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Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship April 23 - 24, 1993
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
Press Notes #1
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Thursday, April 22, 1993
8:00 PM
1. Welcome to the opening event of the 1993 Subaru PRO Rally
Championship, as well as the initial running of the Wild West PRO
Rally, in Olympia, Washington. Although the organizing committee
headed by Bob Grass of Kent, Wash. and John Forespring of Olympia is a
veteran group, it is the first time these two men have been the
organizers of the Olympia PRO Rally. Former organizer Ray Damitio,
who will be entered as a co-driver for local standout Grant Whiting
(car #123 - Dodge Colt), is still involved with the rally however, as
his PDE Auto Body business in the Olympia Auto Mall is lending
facilities for both the press room and rally scoring operations.
2. Before we talk about the top competitors who are here, let's mention a
few of those who aren't.
--Chad DiMarco, Subaru Legacy, '92 Group A champion - plans to run the
rest of the season in Group A; skipping this event because
sponsorship arrangements are not complete.
--Bruno Kreibich, Audi Quattro, '91 Open class champion - will run
selected events starting with STPR in Wellsboro, Penn.
--Frank Spongl, Audi Quattro, '92 Maine Forest Rally winner - hopes
to make five or six events this year starting with Rim of the World
in California.
--Tim O'Neil, Mitsubishi Galant, last year's Capitol Forest Rally
winner - could not secure sponsorship for '93 - sold his car
to Frank Cunningham (entered as car #93 this weekend).
--W.G. Giles, VW GTI, clinched '92 Production class championship in
Olympia last year - still seeking sponsorship for a new team.
--Cal Landau, Mitsubishi Eclipse, '91 Production class champion -
will debut new car at STPR.
3. Although the conditions this weekend are expected to be muddy
in the Capitol Forest - as usual - the forecast for Friday night and
Saturday calls for mostly clear skis with highs in the '50s during the
day and lows in the '40s at night. Also, because the rally is being
held in the spring rather than the fall - no slippery piles of leaves.
4. The Hyundai Elantra of Rod Millen/Phil Berg is a Millen Motorsports
car originally built for Jamaican Peter Moodie (who made his only
American PRO Rally appearance at Olympia in 1991). The car has had
its suspension modified to match the Jamaican rally conditions, and
this is a final test before the car is scheduled to return to Jamaica.
This factory-backed effort is only officially slated to run one event,
but both PRO rally fans and organizers hope that Rod and Hyundai
figure a way to campaign the car for the rest of the season. Millen
is also preparing an Elantra - hillclimb style - for the upcoming
Pike's Peak event. He won his class in last year's Pike's Peak race
in a Hyundai Scoup. Although Millen lost his ride in the Asia-Pacific
series with Mazda, he continues to campaign a Toyota Pickup in the
Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group stadium series.
5. Besides Millen's entry, probably two of the most anticipated debuts in
PRO Rally in recent years will take place here in Olympia on Friday.
Jeff Zwart, a formula car racer and well-known filmmaker - who took up
rallying in the late '80s and won the Open class title in 1990 - has
teamed up with Millen Motorsports to build a rare car on the rally
scene - a Porsche. Zwart's Carrera 4 - an all-wheel-drive 911 -
received technical input from Alwin Springer - builder of 962 IMSA
racing engines - at Porsche North America, and has components from
Porsche's 959 Paris-Dakar rally entries.
6. The other spectacular entry which will debut has been built by
Millen's closest rival in the '70s and '80s in the U.S. - John Buffum.
Buffum's Libra Racing shop has built a Ford Escort Cosworth - rated at
more than 400 horsepower, for Open class contender Carl Merrill.
Merrill, who was leading the Capitol Forest Stages in Olympia last
year with only two legs to go when he ran off the road and suffered
two flat tires, sold his '92 Mitsubishi Eclipse to up-and-coming Open
class contender Henry Joy (car #12). Merrill's car, which ran at full
speed for the first time during a testing session today, has a full
seven-speed, clutchless transmission.
