For Immediate Release

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio--Ralph Brooks of Palos Heights, Ill. and co-driver Dick Messal, Bolingbrook, Ill. took home victory honors from the Sports Car Club of America's Sunriser 400 National Pro Rally here Sept. 25.

Teamed in a Datsun 280Z, Brooks/Messal finished 1072 penalty points ahead of the Dodge Aspen of Scott Harvey, Rochester, Mich. and Randy Graves, State Colleqe, Pa. Third went to Jim Walker/Virgiia Reese, Ann Arbor, Mich. in a Volvo 142 followed by Brian Rebney, Saginaw, Mich. and Tom Bell, Perry, Mich. in a Datsun 510.

The Brooks/Messal victory, considered an upset, was a result of one control where most contestants were penalized for exceeding an established speed limit. The top 10 running order was drastically changed as a result of the penalties affecting, among others, defending series titlist Hendrik Blok of Los Angeles, who dropped from the consistent lead he had maintained to seventh position.

Of the 53 teams starting the 200-mile performance rally, 32 finished. Among non- finishers was John Buffum of South Burlington, Vt. in his Triumph TR7. He was put out of the running when he went off course and could not get out of his predicament before a scoring control closed. Other favorites sidelined, by mechanical problems, were former series champ Gene Henderson of Pinckney, Mich. and consistent top runner John Smiskol, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Buffum still holds the points lead in the driver standings, but Blok now becomes a major contender for the title.

RESULTS of Sunriser 400 Forest SCCA National Pro Rally Championship series event (#5), Chillicothe, Ohio, September 24-25, 1977. Event sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America and conducted by the Ohio Valley Region, SCCA, in conjunction with the Columbus Rally Club.

77-NPR-05
18 Stages
260 Total Miles
    Stage Miles
53 Starters
32 Finishers

Fin.										Penalty
Pos.	Driver/Co-Driver/Hometown		Car			*Pts.	Points
 1	Ralph Brooks, Palos Heights, Ill.	OTW Enterprises			10,996
	Dick Messal, Bolingbrook, Ill.		Datsun 280Z

 2	Scott Harvey, Rochester, Mich.		Team Harco Dodge	80	11,068
	Randy Graves, State College, Pa.	Aspen			80

 3	James Walker, Ann Arbor, Mich.		Ann Arbor Volvo/Mazda	60	11,159
	Virginia Reese, Ann Arbor, Mich.	Volvo 142		60

 4	Brian Rebney, Saginaw, Mich.		Datsun 510		50	11,181
	Tom Bell, Perry, Mich.						50

 5	Gary Kowalski, South Bend, Ind.		AMC Hornet		40	11,404
	Richard Gehring, South Bend, Ind.				40

 6	John Chalmers, Findlay, Ohio		Motorsport American	30	11,482
	Bill Potvin, Toledo, Ohio

 7	Hendrik Blok, Los Angeles, Ca.		Dodge Colt		20	11,527
	Rich Crandall, Costa Mesa, Ca.					20

 8	Guy Light, Bay City, Mich.		Jeep CJ-7		19	11,889
	Gary Christensen, Romeo, Mich.

 9	Mark Hardyman, Columbus, Ohio		Normark Rally Team		11,928
	Norman Gable, No. Manchester, Ind.	Dodge Colt

10	Jim Flaningan, Baltimore, Oi\hio	Datsun 510			11,953
	George Bittner, Columbus, Ohio

11	Pete Deierlein, Syracuse, N.Y.		Comparts Inc. VW	16	12,078
	Frank Beyer, Fayetteville, N.Y.		Rabbit			16

12	Walter Margolis, Avon Lake, Ohio	Dodge Colt		15	12,164
	Gary Yoder, Bay Village, Ohio					15

13	Bill Maher, Rochester, N.Y.		Volvo 142E			12,371
	Don DeRose, Grand Island, N.Y.

14	James Scorse, Rochester, N.Y.		Opel GT				12,484
	Andy Mayfield, Rochester, N.Y.					13

15	Bill Dodd, So. Amherst, Ohio		Ford Capri 2.6			12,751
	Jerry Rosegger, Shaker Heights, Ohio

16	Robert Townsend, Urbana, Ill.		Datsun 510			12,782
	Alan Doughty, Palatine, Ill.

17	Phil Linne, Mansfield, Ohio		Mid-Ohio SCC		10	13,042
	John McCarter, Mansfield, Ohio		Datsun 510

18	Fred Olds, Grosse Point Park, Mich.	Datsun 510			13,076
	Jim Mickle, Utica, Mich.					 9

19	Rich Schneider, Dix Hills, N.Y.		Datsun 510			13,107
	Robert Gomez, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.				 8

20	Doug Rigel, Lexington, Ohio		Datsun 510			13,462
	Robert Heckathorn, Lexington, Ohio

21	Dave Nicholas, Mishawaka, Ind.		Dodge Colt			13,973
	Dennis Zmyslo, Elkhart, Ind.

22	Roger Krieger, Birmingham, Mich.	Opel Manta			14,037
	Clark Bond, Bay City, Mich.					 5

23	Richard Casey, Silver Spring, Md.	Saab 96			 4	14,041
	Paul Eckstein, Falls Church, Va.				 4

24	Garrett Harbron, Indianapolis, Ind.	Rally Associates	 3	14,488
	Clyde Parrott, Columbus, Ind.		Mazda RX-2

25	Richard Robnett, Troy, Mich.		Opel Manta			14,569
	John Huber, Troy, Mich.

26	Michael Halley, Hallett, Okla.		Hallett Racing Circuit	 1	14,696
	Arthur Horn, Tulsa, Okla.		Chevy Vega 2.3		 1

27	T. Culbertson, Michigan			Ford Pinto			14,824
	Randy Gage, Michigan

28	Jeff Hillary, Columbus, Ohio		Datsun 510			15,791
	Nancy Noak, Columbus, Ohio

29	John Doviak, Holcomb, N.Y.		Datsun 510		 1	15,794
	Jim Schwind, New York

30	Seth Tarriff, Red Bank, N.J.		AMC Gremlin			16,514
	Ed Brett, Fair Haven, N.J.

31	David Hagedorn, Memphis, Tenn.		DNF Rally Products	 1	17,297
	Dr. Floyd Shrader, Memphis, Tenn.	Saab 96			 1

32	Tom French, Irving, Texas		French's Foreign Car		17,299
	James Andress, Dallas, Texas		Service Saab 96

* Championship points awarded only to SCCA members. 53 teams started; 11 did not finish.

1977 SCCA National Pro Rally Championship series standings - top 7 positions
DRIVERS					CO-DRIVERS
1. John Buffum		300		1. Vicki		300
2. Hendrik Blok		180		2. Erick Hauge  	160
   Eric Jones		180		3. Walt Krafft		158
4. John Smiskol		158		4. Randy Graves		140
5. Scott Harvey		140		5. Virginia Reese	 60
6. John Chalmers	 90		6. Brian Paul		 50
7. Ron Richardson	 80		   Tom Bell		 50

MANUFACTURERS  
1-Datsun, 25; 2-Dodge, 22; 3-Porsche, 21; 4-BLMI, 9; 5-Volvo, 7; 6-Mazda and
Plymouth, 4 (tie).

NEXT EVENT: Oct. 8-9, Nor'wester, Issaquah, Wash.