|
Round #5 - 1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Championship June 4-5, 1994
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
MEDIA ALERT
Event: Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) - Round #5 of the 1994
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series. Race cars from around the
world will compete at high speeds through the Pennsylvania
State Forests near Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.
When: Friday - Sunday, June 3 - 5, 1994
Schedule - Friday
noon - 8:30 PM - Registration - Baptist Church, Central and
Pearl Streets - Wellsboro.
1:00 PM - 8:30 PM - Scrutineering, Tioga County Fairgrounds
3:00 PM - Begin Special Olympics Rally
Schedule - Saturday
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM - Late worker registration - Baptist
Church - Wellsboro.
9:40 AM - Parc Expose - display of rally cars - at the Green
in downtown Wellsboro.
11:01 AM - First car starts daylight section of STPR.
11:30 AM - Fist car reaches Stoney Fork Water Crossing
Spectator Point.
12:40 PM - First car reaches Asaph spectator point.
2:00 PM - Rotary Club Chicken Barbeque; St. Paul's Episcopal
Church Hot Dog/Soda Booth - On the Green
2:40 PM - Second Parc Expose around the Green
5:01 PM - First car leaves for Evening Section of STPR
5:51 PM - First car leaves to start Finger Lakes Forest
Divisional Rally.
7:30 PM - First car reaches Ridge Road spectator point.
Schedule - Sunday
1:30 AM - First car finishes STPR Rally -downtown Wellsboro.
Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Penn Wells Hotel, 62 Main
Street, Wellsboro. A list of public viewing areas for the
rally is published in the rally program available at the Penn
Wells Hotel, or the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, Main and
Central Street, in Wellsboro.
Duration: 139 stage miles, 324 total miles, 12 stages
Rank: Full National Rally, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club and
sponsored by Michelin Tire Company. Presented by the Finger
Lakes Region of the Sports Car Club of America, with the
cooperation of the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce and the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of
Forestry.
Expected Top Entries: Paul Choiniere - defending overall three-time
national and 2-time STPR champion - in his Audi Quattro S-2;
Carl Merrill - won two of the last three rallies in '93 - in
his 400 horsepower Ford Escort Cosworth; Doug Shepherd, former
STPR co-driver winner, in an Eagle Talon; Henry Joy - finished
second in '94 national opener in Washington - in a Mitsubishi
Eclipse; Bruno Kreibich, veteran STPR competitor, in an Audi
Quattro; Peter Moodie - Jamaican rally champion -in an updated
Millen Motorsports Group A Mazda 323GTX; Selcuk Karamanoglu -
Turkish rally champion now from Bath, ME - has won GT class
twice this year in his Mitsubishi Eclipse; Frank Sprongl,
Canadian rally champion, in an Audi Quattro; Cal Landau,
fastest Penn. competitor (from Corapolis), in a Production GT
Mitsubishi Eclipse; Goran Ostland - from San Salvador -
currently leads Group 2 class in his Saab 99; Vinnie Frontinan
- top finisher in '93 in Production GT - in a Toyota Celica
GT4; Dave Turner - former off-road racer and leader of the
Production class - in a Production Mitsubishi Eclipse.
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 starting June 2.
Rally cars going through water, 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 Green Room on the
first floor of the Penn Wells Hotel.
Contact: Andy Schupack - national series media liaison:
(401) 739-5677 (now thru June 2)
(717) 724-2111 (ask for the Green Room)
(401) 739-5677 (race results after June 5)
# # #
SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
ROUND #5 - SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL PRO RALLY
WELLSBORO, PENNSYLVANIA
JUNE 4 - 5, 1994
ENTRY/START LIST
(as of 6/3/94 - close of registration)
Car Driver/ National Class/
# Co-driver Hometown Vehicle Divisional
3 Carl Merrill Ogunquit, ME Ford Escort Open
Jon Wickens Bloomfield Hills, MI Cosworth
1 Paul Choiniere Shelburne, VT Audi Open
Jeff Becker Great Neck, NY Quattro S-2
12 Bruno Kreibich Queens, NY Audi Quattro Open
John Buffum S. Burlington, VT
5 Henry Joy Wilmette, IL Mitsubishi Open
Brian Maxwell Port Hope, ONT Eclipse
9 Doug Shepherd Plymouth, MI Eagle Talon Open
Pete Gladysz Troy, MI
13 Peter Moodie Kingston, Jamaica Mazda 323GTX Open
Michael Fennell Kingston, Jamaica
98 Vinnie Frontinan Somerville, MA Toyota Group A
Frank Arruda Johnston, RI Celica GT4
14 Barry Lattreille Williamstown, ONT Eagle Talon Production GT
Sandra Lattreille Williamstown, ONT
15 Selcuk Karamanoglu Bath, ME Mitsubishi Production GT
John McArthur Honeoye Falls, NY Eclipse
16 Cal Landau Coraopolis, PA Mitsubishi Production GT
Eric Marcus Dayton, OH Eclipse
17 Tom Ottey Columbus, OH Mazda 323GTX Production GT
Pam McGarvey Columbus, OH
18 Goran Ostlund San Salvador Saab 99 Group 2/
Steve Baker Snohomish, WA Div.
