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Round #4 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship July 30-31, 1993
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
Press Notes #1
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 30, 1993 - 8:00 AM
1. Welcome to the Prescott Forest Rally, Round #4 of the
Subaru PRO Rally Championship, sanctioned by the Sports
Car Club of America and sponsored nationally by Subaru of
America, Inc. We will be providing numbered press notes
all weekend from the Jerome Room at the Sheraton Hotel on
Route 69 in Prescott, and are available all weekend for
information and results at (602) 778-0669.
2. The weather for this weekend's rally should be almost
ideal, with temperatures reaching the low '90's during
the day and dropping to the low '50's at night. The
rally course, with 118 stage miles through the Chino
Valley District of the Prescott National Forest, is in
good shape in contrast to last April - the original date
for this rally - when several months of rain had washed
away many of the roads. Organizer Rob Cherry points out
that this rally course give competitors a little of every
experience they might run into in a PRO Rally - high
speed, smooth, rough, straight-aways, hairpins, elevation
changes, and maybe even some mud if the 20 percent
thundershowers come to pass later this afternoon.
3. Several news items of note in the pre-rally activity:
--Subaru of America has announced they will not be back
as title sponsor for '94, but plan to retain
involvement with Chad DiMarco's Sube Sports rally team.
SCCA also put out an announcement saying that it is
pursuing a replacement title sponsor, but, in the
event one is not secured, SCCA will continue its PR
support for the series including continued
TNN/PRIME/ESPN footage.
--Despite rumors to the contrary, the Gold Rush PRO
Rally, scheduled for October 1 - 3, is still on.
National drivers will earn 60 percent points at this
divisional PRO Rally,
--On the other hand, the Heart of Maine PRO Rally,
scheduled for September 17 - 19, has been cancelled
as arrangements for roads could not be completed
in time to run the rally this year. The organizers
hope to gain a spot for the Bangor, Maine event on the
'94 PRO Rally calendar.
Press Notes #2
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 30, 1993 - 1:00 PM
4. All the top entries for the event are finding themselves
with nagging problems as they prepare for the 4:00 PM
start this afternoon.
--The Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Audi Quattro S-2 is
down on horsepower because the Libra Racing team has
had to replace its racing turbo with a stock, street
turbo - a result of a testing failure. Prescott
Rally committee member and veteran co-driver Noble
Jones hunted down an Audi 5000 turbo from a junk yard
and then found a machine shop to help make it fit. IF
it fits, Choiniere will be down on power; if not, there
is a danger the car will not start the rally. Stay
tuned.
--The Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy has finished
second overall in the past two events, but is behind
Choiniere in points because Paul has won the last two
events. Chad reports that his car is running well
after yesterday's practice run.
--The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi Quattro - a car
borrowed from rally veteran Bruno Kreibich - is a step
down from the Ford Escort Cosworth the team was
scheduled to drive. That car, with more than 400 HP,
was totalled on July 4 when Merrill went off the road
at Pike's Peak and "flew" more than 280 feet into a
rock bed. Merrill, who suffered a concussion, but was
otherwise unhurt, has ordered another Escort, but it
won't be ready until Ojibwe (August 27).
--The Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 is in
good shape, but Zwart and Sircombe are both tired from
their flight from New Zealand where they are pre-running
(practicing) for the upcoming World Rally. They will
get on a plane right after the event and go back to New
Zealand to continue their preparations.
Round #4 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship - Prescott Forest PRO Rally
Entry List - 7/30/93 - 10:30 AM
Start Car Driver/ Co-Driver/ Make/Model/Class/
Pos. No. Hometown Hometown Division
----- ---- ------------------ ---------------- -------------------
1 1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi Quattro S-2/Open
Burlington, VT Great Neck, NY National
2 4 Chad DiMarco Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy/Gp. A
Huntington Bch, CA Napa, CA National
3 6 Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Audi Quattro/Open
Ogunquit, ME Birmingham, MI National
4 11 Jeff Zwart Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4/Open
Aspen, CO Newport Beach, CA National
5 10 Vincente Frontinan Francisco Arruda Toyota Celica GT4/GT
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI National
6 9 Peter Cunningham Joe Andreini Acura Integra/Production
Whitefish Bay, WI Grosse Point, MI National
7 12 Henry Joy Jimmy Brandt Mitsuibshi Eclipse/Open
Wilmette, IL Lake Odessa, MI National
8 15 B. J. Beal Stuart Beal Mazda 323GTX/Open
Denver, CO Tulsa, OK National
9 94 Lon Peterson Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Victorville, CA Ontario, CA National
10 7 Roger Hull John Elkin Mitsubishi Pick-up/Truck
Prescott, AZ Lytle Creek, CA National
11 16 Gary Gooch Judi Gooch Mitsubishi Pickup/Truck
Union City, CA Union City, CA National
12 18 Guy Light Dave White GMC Sonoma Pickup/Truck
Carson City, NV Benicia, CA National
13 36 Mike Whitman Kevin Linville Datsun 510/Open
Farmington, NM Durango, CA Nat/Div.
