Press Notes
By Andy Schupack
Andrew_Schupack@compuserve.com
MEDIA_ALERT
Event: 1997 Maine Forest Summer Rally, round #6 of the 1997 Michelin PRO
Rally Championship. Race cars from all around the U.S. and Canada
will compete at high speeds on the challenging logging roads of the
Mead Paper Co., the International Paper Co. and the Seven Islands
Land Co., near Rumford, Maine.
When: Friday - Saturday, July 25 - 26, 1997
Schedule
Thursday, July 24
4:00 PM - Registration - charity time/speed/distance rally to
benefit Green Church Food Pantry in Mexico - the American
Legion Hall, Congress Street, downtown Rumford.
5:00 PM - Start, charity rally
Friday, July 25
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
7:00 PM - Start of stages through the streets of downtown
Rumford
9:00 PM - Information scores posted - Madison's Hotel
Saturday, July 26
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
8:00 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 04276 (207) 364-7973. Maps guiding spectators to
viewing areas will be available at the Rumford Chamber of Commerce,
or at Madison's starting Thursday, July 24.
Duration: 114 stage miles, 260 total miles, 13 stages
Rank: Full national PRO Rally, with one coefficient 3 divisional PRO
rally to run 80 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 ESPN2 on Sunday, August 17,
1997 at 3:30 PM (EDT); Wednesday, August 20, at 2:00 AM
(EDT), Sunday, August 24 at 4:00 AM (EDT); and Tuesday,
August 26, at 12:30 AM (EDT).
Expected Top National Entries: Paul Choiniere - defending five-time
overall
national champion - in his new '97 Hyundai Tiburon; Selcuk Karamanoglu -
Turkish rally champion now living in Maine -in a new Open class Eagle
Talon;
Henry Joy, currently leads series after win in May in California - in a
right hand drive Mitsubishi Lancer; Carl Merrill, with '97 updated Ford
Escort Cosworth, produces more than 400 hp - also from Maine; Frank
Sprongl,
Canadian champion, in an Audi Quattro S-2 - has beaten Choiniere three
times
in the Rumford winter rally; Noel Lawler, veteran Irish rallyist, in
Choiniere's '96 championship Hyundai; Tom Ottey, former Production GT
champion, in ex-Rod Millen Hyundai; Ricardo Sadder, from Montevideo,
Uruguay
in his first U.S. rally, in a Vermont Sports Car Mitsubishi Galant; Sam
Bryan, factory-supplied Group 5 Saab 900 turbo, has won two events in a row
and is leading his class; Mike Whitman, last year's Group 2 champion, in a
new Ford Sierra Cosworth Open class car; Cal Landau, '95 Production GT
champion, in a Mitsubishi Eclipse; Steve Gingras, won Production GT in
Washington in April, in a Mitsubishi Eclipse; Henry Krolikowski, defending
Group 5 champion in a Dodge Shadow; Bruce Newey, Toyota Celica, currently
second in Group 5; Bill Malik, Volvo 240, currently leads Group 2.
Interviews: Drivers will be available by contacting the press room at the
Madison's Hotel starting Thursday afternoon, July 25. Any
needs before then should be directed to Andy Schupack at the
phone number listed below.
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and video crews onto
the course during the daylight part of the rally on Saturday.
Anyone requiring supplied photos or video should contact Andy
Schupack in the press room starting July 24. Rally cars going
through mud, over yumps, and on gravel at high speed through tight
turns provide exciting visuals.
Media Info: We will provide phone-ins on event information,
driver interviews, and results. We will fax
stories and agate Saturday and Sunday. We have B-roll
available for TV. Press room will be located at Madison's
Hotel, Route 2, Rumford, Maine.
Contact: Andy Schupack - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
media liaison:
(401) 739-5677 (before July 24 and after July 27)
(207) 369-0403 (July 24 - 27 direct line)
# # #
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack (401) 739-5677
A DOUBLE DOSE OF POWERFUL EXCITEMENT ROCKS '97 MAINE FOREST RALLY AS
RUMFORD IS CENTER STAGE FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF AMERICA PRO RALLY
RUMFORD, Maine -- The Michelin PRO Rally Championship, long a form of
motorsport which has a modest, but loyal following, has reached an
important crossroads this spring in Southern Maine as the Maine Forest
Summer PRO Rally event - July 25 - 26, 1997, combines a record number of
sleek race cars with the national TV coverage of ESPN2.
Instead of the two or three 4WD, 300-plus horsepower racers pounding their
way over the fast gravel roads in the Mead, International and Seven
Islands paper forests, no less than seven of these world-class machines
which will fight for the overall title.
"The group of world-class race cars coming to Rumford this year is
unprecedented," said Maine organizer John Buffum, a Burlington, VT
resident and himself an 11-time national rally champion. "And it is a
reflection of the status of this event that many of those drivers will
bring their cars from the West Coast and Canada in a sport that is
typically regional in nature."
One of Maine's big attractions this year is the presence of ESPN2, and the
41 million homes that will have an opportunity to watch the action around
the country. Produced by Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., the
event will be telecast by "The Deuce" with half-hour broadcasts Sunday,
August 17, at 2:30 PM (EDT); Wednesday, August 20, at 2:00 AM (EDT);
Sunday, August 24, at 4:00 AM (EDT); and Tuesday, August 26, at
12:30 AM (EDT).
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed. The cars
start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 6 - 15
stages which range in length from four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies
include night stages, making it necessary for competitors to adjust their
driving style. Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
long straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
winning the event.
And what about those exotic sports cars that will comprise the field?
How about North American's only 4WD Hyundai Tiburon, producing 371
horsepower and driven by defending Rim of the World and six-time PRO Rally
champions Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker. This new Tiburon, build by
rally legend John Buffum at his Libra Racing shops in Burlington, Vermont,
is off to a fast start this year with two wins, and hopes to out-tough the
other new cars here.
Besides Choiniere, whose victories this year were a pair of run-away wins
in the Northwest, the most potent threat has to be the new 1997 Ford
Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine. Merrill's 425
horsepower brought him to his first win of the season in Pennsylvania in
June, but the car had teething problems in its first events out West.
Henry Joy, from Atlanta, Mich., is always competitive here in his right-
hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer, has finished in the top three here several
times, but knows he has to win Maine to keep his championship drive alive
for '97. He has some momentum, however, as he was victorious in May at
the tough Rim of the World event near Los Angeles. Last year's Production
GT champion, Selcuk Karamanoglu, from Bath, Maine, has built a new Open
class Eagle Talon which is rated at 361 horsepower, which, like Merrill's
car, has yet to reach its potential.
The only other team besides Choiniere and Joy with a victory this season
is Frank Sprongl, from Mississauga, ONT., Canada, in his Audi Quattro S-2,
on the strength of his cold-weather win in Round #1 in Michigan. Sprongl
consistently beats Choiniere (and everyone else) in the snow, but his
three wins in Rumford during December events will mean little in July.