30 Sam Bryan Kent, WA Saab 900 Group 2/
Mark Simons Buckley, WA Div.
19 Bob Elliott Rutland, VT VW GTI Production/
Mark Williams Gaithersburg, MD Div.
20 Jon Kemp Attica, NY Audi 4000 Open
Paul Barrows Rochester, NY
21 Carl Fisher Greenville, NH Dodge Omni Open/
Ted Mendham Lyndeboro, NH Div.
22 Rick Davis West Chester, PA BMW M-3 Group A
Ben Greisler Philadelphia, PA
23 L. Mark Stone Somers, NY Nissan Violet Open
Mark Goldfarb Atkinson, NH
59 Sakis Hajiminas Floral Park, NY Audi 4000 Open
Tom Burgess Vancouver, BC Quattro
24 Rick Swenson Highland Lakes, NJ Mazda 323GTX Production GT/
Rod Hendrickson Clinton, NJ Div.
25 Rees Harris S. Burlington, VT Mazda 323GTX Production GT/
TBD Div.
26 Ivan Orisek White Plains, NY Mitsubishi Production GT/
Olga Orisek White Plains, NY Eclipse Div.
27 Karl Scheible Spencerport, NY VW GTI Group 2
Wayne Scheible Hamlin, NY
28 Mike Whitman Farmington, NM Datsun 510 Group 2
Jimmy Brandt Odessa, MI
29 Bruce Newey Atlanta, GA Mazda RX-7 Group 2/
Kennon Rymer Knoxville, TN Div.
31 Leslie Suddard Wilmington, DE Dodge Omni Group 2
Cindy Krolikowski Wyandota, MI
38 Dick Casey Fairfax Station, VA VW GTI Group 2/
Martin Dapot Reston, VA Div.
32 Dave Turner Hemet, CA Mitsubishi Production
Bill Gutzmann Ontario, CA Eclipse
33 Greg Healey Hartsville, SC Dodge Ram 50 Truck
John MacLeod S. Easton, MA
34 Mike Hurst Pendleton, IN Nissan 200SX Group 2/
Rob Bohn Noblesville, IN Div.
35 Peter Watt Peterborough, ONT Suzuki Swift Production
Roger Sanderson Waterloo, ONT
36 Jim Anderson Carrboro, NC Honda Prelude Production/
Charles Bradley Admore, PA Div.
37 Roland McIvor Beaver Falls, PA Mitsubishi Production GT/
Ellen Santarcangelo Beaver Falls, PA Eclipse Div.
39 Shu Lin Kuo Taiwan Dodge Omni Production
Ivan Huang Taiwan
41 Jonathan Crocker Dearborn, MI Honda CRX Group 2
Greg Brown Dearborn, MI
42 Pat Ayer S. Burlington, VT Mazda 323GTX Production GT
Diane Houseal Trenton, NJ
43 Jim Briggs Williston, VT Mazda 323GTX Production GT
John Pyke Enosburg, VT
44 Yvan Joyal Pepentigny, Quebec Toyota Corolla Group 2
Raymond Cadieux St. Lazare, Quebec
45 Damon Mayers Taunton, MA Toyota Corolla Group 2
Phil Barnes Cortland, NY
46 Dean Fry Mohnton, PA Subaru 4WD Open/
Don Kennedy Shillington, PA Div.