14 22 Kyoichi Takaori Ken Cassidy Mitsubishi Galant VR4/Gp.A
Kyoto, Japan Mesa, AZ National
15 23 Todd Bawden Cal Coatsworth Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Costa Mesa, CA Corona del Mar, CA National
16 24 Rui Brasil Frank Nunes Audi Quattro/Open
San Jose, CA San Jose, CA Nat/Div.
17 25 Sam Bryan Mark Simons Saab 900/Open
Kent, WA Buckley, WA Nat/Div
18 26 Rhys Millen Chris Griffen Toyota All-Trac/GT
Newport Beach, CA Chatsworth, CA Nat/Div
19 14 Antonio Menendez Juan Goya Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Mexico City, Mexico Queretaro, Mexico National
20 93 Tony Shumaker Liz Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse/Prod
Mission Viejo, CA Mission Viejo, CA Nat/Div
21 17 Chad Dykes Pat Hanson Mitsubishi Pickup/Truck
Escondido, CA Escondido, CA National
22 78 Mitch McCullough Scott Webb Mazda 323GTX/Open
Laguna Niguel, CA Hermosa Beach, CA Nat/Div
23 31 Heinrich Heinz Lynette Allison Subaru 4 X 4/Group A
Corona, CA Corona, CA National
24 32 Peter Lahm Keith Roper Datsun 510/Open
Phoenix, AZ Peoria, IL National
25 33 Ken White Adrian Crane Mitsubishi Pick-up/Truck
Modesto, CA Modesto, CA Nat/Div
26 34 Tony Chavez Jose Soria Plymouth Arrow/Open
Santa FeSprings,CA Pico Rivera, CA Nat/Div
Divisional/CRS Only Entries Overall Starting Order
Driver/ Driver Hometown
Pos. Car# Co-driver/ Co-driver Hometown Make of Car
---- ---- -------------------------------------- -----------
27 114 Carl Jardevall Santa Monica, CA Saab 99
Anders Karlsson N. Hollywood, CA
28 132 John Golden Lakewood, CO Datsun 510
Alex Timmermans Broomfields, CO
29 105 Paula Gibeault Ridgecrest, CA Subaru RX
Jay Mathes Ridgecrest, CA
30 181 Anton Musev Corona, CA Subaru RX
Wayne Engen Riverside, CA
31 117 Ken Stewart Grove, OK Chevy Blazer
Ralph Starr Alamogordo, NM
32 113 Ron Wood Anaheim, CA VW Scirocco
Kelly Walsh Anaheim, CA
33 184 Norberto Gomez Canoga Park, CA Toyota Corolla
Jorge Facio Winnetka, CA
34 103 Harris Done Santa Monica, CA Mazda RX-7
Larry Scott Escondido, CA
35 112 Bill Malik Burbank, CA Volvo 240
Roine Andersson N. Hollywood, CA
36 101 Mick Kilpatrick Durango, CO Dodge Colt
Ruth Katzin Durango, CO
37 199 Peter Wilbur Penryn, CA Saab 99 EMS
Lance Schall Boulder, CO
38 106 Dan Hook Hesperia, Ca Toyota Celica
John Moore Altadena, CA
39 190 Jake Dekovic Las Vegas, NV Mitsubishi Starion
Jan Peterson Victorville, CA
40 179 Jason Priestley Van Nuys, CA Honda CRX
Keith Caffrey N. Hollywood, CA
41 177 Bob Scott Sun Valley, CA Toyota Celica
Chris Smith Palmdale, CA
42 195 Dennis Chizma Simi Valley, CA VW Rabbit
Robert Kalb Chatsworth, CA
Press Notes #3
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 30, 1993 - 5:00 PM
5. 43 cars took the green flag in the parking lot of the
Prescott Sheraton in hot, but dry conditions. A late
entry is an Alfa Romeo in the divisional class - we'll
have name and car number later.
6. It is not clear whether the Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker
Audi Quattro S-2 - perfect on the season so far with
three rally wins and a record-setting victory at Mt.
Washington - will answer the bell for this event.
Choiniere missed the parc expose - $100 fine - and
checked in late for his starting time. The car was
smoking at the start line, and went immediately back to
the Libra Racing service area, where Buffum & Company
discovered an oil leak. The crew had worked hard to get
the street Audi 5000 turbo into the race car, and the fit
still isn't perfect.
7. Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley, with
sponsorship from Pepe Jeans, is running his first
divisional PRO Rally after doing well in a Southern
California rallysprint. Priestley, driving a Honda CRX
with co-driver Kevin Cassidy, is interested in doing well
in this class so he can run something "faster."
8. Here are some starting comments from the top drivers:
--Vinnie Frontinan, Toyota Celica GT4, who ran the first
two events in a Mitsubishi Galant and currently leads
Production GT class: "The Toyota components seem more
reliable than the Mitsubishi ones for PRO rally..."
--Henry Joy, Mitsubishi Eclipse Open class, fifth overall
at Rim: "It's really not an advantage to be first on
road here because of all the rocks and marble which the
opening cars will clear away.
--Antonio Menendez, Mexico City driver in a Mitsubishi
Eclipse Production GT car, crashed at STPR: "The
DNF/crash at STPR was my fault - the car is fixed and
ready to go. The heat shouldn't be too bad as we are
used to it from Central American rallies.
9. Most of the drivers said they will have to watch both
their engine temperature and brake temperature during the
twisty, uphill sections.
Press Notes #4
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 30, 1993 - 9:00 PM
10. Stage 1 was described as a disaster by all competitors. The
cars that experienced flats and other problems were:
--Lon Peterson, Mitsubishi Eclipse - out of the rally, had
a flat, also overheated and blew the motor.
--Carl Merrill, running in an Audi Quattro had a flat and
by the time he got to the end of stage 1, the tire was
ripped and part of fender was hanging. He also lost his
clutch and had to be pushed at the start of stage 2.
Preparer John Buffum gave Carl some tools to adjust the
clutch in case it happened again. However, after all the fixes,
Carl was on his way.
--Roger Hull, in a Mitsubishi pick-up, had a flat and lost
nearly 5 minutes on stage #1.
--Guy Light, GMC Sonoma, lost an oil cooler fitting at the end of stage
#1, but had 4 quarts of oil with him and replaced what he lost and
continued.
--Tony Shumaker, Mitsubishi Eclipse, had a flat.
--Paula Gibeault, Subaru RX, blew a motor.
--Tony Takaori, Group A Mitsubishi Galant, is running well despite
high engine temperatures on stage 1. He turned on the heater
to cool down the engine, but heat up the driver and co-driver.
Currently in 3rd place.
--Jason Priestly, in a Honda CRX, overheated at the end of Stage
#1, out of rally.
11. Paul Choiniere, Audi Quattro S-2, is presently in 1st place.
His stock turbo is running fine; in fact, it is running too
fast as they were not able to adjust it before start of rally.
They turned it down to make sure it would last until the end
of the evening, when they will decide what to do next.
12. One minute behind Choiniere, is the Subaru Legacy of Chad
DiMarco. Car is running fine, no problems. Jeff Zwart, Porsche
Carrera 4, is currently running in 4th. The Porsche is lower than many
of the other cars, and the observers in the viewing area on stage #3
said it was really scraping everything on the road.
PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
FRIDAY NIGHT
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SEED SCORE PLACE
1 Paul Choinere/Jeff Becker Audi S-2 0 0:41:18 1 Open
4 Chad DiMarco/Eric Hauge Subaru 4WD 0 0:41:27 1 Group A
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 4 0:43:49 1 GT
22 Kyoichi Takaori/K Cassidy Galant 2 0:43:58 2 Group A
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 2 0:44:02 2 Open
14 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 4 0:44:27 2 GT
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 1 0:44:39 3 Open
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 99 4 0:45:03 4 Open
10 Vinny Frontinan/F Arruda Celica 1 0:45:05 3 GT
18 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 2 0:46:45 1 Rally Truck
17 Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsub PU 4 0:47:18 2 Rally Truck
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 3 0:47:19 5 Open
16 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 2 0:49:32 3 Rally Truck
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 4 0:49:34 1 Production
6 Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi 4WD 1 0:51:12 6 Open
7 Roger Hull/John Elkin Mitsub PU 2 0:52:37 4 Rally Truck
9 P Cunningham/J Andreinni Acura 1 0:53:11 2 Production
33 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 5 0:54:24 5 Rally Truck
32 Pete Lahm/K Roper Datsun 510 5 0:54:42 7 Open
15 B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323 2 DNF
