MEDIA_ALERT Event: Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Round #7 of the 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship. Race cars from around the world will compete at high speeds through the White Earth State Forest, Paul Bunyan State Forest, and Smokey Hills Forest between Bemidji and Park Rapids, in northern Minnesota. When: Friday - Sunday, August 22 - 24, 1997 Schedule_-_Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Registration - Northern Inn, Bemidji 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Tech inspection - Chalet Car Wash, 703 Paul Bunyan Dr., Bemidji 11:00 AM - Media briefing - press room; Northern Inn, Bemidji 6:30 PM - First car starts - Leg #1 of Ojibwe Forests Rally; also 10,000 Lakes Divisional PRO Rally; Northern Inn, Bemidji 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Divisional Registration, Northern Inn Schedule_-_Saturday 1:45 AM - First car finishes Friday section - Northern Inn, Bemidji. 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Divisional Registration - Northern Inn, Bemidji noon - 2:00 PM - Parc Expose - Display of cars/activities to benefit the Bemidji Area United Way, Paul Bunyan Mall parking lot, Bemidji 2:00 PM - First car starts Leg #2 of Ojibwe Forests Rally and Paul Bunyan's Ride divisional event - Paul Bunyan Mall, Bemidji Schedule - Sunday 12:10 AM - First car finishes Ojibwe Forests Rally - Northern Inn, Bemidji. Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Northern Inn, Highway #2, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 (218) 751-9500. Duration: 138 stage miles, 282 total miles, 20 stages Rank: Full National Rally, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, administered by the SCCA PRO Rally Board, and sponsored nationally by Michelin Tire Company. Presented by the Land O'Lakes Region of the Sports Car Club of America. Interviews: Drivers will be available by contacting the press room at the Northern Inn starting August 21th. Series spokes-people are also available through the press room including team owner John Buffum, former 11-time national Champion, who will come out of semi-retirement to drive in this event; event organizer Beryl Ann Burton, defending champion Paul Choiniere; Canadian champion Frank Sprongl, and fastest local driver (from Elk River, formerly from Duluth) Steve Gingras. 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 (if his wife, due the end of August, gives birth before the event); Carl Merrill, with '97 updated Ford Escort Cosworth, produces more than 400 hp; Frank Sprongl, Canadian champion, in an Audi Quattro S-2 - won the most recent event in Maine by pouring Coke and baking soda on his clutch plate; John Buffum, 11- time Rally champion, in Choiniere's '96 championship Hyundai; Sam Bryan, factory-supplied Group 5 Saab 900 turbo, has won three events in a row and is leading his class; Cal Landau, '95 Production GT champion, in a Mitsubishi Eclipse; Steve Gingras -fastest Minnesota driver - 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; Pete Lahm, in a vintage '68 Datsun 510 - currently leads Group 2; Bill Malik, Volvo 240, has the fastest Group 2 car entered; Tad Ohtake, in a '98 Ford Escort ZX2, curretnly leading Production class. Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and video crews onto the course during the daylight part of the rally on Friday and Saturday. Anyone requiring supplied photos or video should contact Andy Schupack in the press room starting August 21. Rally cars going through mud, over yumps and rough terrain, and sliding 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 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We have B-roll available for TV. The press room will be located in the University Room at Northern Inn, Bemidji. Contact: Andy Schupack - Michelin PRO Rally Championship media liaison: (218) 751-9500 or (800) 667-8485 ext. 320 (direct line - August 21 - 24) (401) 739-5677 (before August 21; after August 24) # # # 1997 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship Preliminary National 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 11 John Buffum Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra Open S. Burlington, VT Marford, England Michelin 7 Henry Joy IV Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer Open Atlanta, MI Kingston, Jamaica Michelin 14 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 Open Mississauga, ONT Mississauga, ONT Michelin 9 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin 15 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Porsche 911 Group 5 Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin 5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5 Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin 900 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5 Kent, WA Shoreline, WA Michelin 96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5 Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin 16 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Eagle Talon Prod.GT Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin 18 Dave White Paula Gibeault VW GTI Group 2 Benicia, CA Ridgecrest, CA Michelin 22 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2 Phoenix, AZ Odessa, MI Michelin 20 Bill Malik Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2 Burbank, CA San Francisco, CA Michelin 21 Jerry Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2 Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ Michelin 117 Ken Stewart Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 Pickup Open Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper 23 Chris Czyzio Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse Prod.GT Flushing, MI Hermantown, MN Michelin 24 Bryan Pepp Dean Rushford Eagle Talon Prod.GT Marquette, MI Ishpeming. MI Michelin 25 Gail Truess Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX Prod.GT Brooklyn, MI Coulmbus, OH Michelin 19 George Plsek Ben Bradley Saab 99E Group 2 Del Mar, CA Portland, OR Michelin 39 Al Kaumeheiwa Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Prod. Brighton, MI Marquette, MI Michelin 26 Lee Shadbolt Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza Prod.GT Tigard, OR Tigard, OR Michelin 28 Richard Losee Kent Livingston VW GTI Group 2 Provo, UT Salt Lake City, UT Michelin 27 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod. Peterborough, ONT Farifax Station, VA Michelin 41 Bill Driegert Hishim Shim Mitsubishi Galant PGT Richardson, TX Dallas, TX Michelin # # # 1997 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - 10,000 Lakes (Friday) Divisional Preliminary Entry List Car Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Eagle Talon 04 Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin 5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow 02 Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin 23 Chris