7. But the favorite to win the event has to be defending Subaru PRO Rally
Championship titleholder Paul Choiniere. Choiniere also has a new
car to debut - an Audi Quattro S-2. This car, in full European rally
trim with Audi's latest 20-valve, 2.3-liter, twin cam turbo engine, is
a result of "Audi wanting to see the latest model out there,"
according to an Audi source. Does this mean that Audi of America is
sponsoring the Libra Racing effort. Not exactly, but look for the
factory to take some credit if this car succeeds. And Choiniere has
been the most consistent driver on the U.S. PRO Rally circuit over the
last four years.
8. Several other drivers in the Open class have entries capable of top
overall finishes. The B.J. Beal/Bob Davenport (Davenport subbing for
B.J.'s brother Stuart, who would be co-driving except for a business
commitment) Mazda 323GTX is an ex-Rod Millen Asia Pacific racer, and
won the '91 Rim of the World event.
9. Although Dick Corley's Mitsubishi Eclipse is not brand new (the
Vermont Sports Car Shop is building him a new car which should debut
mid-season), the Lance Smith-headed effort is one of the most well-
equipped cars on the circuit just as it sits. Like Merrill, Corley has
a full Group A rally transmission; his allows him to downshift without
the use of a clutch.
10. Henry Joy, the top rookie for 1992 in his Mazda 323GTX, has bought
Carl Merrill's 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse and will run in the Open class
with veteran co-driver Jimmy Brandt. Joy has tested the car during
the off-season and is ready to challenge the top runners.
11. Greg Lund, from Bellevue, Wash., the top local entry, will be running
with co-driver Mike Huffman instead of his usual navigator, wife
Lynne.
12. In Group A, Vinny Frontinan and Frank Arruda, who were class runner-
ups in 1992, have built a new Group A Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. With
his main Group A rival Chad DiMarco missing from the event, Vinny and
Frank could get a jump on the points lead by finishing as the only
Group A entry.
13. Likewise, the Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini Acura Integra GS-R is one
of only two Production class cars running at this event. Cunningham,
who finished a spectacular second overall in his first-ever rally last
year at Rim of the World, would have contended for the class
championship if his Firestone Firehawk schedule hadn't caused several
event conflicts. He was a champion in the Firehawk series in a Dodge
Stealth. The other entry is a new Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by
Tony and Liz Shumaker.
14. The Production GT class will be very competitive at Wild West, with
Mitsubishi Galants and Eclipses battling a lone Mazda 323GTX. The
Mazda, driven by Rick Beson and Geoff Case, from Portland, will have
its hands full keeping up with the barrage of Mitsubishis - all
chasing the $2,500 contingency award the company has posted for winning
each class. The Production GT Mitsubishis look like this:
--Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzmann, overall fastest car at Rim of the
World last year as a divisional entry - in a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
--Todd Bawden/Cal Coatsworth, Mitsubishi Eclipse.
--Sakis Hajiminas/Tom Burgess, Mitsubishi Eclipse
--Ivan Orisek/Olga Orisek, Mitsubishi Eclipse
--Frank Cunningham/Charles Bradley - bought '92 Capitol Forest
Stages winning Mitsubishi Galant from Tim O'Neil
--Antonio Menendez/Juan Boya - new Mexican team - Mitsubishi
Eclipse
15. In the Rally Truck class, the Mitsubishi contingency money is again
showing its presence as the top two teams have dropped their '92
mounts in favor of Mitsubishi pickup. '92 class champions Gary and
Judi Gooch, and runner ups Roger Hull - with co-driver John Elkin for
this event) have left their Toyota and Jeep entries respectively in
favor of Mitsubishi. What is of interest is that Guy Light, the '91
champion, who did not run in '92, is here as well, and is certainly
capable of winning the class in his GMC Sonoma pickup and depriving
the Mitsubishi entrants of their money.