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX 4 DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse 2 DNF
24 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 4 DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica 4 DNF
34 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow 6 DNF
78 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 4 DNF
Prescott Forest Rally
First Divisional - Friday
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SEED SCORE PLACE
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 2 0:43:49 1 Four WD Open
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 99 2 0:45:03 1 Two WD Open
112 Bill Malik/Roine Anderson Volvo 240 3 0:46:21 2 Two WD Open
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 2 0:47:19 3 Two WD Open
184 Norberto Gomez/J Facio Corolla 2 0:49:13 1 Stock
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 2 0:49:34 2 Stock
117 Ken Stewart/Ralph Starr Blazer 2 0:49:39 2 Four WD Open
181 Anton Musev/Wayne Engen Subaru RX 2 0:50:26 3 Four WD Open
113 Ron Wood/Kelly Walsh Scirocco 2 0:50:31 4 Two WD Open
106 Dan Hook/John Moore Celica 3 0:51:56 5 Two WD Open
177 Bob Scott/Chris Smith Celica 4 0:55:09 3 Stock
101 J Kilpatrick/R Katzin Colt 3 0:55:43 6 Two WD Open
195 Dennis Chizma/Robert Kalb Rabbit 4 1:02:18 4 Stock
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX 2 DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse DNF
24 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 2 DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica 2 DNF
34 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow 3 DNF
114 Carl Jardevall/A Karlsson Saab 99 2 DNF
78 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 2 DNF
105 Paula Gibeault/Jay Mathes Subaru RX 2 DNF
132 John Golden/A Timmermans Datsun 510 2 DNF
199 Peter Wilbur/Lance Schall Saab 99 3 DNF
190 Jake Dekovic/J Peterson Starion 4 DNF
179 Jason Priestley/K Caffrey Honda CRX 4 DNF
103 Harris Done/Larry Scott Mazda RX7 2 DNF
FRIDAY STAGE TIMES
National - Prescott Forest Rally
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4
P.Choi 1225 P.Choi 550 P.Choi 1085 C.DiMa 1160
C.DiMa 1287 C.DiMa 568 C.DiMa 1131 H.Joy 1248
T.Bawd 1318 H.Joy 584 H.Joy 1160 K.Taka 1263
S.Brya 1327 J.Zwar 588 T.Bawd 1164 C.Merr 1264
K.Taka 1346 K.Taka 590 A.Mene 1178 P.Choi 1271
J.Zwar 1366 T.Bawd 591 J.Zwar 1181 A.Mene 1283
V.Fron 1370 S.Brya 592 C.Merr 1190 T.Bawd 1310
A.Mene 1386 A.Mene 598 V.Fron 1194 V.Fron 1330
M.Whit 1408 C.Merr 608 K.Taka 1198 J.Zwar 1331
H.Joy 1412 V.Fron 615 S.Brya 1213 G.Ligh 1336
G.Ligh 1415 P.Cunn 630 R.Hull 1273 M.Whit 1366
C.Dyke 1435 G.Ligh 634 C.Dyke 1274 S.Brya 1374
T.Shum 1443 C.Dyke 637 M.Whit 1282 C.Dyke 1384
G.Gooc 1456 R.Hull 656 G.Ligh 1291 R.Hull 1396
P.Lahm 1588 T.Shum 658 G.Gooc 1339 P.Cunn 1441
K.Whit 1642 M.Whit 677 T.Shum 1339 G.Gooc 1480
P.Cunn 1892 G.Gooc 679 P.Cunn 1356 T.Shum 1518
R.Hull 1937 K.Whit 751 P.Lahm 1372 P.Lahm 1529
C.Merr 2058 P.Lahm 981 K.Whit 1471 K.Whit 1577
Note: Merrill had a flat tire on #1
Press Notes #5
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 31, 1993 - 9:00 AM
13. Good morning - Saturday AM in Prescott, Arizona brings
another forecast of sunny and hot, with temperatures
once again headed for 90 degress. In case you think
that "it's okay, because it's dry heat," listen to some
advice provided by veteran co-driver Jimmy Brandt from
the June '93 issue of RUNNER'S WORLD magazine - it
applies to drivers, co-drivers and workers as well as
runners:
--Drink a full glass of water every hour, if possible.
--Rest in the shade when not actually competing.
--Note in the Heat Index below that dry heat is still
hot. Remember that the air temperature inside the car
not only approaches 120 degrees, but persperation and
a driver's suit adds humidity.
Press Notes #6
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 31, 1993 - 10:30 AM
14. Lots of drama overnight, so let's get right to
the details:
--With the 40 seconds (10 seconds per minute of late
time) of penalty time assessed to Paul Choiniere/Jeff
Becker for late arrival at the start of the rally
yesterday due to their turbo repairs, the Chad
DiMarco/ Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy now leads the
Prescott Forest Rally headed into the final day of
competition. DiMarco was losing power and his turbo
was spinning too fast during the opening stages, and
the crew had planned to change turbos overnight. But
in the turn-around between stages 3 and 4, DiMarco
discovered that hose clamps had broken, and the turbo
inlet hose was off. Borrowed clamps fixed the
problem, and DiMarco won stage four handily enroute to
his current position.
