Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally

by Andy Schupack


                                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
 
 


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