Press Notes #2
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Friday, April 23, 1993
2:00 PM
16. Word from Williston, Vermont is that Paul Choiniere's wife, Lori,
who is eight months plus pregnant, is having contractions about two
minutes apart. Choiniere has opted to stay home for the impending
birth, and will not be in Olympia to run the Wild West Rally.
Fortunately, his entrant, owner of Libra Racing and step-father John
Buffum, who has won this rally several times, will step in and drive
the team's new Audi S-2. Buffum, who has kept his competition license
current and frequently drives in Canadian rallies, has not driven in a
U.S. PRO Rally since 1989. That was also the last time that Buffum
and rival Rod Millen - who has concentrated on rallies in the Asia-
Pacific series since then - have met toe-to-toe in a U.S. event.
Both Millen and Buffum have won the Olympia event during the '80s.
17. 51 cars will take the green flag in downtown Shelton,
Washington, for the start of the Wild West PRO Rally. Because this
event has been moved to the first rally of the season, this is the
largest turnout for a national PRO rally here in some time. In the
past, many of the national competitors would pass up the event
because it was so late in the season and such a long trip.
18. The Vinny Frontinan/Frank Arruda Mitsubishi Galant has been moved from
Group A to Production GT.
19. During the media demonstration stage this morning, the Gary Gooch/Judi
Gooch Mitsubishi pickup was running a little lean, but the Goochs have
the Haltech computerized engine control system in their car, so
changing the fuel mixture is just a matter of punching in some new
settings.
20. Several of the teams had more trouble getting here than they are
likely to have during the rally. The Libra Racing Audi S-2, now being
driven by John Buffum, sustained body damage when the car's
transporter flipped over after skidding on an ice patch in South
Dakota. Fortunately, everyone was okay, and the team was able to
proceed to Washington. Also, it is fortunate that registration and
tech was at PDE Auto Body, so the car was repaired in short order.
21. Also experiencing problems was the brand new transport vehicle just
purchased and customized by Porsche entrant Jeff Zwart. The
transporter, complete with car, spares and tools, broke its
transmission only a few hours out of L.A. The team was forced to rent
a U-Haul, and transfer all the stuff before heading out of town. And
the transporter? The parts are backordered.
Press Notes #3
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Friday, April 23, 1993
8:00 PM
22. A correction on note #16 on Millen vrs. Buffum. Upon further
reflection, it was determined that Millen and Buffum had not raced
against each other since 1987, not 1989. This lead Millen to to quip,
with apologies to ESPN's new auto racing show, that he and Buffum
aren't racing vintage cars; they're just vintage race drivers, or
"Fast Masters."
23. The Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 team is treating the
rally like a "test session," according Zwart. The team hopes to run
as many stages as possible to help dial in the car's many complex
suspension and drivetrain systems.
24. After the first stage, we have the following top scores:
Driver/Co-driver Car Time (min:sec) Class
Buffum/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 4:41 Open
Millen/Berg Hyundai Elantra 4:43 Open
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth 5:01 Open
Peterson/Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse 5:06 GT
Lund/Huffman Mazda 323GTX 5:14 Open
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 5:14 Open
Hadjiminas/Burgess Mitsubishi Eclipse 5:15 GT
Cunningham/Bradley Mitsubishi Eclipse 5:18 GT
Beal/Davenport Mazda 323GTX 5:23 Open
Beson/Case Mazda 323GTX 5:23 GT
Bryan/Simons Saab 900 5:26 Open
Johnson/Bradley Toyota Corolla 5:26 Open
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse 5:26 Open
Light/White GMC Sonoma Pick-up 5:30 Truck*
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra 5:40 Prod*
*others have better times overall, but these two entries lead
their classes
25. Other stage #1 notes:
--The Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini Acura entry had some problems on
stage #1, almost coming to a stop on the road before getting back
up to full speed.
--The Mike Halliday/Jan Halliday Mustang team had an off-road
excursion losing almost 30 seconds before getting out of the mud.