--Choiniere/Becker's Audi is also having a good run,
considering the turbo problems they had at the start.
--The Zwart/Sircombe Porsche, which dragged its
skid plate almost "constantly" through stage four,
--The Beal/Beal Mazda 323GTX is a DNF in the National
event as they experienced several flat tires and
extensive undercar damage on stage #1 after nearly
colliding with Carl Merrill. Merrill had been
changing a tire and didn't see Beal on the stage when
he pulled out to resume his run. Beal's crew spent
about six hours rebuilding the undercarriage, and they
plan to run the Divisional today.
--Frontinan/Arruda Toyota also suffered both overheating
and tire problems, leaving the Production GT points
leaders more than one minute behind rally leader Todd
Bawden and 30 seconds behind second place Antonio
Menendez - both in Mitsubishi Eclipses. Bawden also
won the Divisional event, beating the Saab 900 of Sam
Bryan by more than one minute.
--Mazda PR guru and 323 GTX entrant Mitch McCullough had
the wildest ride of the evening, rolling his car four
times off a cliff on stage #1. The crew has rebuilt
the body, however, and hopes to run today in the
Divisional.
--Rhys Millen, in his first PRO Rally with his new Toyota
Celica, broke front springs on stage #1 and is out of the
event.
--Production points leaders Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini
find themselves in an unaccustomed position this
morning - second place. Like many other competitors,
their Acura Integra suffered a flat tire on stage #1,
losing more than five minutes to the Tony Shumaker/Liz
Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Shumakers currently
lead Cunningham/Andreini by about 3-1/2 minutes.
--Divisional hot-shoe Carl Jardevall is a DNF after going
off the course on stage #3.
--The truck class battle is very close, with Guy
Light/David White's GMC Sonoma ahead of the Mitsubishi
Pickup of Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson by about 30 seconds
after the two were virtually tied after three stages.
The Gooch/Gooch Mitsubishi is third after suffering
some under-vehicle damage, while the Hull/Elkin
Mitsubishi is fourth after their stage #1 flat tire.
The Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsubishi round out the
truck class standings.
15. Other DNF's included:
--Heinrich/Allison - Subaru RX
--Brasil/Nunes - Audi Quattro
--Chavez/Soria - Plymouth Arrow
--Golden/Timmermans - Datsun 510
--Wilbur/Schall - Saab 99
--Done/Scott - Mazda RX-7
16. Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley, who started
the Divisional event in a Honda CRX, lost a half-shaft
after a bolt sheared, and hopes to run the Saturday
Divisional after his car is fixed.
17. Eight miles have been lopped off the 25-mile stage #10 -
eliminating some very rough stage roads.
18. Tune in to see coverage of the Prescott Forest Rally on
The Nashville Network (TNN) on Sunday at 8:30 PM Eastern
time.
Press Notes #7
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 31, 1993 - 5:00 PM
19. Amazingly, 37 of the original 43 starters left the
Sheraton Hotel in Prescott to start day #2 of the
Prescott Forest Rally. Many of the National DNF's
stayed up all night fixing their cars - some pounding
out huge dents with others rebuilt engines and
suspensions from junkyard parts - all for an opportunity
to run the Divisional today. Even though they won't get
any points, it's a chance to compete.
In the case of the Divisional DNF's, the Friday rally is
now just a bad memory, and the Saturday event is the
beginning of a new rally.
20. Erick Hauge, co-driver of rally leader Chad DiMarco's
Subaru Legacy, has had to change the substance and tone
of his route instructions to Chad as they now ride in a
car which handles better than the previous one. They
can go farther into a turn, steer quicker around a
corner, and go up a hill faster, so Erick's commands
have to reflect that change.
21. Speaking of DiMarco, he will be appearing with his
Subaru Legacy at Lamb Subaru in Prescott on Tuesday,
August 3, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM as part of a PRO
Rally promotion.
22. The specific under-car problem suffered by the
Mitsubishi Pickup of Gary and Judi Gooch was a broken
fiberglass leaf spring, which was replaced with a metal
one obtained from a junkyard.
