ENGLEWOOD, Colorado - The revitalized SCCA ProRally Championship, completing one of its most successful seasons ever, announced today its 2000 schedule, plus a new championship program for globally recognized FIA Group A and Group N cars.

The 2000 schedule includes eight championship events, plus a new mid-year FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship event. The schedule includes a broad array of terrain, including eastern and western forests, high desert, winter, and mountainous settings. The season kicks off with a winter rally in late January, takes a brief hiatus for February and March, then resumes in April, with one event each month through October.

The Championship features well-established SCCA events, many with histories of more than 20 years of operation, including the popular Susquehannock Trail event in Pennsylvania, and the season culminating Lake Superior (nee: Press-On Regardless) rally in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Said Dennis Dean, Vice President of SCCA Club Racing and Rally/Solo, "the 2000 program combines virtually every type of rally surface and climate found on the world circuit, all here within our borders, in a professionally presented package."

Refinements to the schedule ease the transport-funding problem that is a challenge in the United States, allowing teams to keep their equipment on various sides of the country for two events at a time, eliminating some of the 'criss-crossing' that they faced in prior seasons.

New for 2000 is the start of a rules 'blending' process that will ultimately result in the US Championship following FIA vehicle preparation and event presentation standards. "We fully appreciate that performance rally is a global sport, and that our existing rules structure makes it exceedingly difficult for global manufacturers to come here to the US," said Kurt Spitzner, SCCA Rally/Solo Marketing Manager. "However, clearly we are not in a position to obsolete the large field of US-Spec cars, some of which are manufacturer supported, overnight. Starting in 2000, FIA and SCCA ProRally cars will compete in parallel championships, with a weaning off of the SCCA exclusive Pro classes over a period."

"Any Group A or Group N car is welcome in the US Championship, effective immediately. Scoring and scrutineering of the respective championships will follow FIA guidelines, and the SCCA classes will continue to follow the SCCA guidelines," remarked SCCA ProRally Championship Series Steward John McArthur. "With the addition of the FIA listed RallyUSA in Denver, the time is right for the US rally community to begin this process."

All eight events are full points Manufacturer's Championship events for participating automakers. Seven of the events will count full points towards the US Driver's Championship, with the remaining event, due to a shorter stage mile configuration, counting for 60% points.

The complete schedule:

28-29 January	Sno*Drift - Michigan
14-15 April	Oregon Trail - Oregon
5-6 May	Rim of the World - California
2-3 June	Susquehannock Trail - Pennsylvania
28-29 July	Maine Forest - Maine
25-26 August	Ojibwe Forests - Minnesota
29-30 September	Prescott Forest - Arizona
20-21 October	Lake Superior - Michigan
23-25 June	RallyUSA - FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship - Colorado

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