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Round #1 - 1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Championship February 19, 1994
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
MEDIA ALERT
Event: 1994 Sand Blast PRO Rally, Round #1 and the opening event of the
1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series. Race cars from around the
country will compete at high speeds on the challenging forest roads
through the Sand Hills State Forest near Patrick, South Carolina.
When: Saturday, February 19, 1994
Schedule
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Registration - Inn Cheraw - Cheraw, SC
Tech inspection - Martin Pontiac - Cheraw
1:00 PM - Display of cars - The Town Green - 2nd and Market
Streets, Cheraw
1:30 PM - First car starts - Town Green, Cheraw
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Dinner/major service stop - Quincy Family
Restaurant, Cheraw
10:00 PM - First car returns to Cheraw - rally ends
Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Inn Cheraw, 321 Second Street,
Cheraw, SC. Maps guiding spectators to viewing areas will
be available at Registration at the Inn Cheraw.
Duration: 65 stage miles, 200 total miles, 9 stages
Rank: Coefficient 3 Divisional PRO Rally in which drivers and co-drivers
with national competition licenses can score points towards the
national championship. National points will be awarded with a
multiplier of .6 (first place finishers, normally awarded 20 points,
will receive 12 points). Those competing only in the Divisional
competition will be skipped over in the overall computation of
national points. Presented by the South Carolina Region of the Sports
Car Club of America. The National PRO Rally series is sponsored by
Michelin Tire Corporation - with field administration by the American
Rally Association - and is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of
America.
Interviews: Drivers will be available by contacting the press room at the
Inn Cheraw starting Friday, February 18 (800) 535-8709 or
(803) 537-2011. Any needs before then should be directed to
Andy Schupack at the phone number listed below.
Expected Top National Entries: Paul Choiniere, from Burlington, VT,
undefeated with co-driver Jeff Becker since '91, has won two straight
overall national championships, in his Audi S-2; Carl Merrill -
resort owner from Ogunquit, Maine - in his 400 horsepower Ford Escort
Cosworth - won two rallies in '93 including the prestigeous Press-on-
Regardless event in Michigan; Vinnie Frontinan, from Somerville,
Mass., leading Production GT driver in his Toyota Celica GT4 - will
battle for national title in '94; Brcue Newey, Atlanta, GA, new
Group II Mazda RX-7; Tom Otty, Columbus, Ohio, former Production
GT champion, in a Mazda 323GTX; Jim Anderson, Carboro, NC, new
Production class V-Tech Honda Prelude.
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and video crews onto
the course during the daylight part of the rally on Saturday.
Anyone requiring supplied photos or video should contact Andy
Schupack in the press room on Race day.
Media Info: We will provide phone-ins on event information, driver
interviews, and results. We will fax stories and agate
Saturday and Sunday. We have B-roll available for TV.
Contact: Andy Schupack - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
national media liaison:
(401) 739-5677 (until Feb 18; then after Feb 20)
Andy Schupack - Event Press Room (2/18 - 2/20)
(800) 535-8709 ot (803) 537-2011
HOW A PRO RALLY WORKS:
Each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or navigator), and the exact course is kept
secret until just before the event - different from World Rally, where practice and course
notes are allowed). The cars start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 9
stages (competition course consisting of closed public roads) which range in length from
four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies include night stages, making it necessary for competitors
to adjust their driving style. Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
long straight-aways, with the team going the fastest over the competition course winning
the rally.