23. The update on Paul Choiniere's turbo troubles is that,
while the Audi 5000 street turbo he is using - also
obtained from a junkyard - is holding up, Paul has tools
to make adjustments during the event. Car preparer John
Buffum says the turbo still has too much boost, and they
will be watching it very carefully. Choiniere finished
ahead of DiMarco yesterday to get that all-important
spot of first on the road today, but is in second place
due to penalty points incurred at the start of the event
for being late to start the rally due to the initial
turbo repair activity.
Press Notes #8
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 31, 1993 - 8:00 PM
24. Here are times for the top runners after stage #5:
Driver/Co-driver Car Stage_#5 Total Class
(Min/100s)
DiMarco/Hauge Subaru Legacy 14.87 56.33 Group A
Choiniere/Becker Audi S-2 15.16 57.14 Open
Takaori/Cassidy Mitsu. Galant 16.70 60.67 Group A
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche AWD 16.01 60.67 Open
Menendez/Goya Mitsu. Eclipse 16.28 60.73 Prod GT
Joy/Brandt Mitsu. Eclipse 16.71 60.75 Open
Bryan/Simons Saab 900 16.56 61.62 Open
Frontinan/Arruda Toyota AWD 16.73 61.82 Prod GT
Bawden/Coatsworth Mitsu. Eclipse 19.08 62.91 Prod GT
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra 17.07 70.26 Prod
Light/White GMC Sonoma 17.25 64.00 Truck
Dykes/Hanson Mitsu. Pickup 16.78 64.08 Truck
Gooch/Gooch Mitsu. Pickup 19.35 68.88 Truck
Hull/Elkin Mitsu. Pickup 17.26 69.88 Truck
White/Crane Mitsu. Pickup 19.57 73.79 Truck
25. This rally is shaping up as one of the most competitive
of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship season. DiMarco
seems to be putting a little time on Choiniere despite
being second on the (very dusty) road. DiMarco and
Choiniere have put more than three minutes on the rest
of the field, with third place being a flat-footed tie
between the Japanese Mitsubishi Galant team of Tony
Takaori/Ken Cassidy and the Porsche team of Jeff Zwart
and Tony Sircombe.
26. Antonio Menendez/Juan Goya's Mitsubishi Eclipse -
running its best rally of the year so far, has taken
over the lead in Production GT as Todd Bawden had two
flat tires on stage five and has fallen back. Vinny
Frontinan/Frank Arruda in their Toyota Celica GT4 is
about one minute behind in second.
27. Less than 1:30 separates overall positions 3 - 9.
28. In order to put the rally back on schedule, the
organizers have decided to make stage #8 a transit
stage and cut some stage miles off of stage #9.
29. The Shumaker/Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse had a four
minute lead in the Production class at the end of stage
#4, but suffered a flat tire and a course off on stage
#5. We didn't get their time, but we're sure Cunningham
is gaining ground.
30. In the Truck Class, the Guy Light/Dave White GMC Sonoma
maintains a narrow lead over the Mitsubishi Pickup of
Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson despite the fact that Light has
taken ill - he thinks it's food poisoning. Also, Dykes
was enough faster than the other trucks on #5 that
several competitors question his time, especially since
he came into service with a flat tire. Roger Hull/John
Elkin Mitsubishi Pickup turned virtually the same time
as Light, so Roger is still five minutes behind the
truck class leaders. The Gooch/Gooch Mitsubishi Pickup
continues to have a rough ride - this time it was a flat
tire and a loose skid plate. They ran 4-1/2 miles on
the flat tire on stage #5, destroying the wheel in the
process.
Press Notes #9
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
July 31, 1993 - 9:00 PM
31. Here are the results after six stages in the National
event:
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SCORE POS/CLASS
4 Chad DiMarco/Eric Hauge Subaru Legacy 1:00:27 1 Group A
1 Paul Choinere/Jeff Becker Audi S-2 1:00:30 1 Open
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 1:04:38 2 Open
14 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 1:04:43 1 GT
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 1:04:45 3 Open
22 Kyoichi Takaori/K Cassidy Galant 1:04:52 2 Group A
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 99 1:05:47 4 Open
10 Vinny Frontinan/F Arruda Celica 1:06:05 2 GT
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 1:07:05 3 GT
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 1:08:07 5 Open
17 Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsub PU 1:08:18 1 Rally Truck
18 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 1:08:20 2 Rally Truck
6 Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi 4WD 1:10:32 6 Open
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 1:12:09 1 Production
16 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 1:13:46 3 Rally Truck
7 Roger Hull/John Elkin Mitsub PU 1:14:15 4 Rally Truck
9 P Cunningham/J Andreinni Acura 1:14:51 2 Production
32 Pete Lahm/K Roper Datsun 510 1:18:52 7 Open
33 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 1:19:18 5 Rally Truck
115 B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323 DNF
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse DNF
124 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica DNF
134 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow DNF
178 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 DNF
32. The Bob Scott/Chris Smith Toyota Corolla Divisional car ended its
journey on the first stage today as they hit a boulder and rolled over
on the stage road.