Other top Open class competitors include the Libra Racing Hyundai Elantra
(last year's Maine winner) being driven by Noel Lawler; the Tom Ottey/Pam
McGarvey Hyundai Elantra; the Montevideo, Uruguay-based rally team of
Riccardo Sadder and Luis Henderson - driving a Vermont Sports Car
Mitsubishi Galant; and the Jon Kemp Audi Quattro which was third overall
at STPR.
Besides the fastest, overall competitors, there are less exotic cars
running in different classes which allow less modifications. The cars
mentioned above are all four-wheel-drive, turbocharged, highly-modified
racers, while various Production classes allow very few changes to the
stock vehicles driven on the street. All PRO Rally cars have safety
equipment including aircraft-style safety harnesses, roll cages, and fire
extinguishers.
In some of the other classes, Sam Bryan is the favorite in his factory-
sponsored, Group 5 class Saab 900 turbo after his two West Coast wins.
The Group 5 class, the two-wheel-drive version of the Open class (cars
over 2.4-liters adjusted displacement, but with open engine, transmission
and suspension options), are not quite as fast as the Open cars, but will
finish well overall in this event. Bryan hopes to build on his recent
victories in Washington and California to further his points lead.
His main competition in Group 5 are a Toyota, a BMW, a Porsche, a Dodge
and a VW Bug! Bruce Newey, originally from rally-rich New Zealand, but
now living in Atlanta, in his Toyota Celica is running well this year, but
defending champion Henry Krolikowski has entered his Dodge Shadow, as has
Rick Davis in his BMW M-3. Add Rene Villemure's fast VW Bug and Mike
Hurst's Porsche 911, and this might be the best contest of the weekend.
The other top contenders are in the Production GT class, which allows
turbocharging and four-wheel-drive, but limited suspension and almost no
engine modifications. With Selcuk Karamanoglu now in the Open class,
'95 champion Cal Landau is the clear favorite in his Mitsubishi Eclipse.
This year's Maine Forest Rally will begin on Friday Afternoon, July 25,
with a display of cars on Congress Street in downtown Rumford 3:30 PM.
Fans can meet the drivers and look at the cars, as well as obtain a rally
program with entry lists and spectator area maps. The cars will be
flagged off at 4:00 PM, but will be back at 7:00 PM to run two stages
through the streets of downtown - unique in American PRO Rally.
As always, all rally activities are free and open to the public.
On Thursday afternoon, July 24, there will be a road rally (open to the
public - no special experience or equipment needed) to benefit the Green
Church Food Cupboard in Mexico, Maine. This will be a two-hour time-
speed-distance rally open to anyone with a car and a driver's license,
with the emphasis on reading the route instructions and not getting lost,
not on speed. Applications for the rally are available from the Rumford
Chamber of Commerce office (207) 364-3241.
The Michelin PRO Rally Championship is not only a contest of who is the
best driver on forest roads, at high speed in the middle of the night, but
also a competition between car preparers and manufacturers. He or she
whose car is sturdily built and who can avoid damaging off-course
excursions into trees or ditches, stands a chance of winning.
Tires play an important part in a winning rally effort. They must be
equally reliable on many driving surfaces; the asphalt of the transit
roads that rallyists traverse to get to the competition stages, as well as
varying conditions on the competition stages themselves. Stages, many of
which are unpaved, can change from sandy to clay to gravel in the space of
a few hundred feet. Sometimes rain will turn a perfectly ordinary dirt
road into a quagmire within minutes.
Most of the top competitors will be using specially constructed Michelin
Pilot High Performance Rally tires, which not only come in various
compounds for different road surfaces, but have rugged carcass and
sidewall designs to resist puncturing under the stressful rally
conditions. The tire company has recently renewed its three-year
agreement with the Sports Car Club of America to promote one of the
fastest growing motorsports in the country as well as its Pilot line of
street tires.
Michelin, which brought the radial tire to the world more than 50 years
ago, is the world's largest tire company. It has 19 plants in North
America and produces tires to fit every type of vehicle, from bicycles to
the Space Shuttle.
The 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship consists of ten events, and is
sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, and sanctioned by the Sports Car
Club of America. The 1997 Maine Forest Summer Rally is presented jointly
by the New England and Blue Mountain Regions of the Sports Car Club of
America.
# # #
1997 Maine Forest Rally
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
Final Entry/Start List
Car
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Carl Merrill Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Colchester, VT Michelin
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin
7 Henry Joy IV John Bellefleur Mitsubishi Lancer Open
Atlanta, MI Thornhill, ONT Michelin
3 Selcuk Karamanoglu Tony Lumino Eagle Talon Open
Bath, ME Westbrook, ME Michelin
14 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 Open
Mississauga, ONT Mississauga, ONT Michelin
11 Ricardo Sader Luis Henderson Mitsubishi Galant Open
Montevideo, UR Montevideo, UR Michelin
16 Noel Lawler Charles Bradley Hyundai Elantra Open
Manchester, VT Ardmore, PA Michelin
9 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
900 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5
Kent, WA Shoreline, WA Michelin
5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin
15 Jon Nichols Mike Koch VW GTI Group 2
Baie D'Urfe, QUE Nepean, ONT Michelin
18 Jon Kemp Gail McGuire Audi 4000 Quattro Open
Attica, NY Avon, NY Michelin
20 Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW 318i Group 5
West Chester, PA Exton, PA Michelin
21 Bill Malik Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2
Burbank, CA San Francisco, CA Michelin
22 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Odessa, MI Michelin
46 Gerry Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ Michelin
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort ZX2 Prod.
Dearborn, MI Detroit, MI Michelin
24 Dean Fry Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy Open
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Bridgestone
29 Frank Cunningham Emanual Lopes VW Rabbit Group 2
Boston, MA Malden, MA Michelin
44 Sakis Hadjiminas Brian Maxwell Audi Quattro Open
Floral Park, NY Port Hope, ONT Michelin
25 Chris Havas Eric Trembley VW Golf Group 2
Richmond, VT St-Jean Chrysostome, QUE Michelin
26 Alex Liversidge Mark Ferrero Saab 99 Group 2
Portland, ME Dresden, ME Michelin
27 Pete Pollard Tracey Smith-Pollard VW GTI Prod.
Etobicoke, ONT Etobicoke, ONT Michelin
28 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod.