47 Gerald Sweet Oakridge, NJ Saab 99 Group 2/
Stuart Spark Woodcliff Lake, NJ
48 Wen Jen Lin Taiwan Mitsubishi Production GT
Lance Smith Burlington, VT Eclipse
49 Joe Gumkowski Buffalo, NY Ford Escort Open
Gordon Tracz Amherst, NY
50 Scott Kriesler Pottstown, PA Saab 99 Group 2
John Bonasera Trappe, PA
51 Aleksandr Kishinevski Woodbridge, VA Toyota Celica Group 2
Bradley Hunt Orrtanna, PA
52 Jerzy Wacker Bridgewater, NJ Audi Quattro Open/
Peter Bernart Randolph, NJ Div.
53 Jon Pizzagalli Winooski, VT VW GTI Group 2/
John Springer Burlington, VT Div.
40 Keith Kreisler West Chester, PA Saab 900 Group 2
Chris Erney Reston, VA
66 Tad Ohtake Dearborn, MI Ford Escort Production
Bob Martin Goodrich, MI
54 Dave Clement Rochester, NY Dodge Omni Open
Greg Higham Goodrich, MI
55 Kurt Thiel Rochester, NY VW GTI Group 2
Pete Nichols Rochester, NY
56 Gerry Brinkman Freehold, NJ VW GTI Group 2
Robert Barrall Bethlehem, PA
57 Greg Trepetin N. Potomac, MD Mazda 323GTX Production GT
Sonia Ivanovs N. Potomac, MD
58 Carl Redner Walled Lake, MI Mazda RX-7 Open
Nancy Redner Walled Lake, MI
Divisional only
171 Thomas Brann Mahopac, NY Subaru DL Divisional
Robert Lippman Lincolndale, NY
172 Carlos Filipe New Bedford, MA VW Golf GTI Divisional
Doug Beaulieu Westport, MA
173 Gail McGuire Avon, NY Ford F-150 Divisional
Russ Hughes Avon, NY Pick-up
174 Alan Fahrner Canton, OH VW GTI Divisional
Kevin West Bolivar, OH
175 Raymond Jannelli Medford, NJ Ford Escort Divisional
Michael Pietrinferno Medford, NJ
176 Sylvester Stepniewski Keansburg, NJ VW Scirocco Divisional
Adam Pelc Brooklyn, NY
Press Notes #1
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 3, 1994 - 9:00 AM
1. Welcome to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, site of the
Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and the annual Laurel Festival,
for the 18th running of the Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally
(STPR). This is the second-longest continuing PRO Rally
in the U.S., with the Press-on-Regardless event in
Michigan having run as a PRO Rally for 20 years and
more. This is the fifth rally on the 1994 SCCA/Michelin
PRO Rally circuit, and the third full national. Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker in their Audi Quattro have won two
events (Sand Hill-Sand Blast in Cheraw, South Carolina,
and Rim of the World in Palmdale, California); and Jeff
Zwart (with two different co-drivers) has won two events
(Doo Wop in Olympia, Washington, and Wild West PRO
Rally - also in Olympia).
2. New this year 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.
3. Yet another new item for STPR fans and media 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, no less than 16 Group 2 cars are entered,
including Mazda RX-7, Nissan 200-SX, Saab 900 and 99, VW
GTI, Dodge Omni, Datsun 510, and Toyota Corolla racers.
Goran Ostlund, from San Salvador (and a part-time
resident of Seattle), is currently leading Group 2 in a
Saab 99, which has also finished well overall in the
first events. Ostlund and co-driver Steve Baker will be
making their first STPR appearance to try and extend that
points lead.
4. As usual, a critical element to the STPR rally is the
status of the Stoney Fork Water Crossing, the flying
finish in the water at the end of stage #1. If the creek
level is above the third indentation on the calf bone of
organizer Rusty Campbell on Saturday morning, then the
rally skips the water crossing and starts with stage #2
(a high water level leads to excessive intake of water in
the engines). Although it rained hard in Wellsboro on
Tuesday night, it's been a fairly dry spring, and the
water crossing seems to be in good shape.
5. The weather will also cooperate this year, with sunny
skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the 70's. Dust
could be a problem, with the organizer reserving the
right to go to two minute intervals between cars if he
feels the dust is impairing vision on the stages.