Press Notes #10
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
August 1, 1993 - 12:30 AM
33. Here are the National results after nine stages:
PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY
NATIONAL PROVISIONAL RESULTS
9 of 10 Stages Complete
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SEED SCORE PLACE
1 Paul Choinere/Jeff Becker Audi S-2 0 1:23:07 1 Open
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 1 1:29:11 2 Open
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 2 1:29:37 3 Open
22 Kyoichi Takaori/K Cassidy Galant 2 1:29:42 1 Group A
14 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 4 1:30:19 1 GT
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 900 4 1:31:19 4 Open
10 Vinny Frontinan/F Arruda Celica 1 1:31:52 2 GT
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 4 1:31:58 3 GT
4 Chad DiMarco/Eric Hauge Subaru 4WD 0 1:33:36 2 Group A
6 Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi 4WD 1 1:34:06 5 Open
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 3 1:34:11 6 Open
17 Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsub PU 4 1:34:12 1 Rally Truck
18 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 2 1:34:17 2 Rally Truck
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 4 1:41:06 1 Production
7 Roger Hull/John Elkin Mitsub PU 2 1:41:30 3 Rally Truck
16 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 2 1:41:46 4 Rally Truck
9 P Cunningham/J Andreinni Acura 1 1:44:18 2 Production
32 Pete Lahm/K Roper Datsun 510 5 1:47:50 7 Open
33 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 5 1:49:53 5 Rally Truck
115 B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323 2 DNF
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX 4 DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse 2 DNF
124 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 4 DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica 4 DNF
134 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow 6 DNF
178 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 4 DNF
Press Notes #11
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
August 1, 1993 - 4:30 AM
34. The sixth running of the Prescott Forest Rally is now in
the record books, and Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker
have piloted their Audi Quattro S-2 to its fourth
straight Subaru PRO Rally Championship victory. It wasn't easy,
however, as the pair had to baby a car with a street
turbo and unpredictable boost through one of the
roughest rallies in recent PRO Rally history. The car
ran perfectly otherwise, however, and Choiniere takes a
commanding lead in the series with 66 points.
Choiniere/Becker had some minor mechanical problems, but
they always seem to occur at a time and place where they
could be fixed. On stage #7, they hit a rock and caused
rear-end damage, but had a 90-minute respite at the
turn-around stage to fix the car.
35. Choiniere was able to seal his victory when the Subaru
Legacy of Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge lost 10 minutes on
stage #7 when a flat tire caused damage to the right
front brake caliper and the strut. Then, trying to make
up lost time, DiMarco went off the course, losing more
time to the field. They also suffered bearing damage
inside the engine, and ran at a reduced rate the rest of
the way.
36. Other class winners included Tony Takaori/Ken Cassidy in
their Mitsubishi Galant (Group A); Todd Bawden/Cal
Coatsworth in a Mitsubishi Eclipse (Production GT); Tony
Shumaker/Liz Shumaker in a 2WD Mitsubishi Eclipse
(Production); and Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson in a Mitsubishi
Pickup (Rallytruck). B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal - refugees
from the National class on Friday - won the Divisional
event on Saturday in the Mazda 323 GTX.
37. Post rally stories? Drama? Humor? Where to start?
Probably after press notes 38 and 39, where we will give
the National results along with Saturday's Divisional
results.