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST PRO RALLY
ROUND #1 - SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
February 19, 1994
Final Entry List/Starting Order
CAR# CLASS NAT/ DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR
DIV
3 Open N Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Ford Escort
Ogunquit, ME Bloomfield Hills, MI Cosworth
1 Open N Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi S-2
Williston, VT Great Neck, NJ
2 GT N Selcuk Karamanoglu John McArthur Mitsubishi
Bath ME Honeoye, NY Eclipse
7 GT N Vinnie Frontinan Frank Arruda Toyota
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI Celica GT4
4 A N Tibor Von Denes Constantine Montopoulos Audi 200
Charlestown, SC Staten Island, NY Quattro
5 GT N Tom Ottey Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX
Columbus, OH Columbus, OH
6 Open D Chuck McCrary Eric Lombard Mazda RX-7
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA
8 Prod N/D Dick Casey Martin Dapot VW GTI
Fairfax Station, VA Reston, VA
9 Gp.A N/D Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3
West Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA
10 Gp.2 N/D Mike Hurst Todd Houtz Nissan 200-SX
Pendelton, IN Evansville, IN
11 Gp.2 N/D Bruce Newey Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7
Atlanta, GA Knoxville, TN
12 GT N/D Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Mitsubishi
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY Eclipse
13 GT N/D Craig Sobczak Kevin DeLoughary Mazda 323GTX
Marquette, MI Gladstone, MI
14 Gp.2 N/D Robert Waits Sharon Waits Mazda RX-7
Lawrenceville, GA Lawrenceville, GA
117 Open D Ken Stewart Steven Scott Chevy Blazer
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK
15 Open D Dave Payne Michael Bryant, Jr. Toyota
Marietta, GA Lawrenceville, GA Corolla
16 Open D Richard Martin Matt Chester Mazda GLC
Atlanta, GA Marietta, GA
18 Gp.2 N/D Scott Kreisler John Bonasera Saab 99
Pottstown, PA Trapp, PA
68 GT N/D Richard Paddock Karen Finnerty Eagle Talon
Hilliard, OH Reynoldsburg, OH
20 Prod N/D Jim Anderson Charles Bradley Honda Prelude
Carrboro, NC Admore, PA
21 Gp.2 N/D Keith Kreisler Chris Erney Saab 900
Collegeville, PA Reston, VA
701 Gp.2 N/D Bill Partridge Rusty Megois Ford Ranger
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL
23 Gp.2 N/D Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ
22 GT N/D Gregory Trepetin Sonia Ivanovs Mazda 323GTX
North Potomac, MD North Potomac, MD
25 Truck N/D Kerry Voll Bob Voll Dodge Ram
Southbury, CT Southbury, CT Pick-up
24 Open D Scott Justus Yorgi Bittner Mazda RX-7
Jonesboro, AK Columbus, OH
29 Open D John Moore James Logan Mazda RX-3
Jacksonville, AK Mesquite, TX
30 Open D Don Gage Bobbie Hampton Ford Escort
West Memphis, AK West Memphis, AK
31 Open D Jacek Kotowski Marek Bulaj Dodge Omni
Lawrenceville, NJ Lawrenceville, NJ
32 Open D Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pell VW Scirocco
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY
33 Open N/D Jerry Wacker Peter Bernart Audi 4000
Bridgewater, NJ Randolph, NJ Quattro
Press Notes #1
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 19, 1994 - 9:00 AM
1. Welcome to Cheraw, South Carolina, and the Sand Hills -
Sand Blast PRO Rally - Round #1 of the SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally series. There are a couple of first for this
event, including the first time in the five year history
of the event that national cars - those who run for
points in the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series - have
competed in South Carolina. Drivers running for national
points will receive 60 percent of a full national event
(first place - 12 points; second place - 9 points; third
place - 7.2 points, etc.). The final overall national
standings will by-pass the divisional-only competitors.
Another first is the Michelin Tire Corporation
sponsorship for that national series - a three year
agreement between the tire company and the Sports Car
Club of America. Most of the top competitors are using
the specially-constructed Michelin XGT Rally tires, which
come in several compounds and tread designs to help the
cars run fast in the wide variety of conditions
encountered in the series. This year's schedule will
present the mud and rain of Washington State, the deserts
of Southern California, the snow and ice of New England,
and all of those conditions combined at the famous Press
on Regardless event in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Yet another first is the debut of the new national
class - Group 2. These cars, small displacement, two-
wheel drive, normally aspirated open class cars, give a
place for both competitors and manufacturers to enter a
broader range of vehicles which previously had to run in
the big car class. For this event, seven Group 2 cars
are entered, including Mazda RX-7s, Nissan 200-SX, Saab
900 and 99, and a Ford Ranger.