6. You can credit the Group 2 phenomenon for bringing extra
West Coast entries to this rally. The Mike Whitman/Jimmy
Brandt Datsun 510, the Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 900,
along with the aforementioned Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 are
all West Coast rallies making their first trip East in
order to keep the points chase close in Group 2. Kevin
Linville, Whitman's regular co-driver, could not break
away from his civilian job in Durango, Colorado, so Jimmy
Brandt, a veteran STPR co-driver with Guy Light and Henry
Joy, will help guide Whitman's effort. Whitman has also
picked up some unexpected crew help from Pete Lahm, whose
Datsun 510 had entered the event, but mechanical problems
will prevent Pete from running.
7. For the overall points leaders in this year's
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series, STPR will be a case of
"while the cat's away.." as series leader Jeff Zwart and
his Porsche Carrera 4 will be absent for the event. The
Millen (as in former series champion and four-time STPR
winner Rod Millen) Motorsports crew which prepares
Zwart's car is busily putting in a 500-horsepower
supermotor for the car to run the famous Pike's Peak Hill
Climb on July 4. This is the same hillclimb that Carl
Merrill ran in his Ford Escort Cosworth in 1993, when
Merrill plunged off the mountain and totalled his car.
Although the Ford Escort Cosworth Merrill and co-driver
Jon Wickens are driving this weekend looks similar to
last year's STPR entry, it is the replacement vehicle for
the car destroyed at Pike's Peak.
8. Martin Headland, from Calgary, Alberta, who is Zwart's
regular co-driver, was scheduled to sit in the
navigator's seat for up-and-coming hot shoe Rees Harris,
from Burlington, Vermont, in a Mazda 323GTX. Headland
suffered an non-rally-related injury, however, and was
forced to withdraw. Harris is looking for a replacement.
Press Notes #2
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 4, 1994 - noon
9. After yesterday's "sanctioned" practice stage, we have
the following to report:
--The Pat Ayer/Diane Houseal car crashed, leaving Ayer
with some major under-carriage repairs overnight if the
Production GT Mazda 323GTX is to run on Saturday. If
Ayer's car cannot answer the bell, co-driver Houseal
might hook up with Rees Harris, who has still not
located a national co-driver to replace Martin
Headland. Late word is that Dan Sprongl, co-driver for
the scratched Sprongl/Sprongl entry (see below) is in
town, and Rees might tap Dan to co-drive. If Rees uses
a divisional co-driver, he must run the divisional
event only. By the way, if Ayer is able to fix the
suspension damage to his car, it will be with parts
provided by...Rees Harris. "I LOVE this game."
--The roads will be fast and dry for today's rally, but
dry also means dusty, according to the competitors who
practiced yesterday. Series manager Tom Grimshaw might
opt for two minute intervals between cars early in the
event to make sure competitors can see after the dust
settles.
Also, this will make the "first on the road" position
very important. The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Ford
Escort Cosworth holds that position for the startof the
rally, but the cars will re-seed, or change running
position after stage four (based on the times for the
first two stages). So going for broke on the first two
stages to gain that position for the rest of the rally
might be crucial - as much as 30 seconds a stage,
according to some competitors.
10. The Frank Spongl/Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro from Canada,
winner of the 1992 Maine Forest Rally, is a late scratch
from the field, citing mechanical problems as a reason.
11. The reason the Pete Lahm/Keith Roper Datsun 510 stayed
on the trailer in Phoenix was that the car swallowed two
valves "idling in my driveway," according to Lahm.
12. Here's how the top ten overall points leaders shape up
going into STPR:
--Jeff Zwart, Porsche Carrera 4, taking this event off
to prepare for Pike's Peak, has 15 point lead.
--Paul Choiniere, Audi Quattro S-2, coming from
impressive win at Rim of the World, needs a win
or second-place finish to pass Zwart - has won STPR
two years in a row - will try especially hard to
beat Merrill on first two stages to secure first on
the road for the reseed.
--Henry Joy, Mitsubishi Eclipse, perhaps most improved
driver on the circuit, comes into this rally after
winning last three stages outright at Rim.
--Goran Ostlund, Saab 99, has a 15 point lead in Group 2
over Sam Bryan - looking to finish well in class to
maintain.