Czyzio Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse 04 Flushing, MI Hermantown, MN Michelin 117 Ken Stewart Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 Pickup 04 Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper 25 Gail Truess Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX 04 Brooklyn, MI Coulmbus, OH Michelin 83 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo 02 St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin 19 George Plsek Ben Bradley Saab 99E 02 Del Mar, CA Portland, OR Michelin 13 Wayne Prochaska Annette Prochaska VW Golf U2 Lake Orion, MI Lake Orion, MI Michelin 30 Bill Bjorklund Bob Baerg Dodge Omni O2 Coon Rapids, MN Anoka, MN Colway 40 Ted Grzelak Dan Gildersleeve Mazda RX-7 02 Clinton Township, MI Channing, MI Michelin 31 Douglas Davenport Lynn Dillon VW GTI U2 Indianapolis, IN Evansville, IN Michelin 35 Eric Schroeder Jennie Mynhier VW Jetta GLI U2 Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Michelin 46 Aaron Hatz Brendan Higgins VW Rabbit U2 Minnetonka, MN Minnetonka, MN Michelin 37 Art Burmeister Eric Burmeister VW GTI U2 Sterling, MI Holland, MI Michelin 32 Heikke Nielsen Brett Corneliusen VW GTI U2 St. Paul, MN Minneapolis, MN Nokia 34 Mark Lietha J.B. Niday Nissan Sentra SE-R U2 Sioux Falls, SD Richfield, MN Bridgestone 29 Bill Driegert Hishin Shim Mitsubishi Galant 04 Richardson, TX Dallas, TX Michelin 57 Larry Warrington Damien Crane VW Rabbit U2 Red Wing, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin/Bridgestone 36 Dennis Ryan Randy Moore Mazda 323GTX 04 Columbus, OH Tawas, MI Michelin 38 James Buchwitz Charles Rudstrom Mercury Lynx U2 Minneapolis, MN Side Lake, MN Michelin # # # Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 22, 1997 - 1:00 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #1 1. Welcome to Bemidji, Minnesota and the eleventh running of the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Round #7 of the Michelin PRO Rally Championship. The event will again run in the White Earth, Two Inlets and Paul Bunyan State Forests in the beautiful evergreen forests of northern Minnesota. The weather appears to be cooperating with the promise of a clear night with temperatures in the 60's. 2. Who's here; who isn't? Selcuk Karamanoglu, suffering a case of rally burnout after his fourth place finish at the Maine Forests Summer Rally, elected to stay home to rest and relax. He's had multiple problems with his new Eagle Talon and welcomed the opportunity to get work done on the car without the interruption of an event. Some people chose to make dramatic arrivals. Henry Joy, current points leader, chartered and arrived in a private plane that will standby to whisk him back to Michigan, should his wife, who is great with child, go into labor this weekend. Paula Gibeault and Jimmy Brandt, both on a commuter flight hopping from Minneapolis northward, hit a deer as they landed at the Brainerd Airport. The rest of the trip to Bemidji was completed by bus. 3. National finishing points are awarded as follows: 20 points for a first place finish, 15 points for a second place finish, 12 for third and then 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 for each subsequent finish respectively. National standings after six events are Henry Joy at 64 points, Paul Choiniere at 61 points and Carl Merrill at 58 points. IF Choinere wins and Joy finishes second then the lead changes by one point. If Merrill wins and Joy and Choiniere finish second and third respectively, then Joy is still in first but Choinere falls to third. Any one of the top three not finishing at all will change the standings significantly. All cars automatically get two points for starting, but this will not have any impact on the race outcome assuming they all start. 4. On the way to the press stage in a gravel pit south of Bemidji, the transmission in Ken Stewart's Chevy Pickup also apparently went south. Calling around to find a transmission shop that could do an overnight replacement, Stewart was disappointed and figured that was all for the weekend. Shortly thereafter, Red Borgen, proprietor of National Transmission, showed up in the parking lot to take a look for himself. "Looks like it might just be the governor," Red reported. "Let's throw it on the trailer and take it to the shop for a better look." It was, and Stewart, along with co-driver Floyd Shrader will be starting the Ojibwe Forests on time. August 22, 1997 - 7:00 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #2 5. The top dogs all have fixed various problems from the last event in Maine in order to prepare for the points battle that continues here in Minnesota. -- The Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer had broken pieces in the gearbox that crew chief Murray Thomas found after taking the car apart after Maine. Henry seems relaxed before the start of the event, knowing that his charter and the pilot are standing by in case the call comes from Central Michigan... -- The Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl Castrol-sponsored Audi Quattro S-2, winner in Maine last month, did not come through the event unscathed. Besides replacing the clutch plate - coated with Coke and baking soda as documented on ESPN2, the synchro for third gear was wrecked and they had to replace the transmission. -- The Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon is in a good position to score Choiniere's sixth straight national title - and third straight for Hyundai, but he's going to need better luck than he has had in the last three events. Broken suspension at Rim (DNF), off- course excursion at STPR (eventual second place after a terrific drive on the last five stages), and a rollover in Maine (another good drive late in the rally to finish fifth) leaves Paul needing a win here to get back on top. Choiniere says that you can't think about the points during an event as driving on the edge needs to dominate your concentration. He also said, however, that the championship is a combination of ten events, and you have to look at the big picture before going off the road trying to make up a minute or two. -- Hyundai America continues to push to defend their manufacturer's title by supporting a second Libra Racing entry, the '96 Hyundai Elantra championship car. Team owner John Buffum is driving the car as he did as STPR, where he had victory in sight before a late stage off caused a DNF. In Maine, Noel Lawler drove the Elantra, and went across a wooden bridge flat out, breaking the rear suspension and causing a DNF. The car is ready to run at this event, however, with Buffum coaxing old friend and international rally competitor Neil Wilson from England to co-drive with him. Wilson and Buffum teamed up in the mid-80's to win several U.S. events, but Wilson has never run at Ojibwe. With no pace notes and Buffum as his driver, Wilson feels that his job here is "like being on