The course through the Sand Hills State Forest off
U.S. #1 near Patrick, S.C. is very sandy, but smooth.
The weather for the one-day rally should be sunny, with
the highs in the low '70s.
Press Notes #2
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 19, 1994 - 3:00 PM
2. 31 cars took the final count in front of the Chamber of
Commerce to start the fifth annual Sand Hills-Sand Blast
PRO Rally in Cheraw, South Carolina. This is the largest
field ever for this rally, which is limited to a 40-car
maximum field. Starting temperature was 73 degrees F
and the sun was shining brightly around puffy clouds.
3. The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth, which
won two of the three final events in 1993 to guide their
400 horsepower racer to a third place finish overall.
Along with defending series champions - the Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker Audi S-2 - Carl figures to be a co-
favorite to win the event. If either Open Class car
fails, however, there are several Production GT cars that
will not only make that class very competitive, but are
capable of stepping into the top spots.
1990 Production GT champions Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey
in their Mazda 323GTX have not been regular entrants in
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally event over the last few years,
but that doesn't diminish their speed and reliability.
Ottey, who was a protest away from winning the title
again in '92, is also the top finisher (fifth overall) of
any foreigner during the past three years the Jamaican
rally has run (1992).
Selcuk Karamanoglu, a former Turkish rally champion now
residing in Bath, Maine, - also has potential to finish
in a top position in his Production GT Mitsubishi
Eclipse. Selcuk finished third in class last year in
his national rally debut at Press on Regardless.
The other veteran front-runner who will contend for a top
three finish is Vinnie Frontinan with co-driver Frank
Arruda in their Toyota Celica GT4. Vinnie will be trying
to get a fast start in the points with his '88 model
while he builds a new '94 Celica All-Trac. His new
Toyota, which he hopes will debut at STPR in Pennsylvania
in June, will have more horsepower, a new suspension
system, and advanced electronics.
4. The Group A class battle will be between Rick Davis/Ben
Greisler in their BMW M-3 - with basically a stock
engine, but with Formula I-bred components - and veteran
Swedish-born racer Tibor Von Denes with co-driver
Constantine Montopoulos in their Audi 200 Quattro.
Tibor, who ran a factory Lada last year flying American
colors in the Moscow Rally - a first, has also run many
international rallies in Europe. He now resides in
Charlestown, S.C. Davis, whose BMW 2002 with its
distinctive "splash" paint job was a fixture at East
Coast rallies for several years, built the M-3 with the
help of Otto's BMW last year, and ran the car at the same
Jamaican Rally last December that Tom Ottey ran.
Davis, along with Merrill and Choiniere, has their cars
display at Michelin headquarters in Greenville, S.C.,
earlier this week as part of the pre-rally promotional
activity.
5. The defending champion for this event is the Chevy Blazer
of Ken Stewart/Steven Scott. Stewart, a PRO Rally Board
member and veteran rallyist, said his vehicle really
likes the sandy surface of the Sand Hill Forest roads,
but he doesn't stop as fast or handle as well as some
of the other racers, so he has to plan his actions and
reactions farther in advance than others might.
Other former winners of this event include:
1991 Mike Harris/Duane Simpson Mazda Rotary Pickup
1992 Dave Thomas/Winnikka Mazda RX-7
1992 - Sand Hills hosted the divisional runoffs -
Henry Krolikowski/Cindy Krolikowski -
Dodge Shadow
6. The cars will run four stages - all in daylight - before
a dinner/service stop, and then complete the last five
stages in the dark, with the event finishing by 10:00 PM.
Press Notes #3
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 19, 1994 - 5:00 PM
7. Early reports from the field indicate that the rally is
running behind schedule due to course problems and a
shortage of ambulances on the course. Choiniere had a 14
second lead over Merrill after two stages, and Merrill's
crew reports the Ford Escort Cosworth is running a bit
hot. We'll have more details soon.
8. Battling it out for the Production class title will be
veterans Dick Casey and Martin Depot in their VW GTI, and
newcomer Jim Anderson with veteran co-driver Charles
Bradley in a brand new Honda Prelude. Anderson, who
works as an engineer at the Honda lawn mower plant in
North Carolina, hopes his new rally car will be as
reliable as those great lawn mowers. Casey, who won a
big victory at POR in '93, has been rallying for more
than two decades.