--The Gary Caffroy/John Arnold Mazda RX-3 was seen sitting on the
side of the road near the end of stage #1, apparently with a blown
engine.
Press Notes #4
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Friday, April 24, 1993
1:00 AM
26. After four stages (with one more to complete this evening), we have
the following totals:
Driver/Co-driver Car Time (min:sec) Class
Buffum/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 30:26 Open
Millen/Berg Hyundai Elantra 30:36 Open
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth 33:09 Open
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse 33:10 Open
Peterson/Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse 33:42 GT
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 33:44 Open
Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant 33:49 GT
Lund/Huffman Mazda 323GTX 33:59 Open
Beal/Davenport Mazda 323GTX 34:06 Open
Beson/Case Mazda 323GTX 34:15 GT
Cunningham/Bradley Mitsubishi Eclipse 34:17 GT
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra 34:47 Prod
Joy/Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse 35:02 Open
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E 35:46 Open
Light/White GMC Sonoma Pick-up 35:51 Truck
Dykes/Hanson Mitsubishi Pick-up 36:54 Truck
Menendez/Goya Mitsubishi Eclipse 37:01 GT
Gooch/Gooch Mitsubishi Pick-up 37:17 Truck
Hull/Elkins Mitsubishi Pick-up 38:20 Truck
Orisek/Orisek Mitsubishi Eclipse 38:50 GT
Walker/Lowe Dodge Colt 40:17 Open
Shumaker/Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse 41:32 Prod
White/Crane Mitsubishi Pick-up 42:09 Truck
27. Retired after four stages (reports on why coming later):
--Hadjiminas/Burgess Mitsubishi Eclipse
--Bryan/Simons Saab 900
--Johnson/Bradley Toyota Corolla
--Bawden/Coatsworth Mitsubishi
--Whitman/Linville Datsun 510
Press Notes #5
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Saturday, April 24, 1993
4:00 AM
28. At the finish of day #1 of the Wild West PRO Rally, here are the
standings for the national competitors. The cars will be reseeded
in this order for the 10:00 AM start for day #2.
Driver/Co-driver Car Time (min:sec) Class
Buffum/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 40:49 Open
Millen/Berg Hyundai Elantra 41:10 Open
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth 44:33 Open
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse 44:38 Open
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 45:00 Open
Peterson/Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse 45:20 GT
Lund/Huffman Mazda 323GTX 45:30 Open
Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant 45:40 GT
Beal/Davenport Mazda 323GTX 45:41 Open
Cunningham/Bradley Mitsubishi Eclipse 46:21 GT
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra 46:57 Prod
Whitman/Linville Datsun 510 47:15 Open
Joy/Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse 47:40 Open
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E 47:51 Open
Light/White GMC Sonoma Pick-up 48:11 Truck
Menendez/Goya Mitsubishi Eclipse 49:29 GT
Gooch/Gooch Mitsubishi Pick-up 49:58 Truck
Dykes/Hanson Mitsubishi Pick-up 49:59 Truck
Hull/Elkins Mitsubishi Pick-up 51:57 Truck
Walker/Lowe Dodge Colt 53:29 Open
Shumaker/Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse 56:41 Prod
White/Crane Mitsubishi Pick-up 56:42 Truck
Beson/Case Mazda 323GTX 59:53* GT
Orisek/Orisek Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:15:22** GT
*includes 14 road points
**includes 24 road points
29. The Sakis Hadjiminas/Tom Burgess Mitsubishi Eclipse, which broke
a turbo cooler hose on stage #2, will run the divisional rally
later today even though they are out of the national event. Sam
Bryan/Mark Simons - already entered in the divisional rally - will
also run even though they are out of the national.