Peterborough, ONT Fairfax Station, VA Michelin
30 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Open
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin
31 Keith Kreisler Chris Erney Mazda 323GTX Open
Clifton Park, NY Sterling, VA Michelin
32 Greg Healey John MacLeod Dodge Ram 50 Pick-up Prod.
Poughkeepsie, NY S. Easton, MA BFGoodrich
34 Charles Langan Hughie Langan Ford Escort Prod.
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA Michelin
47 Damon Mayers Phil Barnes Toyota Corolla Prod.
Taunton, MA Cortland, NY Michelin
35 Scott Kreisler Greg Usavage Nissan 200SX Group 2
Boyertown, PA Greenlans, PA Michelin
36 Eric Burmeister Mark Buskirk VW GTI Group 2
Holland, MI Grand Rapids, MI Michelin
37 Kendall Russell Jim Hurley Dodge Shadow PGT
Knoxville, TN Knoxville, TN Michelin
38 Michael Curran Joe McGirl Ford Mustang Group 5
Yonkers, NY New York, NY Michelin
43 Roland McIvor Ellen Santarcangelo Nissan 200-SX Prod.
Ft. Myers, FL Ft. Myers, FL Michelin
39 Padrair Purcell Michael O'Sullivan Subaru GL Group 5
Yonkers, NY Yonkers, NY Michelin
40 Richard Losee Kent Livingston VW GTI Group 2
Provo, UT Salt Lake City, UT Michelin
41 Bill Driegert Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant PGT
Richardson, TX Dallas, TX Michelin
42 Damian Hynds Mark McAllister VW GTI Prod.
Yonkers, NY New York City, NY Michelin
45 Carlos Arrieta, Sr. Carlos Arrieta, Jr. VW Rabbit Group 2
Alexandria, VA Alexandria, VA Michelin
48 Arthur Wojcik Maciej Salomon Mitsubishi Galant Open
Middle Village, NY Flushing, NY
Divisional Entry List
5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow 02
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
20 Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW 318i O2
West Chester, PA Exton, PA Michelin
24 Dean Fry Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy 4WD
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Bridgestone
29 Frank Cunningham Emanual Lopes VW Rabbit U2
Boston, MA Malden, MA Michelin
25 Chris Havas Eric Trembley VW Golf U2
Richmond, VT St-Jean Chrysostome, QUE Michelin
30 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro 4WD
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin
31 Keith Kreisler Chris Erney Mazda 323GTX 4WD
Clifton Park, NY Sterling, VA Michelin
32 Greg Healey John MacLeod Dodge Ram 50 Pick-up U2
Poughkeepsie, NY S. Easton, MA BFGoodrich
34 Charles Langan Hughie Langan Ford Escort U2
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA Michelin
38 Michael Curran Joe McGirl Ford Mustang 02
Yonkers, NY New York, NY Michelin
35 Scott Kreisler Greg Usavage Nissan 200SX U2
Boyertown, PA Greenlans, PA Michelin
39 Padrair Purcell Michael O'Sullivan Subaru GL 4WD
Yonkers, NY Yonkers, NY Michelin
50 S. Stepniewski Adam Pelc Audi 4000 Quattro 4WD
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
51 Gerry Brinkman Robert Barrall VW GTI U2
Freehold, NJ Bethlehem, PA Michelin
52 Carlos Filipe Nelson Barbosa VW GTI U2
New Bedford, MA New Bedford, MA
53 Mike Zamikhovsky Ken Burt Toyota Celica GT4 4WD
Watchung, NJ New Milford, CT
54 Robert Pao Thomas Brann VW GTI U2
Bridgewater, NJ Mahopal, NY
55 Kenneth Martin Scott Embree Honda Civic U2
Dublin, OH Dublin, OH
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - 7:00 AM EDT
Press Notes #1
1. Welcome to Rumford, Maine, and the fourth running of the Maine Forest
Summer PRO Rally, round #6 of the Michelin PRO Rally Championship.
This is actually the ninth running of the PRO Rally series here in
Western Maine, but five of the events have been run in December -
designated as the Maine Forest Winter event. As it did 1991 - 1995,
the 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship will again end here in
December. This event also signals the start of the second half of the
'97 season, with five events completed and five remaining including
this one.
2. One of the changes for the event this year is the change in ownership
in the forest, with Boise Cascade selling the Rumford plant and
surrounding forest to Mead Paper's Publishing Paper Division, North
America's leading manufacturer of coated textbook paper. The Mead
management has continued the hospitality initiated by Boise Cascade in
hosting the Michelin PRO Rally competitors, and organizer John Buffum
expressed his thanks to the Mead forest management for all their
help and continued support.
3. The crew from Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., is here to
cover the event for ESPN2 - the fourth event the network has covered
this year. The first airing of the Maine Forest Summer Rally will be
Sunday, August 17, at 2;30 PM EDT, with three re-broadcasts scheduled
in August. Rally fans should call ESPN programming department at (860)
585-2236 to voice their approval of the network's coverage, and to
confirm broadcast times. Any inquiries about sponsorship of the rally
telecasts should be directed to Doug Plumer at Replica Productions
(617) 492-7444.
4. We will also have radio coverage this weekend from WOXO-FM, 100.7 on
the FM dial, with 14 two-minute reports starting Friday afternoon.
We'll pass on a time schedule for the broadcasts as soon as we have it.
5. The Maine Forest Rally will again feature two asphalt half-mile stages
on Fridayin downtown Rumford, mostly on property owned by Mead Paper,
but also on the city streets. Some of the special issues surrounding
the holding of such a stage are the question of teams having to spend
extra money to buy performance street tires, and the more important
issues of traffic control and spectator safety. The former is being
handled by preceding the stage with a Parc Ferme, where the cars will
all be impounded and service is prohibited. This means the cars will
have to run on the same tires they used on the final stage in the
woods. And as for the traffic and spectator issues, those will be
handled by the Rumford Police and rally marshalls.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - 9:30 AM EDT
Press Notes #2
6. The Four Star Racing Team has brought Castrol Canada on board as a
primary sponsor. This exciting alliance will allow Frank and Dan
Sprongl to bring their winning ways to even more U.S. PRO Rallies than
ever before. Not that they are strangers to the Maine Forest venue.
In the six years of the Maine Forest Rally, which takes place in the
snow and ice of winter, the Sprongls beat 6-time PRO Rally champion
Libra Racing's Paul Choiniere three times. This is the Sprongl's first
time at the Maine Forest Summer Rally in their Audi.
Frank Sprongl is the 1991, 1994, and 1995 Canadian National Champion,
the 1992 Canada Cup Rally Champion, the 1994 and 1995 North American
Rally Cup Champion, and has won the Mount Washington Hillclimb twice.
Dan Sprongl has been Frank's co-driver and team manager since 1990.
7. Noel Lawler is returning to the Maine Forest Summer Rally with Charley
Bradley as co-driver. His assault on the Mead Paper Co. logging roads
will take place in a 1996 Hyundai Elantra prepared and serviced by
Libra Racing. The Elantra is the same car that Paul Choiniere drove to
his 1996 championship, and that John Buffum drove last month at STPR.
Buffum led, and nearly won that rally. Lawler started rallying in
Ireland in 1988 and has enjoyed considerable success in the U.S. both
in PRO Rally and in various road racing series. Bradley is the 1995
Group A National Champion Co-driver.