9. In the truck class, RALLY MAGAZINE editor Kerry Voll, an
experienced rally school instructor, will be putting her
wisdom to good use as the driver of Greg Healey's Dodge
Ram 50 Pickup. Healey, one of the event organizers, does
not have time to compete this weekend, and has turned his
racer over to Kerry and co-driver and husband Bob. Voll,
who has not been in the driver's seat of a rally car
since 1987, said she will try to have fun and "not hurt
the truck." As the only entrant in the truck class, she
could pick up the 12 points for first place if she can
finish the event.
10. As mentioned previously, the new Group 2 class has seven
entries, and may replace the Production class as THE
place to enter stock vehicles. The Bruce Newey/Kennon
Rymer Mazda RX-7, the first car built specifically to
Group 2 specs, debuted last August at Ojibwe and was
running in the top 10 overall before suffering mechanical
problems. Also running at the Ojibwe race was the Mike
Hurst/Todd Houtz Nissan 200-SX, which won the Paul
Bunyan's Ride Divisional PRO rally, and figures to be the
class co-favorite along with Newey.
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST PRO RALLY
ROUND #1 - SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
February 19, 1994
Reseed based on times after two stages
CAR# CLASS NAT/ DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR/
DIV TIME
1 Open N Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi S-2
Williston, VT Great Neck, NJ 13:51
3 Open N Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Ford Escort
Ogunquit, ME Bloomfield Hills, MI 14:06
117 Open D Ken Stewart Steven Scott Chevy Blazer
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK 15:34
2 GT N Selcuk Karamanoglu John McArthur Mitsubishi
Bath ME Honeoye, NY 15:54
7 GT N Vinnie Frontinan* Frank Arruda Toyota
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI 17:55
12 GT N/D Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Mitsubishi
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY 16:25
11 Gp.2 N/D Bruce Newey Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7
Atlanta, GA Knoxville, TN 16:40
9 Gp.A N/D Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3
West Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA 16:41
4 A N Tibor Von Denes Constantine Montopoulos Audi 200
Charlestown, SC Staten Island, NY 16:49
31 Open D Jacek Kotowski Marek Bulaj Dodge Omni
Lawrenceville, NJ Lawrenceville, NJ 16:49
10 Gp.2 N/D Mike Hurst Todd Houtz Nissan 200-SX
Pendelton, IN Evansville, IN 17:04
5 GT N Tom Ottey Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX
Columbus, OH Columbus, OH 17:07
20 Prod N/D Jim Anderson Charles Bradley Honda Prelude
Carrboro, NC Admore, PA 17:17
14 Gp.2 N/D Robert Waits Sharon Waits Mazda RX-7
Lawrenceville, GA Lawrenceville, GA 17:31
33 Open N/D Jerry Wacker Peter Bernart Audi 4000
Bridgewater, NJ Randolph, NJ 17:50
22 GT N/D Gregory Trepetin Sonia Ivanovs Mazda 323GTX
North Potomac, MD North Potomac, MD 18:17
24 Open D Scott Justus Yorgi Bittner Mazda RX-7
Jonesboro, AK Columbus, OH 18:07
23 Gp.2 N/D Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ 18:16
701 Gp.2 N/D Bill Partridge Rusty Megois Ford Ranger
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL 18:30
18 Gp.2 N/D Scott Kreisler John Bonasera Saab 99
Pottstown, PA Trapp, PA 18:34
8 Prod N/D Dick Casey Martin Dapot VW GTI
Fairfax Station, VA Reston, VA 18:43
16 Open D Richard Martin Matt Chester Mazda GLC
Atlanta, GA Marietta, GA 19:08
15 Open D Dave Payne Michael Bryant, Jr. Toyota
Marietta, GA Lawrenceville, GA 19:09
25 Truck N/D Kerry Voll Bob Voll Dodge Ram
Southbury, CT Southbury, CT 20:11
68 GT N/D Richard Paddock Karen Finnerty Eagle Talon
Hilliard, OH Reynoldsburg, OH 20:24
29 Open D John Moore James Logan Mazda RX-3
Jacksonville, AK Mesquite, TX 20:41
* moved by steward
Press Notes #4
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 19, 1994 - 9:00 PM
11. As the competitors limped into Cheraw for the service and
dinner break after the completion of stage #4, the major
complaint was the very soft sand that constitutes the
roads of the Sand Hills State Forest. Rally leader Paul
Choiniere, who held a 36 second lead over second place
Carl Merrill, said he was glad to be first on the road
for the rest of the rally because the ruts caused by
rally cars could cause backmarkers to get their wheels
caught and overturn right in the middle of the road -
especially on off-camber, downhill turns.