Press Notes #6
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Saturday, April 24, 1993
11:30 AM
30. As the cars prepared for the re-start of the rally this morning
from downtown Olympia, drivers were looking forward to hard surfaces,
less twisty roads, a drier day, and less ruts then they encountered
during last night's five stages. Also, all the top runners in each
class survived the night and all seemed to have their equipment in
fairly good shape for today's battle. Here are some of the comments:
Buffum/Becker - leading the field by 31 seconds - "The response and
torque of this new Audi 20-valve is night and day over our old engine.
We can accelerate and upshift up a hill instead of just barely making
it up. We broke a half-shaft yesterday on stage 3 and fixed it in
service. Only other problem is that the new car leaks (roof, windows,
floor, everywhere!"
Millen/Berg - in second place - Elantra running well; Millen
pleased with car's performance
Merrill/Wickens - third place - five seconds ahead of fourth -
"The big difference in the new Escort Cosworth is that everything
happens much quicker - turns, shifting, decisions. Continuous power
in the 2000 - 6500 RPM range."
Zwart/Sircombe - fifth place in Porsche Carrera 4 - still learning the
car. Handling and power completely different than the Mazda 323GTX
Zwart drove in 1990. Car is still having transmission problems which
started yesterday.
Peterson/Gutzmann - sixth overall and leading Production GT by 20
seconds - great combination of power, handling, all-wheel-drive and
turbo versus divisional class Plymouth Arrow Peterson has run in the
past. Also, Gutzmann was under the weather during the stages last
night, and is slowly recovering this morning.
Frontinan/Arruda - eighth overall - second in GT - car is much quieter
than his former Toyota Celica AWD mount - needs to read the tack
instead of listening to the engine. The extra weight makes the car
handle much differently.
B.J. Beal/Davenport - ninth overall in ex-Millen Mazda 323GTX -
although they are still testing the car, it is a big improvement over
his former 323 entry. Stiffer handling, bigger brakes are
significant, but big difference is push-button, steering-wheel-
control-mounted six speed shifter controls.
Cunningham/Andreini - Acura is leading Production class - had to
change engines after water taken in on the press demo stage earlier in
the day damaged the computer controls. Service department at Capitol
City Honda gave the crew tools, two service bays, and all the help
they needed to get the job done. Henry Joy's crew helped as well.
Joy/Brandt - 14th overall - likes his ex-Carl Merrill Mitsubishi
Eclipse very much - thinks he can move up today as his learning curve
on driving the car went up steeply last night.
Light/White - leads truck class by 1:30 - has done nothing to the
GMC Sonoma truck since it last ran at Rim of the World last year
except "My wife Rocky waxed it last week."
Gooch/Gooch - second in truck class - adjusted shock overnight for
stiffer ride to make up for the wrong springs they have for this
event - truck is really bouncing around because of too much wheel
travel. Like the response of the Mitsubishi engine versus their old
Toyota.
Hull/Elkin - fourth in truck class - took a lot of getting used to the
four cylinder Mitsubishi versus the in-line six Jeep Camanche he
has run since 1989. Jeep was low RPM, high torque, while this is the
opposite.
Orisek/Orisek - dead last after absorbing 24 road points (24 minutes
in penalties) - car has magnetic pick-ups for the rally computer and
the whole system malfunctioned, leaving co-driver Olga with no
odometer or computer. Limited slip system in the car renders the
dashboard odo useless as well.
31. In the divisional rally completed yesterday (the five stage run),
Greg Lund and substitute co-driver Mike Huffman cruised to a 1:25
victory in Lund's Mazda 323GTX. Gene McCullough and Ed Millman were
second in another 323GTX, moving up when second-place finishers Rick
Beson and Geoff Case incurred 14 minutes in penalties. Mike Whitman
and Kevin Linville were third in a Datsun 510, while Erik Thompson and
Cam Jackson in a Volvo rounded out the top four.
Press Notes #7
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Saturday, April 24, 1993
2:00 PM
32. The Millen-Buffum dream match and fight to the finish of the Wild West
PRO rally will not materialize in 1993. The Millen Motorsports
Hyundai went off the road on stage #7 (today's second stage), and was
unable to continue. We will have a report as soon as it is available.