8. Paul Choiniere comes to Maine Forest fresh from a win at Pikes Peak
earlier this month. Choiniere brought his points-leading Hyundai
Tiburon to Colorado, and was quickest in practice in each of the
sections, but a broken water pump belt forced him to abort his
qualification run. Even so, Choiniere topped the open class field with
a time of 11:56.79.
9. Charlie and Hughie Langan have been enjoying a successful, but lonely
run of good finishes in their Ford Escort GT in the recent east coast
rallies. With most of the west coast Production Class entries staying
west of the Mississippi, the Langans fourth place class finish at STPR
has poised them on the brink of becoming a factor in the season points.
A top finish here at Maine Forest could vault them into second place in
the driver and co-driver standings.
10. Serguei Beloussov is at Maine Forest Rally shopping for a co-driver.
Assuming a qualified candidate steps forward, this will be Beloussov's
first appearance since STPR '96, where a close encounter with a tree
cut his season short. Now he has repaired the car, a Mazda 626, and is
ready to get back into racing form; all he needs is a second seat.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - noon EDT
Press Notes #3
11. The overall chase for the championship is tighter than it has been in
years because four different drivers have won events. All four
competitors - Frank Sprongl (SNO*DRIFT), Paul Choiniere (Doo Wops and
Wild West), Henry Joy (Rim of the Word), and Carl Merrill
(Susquehannock Trail) - are here this weekend to try to grab the points
lead. At the moment, Choiniere's Hyundai Tiburon is three points ahead
of Joy's right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II, with Carl
Merrill's Ford Escort Cosworth only nine points behind Henry. Even
Sprongl, whose Audi Quattro has only run one event, could move into
the points hunt with a win.
12. Selcuk Karamanoglu, whose new Open class Eagle Talon was expected to
chase the cars above for the championship, hopes the mechanical
gremlins sorting out the new vehicle have left him forever. Early
season brake, turbo and fuel management problems gave way to a blown
head gasket on the way to an overall victory at the Mount Washington
Hillclimb. After fixing that, Selcuk went to the Baie des Chaleurs
event in Quebec earlier this month, and had a timing belt burn up,
causing the engine to blow. Now, with a rebuilt motor and an improved
fuel management system, he hopes to get back in the hunt.
13. Some late cancellations and additions:
--The Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey Hyundai Elantra was not ready for
this event as the long rebuilding project is not complete.
--The Tim O'Neil/Mark Goldfarb Dodge Shelby is a DNS with engine
problems.
--The Act II Microwave Popcorn Mitsubishi Eclipse of Steve Gingras was
judged to be a total by the Archer Brothers after STPR, and the team
is working feverishly to build a new car to debut at their home event
next month in Minnesota.
--Another potential total at STPR, the Damon Mayers Toyota Corolla
Production car, has been revived with a new rear end, and will be
running here - thanks to Bobby at Bridgewater Auto Salvage. Mayers
was running 9th overall at STPR when the part gave way on stage #7.
--The Ricardo Sader/Luis Henderson Mitsubishi Galant, rented from
Vermont Sports Car, features an all-Uruguay drivers team. Sader, a
national champion in several classes, has his experience in two-
wheel-drive VW Gols (South American-built VW model) and a Renault.
Sadar works at a Toyota/Renault dealership, while Henderson imports
U.S.-made trucks to Uruguay.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - 12:30 PM EDT
Press Notes #4
14. Rick Davis and Ben Greisler are finally ready to debut their BMW 318ti
which has been under construction through the early months of this
season. Through the remainder of the season, the team hopes to improve
on the stock configuration of some of the parts. The specifications as
they are currently competing are as follow:
1995_BMW_318ti
Group 5 Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 4089.4 mm (161")
Width: 1600.2 mm (63")
Height: 1371.6 mm (54")
Wheelbase: 2700 mm (106.3")
Front Track: 1407.2 mm (55.4")
Rear Track: 1412.2 mm (55.6")
Weight: 5676 kg (2,580 lbs.)
Engine: 6-cylinder, 3.0 Liter, M-power,
Racing Dynamics chip
Driveline: BMW
Power: 240 BHP @ 6800 RPM
240 FT/LBS @ 5500 RPM
Transmission: 5-speed, close ratio, BMW, stock
Suspension: Front: Fabricated strut with
Bilstein dampers, Eibach
springs, stock lower control arms
Rear: Trailing arm modified for
Penske dampers, Eibach
springs
Steering: Stock BMW
Chassis: BMWti, seam welded, multi-point
rollcage with pickups for front and rear
suspension
Brakes: Tilton masters 3/4", bias
adjustment, proportioning valve,
BMW/Teves single pot caliper on all
corners
Tires: Compomotive 15 X 6.5" alloys with
Michelin Pilot rally tires
Electrics/Lights: Custom and modified BMW electrics
incorporating circuit breakers, 6 PIAA
driving lamps
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - 9:30 PM EDT
Press Notes #5
15. 40 cars took the countdown at the start line in downtown Rumford. They
headed out of town to do two wooded stages, and were due to return
approximately 2 hours later. The next two stages would be short, 1/2
mile tarmac stages over Mead Paper Company property and city streets in
the heart of Rumford.
16. Already the rally has claimed several victims.
-- The Toyota Corolla of Damon Myers/Phil Barnes was the first to drop
out. Repeating his DNF of STPR, a rear end problem sidelined him
barely a tenth of a mile into the first stage.
-- The Subaru GL of Padraig Purcell/Michael O'Sullivan met up close and
personal with a rather large rock, causing radiator damage. They
have withdrawn from the National but hope to make repairs overnight
and enter the divisional.
-- Reports are that the Dodge Ram 50 Pickup truck of Greg Healey/John
MacLeod crashed early in the second stage. No further details were
available.
-- Michael Curran/Joe McGirl failed to return to town at the end of the
first two stages in their Ford Mustang. Their absence from the
tarmac stages in the center of town was a great disappointment to
the crowd, who remembered their exciting near spin in the center of
town last year.
-- Carlos Arrieta, Sr./Carlos Arrieta, Jr. and their VW Rabbit have
also dropped out.
17. Even some of those who are still running are in question for tomorrow's
start at the Madison Hotel. The Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX entry of Cal
Landau/Eric Marcus hissed into town after the first two stage with nary
a drop of water left in the cooling system. Faced with a choice of
taking a 10 minute penalty for working on the car during Parc Ferme or
hoping that the engine would cool enough on the fan, the pair crossed
their fingers and hoped for the best. They ran the two short stages in
town and will be burning the midnight oil trying to get back into the
fight. Even worse, it sounds like the nearest engine that they can get
their hands on tonight is in Burlington, Vermont!