12. The rally lost an hour right at the beginning because the
ambulance on duty had to come back to town to answer an
emergency, and the back-up ambulance broke down. Also,
there was a closed gate that needed to be opened on stage
#1, and the start had been moved, causing delays. The
organizer decided to make up some time cancelling stage
#5 to bring the rally back on schedule.
13. Several competitors overshot a very sharp turn after a
straight-away on stage one, and lost several minutes
getting back on the course, including the
Frontinan/Arruda Toyota, who found themselves at a stop
sign more than a mile off the course. When they went
back up the road to get back on the stage, they almost
hit the Von Denes/Monotopoulis Audi 200 Quattro which had
made a similar mistake two minutes later.
14. Several cars were DNF after four stages:
--Sobczak/DeLoughary Mazda 323GTX - three flat tires (and only two spares
--Gage/Hampton Ford Escort - strut pulled apart after going over a burm
--Stepniewski/Pell VW Scirocco - cause unknown
--McCrary/Lombard Mazda RX-7 - cause unknown
--Kreisler/Bonasera Saab 99 - cause unknown
15. The status of some other cars after stage #4:
--Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth - running hot
because of wheel spin/warm weather.
--Group 2 leaders Hurst/Houtz in their Nissan 200-SX
lost the use of their odometer on the transit leading
to stage one, but were able to rig a makeshift
connection at service for partial use.
--The Karamanoglu/McArthur Mitsubishi Eclipse, currently
leading the very competitive Production GT class, is
running well although Selcuk claims he is being "too
cautious. He said the sandy surface is not unlike
Voyageur - a Canadian event.
--The Dick Casey/Martin Dapot VW GTI was moved from the
Production class to Open because his vehicle is now
seven years old, one over the limit for Production.
That leaves first place in class to Anderson/Bradley in
the Honda Prelude - if they can finish the rally.
16. After almost a whole year of bad luck, Ivan and Olga
Orisek in the Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse are
running well half-way through a rally.
17. Some top stage times after four stages:
Driver/Co-driver/Car/Class 1 2 3 4 Total
Choinere/Becker/Audi/Open 7:29 5:22 7:04 5:13 25:09
Merrill/Wickens/Escort/Open 7:24 5:41 7:10 5:30 25:45
Karamanoglu/McArthur/Eclipse/GT 8:31 6:23 7:52 5:56 28:42
Ottey/McGarvey/Mazda/GT 9:59 6:09 7:52 5:46 29:46
Hurst/Houtz/Nissan/Group 2 9:46 6:18 8:07 6:06 30:17
Von Denes/Monotop/Group A 10:36 6:17 8:01 5:55 30:29
Frontinan/Arruda/Toyota/GT 10:54 6:01 7:49 5:46 30:30
Anderson/Bradley/Honda/Prod 9:25 6:52 8:38 6:27 31:22
Orisek/Orisek/Eclipse/GT 10:25 6:55 8:34 6:34 32:28
Stewart/Scott/Blazer/Div. 9:19 6:25 8:25 6:06 30:15
18. Because of more competitors stuck in the sand, the rally
is again running an hour late. Choiniere continues to
lead Merrill - now by more than a minute, and that duo
leads the rest of the field by more than five minutes
with a few stages left to run. Final results are next.