--Carl Merrill, Ford Escort Cosworth, can win if he can
stay ahead of the field for the reseed. A victory
would put Merrill right back in the points chase after
he won and was disqualified earlier this season at the
Wild West Rally in Olympia, Wash.
--Selcuk Karamanogly, Mitsubishi Eclipse, leading the
Production GT class, but facing the stiffest
competition far this year with Landau, Ottey,
Lattreille, etc.
--Greg Lund, Mazda 323GTX - Group A - not here
--Vinnie Frontinan, Toyota Celica GT4, in ancticipation
of the completion of his new Celica All-Trac, will try
to score much-needed points to climb back into the
Group A points chase. He lost some points earlier in
the year when he ran Production GT instead of Group A.
--Mitch McCullough, Mazda 323GTX - not here.
--Rhys Millen, Toyota All-Trac, Production GT - not
here.
Press Notes #3
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 4, 1994 - 10:00 PM
13. 53 national cars and national/divisional entries and
five divisional-only rally racers left downtown
Wellsboro this morning for the 18th running of the
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally. The cars first went
through the Stoney Fork Water Crossing (which ends stage
#1, and then ran three additional stages before coming
back into Wellsboro for an extended afternoon Parc
Expose and service stop. Many interesting developments
leading to some surprise leaders and frustrated rally
teams.
14. John Buffum, clearly the most recognizeable name in U.S.
PRO Rally, president of the American Rally Association,
owner of Libra Racing (which built and prepared both
Merrill's and Choiniere's car), had been listed as a co-
driver on the car entered by veteran rallyist Bruno
Kreibich. But when the rally started, just like last
year, Buffum jumped in the driver's seat and it was off
to the races. The Kreibich/Buffum Audi Quattro, with
John Buffum driving, leads STPR by a little more than a
minute after four stages. Even more important, the
veteran rallyists have the front position for the
evening stages, which threaten to be dusty.
Last year, when Buffum and Bruno ran STPR and switched
between driver and co-driver during the rally, they were
able to keep their second-place overall finish, but
forfeited any national points earned, according to the
rulebook. But the rules have been changed, so if Buffum
drives the majority of the rally, he gets the points, or
if Bruno does, he get the points. Buffum said he has
offered the wheel to Bruno at the end of each stage, but
Bruno has told John to continue.
15. The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth,
which had a promising position being first on the road,
popped a water hose only 200 yards into the first stage.
He had to run the entire stage in 7th gear (to minimize
strain on the engine), and lost more than a minute to the
top contestants. Carl proceeded to win stages 3 and 4,
but it wasn't enough to put him any higher than third.
16. The Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 probably went the
fastest during the first four stages, but they lost more
than a minute on stage #1 when Merrill had his hose
problem, and held up the Audi on the stage.
17. The Peter Moodie/Michael Fennell Mazda 323GTX - a recent
generation Millen Motorsports Group A model, is running
fourth, only seconds behind Merrill and Choiniere.
Moodie's car is running fine, but the Jamaican champion
seemed to be bothered by the dust.
18. Selcuk Karamanoglu/John McArthur Mitsubishi Eclipse
Production GT car lost its front spoiler in the water
crossing at the end of stage #1, but they are pleased
with the way that the car is running - fifth overall and
first in Production GT.
19. Rees Harris and late-entry co-driver Constantine
Mantopoulos seem to be in good shape despite their co-
driver ordeal detailed in previous notes - now 6th
overall.
20. The Vinnie Frontinan/Frank Arruda - seventh overall and
second in Group A in their Toyota Celica GT4 - seem to
have solved the suspension problems they had at Rim of
the World, but their brakes are overheating and Vinnie
is sick.
21. One of the surprises of the rally so far is that the
Bruce Newey/Kennon Reymer Mazda RX-7 Group 2 car is
eighth overall, first in Group 2, and fastest at the
water-cross stage. Newey credits his success (no promos
here - this is straight news) to the switch from
Bridgestone to Michelin rally ties.
22. The Henry Joy/Brian Maxwell Mitsubishi Eclipse suffered
multiple problems during the first several stages, the
worst of which was a cracked power steering unit which
leaked fluid and started an engine fire on stage one.
The fire caused engine compartment damaged, including
the melting of the radiator fan. Along the way, they
hit an embankment, breaking an a-arm, ball joint, and a
brake caliper. The long service after #4 enabled them
to fix all those ills and re-start the rally on time -
in ninth position.