vacation," compared to a European co-driving stint. -- Cal Landau/Eric Marcus in their Dominos Pizza Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick and their Act II Popcorn Eagle Talon were supposed to be the dominant forces in Production GT class - now known as the snack class. But Gingras, after winning in Washington, crashed and destroyed his Eclipse at STPR, thus necessitating the building of his Eagle Talon, which debuts at this event. Landau, after winning STPR, was a DNF in Maine with a blown head gasket. Meanwhile, the Portland, Oregon Subaru Impreza of Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund, which scored a lot of points during the West Coast rallies earlier this year, is trying to build its points cushion here this weekend. ### Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 21, 1997 - 7:30 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #3 6. Footnote to the Ken Stewart pickup repair story. Red demonstrated what Minnesota hospitality is all about. Seems as if the repairs to the transmission were free of charge. Red couldn't bear the thought of the team coming all this way and then turning around to go home again. 7. Reports from the Press Stage: Friday morning afforded an opportunity for members of the press to become familiar with the full range of rally cars. Luckily, Ojibwe Forests organizers were able to secure the use of a Beltrami County gravel pit on less than ten miles from rally headquarters. This afforded a fine opportunity for the cars to run up a quarter mile straight, circle around a huge gravel pile, and return. Now that the county engineer has seen what the sport is about, there will future opportunities to showcase the event within easy traveling distance. Carl Merrill amply demonstrated why his Ford Escort Cosworth fasted street legal rally car in the U.S. Group 5 was represented three rallyists; the factory sponsored Saab 900 Turbo of Sam Bryan and Rob Walden, whose elaborate graphics have caused a lot of comment, the Krolikowski's Dodge Shadow and Bruce Newey's Toyota Celica. Production GT representatives included Gail Truess in Mazda 323 GTX, Bill Dreigert in his recently acquired Mitsubishi Galant, and the Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX. Very few people other than Carl Merrill and his crew have driven the Cosworth. Today, Gail Truess was given a chance to find out just what 450 hp is all about. At the start line, Weegee Smith, Merrill's crew chief, was heard to mutter, "that's seventy five hundred," when the clutch was let out. What he meant was rpms, not dollars. Now that Truess has experienced this kind of drive, is the Mazda going to be for sale? Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 21, 1997 - 10:30 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #4 8. Here are the national stage times after 3 stages: Car # Driver/co-driver Car Class Time ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 John Buffum/Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra Open 27.15 2 Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth Open 27.31 1 Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon Open 27.46 7 Henry Joy IV/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer pen 28.19 14 Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 pen 28.20 900 Sam Bryan/Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5 29.44 9 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Prod.GT 29.58 16 Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick Eagle Talon rod.GT 30.15 24 Bryan Pepp/Dean Rushford Eagle Talon rod.GT 30.44 23 Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse Prod.GT 30.50 18 Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI Group 2 30.87 96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5 30.76 5 H.Krolikowski/C.Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5 30.95 20 Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2 31.68 28 Richard Losee/K. Livingston VW GTI Group 2 31.69 21 Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2 31.94 22 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 roup 2 32.09 29 Bill Driegert/Hishin Shim Mitsubishi Galant Prod.GT 32.31 25 Gail Truess/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX Prod.GT 32.34 39 Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon rod. 32.45 26 Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza rod.GT 32.46 42 Bryan Hourt/Jay Kowalik Honda Civic rod. 32.66 27 Peter Watt/Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod. 35.59 Did Not Finish 15 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Porsche 911 roup 5 Engine 117 Ken Stewart/Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 Pickup pen Trans. 19 George Plsek/Ben Bradley Saab 99T roup 5 Engine 9. The big news from the service area in Park Rapids (after stage #3) was that the first car on the road - the Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth - wouldn't start to exit the service area for stage #4. Initial analysis showed that the ECU (electronic control unit) was not providing information to the engine, causing the DNF. Merrill gets just his two starting points, leaving him well behind Joy and Choiniere if they both finish the event. 10.The Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Porsche 911 could have continued beyond stage #3, but the engine was running too lean, and Hurst did not want to squander a 911 motor. 11. The Ken Stewart/Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 pick-up did not survive its earlier transmission problems as it did not make it to the start of stage #1. 12. The George Plsek/Ben Bradley Saab 99T is a DNF after losing lots of oil because of piston/rings problems after stage #2. ### Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 23, 1997 - 9:00 a.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #5 13. Here are the national results after 8 stages (Friday night); includes road points (which we will explain in text): Car # Driver/co-driver Car lass Time -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 John Buffum/Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra Open 58.36 1 Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon pen 58.97 7 Henry Joy IV/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer Open 59.90 14 Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 pen 60.95 900 Sam Bryan/Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5 63.53 23 Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse Prod.GT 65.05 24 Bryan Pepp/Dean Rushford Eagle Talon Prod.GT 65:11 20 Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2 66:01 18 Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI Group 2 66.14 28 Richard Losee/K. Livingston VW GTI Group 2 68.31 21 Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2 67.92 25 Gail Truess/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX Prod.GT 68:31 39 Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Prod. 66:68 42 Bryan Hourt/Jay Kowalik Honda Civic Prod. 69:01 26 Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza Prod GT 69:07 22 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2 69:33 96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5 71:74 29 Bill Driegert/Hishin Shim Mitsubishi Galant Prod.GT 72:64 27 Peter Watt/Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod. 75.59 9 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Prod.GT 75.62 5 H.Krolikowski/C.Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5 81.46 Did Not Finish 15 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Porsche 911 Group 5 Engine 117 Ken Stewart/Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 Pickup Open Trans 19 George Plsek/Ben Bradley Saab 99T Group 5 Engine 2 Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth Open Electric 16 Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick Eagle Talon Prod.GT Electric 14. The battle for the overall lead will continue on Saturday under nearly ideal conditions, as an overnight rain has settled the dust for the competitors. Actually, for a clear and windless night on Friday, the dust was minimal for the eight stages and 56 stage miles run in the national event. The clouds and rain should go away by noon, with the sun due out by the 2:00 PM start from the Paul Bunyan Mall. The John Buffum/Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra enjoys a 37-second lead over teammates Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon, with the Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer third - a minute behind - and the Sprongl/Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 another minute behind. With Merrill out of the event, all four competitors have a shot at the title. ### August 23, 1997 1:00 a.m. Twenty-one cars were scheduled to take the start of this co-efficient 3 divisional rally, run in the Paul Bunyan, White Earth and Two Inlets State Forests and nineteen actually made it. The entry included seven cars who were also competing in the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally and fourteen who were divisional only. Eventual overall and class 04 winner was the Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse which was double entered in both the national and the divisional. Czyzio and Carlson have a long history with this event, having completed it a number of a times in a Fire Arrow. The top finisher among those divisional-only entered was the Mayhem Racing Team of Mark Utecht and Paul Schwerin who also won the O2 class in a Dodge Omni GLH Turbo. Utecht, who road raced a similar car in the ITB, has recently been putting all his efforts into pro rallying. The U2 class was taken by Wayne and Annette Prochaska making their first trip to Minnesota. Their V. Golf was in perfect condition for the varied conditions of the forest roads. Overall, the 10,000 Lakes was virtually accident free, but mechanical problems plagued a number of the entrants. The Act II Popcorn Eagle Talon of Steve Gingras and Bill Westrick succumbed to a burst fuel line inside the fuel tank. Knocked out of national competition, they re-entered for a run at the Paul Bunyan's Ride title. West Coasters George Plsek and Ben Bradley also sustained mechanical problems that put them out of national action and likely the PBR as well. Ken Stewart and Floyd Shrader, who were also entered in the national, failed to make it to the start of the first stage. They had had a transmission governor replaced earlier in the day by a helpful local garage, but the fix did not take. Although Henry and Cindy Krolikowski finished the event, they picked up a number of road points when the bolting the Dodge Shadow's turbo waste gate unscrewed themselves and it took more than the 20 minutes allowed at the Osage service to repair the problem. Once again, the incorporation of a Co-efficient 3 event within the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally has meant that new competitors can experience a high quality event and learn from the established national teams. NOTE: We will post the actual scores at a later date. Computer incompatibility is still plaguing us. -Andy and Sarah Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally Bemidji, Minnesota Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 23, 1997 - 10:00 a.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #6 15. Of the top four overall competitors, everyone is running well, but nagging problems continue to haunt Choiniere and Sprongl. The transmission the Canadians put in after Maine has gearing which is too tall for this event, making Frank slower than he wants to be in the tight stretches of stage road. Choiniere's engine compartment is getting very hot as the exhaust manifold gasket is leaking. As at the Maine event, the heat has melted the cap for the dipstick, causing oil to shoot onto the windshield. 16. In Group 5, the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 has build a two-minute lead - mostly by winning the first stage by almost a minute. Sam is trying to solidfy a nine point-lead in class, has been running flawlessly this season ever since his transmission DNF in Maine. The Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica would have been a close second place in class, but incurred six minutes in penalty points for a flat tire incurred on a transit. Newey also hit a porcupine during the course of the evening. Henry and Cindy Krolikowski also would have been in the hunt, but a 15-minute penalty for a broken turbo wastegate which kept them late in the Ossage service, and put them way back in the pack. 17. Production GT also has the fast guys in trouble and the upstarts in the lead. The Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick Act II Popcorn Eagle Talon was making its debut, but a broken fuel line inside the gas tank caused the car to quit for the evening. Gingras was able to fix the problem overnight, and will start the divisional event today. The other pre-rally favorite, the Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse, threw an alternator belt on the press stage, and suffered electrical problems all evening, finally incurring 12 penalty points changing their alternator during the short service. Although they are still running, they are 'way back. The class lead belongs to Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson in the Mitsubishi Eclipse, which also won the divisional event on Friday night. Czyzio is beating the Brian Pepp/Eric Carlson Eagle Talon by only three seconds, so that battle should be a great one today. 18. The Group 2 battle is also a close one, with the Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 leading the Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI by only eight seconds. These two battled similarly at Rim of the World in May, with White edging Malik by 12 seconds. Rookies Richard Losee/Kent Livingston in a VW GTI are running a strong third, only 40 seconds down, while the Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS is third. 