Monticello, New York -- With over half of the distance completed, Tom Lawless and Jason Gillespie (in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) lead International Rally New York in New York State’s Catskill Mountains. The team has accumulated a total time on the event’s special stages (speed tests) of 52 minutes, 3 seconds. Second place is held by Matthew Iorio/Ole Holter (Subaru Impreza WRX) with 52:40, followed by Seamus Burke/Brian Sharkey (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) at 53:55. The rally is far from decided, however - a flat tire or mechanical problem by any of the leaders could quickly change the order.

• Lawless/Gillespie took the lead on the first two short special stages, run for the spectators around the Monticello Raceway horse racing track (officially the "Mighty M Gaming Super Special Stages at Monticello Raceway"). But as the rally moved to the dirt and gravel roads in the countryside, Otis Dimiters/Alan Ockwell (Subaru Impreza WRX) powered ahead--only to lose first when they went into a ditch for five minutes on special stage six. Dimiters/Ockwell are now moving back up the order, but are unlikely to retake the lead before the finish.

• Places four through six seem to be the most hotly contested, with Peter Workum/Chrissie Beavis (Subaru Impreza WRX, 54:34) narrowly ahead of Noel Nash/Eddie Fries (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, 54:45) and Jeremy Drislane/Barry Goodman (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, 54:59).

• The rally concludes this evening where it began, in the town of Monticello, New York.

The United States Rally Championship, America’s premier rally championship, consists of Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) internationally listed events sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC) and presented by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). The 2005 running of the International Rally New York is organized by Ivan Orisek and Rally New York, Ltd., and constitutes Round Three of the USRC, and Round 5 of the ESRC coordinated by Rally Promotions, LLC. More information on the Championship is available at the series website at www.usrallychampionship.com. More information on USAC is available at www.usacracing.com and on NASA at www.nasarallysport.com.

CONTACT:

Wilson von Kessler
United States Rally Championship Series
(423) 265-2020
wilson@nasarallysport.com