23. Some DNF's:
--Shepherd/Galdysz, Eagle Talon, went off the road and
tore off a wheel - stage #2
--Bryan/Simons, Group 2 Saab 900, engine
--McIvor/Santarcangelo, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Production GT,
hit a tree - co-driver taken to the hospital for
observation and release - just "sore all over."
--Anderson/Bradley, Honda Prelude, Production,
suspension.
Press Notes #4
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 5, 1994 - 1:00 AM
24. The Barry Latreille/Sandra Latreille Eagle Talon
sprung and oil leak and the team was forced to shut
the car down before engine damage occurred. The pair
from Canada will run the divisional rally which starts
with stage #5.
25. The Production class battle is going hot and heavy, but
the top guns are having their problems. The Bob
Elliott/Mark Williams VW GTI has run most of the first
four stages without brakes, while the Dave Turner/Bill
Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse clipped two trees on the
left-hand turn just before the water crossing. Both
cars are continuing.
27. Greg Healey/John McLeod, leaders in the Rally Truck
class in their Dodge Ram 50 pickup, broke the record for
the class on stage 3 by more than 15 seconds.
28. The Tom Otty/Pam McGarvey Mazda 323GTX was running at
2,500 RPM for the first four stages. The team thought
it might be a bad relay, replaced that, but couldn't get
the revs up on the restart, and were forced to drop out
of the event.
29. The Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse seems to
be running better after the service break, but on stages
#1 - #4, they couldn't get the car over 6,000 RPM before
it would break up. The team was hoping it was bad gas
they put into the car before the event that was causing
the problem.
30. Leslie Suddard/Cindy Krolikowski are putting their seat-
of-the-pants road rally skills to the test as they are
running without an odometer in their Dodge Omni.
31. The Greg Trepetin/Sonia Ivanovs Mazda 323GTX, having
trouble with a slower car in front of them, crashed on
stage #3 and were time-barred (a DNF).
32. The Taiwanese rally teams are having a good time, and
their entries are running well. The biggest surprise in
their first U.S. rally (through a translator) - "the
size of the rocks."
Press Notes #5
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 5, 1994 - 8:00 AM
33. The 18th running of the Susuquehannock Trail PRO Rally
is history, and the Audi Quattro S-2 team of Paul
Choiniere and Jeff Becker has scored an impressive three
minute victory to win their third straight STPR victory.
Choiniere, who found himself a minute behind the leaders
early in the rally because of Carl Merrill's water hose
problems on stage #1, overtook the Audi Quattro of Bruno
Kreibich and John Buffum late in the rally for the win.
Buffum, who drove the first five stages to put Bruno's
vintage 1983 Audi in the lead, swapped driving chores
with Bruno later in the event. In all, Bruno drove five
stages and Buffum drove seven, but Choiniere/Becker were
able to overcome the early Kreibich/Buffum lead to
secure the win. Because he is the faster driver and
gave the team a "competitive advantage" (rule 7.2) by
driving, Buffum scored the drivers points for second
place and Bruno the co-driver points. This rule is
different than it was last year, when the pair was
barred from scoring national points after they swapped
positions during the '93 event.
Third overall was the Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl
Merrill/Jon Wickens, who ran very well after his first
stage problems with a loose water hose - finished three
minutes behind Kreibich/Buffum. Fourth was the Henry
Joy/Brian Maxwell Mitsubishi Eclipse, followed by the
Production GT class winner Selcuk Karamanoglu/John
McArthur.
Other class winners included Yvan Joyal/Raymond Cadieux
from Canada in a Toyota Corolla (7th overall and first
in Group 2); Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin in a Ford Escort
(eighth overall and first in Production); Greg
Healey/John MacLeod in a Dodge Ram 50 (11th overall and
first in Rally Truck; and Rick Davis/Ben Greisler in a
BMW M-3 (18th overall and first in Group A).
Press Notes #6
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (STPR) Wellsboro, Penn.
Round #5 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
June 5, 1994 - 3:00 PM
34. Some post-rally thoughts:
--Bruce Newey, whose Mazda RX-7 Group 2 car was running
so well during the first part of the event, got
something caught between the rim and the tire, causing
the tire to come completely off the rim and the Mazda
to roll into an embankment. Although Newey wasn't
hurt, it caused him and co-driver Kennon Rymer to lose
and opportunity to collect valuable points.