19. In Production, the Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon is leading by a narrow margin (20 seconds) over the Honda Civic of Bryan Hourt and Jay Kowalik. # # # Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally Bemidji, Minnesota Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 23, 1997 - 8:00 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #7 20. Here are the national results after 13 stages: CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Pos/class 11 Buffum/Wilson Hyundai 0 1:26:34 1 Open 1 Choiniere/Becker Hyundai 0 1:28:01 2 Open 7 Joy/Fennell Mitsubishi 0 1:29:13 3 Open 14 Sprongl/Sprongl Audi 1 1:30:10 4 Open 900 Bryan/Walden Saab 1 1:35:00 1 Group 5 24 Pepp/Rushford Eagle 3 1:37:48 1 GT 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 3 1:37:51 2 GT 18 White/Gibeault VW 2 1:39:18 1 Group 2 28 Losee/Livingston VW 4 1:40:55 2 Group 2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 3 1:42:46 3 GT 39 Kaumeheiwa/Sobczak Dodge 3 1:43:33 1 Production 26 Shadbolt/Eklund Subaru 4 1:44:03 4 GT 42 Hourt/Kowalik Honda 5 1:44:12 2 Production 96 Newey/Chester Toyota 1 1:44:57 2 Group 5 9 Landau/Marcus Mitsubishi 1 1:47:00 5 GT 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 6 1:47:15 6 GT 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:54:37 3 Group 5 22 Lahm/Brandt Datsun 2 1:54:42 3 Group 2 21 Sweet/Spark Saab 2 2:22:09 4 Group 2 2 Merrill/Smith Ford 0 DNF Electrical 15 Hurst/Bohn Porsche 1 DNF Engine 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 2 DNF Fuel line 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 3 DNF Oil/rings 20 Malik/O'Sullivan Volvo 2 DNF Driveshaft 27 Watt/Casey Suzuki 4 DNF Differential 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 3 DNF Transmission 21. John Buffum/Neil Wilson and Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker are knocking on the door to score Hyundai's first-ever one-two win in PRO Rally history, as the two Libra Racing drivers are keeping the field at bay with seven stages to go. Buffum has more than a one-minute lead over Choiniere, the current defending champion. Although semi-retired, Buffum is still considered the fastest rally driver in North America, and had a more than eight-minute lead on the field earlier in the year in Pennsylvania before crashing near the end of the event. There is speculation, however, that he might let Choiniere by if the standings hold as Paul is contending for the season driver's title, and Buffum is not. A win here puts Choiniere back in the points lead with only three events left in the season. The Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer, the right-hand-drive entry which won the Ojibwe Forests event last year, is in third place, almost a minute behind the Hyundais. Other class leaders include the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 (Group 5), the Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Eagle Talon (Production GT), the Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI (Group 2), and the Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon (Production). Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 23, 1997 - 10:00 p.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #8 22. The Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 team continues to have a subpar event, even though they seem to have a lock on fourth overall. Besides the gearing problem already mentioned, Frank smoked the brakes on Friday night, and then cracked a rotor on Saturday. 23.The Park Rapids service stop after stage #13 provided both tales of glow and tales of woe as the competitors jockeying for final finishing positions were plotting strategy. The closest battle is the quest for the Production GT crown, where Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford in the Eagle Talonand Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson have been within seconds of each other for the entire event. Pepp now leads by four seconds, but the class is certainly up for grabs. The Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza is third, but seven minutes back, while the Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse is another three minutes back and closing. The Bill Driegert/Hishin Shim Mitsubishi Galant, which was running fifth in class, slid off road into a ditch on stage 14 - right after the service - and was unable to continue. 24. The Group 2 battle between the Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI and the Bill Malik/Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 is over as Malik's car broke a driveshaft on stage #13. On the same stage, the Jerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS went off the road and bent the steering assembly, putting them out of the event. The Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 was towed out after going off on stage #13, but was able to continue - losing 11 minutes to the field. Lahm has been battling a sticking throttle for the entire event, but his off was not related to that problem. 25. In Production, the Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon continues to maintain a lead over the Bryan Hourt/Jay Kowalik Honda Civic, but it's down to less than a minute. 26. The Gail Truess/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX, originally registered as a Production GT car, is running in the Open class as the team did not have time to restore the interior trim as required by the PGT rules. # # # Paul Bunyan's Ride Bemidji, Minnesota August 23, 1997 "I don't want to say that the Paul Bunyan was smooth this year," said Tim Winker, noted Saab journalist and rally spectator, "but Diane Sargent didn't even puke." The entire event was characterized by a notable lack of shunts, and few mechanical failures. Winner overall of the second divisional co-efficient 3 event of the Ojibwe Forests weekend was the Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick team in the Eagle Talon that had experienced a fuel line aneurysm the day before during national competition. Turning in a time of 59.03, Gingras and Westrick managed a one minute victory over Chris Czyzio and Eric Carlson's Mitsubishi Eclipse. Mark Utecht and Paul Schwerin repeated their Friday night class 02 win with a drive a half minute faster than the Dodge Shadow of Henry and Cindy Krolikowski. Early in his rally career, Utecht had either crash or win outcomes, but in 1997 the wins outweigh the other. More than just improving skills, luck contributed significantly to Utecht's win. While servicing in Osage, the crew chief observed the pressure fuel line bursting and was able to effect immediate repairs. Lady Luck smiled again later when the team broke a half shaft on Stage 9. Since Stage 10 was thrown due to a spectator car on the course, Utecht was able to limp the car slowly to the finish. Wayne and Annette Prochaska also repeated as U2 class winners with a drive of 1:03:48 over approximately 70 stage miles, beating their nearest competitors Doug Davenport and Lynn Dillon in a battle of the Volkswagens. All but one of the U2 cars entered in the event were VW's, showing that this is an excellent car for both the beginning and experienced rallyist. Non-finishers included two teams who had dropped out the previous day (Plsek/Bradley and Stewart/Shrader) plus an assortment of scratch and dents, none of which were serious in nature. Bill Dreigert and Hishin Shim got loose and ended up backed deep into a ditch and unable to self extract. Bob Bjorklund and Bob Baerg lost a CV joint. James Buchwitz and Charles Rudstrom went off on Stage 7. Finally, Larry Warrington and Damien Crane ran out of gas on the final transit. 