18. Frank Cunningham and Emanual Lopes have had a series of small problems
with their VW Rabbit. On the first stage, the car lost its exhaust, on
the second they punctured a tire. Somewhere along the way both front
struts collapsed. They were last seen working under the lights.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 25, 1997 - 11:00 PM EDT
Press Notes #6
19. Richard Losee barely was able to start the rally when his flight into
Boston was severly delayed. He arrived in Rumford after the close of
registration, and had less than an hour to get ready. The crew had
already been through tech and the co-driver, Kent Livingston was
waiting in Parc Expose. It looked like their problems were over, until
during the first stage when a wire came loose costing them 5 minutes to
make the repairs. By the second stage they were back up to speed, but
the damage may have already been done.
20. Damian Hynds and Mark McAllister suffered only minor damage to their VW
GTI when they tossed it on its side out in the woods. The car righted,
the pair continued the stage, losing 10 minutes in overall time.
21. The Uraguayan rally team of Ricardo Sader and Luis Henderson are out of
the rally citing transmission problems in their Mitsubishi Galant.
While they finished all four stages on Friday night, they believe they
will be unable to continue in tomorrow's portion of the rally.
22. Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker have some serious time to make up on the
leaders in their chase for points. On the second stage, Choiniere
rolled the car over onto its roof. Well, that's not entirely correct.
The car rolled, but it landed in a hole so big that the roof shows no
obvious damage! With the assistance of spectators on the stage, the
car was righted and the Hyundai Tiburon finished the stage with a total
time loss of about 4 minutes. The force of the impact and roll,
though, crushed the power steering pump and diverted the exhaust.
23. A loose turbo hose on the Eagle talon of Selcuk Karamanoglu/Tony Lumino
took a few minutes to fix at the turnaround between stages 1 and 2. A
quick check at that time found other clamps loose as well, undoubtedly
preventing a further problem. This is the third event that the team
has been plagued with similar problems.
24. Cindy and Henry Krolikowski have also suffered power steering failure
in their Dodge Shadow. This is a recurrent problem for the
Krolikowskis and despite having changed multiple components in the
power steering system, they continue to have troubles.
25. After the four stages this evening, Carl Merrill/Lance Smith in the
Ford Escort Cosworth hold a slim 0.40 minute lead over second place
Noel Lawler/Charles Bradley in the Hyundai Elantra. The latter car was
third at the end of the first two stages, but Lawler once again showed
his talent for road racing on the tarmac stages, winning one and tying
for the lead in the other. His edge over third place Frank and Dan
Sprongl, though, is only 0.02 minutes.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 26, 1997 - noon EDT
Press Notes #7
26. Here are the top national standings after four stages (Fri. night)
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE CLASS
2 Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Escort Cosw, 13.59 Open
16 Noel Lawler/C. Bradley Hyundai Elan. 13.99 Open
14 F. Sprongl/D. Sprongl Audi Quattro 14.01 Open
7 Henry Joy/J. Bellefleur Mitsu. Lancer 14.13 Open
900 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 14.42 Group 5
18 Jon Kemp/Gail McGuire Audi 4000 14.60 Open
3 S. Karamanoglu/T. Lumino Eagle Talon 14.60 Open
27 Pete Pollard/T.S. Pollard VW GTI 14.69 Prod
9 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse 14.97 PGT
25 Chris Havas/Eric Trembley VW GTI 15.13 Group 2
26 Alex Liversidge/M. Ferrero Saab 99 15.16 Group 2
44 Hadjiminas/Maxwell Audi Quattro 15.17 Open
15 Jon Nichols/Mike Koch VW GTI 15.19 Group 2
20 Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW 318ti 15.47 Group 5
21 Bill Malik/F. O'Sullivan Volvo 240 15.54 Group 2
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford ZX2 15.56 Prod
30 Ivan Orisek/Olga Orisek Audi Quattro 15.59 Open
5 H. Krolikowski/C. Krolik Dodge Shadow 15.64 Group 5
22 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 15.68 Group 2
24 Dean Fry/Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy 15.90 Open
29 Frank Cunningham/E. Lopes VW Rabbit 15.91 Group 2
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica 15.93 Group 5
31 Keith Kreisler/C. Erney Mazda 323GTX 15.96 PGT
35 Scott Kreisler/G. Usavage Nissan 200-SX 16.69 Group 2
34 C. Langan/H. Langan Ford Escort 17.21 Prod
28 P. Watt/D. Casey Suzuki Swift 17.27 Prod
36 E. Burmeister/M. Buskirk VW GTI 17.28 Group 2
48 A. Wojcik/M. Salomon Mitsu. Galant 17.70 Open
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai Tib. 17.75 Open
41 Bill Driegert/H. Shim Mitsu. Galant 17.82 PGT
37 Kendall Russell/J. Hurley Dodge Shadow 18.51 PGT
46 J. Sweet/S.Spark Saab 99EMS 19.69 Group 2
40 R. Losee/K. Livingston VW GTI 20.88 Group 2
11 R. Sader/L. Henderson Mitsui Galant 25.88 Open
42 Damian Hynds/M. McAllister VW GTI 26.38 Prod.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 26, 1997 - 9:00 AM EDT
Press Notes #8
27. Pete Lahm and Jimmy Brandt have also shared the secrets of their rally
car with us. The specifications as they are currently competing are as
follow:
1968_Nissan_PL-510
Group 2 Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 4120 mm (162.2")
Width: 1560 mm (61.4")
Height: 1410 mm (55.5")
Wheelbase: 2420 mm (95.3")
Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line, single
overhead camshaft
Ignition: MSD Crankfire
Carburetion: 2 X 44 mm Mikuni Solex side drafts
Power: 220 BHP @ 6500 RPM
190 FT/LBS @ 5000 RPM
Transmission: Nissan 200 SX 5-speed
Locked rear R-180 differential
Suspension: Front: Bilstein 40 mm shocks with
custom adjustable upright,
MacPherson struts with
heavy duty spindles and
gusseting
Rear: Bilstein coil-over shocks
Chassis: Seam welded, 20 point roll cage
with gussets, suspension pick-ups
double reinforced with rod ends,
skid plated, front brush bar
Brakes: Front: Kelsey-Hayes 2 piston
calipers with 11"