Press Notes #12
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
August 1, 1993 - 4:45 AM
38. PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY - Round #4 of the Subaru PRO Rally
Championship - Final Results - 10 Stages Complete
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SEED SCORE POS./CLASS
1 Paul Choinere/Jeff Becker Audi S-2 0 1:40:58 1 Open
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 1 1:46:02 2 Open
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 2 1:46:50 3 Open
22 Kyoichi Takaori/K Cassidy Galant 2 1:47:05 1 Group A
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 4 1:48:46 1 GT
10 Vinny Frontinan/F Arruda Celica 1 1:49:23 2 GT
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 900 4 1:49:33 4 Open
4 Chad DiMarco/Eric Hauge Subaru 4WD 0 1:51:23 2 Group A
17 Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsub PU 4 1:52:27 1 Rally Truck
18 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 2 1:52:30 2 Rally Truck
14 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 4 1:52:34 3 GT
6 Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi 4WD 1 1:53:18 5 Open
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 3 1:53:20 6 Open
7 Roger Hull/John Elkin Mitsub PU 2 2:00:22 3 Rally Truck
16 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 2 2:01:22 4 Rally Truck
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 4 2:02:20 1 Production
9 P Cunningham/J Andreinni Acura 1 2:06:01 2 Production
32 Pete Lahm/K Roper Datsun 510 5 2:07:55 7 Open
33 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 5 2:11:12 5 Rally Truck
115 B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323 2 DNF
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX 4 DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse 2 DNF
124 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 4 DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica 4 DNF
134 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow 6 DNF
178 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 4 DNF
Press Notes #13
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
August 1, 1993 - 5:15 AM
39. Prescott Forest Rally
Saturday Divisional - Final Results
5 Stages Complete
CAR# DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR SEED SCORE PLACE
115 B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal* Mazda 323 2 1:01:48 1 Four WD Open
25 Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 900 2 1:04:29 1 Two WD Open
23 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 2 1:04:57 2 Four WD Open
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 2 1:06:00 2 Two WD Open
103 Harris Done/Larry Scott Mazda RX7 2 1:08:55 1 Stock
113 Ron Wood/Kelly Walsh Scirocco 2 1:09:06 3 Two WD Open
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 2 1:12:45 2 Stock
117 Ken Stewart/Ralph Starr Blazer 2 1:13:03 3 Four WD Open
134 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Arrow 3 1:13:03 4 Two WD Open
112 Bill Malik/Roine Anderson Volvo 240 3 1:13:06 5 Two WD Open
114 Carl Jardevall/A Karlsson Saab 99 2 1:13:43 6 Two WD Open
195 Dennis Chizma/Robert Kalb Rabbit 4 1:14:43 3 Stock
33 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 3 1:16:47 4 Stock
181 Anton Musev/Wayne Engen Subaru RX 2 1:17:01 4 Four WD Open
179 Jason Priestley/K Caffrey Honda CRX 4 1:21:00 7 Two WD Open
190 Jake Dekovic/J Peterson Starion 4 1:21:42 8 Two WD Open
106 Dan Hook/John Moore Celica 3 1:24:58 9 Two WD Open
31 Heinz Heinrich/L Allison Subaru RX 2 DNF
124 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 2 DNF
184 Norberto Gomez/J Facio Corolla 2 DNF
26 Rhys Millen/Mike Blore Celica 2 DNF
178 Mitch McCullough/S Webb Mazda 323 2 DNF
105 Paula Gibeault/Jay Mathes Subaru RX 2 DNF
101 J Kilpatrick/R Katzin Colt 3 DNF
132 John Golden/A Timmermans Datsun 510 2 DNF
199 Peter Wilbur/Lance Schall Saab 99 3 DNF
177 Bob Scott/Chris Smith Celica 4 DNF
* Wins place, but no Divisional points
Press Notes #14
Prescott Forest Rally, Prescott, AZ
Round #4 of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
August 1, 1993 - noon
40. More post-rally details:
--We have already documented the trials and tribulations of
DiMarco and Choiniere, but almost all the other drivers
had similar problems.
Production class winners Tony and Liz Shumaker bent the
rear axle on stage #5, and then broke a trailing arm on
their Mitsubishi Eclipse. Fortunately for them, the
Production class Acura of Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini
continued to have problems as well, as a severed brake line
prevented them from making up time on the leaders. On the
last stage, Cunningham made up almost three minutes on
Shumaker, but it was too little too late.
--Guy Light/Dave White GMC Sonoma pickup, which finished in
second place in the truck class only three seconds behind
class winner Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson, was cited for a
10-minute penalty for getting assistance in a control area.
Series manager Rusty Campbell ruled that control workers
can push vehicles to solve traffic problems re: a ruling in
the April issue of SPORTS CAR. The bottom line? No
penalty.
--The Gooch/Gooch truck continued to have problems right up
until the end of the rally with damaged brakes, flat tires,
and a broken wheel.
--Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson were seen at the last service area
opening up his hood with a welding gun to help anchor a
loose rollcage in his Mitsubishi Pickup.
--The Frontinan/Arruda Toyota Celica, besides suffering
numerous flat tires, had their skid plate come loose and
then become jammed in their transmission housing.
--Antonio Menendez/Juan Goya were shoo-ins for a Production
GT win, but a suspension problem on the transit stage
almost cause a DNF. Fortunately, Vinny Frontinan stopped to
help him get going, and despite both teams incurring late
points, Antonio finished. Frontinan's penalty points were
later dropped by the series manager.
--Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Audi Quattro, plagued by problems
throughout the rally, had to finish the event with no
clutch.
--The Todd Bawden/Cal Coatsworth Mitsubishi Eclipse won the
class despite the fact that his odometer was broken for
several stages.
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