Press Notes #5
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 20, 1994 - 12:15 PM
19. The fifth annual Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally is now
history, and the Audi S-2 Quattro team of driver Paul
Choiniere, from Sherburne, Vermont, and co-driver Jeff
Becker, from Great Neck, NY won the event by a margin one
minute and 13 seconds over the Ford Escort Cosworth team
of driver Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine and co-
driver Jon Wickens, from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Choiniere had a 36 second lead going into the second half
of the event, and, although Merrill was able to close the
gap a little during the evening stages, Choiniere was
always able to get the time back and add a couple of
seconds to his lead each time.
Choiniere and Becker are undefeated as a driver and co-
driver team since they started rallying together at Big
Bend Bash in Texas in January, 1992. Even more
interesting is that, on the occasions that business
commitments have prevented Becker from attending a rally
and Paul has had to find a substitute co-driver, he has
yet to win an event. Choiniere has won the overall
national PRO Rally Championship the last two years, and
three of the last four years.
Other class winners included:
--Selcuk Karamanoglu/John McArthur, Mitsubishi Eclipse,
Production GT
--Mike Hurst/Todd Houtz, Nissan 200-SX, Group 2
--Kerry Voll/Bob Voll, Dodge Ram 50 Pickup, Rally Truck
The Group A victor will be determined as soon as it is
decided whether the Tibor Von Denes/Constantine
Montopoulos Audi 200 Quattro is really a Group A or an
Open class car. Tibor finished ahead of the Rick
Davis/Ben Greisler BMW M-3, but he might have to give up
his Group A status if his car doesn't meet the rules.
We also have to confirm the status of a couple of entries
before we know who the divisional class winner is.
Press Notes #6
Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally Cheraw, South Carolina
Round #1 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
February 20, 1994 - 10:00 AM
20. A couple of corrections are needed as we wrap up the
press notes for the Sand Hills-Sand Blast PRO Rally.
--We referred to the co-driver of the third place overall
Mitsubishi Eclipse as John "Arthur" in note #15 - he is
John McArthur, veteran co-driver from Honeoye, NY.
--Speaking of that car, the driver's name is spelled
"Selcuk," even though it is pronounced "sell' chuck."
--The Gerald Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99 is a Group 2 car,
not an Open entry.
21. Here are the final class winners:
CAR# CLASS NAT/ DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR/
DIV Time (hrs:min:sec)
1 Open N Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi S-2
Williston, VT Great Neck, NJ 53:35
2 GT N Selcuk Karamanoglu John McArthur Mitsubishi
Bath ME Honeoye, FL 59:24
117 Divisional Ken Stewart Steven Scott Chevy Blazer
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK 59:59
10 Gp.2 N/D Mike Hurst Todd Houtz Nissan 200-SX
Pendelton, IN Evansville, IN 1:00:33
4 Gp.A N Tibor Von Denes Constantine Montopoulos Audi 200
Charlestown, SC Staten Island, NY 1:01.50
20 Prod N/D Jim Anderson Charles Bradley Honda Prelude
Carrboro, NC Admore, PA 1:04:43
25 Truck N/D Kerry Voll Bob Voll Dodge Ram
Southbury, CT Southbury, CT 1:18:14
22. In winning the truck class, Kerry Voll becomes the first
woman to win a national class at a PRO Rally since Shannon
Millen won Group A at Rim of the World in 1991, and the first
woman ever to win the truck class.
23. The Tom Otty/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX was challenging
Karamanoglu and Frontinan for the Production GT lead when
the sub-frame on the car cracked, causing a DNF.
24. The top four finish of the Ken Stewart/Steven Scott Chevy
Blazer showed that his third overall position - and his win
here last year - was no fluke.
25. If Vinnie Frontinan and Frank Arruda had not lost the 3-1/2
minutes on stage #1 missing a turn on the route, they would have
finished third overall and won the Production GT class.
26. Ivan and Olga Orisek finished 10th overall and third in
Production GT - their best finish in a long time in their
Mitsubishi Eclipse.
27. Although finishing dead last, the BMW M-3 of Rick Davis and Ben
Greisler picked up all-important 2nd place points in Group A.