33. Meanwhile, the leading Buffum/Becker Audi, with more than a five
minute lead over the second place car (and Libra Racing teammate) of
Merrill/Wickens, has backed his speed down to the point where Merrill
won stage #8, beating Buffum by three seconds. Merrill's Escort
Cosworth is only 18 seconds ahead of Dick Corley and Martin Headland
in a Mitsubishi Eclipse, and is about one minute ahead of the Jeff
Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4. In a flatfooted tie with Zwart
is Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzmann in a Mitsubishi Galant (this is the
Production GT leader), while Greg Lund/Mike Huffman in a Mazda 323GTX
are seventh. The other class leaders include Guy Light/David White in
the GMC Sonoma Pick-up (Rally Truck), and Peter Cunningham/Joe
Andreini in an Acura Integra (Production).
34. The Oriseks' Mitsubishi Eclipse is out of the event, having to be
towed by the sweep vehicle on stage #6.
35. Two of the traditional rally truck teams are having trouble, allowing
Guy Light and Dave White to extend their lead to more than three
minutes. The Roger Hull/John Eklin Mitsubishi pick-up has been
reported stalled or slowing at several points during stages 6 and 7,
leaving them in third place behind Light and the Mitsubishi pickup of
Chad Dykes and Pat Hanson. Dykes, who started the day one second
behind Gary and Judi Gooch, moved up when the Goochs lost 45 minutes
to the field on stage #8. We are waiting for a report.
36. Right now, the Production GT battle continues to be the most closely
contested class, with Peterson/Gutzmann maintaining a one minute lead
over Frontinan/Arruda, with Frontinan/Arruda only three seconds ahead
of Cunningham/Bradley.
37. Here are the national standings after eight stages:
Driver/Co-driver Car Time (min:sec) Class
Buffum/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 1:12:43 Open
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth 1:18:30 Open
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:18:48 Open
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 1:19:47 Open
Peterson/Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:19:47 GT
Lund/Huffman Mazda 323GTX 1:20:09 Open
Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant 1:20:53 GT
Cunningham/Bradley Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:20:56 GT
Beal/Davenport Mazda 323GTX 1:21:17 Open
Whitman/Linville Datsun 510 1:23:21 Open
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra 1:23:26 Prod
Joy/Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:24:27 Open
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E 1:24:51 Open
Light/White GMC Sonoma Pick-up 1:26:06 Truck
Menendez/Goya Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:27:33 GT
Dykes/Hanson Mitsubishi Pick-up 1:29:23 Truck
Hull/Elkins Mitsubishi Pick-up 1:31:34 Truck
Walker/Lowe Dodge Colt 1:33:36 Open
Beson/Case Mazda 323GTX 1:36:17* GT
Shumaker/Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse 1:37:14 Prod
White/Crane Mitsubishi Pick-up 1:39:39 Truck
Gooch/Gooch Mitsubishi Pick-up 2:13:31 Truck
*includes 14 road points
**includes 24 road points
Press Notes #8
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Saturday, April 24, 1993
8:00 PM
38. The Wild West PRO Rally - round #1 of the Subaru PRO Rally
Championship, is over, and rally veteran John Buffum has scored his
first victory since 1987 in a U.S. PRO Rally. Along with co-driver
Jeff Becker, Buffum did not win a stage after stage #7, when Millen
dropped out with electrical problems and left him with a five minute
lead over the field.
At that point, Buffum/Becker had built a 37-second lead over
Millen/Berg. Buffum then backed off, losing between 7 and 35 seconds
to the field in stages eight through 15, but still managed to score a
comfortable win over the second-place - the other Libra Racing entry
of Carl Merrill and John Wickens. Official times and margins of
victory will be available shortly.
39. Both Buffum's Audi Quattro S-2 and Merrill's Ford Escort Cosworth are
brand new, out the box vehicles - perhaps the first time that brand
new cars have finished one-two in PRO Rally history.