10,000 Lakes Divisional Results CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 2 51:30 1 4WD 83 Utecht/Schwerin Dodge 2 52:09 1 O2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 2 53:55 2 4WD 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 4 54:17 3 4WD 13 Prochaska/Prochaska VW 2 55:17 1 U2 32 Nielsen/Corneliusen VW 3 55:57 2 U2 31 Davenport/Dillon VW 3 56:10 3 U2 35 Schroeder/Mynhier VW 3 56:25 4 U2 40 Grzelak/Gildersleeve Mazda 3 56:47 2 O2 46 Hatz/Higgins VW 3 56:52 5 U2 41 Kazmierczak/Sargent Mazda 5 56:55 3 O2 36 Ryan/Moore Mazda 5 57:49 4 4WD 30 Bjorklund/Baerg Dodge 3 58:05 4 O2 34 Lietha/Niday Nissan 3 58:18 6 U2 37 Burmeister/Burmeister VW 3 1:00:13 7 U2 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:07:45 5 O2 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 1 DNF 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 2 DNF 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 2 DNF 38 Buchwicz/Rustrom Mercury 6 DNF 57 Warrington/Crane VW 4 DNF These were not available earlier today. Now they are: 10,000 Lakes Divisional Results CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 2 51:30 1 4WD 83 Utecht/Schwerin Dodge 2 52:09 1 O2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 2 53:55 2 4WD 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 4 54:17 3 4WD 13 Prochaska/Prochaska VW 2 55:17 1 U2 32 Nielsen/Corneliusen VW 3 55:57 2 U2 31 Davenport/Dillon VW 3 56:10 3 U2 35 Schroeder/Mynhier VW 3 56:25 4 U2 40 Grzelak/Gildersleeve Mazda 3 56:47 2 O2 46 Hatz/Higgins VW 3 56:52 5 U2 41 Kazmierczak/Sargent Mazda 5 56:55 3 O2 36 Ryan/Moore Mazda 5 57:49 4 4WD 30 Bjorklund/Baerg Dodge 3 58:05 4 O2 34 Lietha/Niday Nissan 3 58:18 6 U2 37 Burmeister/Burmeister VW 3 1:00:13 7 U2 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:07:45 5 O2 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 1 DNF 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 2 DNF 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 2 DNF 38 Buchwicz/Rustrom Mercury 6 DNF 57 Warrington/Crane VW 4 DNF These may have been swapped incorrectly with 10,000 Lakes results in a previous posting. Paul Bunyan Ride Results CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 1 59:03 1 4WD 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 2 1:00:12 2 4WD 83 Utecht/Schwerin Dodge 2 1:00:50 1 O2 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:01:10 2 O2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 2 1:03:37 3 4WD 13 Prochaska/Prochaska VW 2 1:03:48 1 U2 31 Davenport/Dillon VW 3 1:04:38 2 U2 46 Hatz/Higgins VW 3 1:04:45 3 U2 41 Kazmierczak/Sargent Mazda 5 1:05:00 3 O2 32 Nielsen/Corneliusen VW 3 1:05:37 4 U2 34 Lietha/Niday Nissan 3 1:06:42 5 U2 40 Grzelak/Gildersleeve Mazda 3 1:07:12 4 O2 37 Burmeister/Burmeister VW 3 1:08:37 6 U2 57 Warrington/Crane VW 4 1:13:04 7 U2 35 Schroeder/Mynhier VW 3 1:14:12 8 U2 36 Ryan/Moore Mazda 5 DNF 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 2 DNF 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 4 DNF 30 Bjorklund/Baerg Dodge 3 DNF 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 2 DNF 38 Buchwicz/Rustrom Mercury 6 DNF Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally Bemidji, Minnesota Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship August 24, 1997 - 9:30 a.m. CDT PRESS NOTES #9 27. The 11th running of the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally is now complete, and it was defensive positioning at the top and survival in the classes that brought the winners home. With a two minute lead going into the final stage, the John Buffum/Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra pulled over to the side of the road and allowed teammates Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker to bring their Hyundai Tiburon to an eight-second win. Buffum, who had entered the second Hyundai to help the company earn manufacturers points, turned the rally over to Choiniere so Paul could advance in the driver point standings. The win gives Paul the points lead back in the overall championship, and with a third-place finish, the Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer is now five points back. Fourth place went to the Canadian team of Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl in and Audi Quattro S-2, which battled brake problems and wrong gearing throughout the event. In the classes, the Production GT battle, which was close all day, the Bryan Pepp/Dean Rushford Eagle Talon pulled away from the Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse for a two-minute win. The Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse, which has incurred a 12-minute penalty for delays from a Friday night alternator change, made up half that time on the field on Saturday, and finished third in class. Points leaders Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund finished fourth in their Subaru Impreza, and maintain a 13-point lead over Landau. The Act II Popcorn entry of Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick, in a new Eagle Talon, dropped out of the national on Friday night due to a busted fuel line, but turned hot stage times in the divisional on Saturday and would have been right there at the finish. They beat Czyzio in the divisional by more than a minute. In Group 5, Sam Bryan was cruising to a multi-minute win when he started to have turbo problems late in the event. The crew replaced the turbo exhaust gasket after stage #13, but then the car suffered electrical failure right on stage #15 and dropped out of the event. This left the door open for the Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica, which would have not caught Bryan otherwise due to a faulty gearbox (no fourth gear). The other resurrected Group 5 team was the Henry Krolikowski/Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow, which survived a 15- minute penalty for a long turbo repair to finished second in class. Newey takes over the Group 2 points lead from Bryan with the win. With most of their competition falling off the road during the latter part of the rally, the Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI scored a three-minute win over the VW GTI of Richard Losee/Kent Livingston. With all their problems and offs, the Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 hung on to finish third, and expanded their points lead in the class as the teams closest to them did not finish. Losee moves into second place in the points, only six behind Lahm. In Production, the Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon led from start to finish, with the Bryan Hourt/Jay Kowalik Honda Civic second. 