Davis lost almost an hour when his rear end sunk into the sand
on stage #1.
28. The Production class winner - the Honda Prelude V-Tech of
Jim Anderson/Charles Bradley - was perhaps the prettiest
new car at the rally. Anderson, an engineer at the Honda Power
Equipment plant in Burlington, NC, hopes to find budget to run
more rallies during the season.
29. Gregory Trepetin/Sonia Ivanovs Mazda 323GTX, which finished fifth
in Production GT in their first-ever national points rally, are
part of an all-Russian team. Driver Trepetin and fiance and co-
driver Ms. Ivanovs will be participating in all the East Coast
nationals this year.
30. National points (unofficial) look like this for the leaders:
(no starting points awarded for divisional events)
Overall
Choiniere 12.0
Merrill 9.0
Selcuk 7.2
Hurst 6.0
Frontinan 4.8
Newey 3.6
Tibor 2.4
Anderson 1.8
Orisek 1.2
Wacker, Waits, Partridge, Sweet, Casey and Paddock - .6
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack
(401) 739-5677
NEW SPONSOR, NEW SITE, NEW CLASS, SAME RESULT;
CHOINIERE/BECKER START TITLE DEFENSE WITH A PRO RALLY WIN
CHERAW, S.C. -- February 20 -- Although the SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally series was debuting a new sponsor - Michelin - for
1994; going to a new site for a rally - the Sand Hills State
Forest near Patrick, South Carolina; and unveiling a new
class - Group 2, the results were very familiar.
Paul Choiniere, from Sherburne, Vermont, with co-driver Jeff
Becker, from Queens, NY, swept to a one-minute victory in
their Audi S-2 Quattro in the inaugural SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally for 1994. The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Ford Escort
Cosworth team, from Ogunquit, Maine, kept the pressure on
Choiniere the entire event, but could not close the gap.
Choiniere, who recently won an award from the American Auto
Race Writers and Broadcasters Association for being one of
the leading drivers in the country, showed both his speed
and his touch while guiding his 350 horsepower, all-wheel-
drive rally racer through the sandy roads of the Sand Hills
State Forest.
The Choiniere/Becker combination has won the national
championship the past two years, and is undefeated as a
driver/co-driver team.
The soft roads caused many of the starters to overwork their engines
or slide off the course, loosing chunks of time or being forced from
the event. Seven of the 31 starters were unable to complete the
70-mile, 9-stage course.
Besides the overall Choiniere/Becker win, other class champions
included Selcuk (pronounced "sell' chuck") Karamonoglu, a former
Turkish rally champion now living in Bath, Maine, in a Mitsubishi
Eclipse (third overall and first in the Production GT class); Ken
Stewart, from Grove, Okla., in a Chevy Blazer (fourth overall and
first in the divisional, or regional, class); Mike Hurst, from
Pendelton, IN, in a Nissan 200-SX (fifth overall and first in the new
Group 2 class); Tibor Von Denes, from Charlestown, S.C., in an Audi
200 Quattro (8th overall and first in the Group A class); Jim
Anderson, from Carrboro, NC, in a Honda Prelude (9th overall and
first in the Production class); and Ms. Kerry Voll, editor of RALLY
MAGAZINE, from Southbury, CT, in a Dodge Ram 50 Pickup (20th overall
and first in the Rally Truck class).
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co- driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event. The cars then start at one-minute intervals and race at top
speed against the clock over competition stages - in this case, the
closed forest roads of the Sand Hills State Forest.
Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour can be reached on long
straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
over the competition stages winning the event. Drivers stay on the
existing roads, and never blaze their own trails.
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally events run around the country, in
conditions from the muddy, rainy forests of the Northwest to the
frozen tundra of Maine in December, and pit Audis, Mitsubishis,
Porsches, Fords, Toyotas, Subarus, Hondas and other marques
against each other.
The next stop for the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series will be
March 12-13 in Olympia, Washington.
The 1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series consists of ten
events, and is sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation for the
purpose of promoting its XGT high performance all-season tires, with
field administration by the American Rally Association, and series
sanction by the Sports Car Club of America.
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