ventilated rotors
Rear: Nissan 280 ZX 2 pistion
calipers with 10" solid
rotors
Wheels/Tires: 14 X 6 Panasport wheels
Michelin Special XGT rally tires
Electrics/Lights: Custom wiring harness, IPF and
Hella lights
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 26, 1997 - 3:00 EDT
Press Notes #9
28. Here are the top national standings after eight stages:
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE CLASS
2 Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Escort Cosw, 44.78 Open
14 F. Sprongl/D. Sprongl Audi Quattro 45.27 Open
7 Henry Joy/J. Bellefleur Mitsu. Lancer 46.40 Open
3 S. Karamanoglu/T. Lumino Eagle Talon 46.43 Open
18 Jon Kemp/Gail McGuire Audi 4000 47.77 Open
900 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 47.88 Group 5
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai Tib. 49.68 Open
27 Pete Pollard/T.S. Pollard VW GTI 50.10 Prod
25 Chris Havas/Eric Trembley VW GTI 50.31 Group 2
15 Jon Nichols/Mike Koch VW GTI 50.36 Group 2
21 Bill Malik/F. O'Sullivan Volvo 240 50.44 Group 2
20 Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW 318ti 50.62 Group 5
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford ZX2 50.63 Prod
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica 51.17 Group 5
5 H. Krolikowski/C. Krolik Dodge Shadow 51.35 Group 5
22 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 52.13 Group 2
44 Hadjiminas/Maxwell Audi Quattro 52.67 Open
24 Dean Fry/Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy 53.66 Open
46 J. Sweet/S.Spark Saab 99EMS 54.99 Group 2
34 C. Langan/H. Langan Ford Escort 55.09 Prod
35 Scott Kreisler/G. Usavage Nissan 200-SX 55.11 Group 2
29 Frank Cunningham/E. Lopes VW Rabbit 55.51 Group 2
36 E. Burmeister/M. Buskirk VW GTI 55.86 Group 2
41 Bill Driegert/H. Shim Mitsu. Galant 55.96 PGT
48 A. Wojcik/M. Salomon Mitsu. Galant 56.60 Open
28 P. Watt/D. Casey Suzuki Swift 57.35 Prod
40 R. Losee/K. Livingston VW GTI 58.21 Group 2
31 Keith Kreisler/C. Erney Mazda 323GTX 58.82 PGT
37 Kendall Russell/J. Hurley Dodge Shadow 60.78 PGT
42 Damian Hynds/M. McAllister VW GTI 65.74 Prod.
DNF
16 Noel Lawler/C. Bradley Hyundai Elan. Crash
9 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse Overheating
26 Alex Liversidge/M. Ferrero Saab 99 Transmission
30 Ivan Orisek/Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Electrical
11 R. Sader/L. Henderson Mitsui Galant Clutch, oil leak
45 Carlos Arrieta, Sr./Jr. VW Rabbit Mechanical
38 Michael Curran/J. McGirl Ford Mustang Mechanical
39 Padraig Purcell/M. O'Sull. Subaru GL Crash
47 Damon Mayers/P. Barnes Toyota Corolla Rear End
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 26, 1997 - 4:00 EDT
Press Notes #10
29. After eight stages (four on Friday night and four more on Saturday
morning, the cars pulled into the resort town of Oquossoc with the
Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth maintaining a 29-second
lead over the Audi Quattro S-2 of Frank and Dan Sprongl. The Henry
Joy/John Bellefleur Mitsubishi Lancer is about a minute behind
Sprongl, with the Karamanoglu/Lumino Eagle Talon about only 1 second
behind Henry. Merrill figures that any of them could win the event,
and it's going to take an almost perfect run to win the event with
this level of competition.
--Frank Sprongl, who has won this event three times when the was
run in December, said it's a much different rally without snow.
His Audi is running flawlessly to date.
--Like the rest of the competitors who are not first on the road,
Henry Joy's vision has been limited when dust has settled on
the course from the front-runners.
--Selcuk Karamanoglu's turbo problems from Friday appear to have
gone away, and he has made up the time he lost to the leaders
yesterday.
30. The Noel Lawler/Charles Bradley Libra Racing Hyundai Elantra -
running second after Friday's stages - went off the road and
crashed on stage #5, ending Lawler's day. They were taking a
right-hand corner at speed when the car slid off the road and hit
the banking. There wasn't much damage to the car, but the
Elantra would not start, and their day was over.
31. Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon is starting to make up
time on the field after last night's problems, and they did make
up almost a minute on the leaders, but Choiniere pointed out that
everything has to be perfect to make up time on such a quality
field. Dust made conditions less than perfect, and the roads
were rough, but others things were happening as well. The rough
roads knocked the reservoir off the back of the rear strut,
giving Paul a soft suspension ride, and then a nut loosened in
the exhaust manifold, with the heat melting the top of the oil
dipstick, causing oil to blow out onto the windshield. Paul said
he started the day "overly optimistic," but now is looking to
finish in the top five. Paul added that the Hyundai Tiburon has
given him "the most fun he has ever had in a rally car."
32. The Jon Kemp/Gail McGuire Audi 4000 Quattro had a flawless run
through stage #8, running in the top five overall for the second
event in a row.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 26, 1997 - 6:00 PM EDT
Press Notes #11
32. The Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW 318ti, now well into its maiden
voyage, is giving its driver a terrific ride except for its Friday
flat tire. They are currently second in Group 5 behind the Saab 900
of Sam Bryan/Rob Walden.
33. The Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2 car leads the
points chase after five events, but the team is facing tough
competition here, with the Chris Havas/Eric Trembley VW GTI and the
Jon Nichols/Mike Koch VW GTI ahead of them.
34. With the Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse unable answer
the bell Saturday with the overheating problem, the Production GT
class was wide open, with only three cars entered. Kendall
Russell, in only her second national event, found herself in
contention for a class win with co-driver Jim Hurley in their
Dodge Shadow. The other contenders are the
Bill Driegert/Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant and the
Keith Kreisler/Chris Erney Mazda 323GTX. The
Driegert/Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant had a two-minute lead as
Kreisler broke a rear trailing arm from an off-road excursion and
had no brakes during the early stages on Saturday.
35. The Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2 car went off the
course on several occasions, resulting in broken motor mounts and
a broken shock. Having only one spare motor mount, the team
improvised a solution and continued to run well in class (third).
36. The Production Class was being dominated by the Canadian husband-
and-wife team of Pete Pollard and Tracey Smith-Pollard in their
VW GTI, with STPR winner Tad Ohtake and co-driver Bob Martin
running second in their new Ford Escort ZX2.
37. Another wild Maine Forest Rally finish was set up when the top
cars pulled into the Oquossoc service area with two stages to go.
--The Sprongl/Sprongl Audi had taken the lead from the
Merrill/Smith Ford Escort Cosworth (20 seconds), but Frank
Sprongl could fee the clutch slipping as a result of fluid
leaking onto the clutch plate. A mixture of flour and Coca-
Cola sealed the unit - yes, really - and the Castrol-sponsored
S-2 was on its way.