--Easily the worst incident of the rally occurred on
stage nine, when the Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Ivan
and Olga Orisek erupted in flames when a hydraulic
fluid line ruptured. The fire, which shot flames more
than 40 feet in the air and lasted for almost an hour,
completely destroyed the car. No one was hurt, but as
a result, stage nine was block, so the competitors had
to transit through stage 11 (no times were recorded)
to get to the beginning of stage 10.
--Another disappointed Group 2 hopeful was the class-
leading Saab 99 of Goran Oslund. Ostlund, confronted
with a "wall of dust" at a high-speed turn, flew off
the road and high-centered on a bed of saplings.
--Cal Landau, whose Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse
was already down on power, overheated during the
latter part of the event after stopping to help the
Oriseks.
--Selcuk Karamanoglu, even though he had a class win and
a fine overall finish, would have beaten Henry Joy for
fourth overall had he not run for 10 miles on stage
nine with a flat tire.
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack
(717) 724-2086
THE STUDENT SNOOKERS THE MASTER TO STEAL A MICHELIN PRO
RALLY WIN AT SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL PRO RALLY IN PENNSYLVANIA
WELLSBORO, Penn. -- June 5 -- As two-time defending champions
in the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series, Paul Choiniere, from
Shelburne, Vermont, and co-driver Jeff Becker, know a thing
or two about rally strategy, but 11-time champion John
Buffum, knows a lot more. Yet it was Choiniere - also
Buffum's step-son - and Becker who used the rules to their
advantage to win the Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally in their
Audi Quattro S-2.
Buffum, from Colchester, Vermont, and Audi Quattro car-owner
Bruno Kreibich, were leading the rally at the mid-point, and
more importantly, were first on the road for each stage,
avoiding the extremely dusty conditions that were plaguing
the other competitors. Using a legal, but little used
scoring maneuver similar to adding a stroke to a golf
scorecard in exchange for moving your ball from a rough,
Choiniere and Becker were able to position themselves first
on the road for the last five stages of the event - a move
which was worth at least 20 seconds a stage. The defending
champions went on to a three minute-plus win over Buffum and
Kreibich, despite transmission problems on the last stage.
By the way, Buffum drove seven stages and Bruno drove five -
an action legal under this year's rulebook. Last year, the
pair swapped driving and co-driving duties as well at STPR,
only to be disqualified from scoring national points.
The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens, from Ogunquit, Maine, in a Ford
Escort Cosworth - which lost time early in the event with a
loose water hose - was third, with the Henry Joy/Brian
Maxwell Mitsubishi Eclipse, from Wilmette, Illinois, fourth.
Choiniere takes over the series driver points lead with
58 points, while previous series leader Jeff Zwart, with his
Porsche Carrera 4, skipped the event to prepare his car for
the July 4 Pike's Peak Hillclimb. Zwart has 51 points.
In the other classes, Yvan Joyal and Raymond Cadieux from
Montreal won the Group 2 class in a Toyota Corolla; Rick
Davis and Ben Greisler, from West Chester, Penn, were winners
in Group A in their BMW M-3; Selcuk Karamanoglu and John
McArthur, from Bath, Maine, captured Production GT in their
Mitsubishi Eclipse; the Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort GT,
from Dearborn, Mich., won the Production class; and Greg
Healey/John MacLeod, from Hartsville, SC, drove their Dodge
Ram 50 to a Rally Truck class win.
In all, 31 of the 53 starters completed the high-speed, 124-
mile course which has the fastest roads on the SCCA/Michelin
PRO Rally circuit.
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 - unlike World Rally where
practice is allowed. 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 in North Central Pennsylvania.
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 blazing Arizona desert in August to the frozen
tundra of Maine in December, and pit Audis, Mitsubishis, Porsches,
Fords, Toyotas, Subarus and other marques against each other.
The 1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series consists of eleven events,
and is sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, with field
administration by the American Rally Association, and series sanction
by the Sports Car Club of America.
The next event on the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally circuit will be the
Prescott Forest PRO Rally, to be held in Prescott, Arizona,
July 8 - 9.
|