1997 Ojibwe Forest Rally - National Results CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 1 Choiniere/Becker Hyundai 0 2:18:54 1 Open 11 Buffum/Wilson Hyundai 0 2:19:02 2 Open 7 Joy/Fennell Mitsubishi 0 2:19:31 3 Open 14 Sprongl/Sprongl Audi 1 2:20:22 4 Open 24 Pepp/Rushford Eagle 3 2:31:20 1 GT 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 3 2:33:28 2 GT 18 White/Gibeault VW 2 2:35:52 1 Group 2 28 Losee/Livingston VW 4 2:39:07 2 Group 2 96 Newey/Chester Toyota 1 2:40:21 1 Group 5 9 Landau/Marcus Mitsubishi 1 2:40:40 3 GT 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 3 2:41:19 5 Open 39 Kaumeheiwa/Sobczak Dodge 3 2:41:28 1 Production 42 Hourt/Kowalik Honda 5 2:43:15 2 Production 26 Shadbolt/Eklund Subaru 4 2:43:32 4 GT 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 2:51:16 2 Group 5 22 Lahm/Brandt Datsun 2 2:56:43 3 Group 2 Did Not Finish 2 Merrill/Smith Ford 0 Electrical 15 Hurst/Bohn Porsche 1 Engine 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 2 Fuel line 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 3 Oil/rings 20 Malik/O'Sullivan Volvo 2 Drive shaft 21 Sweet/Spark Saab 2 Crash/steering 27 Watt/Casey Suzuki 4 Differential 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 6 Crash 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 3 Transmission 900 Bryan/Walden Saab 1 Alternator # # # For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack (401) 739-5677 CHOINIERE, BUFFUM GIVE HYUNDAI FIRST-EVER ONE-TWO RACING WIN; MICHELIN PRO RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS TIGHT WITH THREE EVENTS LEFT BEMIDJI, Minn. -- With a two minute lead going into the final stage, the John Buffum/Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra pulled over to the side of the road and allowed teammates Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker to bring their Hyundai Tiburon to an eight-second win at the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally here. Buffum, who had entered the second Hyundai to help the Korean manufacturer earn points, turned the rally over to Choiniere so Paul could advance in the driver point standings. The win gives Paul the points lead back in the Michelin PRO Rally Championship, and with a third-place finish, the Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer is now five points back. Fourth place went to the Canadian team of Frank Sprongl/Dan Sprongl in an Audi Quattro S-2, which battled brake problems and wrong gearing throughout the event. The Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth, an early favorite, dropped out of the event on Friday night with a faulty computer sending unit failure. In the classes, the Production GT battle, which was close all day, the Bryan Pepp/Dean Rushford Eagle Talon pulled away from the Chris Czyzio/Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse for a two-minute win. In Group 5, Sam Bryan/Rob Walden were cruising to a multi-minute win in the Saab 900 turbo when the car suffered electrical failure right on stage #15 and dropped out of the event. This left the door open for the Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica, which would have not caught Bryan otherwise due to a faulty gearbox (no fourth gear), to score the victory and take over the points lead. With most of their competition falling off the road during the latter part of the rally, the Dave White/Paula Gibeault VW GTI scored a three-minute Group 2 win over the VW GTI of Richard Losee/Kent Livingston. In Production class, the Al Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon led from start to finish, with the Bryan Hourt/Jay Kowalik Honda Civic second. Points leader Tad Ohtake did not enter the event. The next event on the Michelin PRO Rally Championship calendar is the Prescott Forest Rally, October 3 - 4, 1997, in Prescott, Arizona. # # # 1997 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally Round #7 - 1997 Michelin PRO Rally Championship Final National Results Car Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires/Time Class ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Tiburon Open Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin/2:18:54 11 John Buffum Neil Wilson Hyundai Elantra Open S. Burlington, VT Marford, England Michelin/2:19:02 7 Henry Joy IV Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer Open Atlanta, MI Kingston, Jamaica Michelin/2:19:31 14 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro S-2 Open Mississauga, ONT Mississauga, ONT Michelin/2:20:22 24 Bryan Pepp Dean Rushford Eagle Talon PGT Marquette, MI Ishpeming. MI Michelin/2:31:20 23 Chris Czyzio Eric Carlson Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT Flushing, MI Hermantown, MN Michelin/2:33:28 18 Dave White Paula Gibeault VW GTI Group 2 Benicia, CA Ridgecrest, CA Michelin/2:35:52 28 Richard Losee Kent Livingston VW GTI Group 2 Provo, UT Salt Lake City, UT Michelin/2:39:07 96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Group 5 Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin/2:40:21 9 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin/2:40:40 25 Gail Truess Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX Open Brooklyn, MI Coulmbus, OH Michelin/2:41:19 39 Al Kaumeheiwa Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Prod. Brighton, MI Marquette, MI Michelin/2:41:28 42 Bryan Hourt Jay Kowalik Honda Civic Prod. Raymond, OH London, OH Michelin/2:43:15 26 Lee Shadbolt Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza PGT Tigard, OR Tigard, OR Michelin/2:43:32 5 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5 Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin/2:51:16 22 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2 Phoenix, AZ Odessa, MI Michelin/2:56:43 Did Not Finish 2 Carl Merrill Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth Open Ogunquit, ME Colchester, VT Michelin Electrical 15 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Porsche 911 Group 5 Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin Engine 900 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5 Kent, WA Shoreline, WA Michelin Alternator 16 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Eagle Talon Prod.GT Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin Fuel line 20 Bill Malik Farina O'Sullivan Volvo 240 Group 2 Burbank, CA San Francisco, CA Michelin Drive Shaft 21 Jerry Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2 Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ Michelin Crash 117 Ken Stewart Floyd Schrader Chevy S-10 Pickup Open Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper Trans. 