Knoxville, Tennessee -- Rally New York, the third round of the 2004 Eastern States Rally Championship (ESRC), will take place this weekend on the gravel and tarmac roads of the Catskill Mountains outside of Monticello, New York. The ESRC, a series of seven events in the Eastern US, while covering a geographical area larger than the FIA European Championship, provides a domestic US championship drawing the top names in US rally, without the time and expense required for a national assault.

With the Mid-Atlantic and New England states hosting the largest number of US licensed rally drivers nationally, Rally New York has attracted the cream of the crop for this event. Over 60 teams are entered, with names like Burke, Lawless, Havas, Drislane and Donnelly. Competition should be close for this weekends event.

Odds on favorite is points leader Seamus Burke, with co-driver Charles Bradley in their Mitsubishi EVO VIII, to take the overall and Prototype One (P1) field. Prototype One cars are turbocharged four wheel drive vehicles with very few restrictions on preparation. Look for shots for the overall win by Tom Lawless and co-driver Jason Gillespie in another EVO (P1), as well as Jason Rivas and Casey Blust in their Subaru WRX (Group N). But don't rule out Andrew Havas in his Mazda RX-7 (M1), who has been known to best his all wheel drive brethren with his all out driving style.

The smaller developmental Prototype Two (P2) field should put at least one team in the top ten overall. Made up of normally aspirated four wheel drive vehicles, the best bet is on Randy Zimmer with co-driver Russell Strate in their Subaru 2.5 RS who are leading the Championship in that class.

Also expected to finish high in the standings are a number of Super Stock (SS) competitors. This limited preparation class, dominated by showroom stock versions of the P1 cars, should see excellent runs by Robert Wall and co-driver Eric Adams in their Subaru WRX, Eric Langbein with co-driver Jeremy Wimpey in their GT4 Toyota, and Danny O'Brien in another WRX.

The Modified One (M1) field, made up of large bore and turbo open preparation two wheel drive vehicles, the Modified Two (M2) field, made up of small bore open preparation two wheel drive vehicles, and the Stock (S) field are anybody's bet. Expect high finishes by Andrew Havas in his RX-7 and Jeff Field and Michael Hordijk in their excellently prepared late model Celica, who have been the surprise of the Championship, currently running third overall heading into the event.

Organizer Ivan Orisek is excited about the event. "We've got a field of over 60 cars, we've got fast and technical roads and we've got TV, so we've got just about everything that we could have hoped for and more," he commented. "The rally should prove to be a real battle, with some excellently matched drivers, and excellent road conditions."

ESRC Series Coordinator Dr. Kendall Russell of Rally Promotions, LLC, also gave the event high praise. "We're seeing the Championship really come into its own," she stated. "With the large, international field that Rally New York has attracted, you're going to see some of the best racing this side of the Atlantic."

The 2004 running of the Rally New York is sanctioned by NASA Rally Sport, organized by Ivan Orisek and Rally New York, Ltd., and constitutes Round Three of the ESRC, coordinated by Rally Promotions, LLC. For more information, visit www.rallynewyork.com, www.nasarallysport.com, or contact Dr. Kendall Russell of Rally Promotions, LLC at 10406 Lovell Center Dr. Knoxville, TN 37922; Office: (865) 671-1133; E-mail: kendall@nasarallysport.com.