40. Guy Light and Dave White won the Rally Truck class in their GMC
Sonoma Pick-up, while Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini were the winners
in the Production class in their Acura Integra GS-R. The Production
GT class - where the Mitsubishis of Lon Peterson, Frank Cunningham,
and Vinny Frontinan were very close - can not be determined until the
final scores are in.
41. The scores from stage #13 have been all thrown out by the organizer
because of equipment malfunction which could not guarantee accurate
times. Everyone will receive a 00:00 for that stage. Final scores
will be determined on the total of stages 1-12, and 14-15.
42. Former Capitol Forest Stages and rally veterans Ray and Janice
Damitio had tough days, with Janice rolling her car and cracking the
windshield, and the Grant Whiting/Ray Damitio hitting a rocking
and ripping out the suspension.
Press Notes #9
Wild West PRO Rally, Olympia, Washington
Round #1 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Monday, April 26, 1993
10:00 AM
43. Although the rally has been over for 24 hours, and everyone who has
received these press notes knows the results, there are a couple of
loose ends.
44. The Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsubishi pickup was battling the Chad
Dykes/Pat Hansen truck even up until the Goochs got stuck in the mud
during the latter part of stage #8. Under the old rules, the team
would have been time-barred as they lost nearly 45 minutes to the rest
of the field, but the new rules - allowing them to be pulled out by
the sweep vehicle and stay in the rally - meant a fifth place finish
in class and some points which might come in handy towards the end of
the year.
45. With Buffum not planning to run the rest of the series - and
Choiniere's wife still carrying their child (the watch is on - she's
now at 36 weeks and trying to hang on) - the battle for the overall
championship is already shaping up as interesting. Of those drivers
who plan to contest the overall title, Merrill has 17 points (15 for
second place and two for starting the event - new this year), Corley
has 14, and Zwart 10. Choiniere and DiMarco expect to be in the
battle as well, and they will both start their seasons at Rim of the
World.
46. Lon Peterson, the Production GT winner in his Mitsubishi Eclipse and a
fine fourth overall finisher, has his sights set on running the whole
series if he can continue to collect the $2,500 Mitsubishi contingency
money he earned at the Wild West Rally. But Mitsubishi didn't get
a chance to pay out the top prizes in the other classes, as Corley was
third in Open, Chad Dykes second in Truck, and Tony Shumaker second in
Production. The Production GT battle between Peterson, Cunningham,
and Frontinan was very close throughout the rally, and all three
figure to do battle again at the next event.
47. Antonio Menendez, fourth in Production GT in his Vermont Sports Car
Mitsubishi Eclipse, had never run a forest rally despite his Central
America and native Mexican rally experience. The conditions at Rim of
the World in California are much more familiar to him, and he might
move up in class, especially if it's dusty.
48. Roger Hull had a disappointing fourth place finish in the Truck class,
but he learned a lot about driving a four-cylinder vehicle versus the
six-cylinder Jeep Camanche he piloted over the last several years.
Hull was also without his regular co-driver - Rob Cherry - for the
event.
49. Henry Joy's 11th overall finish was one of the best ever for him, and
he is quickly getting used to the power and handling of his new
Mitsubishi Eclipse vrs. the Mazda 323GTX he had a year ago.
50. Vinny Frontinan and Frank Arruda will run the new Mitsubishi Galant
they finished ninth overall and third in GT in for Rim of the World,
but will be back in their Toyota Celica 4WD for STPR as some "yet to
be named" Portuguese friends of theirs will be entering the
Pennsylvania rally.
51. According Hyundai's Product Planning Analyst Corena Dusek, who
attended the rally and hosted area Hyundai dealers, Rod Millen's
future in the U.S. PRO rally season for 1993 remains uncertain.
He is building an Elantra for Pike's Peak, and she is "trying to get
funds and interest" for additional races in the series. Meanwhile,
son Rhys will have a Toyota All-Trac for the second half of the
season, tentatively planned for debut at the Prescott Forest Rally on
July 31.