19 George Plsek Ben Bradley Saab 99E Group 2 Del Mar, CA Portland, OR Michelin Oil/rings 27 Peter Watt Dick Casey Suzuki Swift Prod. Peterborough, ONT Farifax Station, VA Michelin Diff. 29 Bill Driegert Hishin Shim Mitsubishi Galant PGT Richardson, TX Dallas, TX Michelin Crash Ojibwe Forests Divisional PRO Rallies Divisional Stage Times - Friday night - 10,000 Lakes (car number order) CAR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rd/Pts TOTAL ----------------------------------------------------------- 5 631 1094 673 619 527 759 973 1500 67.76 13 714 1178 698 609 547 758 1025 0 55.29 23 625 1070 656 579 516 747 957 0 51.50 25 665 1131 701 615 536 754 991 0 53.93 29 642 1154 699 617 541 772 1004 0 54.29 30 709 1205 730 649 582 826 1108 0 58.09 31 699 1186 723 614 598 773 1019 0 56.12 32 689 1133 709 621 571 799 1073 0 55.95 34 763 1240 719 655 601 800 1053 0 58.31 35 694 1194 731 642 563 673 1042 0 55.39 36 730 1227 741 643 577 789 1075 0 57.82 37 756 1229 743 661 586 829 1119 100 60.23 40 700 1186 734 650 572 795 1042 0 56.79 41 706 1217 733 628 564 784 1061 0 56.93 46 726 1212 697 603 552 832 1065 0 56.87 83 648 1122 673 578 513 717 965 0 52.16 117 DNF 16 627 1060 DNF 19 DNF 57 DNF 38 795 1481 778 778 DNF ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Bunyan's Ride - Saturday CAR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL 16 898 648 476 573 619 0 1063 1075 554 0 59.06 23 919 671 493 578 619 0 1078 1113 549 0 60.20 83 906 682 504 597 624 0 1091 1112 568 0 60.84 5 906 688 499 582 642 0 1093 1136 571 0 61.17 25 932 691 523 634 667 0 1151 1176 589 0 63.63 13 967 721 539 630 658 0 1145 1152 569 0 63.81 31 979 729 532 627 663 0 1151 1204 579 0 64.64 46 962 724 536 642 662 0 1179 1192 579 0 64.76 41 972 726 527 631 661 0 1187 1196 600 0 65.00 32 986 743 529 642 667 0 1195 1196 604 0 65.62 34 963 747 556 668 685 0 1217 1230 605 0 66.71 40 985 737 586 701 703 0 1233 1192 584 0 67.21 37 1034 763 550 661 697 0 1254 1267 637 0 68.63 57 1111 793 586 699 746 0 1336 1335 702 0 73.08 35 963 719 540 653 721 0 1117 1215 592 900 74.20 36 974 724 507 625 708 0 3000 3000 3000 0 125.38 19 0 DNF 29 962 720 517 613 650 0 DNF 30 1035 759 1746 0 DNF 117 0 DNF 38 1073 817 594 695 735 0 DNF ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Bunyan Ride Results - Saturday CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 1 59:03 1 4WD 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 2 1:00:12 2 4WD 83 Utecht/Schwerin Dodge 2 1:00:50 1 O2 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:01:10 2 O2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 2 1:03:37 3 4WD 13 Prochaska/Prochaska VW 2 1:03:48 1 U2 31 Davenport/Dillon VW 3 1:04:38 2 U2 46 Hatz/Higgins VW 3 1:04:45 3 U2 41 Kazmierczak/Sargent Mazda 5 1:05:00 3 O2 32 Nielsen/Corneliusen VW 3 1:05:37 4 U2 34 Lietha/Niday Nissan 3 1:06:42 5 U2 40 Grzelak/Gildersleeve Mazda 3 1:07:12 4 O2 37 Burmeister/Burmeister VW 3 1:08:37 6 U2 57 Warrington/Crane VW 4 1:13:04 7 U2 35 Schroeder/Mynhier VW 3 1:14:12 8 U2 36 Ryan/Moore Mazda 5 DNF 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 2 DNF 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 4 DNF 30 Bjorklund/Baerg Dodge 3 DNF 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 2 DNF 38 Buchwicz/Rustrom Mercury 6 DNF 10,000 Lakes Results - Friday CAR # (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE 23 Czyzio/Carlson Mitsubishi 2 51:30 1 4WD 83 Utecht/Schwerin Dodge 2 52:09 1 O2 25 Truess/McGarvey Mazda 2 53:55 2 4WD 29 Driegert/Shim Mitsubishi 4 54:17 3 4WD 13 Prochaska/Prochaska VW 2 55:17 1 U2 32 Nielsen/Corneliusen VW 3 55:57 2 U2 31 Davenport/Dillon VW 3 56:10 3 U2 35 Schroeder/Mynhier VW 3 56:25 4 U2 40 Grzelak/Gildersleeve Mazda 3 56:47 2 O2 46 Hatz/Higgins VW 3 56:52 5 U2 41 Kazmierczak/Sargent Mazda 5 56:55 3 O2 36 Ryan/Moore Mazda 5 57:49 4 4WD 30 Bjorklund/Baerg Dodge 3 58:05 4 O2 34 Lietha/Niday Nissan 3 58:18 6 U2 37 Burmeister/Burmeister VW 3 1:00:13 7 U2 5 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge 1 1:07:45 5 O2 16 Gingras/Westrick Eagle 1 DNF 19 Plsek/Bradley Saab 2 DNF 117 Stewart/Shrader Chevy 2 DNF 38 Buchwicz/Rustrom Mercury 6 DNF 57 Warrington/Crane VW 4 DNF ------------------------------------------------------------------------ National Stage Times CAR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rd/pt --------------------------------------------------------- 1 1221 557 968 578 519 483 689 882 0 11 1194 540 962 595 513 469 669 875 0 7 1229 592 998 616 522 469 669 895 0 14 1257 569 994 621 545 513 705 891 0 24 1366 620 1058 662 569 520 762 954 0 23 1355 625 1070 656 579 516 747 957 0 18 1370 638 1079 664 588 534 754 987 0 28 1422 651 1096 670 586 525 743 984 0 96 1377 612 1087 651 584 532 756 975 600 9 1324 599 1035 652 646 490 697 919 1200 25 1438 665 1131 701 615 536 754 991 0 39 1452 660 1133 700 612 552 770 989 0 42 1464 655 1147 693 596 538 773 1035 0 26 1429 679 1138 699 606 548 770 1038 0 5 1370 631 1094 673 619 527 759 973 1500 22 1435 661 1113 706 599 555 806 1058 0 2 1216 545 970 0 15 1371 656 16 1326 627 1060 652 558 516 19 20 1416 638 1115 649 560 516 722 985 0 21 1402 650 1142 687 613 541 755 1002 0 27 1583 729 1247 762 660 598 873 1107 0 29 1435 642 1154 699 617 541 772 1004 400 117 900 1292 603 1049 652 558 524 725 950 0 CAR 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 TOTAL ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 816 602 431 508 548 948 958 1018 508 423 1233 138.90 11 793 585 429 491 543 921 961 1007 504 418 1435 139.04 7 830 600 431 514 557 971 973 989 491 413 1194 139.53 14 813 595 426 532 557 956 967 1004 490 413 1189 140.37 24 928 672 480 576 614 1022 1031 1058 520 436 1286 151.34 23 919 671 493 578 619 1070 1078 1113 549 453 1300 153.48 18 917 691 499 585 625 1092 1093 1118 563 449 1341 155.87 28 961 713 518 588 635 1135 1120 1127 578 466 1394 159.12 96 923 681 490 600 628 1073 1070 1085 544 445 1322 160.35 9 886 646 461 554 592 1031 1037 1058 533 440 1267 160.67 25 932 691 523 634 667 1134 1151 1176 589 457 1348 161.33 39 957 719 522 626 664 1148 1129 1132 567 466 1349 161.47 42 987 726 523 623 660 1141 1137 1152 587 478 1410 163.25 26 973 728 526 617 654 1156 1152 1174 600 470 1397 163.54 5 906 688 499 582 642 1086 1093 1136 571 454 1324 171.27 22 937 679 521 617 1783 1207 1180 1214 626 490 1485 176.72 2 DNF 15 DNF 16 DNF 19 DNF 20 906 655 486 580 DNF 21 960 698 514 610 4641 DNF 27 DNF 29 962 720 517 613 650 DNF 117 DNF 900 874 635 478 560 601 DNF