.
Television: The event will be produced by Replica Productions, of
Cambridge, Mass., and telecast on a delayed basis by
SportsChannel affiliates nationally.
Radio: 12 live reports during the event on W0X0-FM (92.7) and WTBM-FM
(100.7) - Norway/Mexico, Maine.
Expected Top Entries: Paul Choiniere - defending overall four-time national
and 2-time Maine champion - in his Hyundai Elantra;
Carl Merrill - winner of last year's Maine summer rally - in his 400 hp Ford Escort Cosworth;
Pat Ayer, in an ex-Paul Choiniere Audi Quattro, finished third overall in Pennsylvania last month;
Bruno Kreibich, veteran PRO Rally competitor, in an Audi Quattro;
Selcuk Karamanoglu -Turkish rally champion now from Bath, ME - '94 Production GT champion in an Eagle Talon;
Cal Landau, defending Production GT champion, in a Mitsubishi Eclipse;
Group 5 points leader Ralph Kosmides in a Toyota Supra;
Sam Bryan, new factory Saab 900 entry;
Group 2 points leader Mike Whitman in a Datsun 510.
Contact: Andy Schupack - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series media liaison:
(401) 739-5677 (before July 24 and after July 28)
(207) 369-0403 (July 24 - 28, rally headquarters)