52. Mitsubishi Motorsports guru Dave Wolin was very pleased with the debut
of both Lon Peterson, and Tony Shumaker (second in Production) on the
Toyo rally tires. Besides the Michelins that dominate the series at
the moment, there were General's, Toyo's and BFG's among the top
runners.
53. The next event - Rim of the World in Palmdale, California - already
has more than 50 entries, with more than 60 expected before long.
It's going to be a great year.
54. There was coverage of the Wild West Rally on TNN RACEDAY yesterday
(Sunday night - 8:30 PM EST), and coverage will also appear on ESPN
SPEEDWEEK and Prime Network's ON PIT ROAD this week. Check your
local listings. Also, SCCA announced the formulation of a national TV
package schedule to start filming rallies at Rim and to be finalized
sometime this fall. Call Sandee Mourey at SCCA (303) 694-7222 for
details - a note went out last Friday to all PRO Rally license
holders.
55. Rally results are also available from National Speed Sport News'
RACELINE 1-900-44TRACK. Subaru PRO Rally Championship results are on
extension 8782. $2.00 for the first minute - $1.00 for every minute
after that. Or, of course, you can get everything by continuing to
access our information on-line.
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack (206) 352-5888
Subaru PRO Rally Championship
FORMER RALLY CHAMPION BUFFUM SUBBING FOR STEP-SON -
SMOKES SUBARU PRO RALLY FIELD IN WASHINGTON
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- April 25 -- When defending Subaru PRO Rally
Championship driver Paul Choiniere found out his wife's contractions
were two minutes apart, he cancelled plans to debut his new Audi
Quattro S-2 at the Wild West Rally in Olympia this weekend.
Fortunately for the Burlington, Vermont-based racing team, the owner
is America's most successful rally driver ever, and John Buffum
jumped in the car and, in his first U.S. Rally in more than five
years, dominated the field to earn the overall win.
His chief rival in the '80s, Newport Beach, CA's Rod Millen, has gone
on to race in the Asia-Pacific world rally series, but was in Olympia
to test a Hyundai Elantra for a customer. So it was Millen vrs.
Buffum for six great stages, with Buffum, getting the better of the
match by 31 seconds before Millen was forced to retire with
electrical problems.
Buffum and Millen had not raced against each other since 1987, when
both drivers left the U.S. series.
After Millen dropped out, Buffum had a five minute lead, and messaged
the car to a three minute win over another new Libra Racing vehicle -
a European spec Ford Escort Cosworth (400 horsepower) driven by
Ogunquit, Maine's Carl Merrill. Merrill's lavender racer was not
only the best looking car at the rally, but he won seven of the last
eight stages to earn his high finishing position.
Third was Dick Corley, also from Burlington, Vermont, in his
Mitsubishi Eclipse, while Lon Peterson - also in a Eclipse - from
Victorville, Calif. and winner of the Production GT class, was
fourth, beating Jeff Zwart from Irvine, Calif., in a new Porsche
Carrera 4, by only 12 seconds. Bellevue, Wash.'s Greg Lund, the
fastest local driver, was sixth in a Mazda 323GTX.
In other classes, Peter Cunningham of Whitefish Bay, Wis., won the
Production class in an Acura Integra, while Carson City, Nev.'s
Guy Light took the rally truck class in a GMC Sonoma Pick-up.
Buffum is an 11-time national champion, and Choiniere has won the
national championship three times, including the 1992 season.
Millen has won 11 championships including U.S. and Pacific Rim
titles.
In a PRO Rally, each entry consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event. The cars start at one-minute intervals and race against the
clock over 17 stages which range in length from four to 12 miles.
Speeds of more than 140 miles-per-hour could be reached on long
straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
winning the event. The two-day event in Olympia, Washington, was
run on road through the Capitol Forest, and covered 295 miles.
The 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship is a nine-event series
sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America and sponsored by Subaru
of America.
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