--The Karamonoglu/Lumino Eagle Talon, which had just won the
previous stage, had passed the Joy/Bellefleur Mitsubishi
Evolution II for third place, while the Choiniere/Becker
Hyundai Tiburon, having lost its rear brakes, was running
sixth.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 27, 1997 - 8:00 AM EDT
Press Notes #12
28. Here are the final national standing (13 stages completed):
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE CLASS
14 F. Sprongl/D. Sprongl Audi Quattro 108.51 Open
2 Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Escort Cosw, 108.80 Open
7 Henry Joy/J. Bellefleur Mitsu. Lancer 111.31 Open
3 S. Karamanoglu/T. Lumino Eagle Talon 113.72 Open
900 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 116.14 Group 5
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai Tib. 116.26 Open
15 Jon Nichols/Mike Koch VW GTI 116.82 Group 2
18 Jon Kemp/Gail McGuire Audi 4000 119.53 Open
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica 121.44 Group 5
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford ZX2 123.97 Prod
46 J. Sweet/S.Spark Saab 99EMS 126.05 Group 2
22 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 126.47 Group 2
44 Hadjiminas/Maxwell Audi Quattro 128.41 Open
20 Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW 318ti 128.41 Group 5
40 R. Losee/K. Livingston VW GTI 128.96 Group 2
24 Dean Fry/Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy 129.65 Open
34 C. Langan/H. Langan Ford Escort 132.27 Prod
41 Bill Driegert/H. Shim Mitsu. Galant 132.60 PGT
36 E. Burmeister/M. Buskirk VW GTI 133.94 Group 2
31 Keith Kreisler/C. Erney Mazda 323GTX 134.65 PGT
48 A. Wojcik/M. Salomon Mitsu. Galant 137.74 Open
28 P. Watt/D. Casey Suzuki Swift 138.69 Prod
35 Scott Kreisler/G. Usavage Nissan 200-SX 141.89 Group 2
42 Damian Hynds/M. McAllister VW GTI 143.59 Prod.
37 Kendall Russell/J. Hurley Dodge Shadow 149.54 PGT
DNF
16 Noel Lawler/C. Bradley Hyundai Elan. Crash
9 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse Overheating
26 Alex Liversidge/M. Ferrero Saab 99 Transmission
30 Ivan Orisek/Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Electrical
11 R. Sader/L. Henderson Mitsui Galant Clutch, oil leak
45 Carlos Arrieta, Sr./Jr. VW Rabbit Mechanical
38 Michael Curran/J. McGirl Ford Mustang Mechanical
39 Padraig Purcell/M. O'Sull. Subaru GL Crash
47 Damon Mayers/P. Barnes Toyota Corolla Rear End
27 Pete Pollard/T.S. Pollard VW GTI Disqualified
25 Chris Havas/Eric Trembley VW GTI Rollover
21 Bill Malik/F. O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Ignition sensor
5 H. Krolikowski/C. Krolik Dodge Shadow Electrical
29 Frank Cunningham/E. Lopes VW Rabbit Ignition
32 Greg Healey/John MacLeod Dodge Ram 50 Flywheel
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 27, 1997 - 9:00 AM EDT
Press Notes #13
39. More DNFs:
--The Greg Healey/John MacLeod Dodge Ram 50 pickup sheared the
bolt off the flywheel, ending their rally Friday night.
--The Frank Cunningham/Emanual Lopes VW Rabbit, after surviving shock
and electrical problems, ended its day with ignition problems.
--The Noel Lawler/Charles Bradley Hyundai Elantra had a broken half-
shaft which led to Noel's demise on stage #5.
--The Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 lost its points lead
when a faulty ignition sensor caused a DNF.
--The Chris Havas/Eric Trembley VW GTI, which was running a strong
second in Group 2, rolled his car in a big way on stage #12 to
finish his day and possible end the life of that GTI.
--The Pete Pollard/Tracey Smith-Pollard VW GTI, the apparent
Production class winner, was disqualified after a protest corcerning
a non-stock hood bracket configuration was upheld by the organizer.
40. Frank and Dan Sprongl took their 21-second lead and slipping clutch
into the last two stages of the event, and the Coke and flour did the
trick as the Castrol Audi S-2 won the Maine Forest Summer Rally by 18-
seconds. Frank Sprongl said the clutch felt good through stage #12,
where Merrill trimmed two seconds off the lead, and was slipping a bid
on the last stage, where Merrill took off another second, but the car
hung on for the win. While the Sprongls were pushing hard to maintain
their margin on stage #12, Frank got lost in a cloud of dust and
nailed a tree or rock ("whatever it was, I didn't see it because it
was behind me") with his left rear, but was able to stay on the road
without losing time. This was Sprongl's fourth win in Maine, and
first at the Maine summer event. Merrill, while disappointed he lost,
was pleased that he ran all day with no mechanical problems, and the
second-place finish put him right back in the points chase.
41. The battle for third and fourth place went back and forth between the
Henry Joy/John Bellefleur Mitsubishi Lancer and the Selcuk Karamanoglu
Tony Lumino Eagle Talon raged on all day, with Selcuk taking the lead
near the end of the event. But on the last stage, Selcuk went off the
road and hit some rocks, tearing up his rear suspension. He was able
to finish, but lost enough time that Henry go by him for third place.
However, the Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon, which was
vying for fifth overall, got stuck behind Selcuk for ten miles and
lost enough time to drop behind the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900,
which finished fifth.
# # #
Maine Forest Summer PRO Rally
Rumford, Maine
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
July 27, 1997 - 10:00 AM EDT
Press Notes #14
42. Other class winners included the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900
turbo (Group 5); the Canadian team of Jon Nichols/Mike Koch in their
VW GTI (Group 2); the Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort ZX2
(Production); and the Bill Driegert/Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant -
their first national event - for Production GT.
43. The Henry Krolikowski/Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow had a bad day
all day, with power steering and low RPM problems earlier in the day,
capped off their weekend with a broken wheel followed by an off-road
excursion on the last stage which put them out of the event.
44. The Group 5 Toyota Celica of Bruce Newey/Matt Chester had a clean run,
putting them second in Group 5 behind Bryan/Walden in the points.
45. Speaking of points, the overall picture is really scrambled now, the
Henry Joy retaking the points lead with 64 pts., while Paul Choiniere
has 61 and Carl Merrill 58. With the Landau DNF, Production GT is
still be lead by Lee Shadbolt, the West Coast Subaru competitor, while
Tad Ohtake has build a large lead in Production. With the Pete Lahm
third place finish in Group 2, he overtakes the Bill Malik in the
points chase as Malik DNFed.
46. Jon Kemp and Gail McGuire fell out of the top five in their Audi 4000
Quattro after they were forced to change a flat tire on stage #10,
dropping them from fifth to eighth place.
47. The Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW 318ii was in contention for the
Group 5 when he went off the road in a big way on stage #11, tearing
out much of the bottom of the car and forcing the crew to put much of
the suspension back together with baling wire. He continued and
finished third in class.
48. The Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 900 recovered nicely from its Friday
"off" to finished second in Group 2.
49. Turbo hose break, the "T" for the turbo wastegate, and other annoying
problems prevented the Sakis Hajiminas/Brian Maxwell Audi Quattro
from cracking the top five - and finished 13th overall.
# # #
Subject: Maine Official Results -
From: Andy Schupack 76456,2652
------------------------------------------------------------------
CANADIAN CHAMPIONS WIN MICHELIN PRO RALLY EVENT IN MAINE BY POURING SOFT
DRINK ONTO CLUTCH PLATE; DEFENDING CHAMP CHOINIERE LOSES POINTS LEAD
RUMFORD, Maine - Frank and Dan Sprongl, from Mississauga, Ontario, took
their 21-second lead and slipping clutch into the last two stages of the
Maine Forest PRO Rally, and preserved their win by putting three cans of
Coca-Cola mixed with baking flour on their clutch plate to propel their
Castrol Audi Quattro S-2 to an 18-second victory over the Ford Escort
Cosworth of Carl Merrill/Lance Smith, from Ogunquit, Maine.
The Sprongls, defending Canadian national champions, took the lead
on stage #11 of the 13-stage rally, and never looked back, although they
whacked a tree with the car's rear end on the next-to-last stage and nearly
went off the road.
"We have only won rallies on snow in the U.S. - never a gravel event,"
said Sprongl, referring to their previous Michelin PRO Rally wins in
February and December. "The Mead Paper logging roads in southern Maine
were both fast and challenging, but we still prefer the snow to the dust."
Frank Sprongl is also a two-time winner (1992, 1996) of the Mount
Washington Hillclimb event. He plans to come back to Maine in December
when the series concludes on the same roads - hopefully covered with snow.
The battle for third and fourth place went back and forth between the Henry
Joy/John Bellefleur Mitsubishi Lancer and the Selcuk Karamanoglu/
Tony Lumino Eagle Talon, with Selcuk taking the lead near the end of the
event. But on the last stage, Selcuk went off the road and hit some rocks,
tearing up his rear suspension. He was able to finish, but lost enough
time that Henry go by him for third place. However, the Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon - five time Michelin PRO Rally series
defending champion entry - was vying for fifth overall, and got stuck
behind Selcuk for ten miles, losing enough time to drop behind the Sam
Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900, which finished fifth.
Other class winners included the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900
turbo (Group 5); the Canadian team of Jon Nichols/Mike Koch in their
VW GTI (Group 2); the Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort ZX2
(Production); and the Bill Driegert/Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant -
their first national event - for Production GT.
Significant DNFs (did not finish) included the Noel Lawler/Charles Bradley
Hyundai Elantra - last year's championship car - as Noel crashed on stage
#5; the defending Group 5 champions Henry and Cindy Krolokowski in a Dodge
Shadow (crash); '95 Production GT champions Cal Landau and Eric Marcus is a
Mitsubishi Eclipse (overheating); and Group 2 points leaders Bill Malik and
Farina O'Sullivan in a Vovlo 240 (ignition sensor).
In the overall points, Joy now leads with 64, followed by Choiniere with 61
and Merrill with 58. Other class leaders include Sam Bryan (Group 5); Lee
Shadbolt (Production GT); Tad Ohtake (Production); and now, because of the
Malik DNF, Pete Lahm in Group 2.
ESPN2 will broadcast the event Sunday, August 17, at 2:30 PM EDT.
1997 Maine Forest Rally
Round #6 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
Final Results
Car Vehicle/ Class
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 Open
Mississauga, ONT Mississauga, ONT Michelin 1:48:30
2 Carl Merrill Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Colchester, VT Michelin 1:48:48
7 Henry Joy IV John Bellefleur Mitsubishi Lancer Open
Atlanta, MI Thornhill, ONT Michelin 1:51:19
3 Selcuk Karamanoglu Tony Lumino Eagle Talon Open
Bath, ME Westbrook, ME Michelin 1:53:43
900 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5
Kent, WA Shoreline, WA Michelin 1:56:09
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin 1:56:15
15 Jon Nichols Mike Koch VW GTI Group 2
Baie D'Urfe, QUE Nepean, ONT Michelin 1:56:49
18 Jon Kemp Gail McGuire Audi 4000 Quattro Open
Attica, NY Avon, NY Michelin 1:59:32
96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin 2:01:27
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort ZX2 Prod.
Dearborn, MI Detroit, MI Michelin 2:03:58
46 Jerry Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ Michelin 2:06:03
22 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Odessa, MI Michelin 2:06:46
44 Sakis Hadjiminas Brian Maxwell Audi Quattro Open
Floral Park, NY Port Hope, ONT Michelin 2:08:25
20 Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW 318i Group 5
West Chester, PA Exton, PA Michelin 2:08:25
40 Richard Losee Kent Livingston VW GTI Group 2
Provo, UT Salt Lake City, UT Michelin 2:08:58
24 Dean Fry Don Kennedy Subaru Legacy Open
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA Bridgestone 2:09:40
34 Charles Langan Hughie Langan Ford Escort Prod.
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA Michelin 2:12:16
41 Bill Driegert Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant PGT
Richardson, TX Dallas, TX Michelin 2:12:36
36 Eric Burmeister Mark Buskirk VW GTI Group 2
Holland, MI Grand Rapids, MI Michelin 2:13:56
31 Keith Kreisler Chris Erney Mazda 323GTX Open
Clifton Park, NY Sterling, VA Michelin 2:14:39
48 Arthur Wojcik Mike Salomon Mitsubishi Galant Open
Middle Village, NY Flushing NY Michelin 2:17:45
28 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod.
Peterborough, ONT Fairfax Station, VA Michelin 2:18:42
35 Scott Kreisler Greg Usavage Nissan 200SX Group 2
Boyertown, PA Greenlans, PA Michelin 2:21:56
42 Damian Hynds Mark McAllister VW GTI Prod.
Yonkers, NY New York City, NY Michelin 2:23:36
37 Kendall Russell Jim Hurley Dodge Shadow PGT
Knoxville, TN Knoxville, TN Michelin 2:29:32
Did Note Finish
11 Ricardo Sader Luis Henderson Mitsubishi Galant Open
Montevideo, UR Montevideo, UR Michelin Clutch
16 Noel Lawler Charles Bradley Hyundai Elantra Open
Manchester, VT Ardmore, PA Michelin Crash
9 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin Overheat
5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin Crash
21 Bill Malik Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2
Burbank, CA San Francisco, CA Michelin Ignition sensor
29 Frank Cunningham Emanual Lopes VW Rabbit Group 2
Boston, MA Malden, MA Michelin Fuel system
25 Chris Havas Eric Trembley VW Golf Group 2
Richmond, VT St-Jean Chrysostome, QUE Michelin Rollover
26 Alex Liversidge Mark Ferrero Saab 99 Group
Portland, ME Dresden, ME Michelin Trans.
27 Pete Pollard Tracey Smith-Pollard VW GTI Prod.
Etobicoke, ONT Etobicoke, ONT Michelin Disq.
32 Greg Healey John MacLeod Dodge Ram 50 Pick-up Prod.
Poughkeepsie, NY S. Easton, MA BFGoodrich Flywheel
47 Damon Mayers Phil Barnes Toyota Corolla Prod.
Taunton, MA Cortland, NY Michelin Rear end
30 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Audi Quattro Open
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Michelin Electr.
38 Michael Curran Joe McGirl Ford Mustang Group 5
Yonkers, NY New York, NY Michelin Mech.
Maine Index