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Round #3 - 1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Championship April 22-23, 1994
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
MEDIA ALERT
Event: 1994 Wild West PRO Rally, round #3 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 Capitol
Forest and the Simpson Timber Company southwest of the
Olympia/Aberdeen areas of Washington State.
When: Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23
Schedule
Thursday (all times Pacific Daylight)
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Registration and tech inspection
South Puget Sound Community College
2011 Mottman Road S.W.
Olympia
Friday
Noon - 3:00 PM - Registration and tech inspection
South Puget Sound Community College
2011 Mottman Road S.W.
Olympia
5:00 PM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
Downtown Shelton
6:00 PM - First car starts - one minute intervals,
Wild West PRO Rally
Downtown Shelton
10:15 PM - First car finishes - Day One
Tyee Hotel, 500 Tyee Drive, Olympia
Saturday
8:00 AM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
Lake Park, Olympia
9:00 AM - First car starts - Day 2 - Wild West PRO Rally
Lake Park, Olympia
6:10 PM - First car finishes - Day 2
Tyee Hotel, Olympia
Where: Rally headquarters will be the Tyee Hotel, 500 Tyee Drive (off
I-5 South at exit 102 in Olympia). Rally information and
instructions on where to view the event will be available in the
Press Room starting Thursday, April 21 at 3:00 PM.
Duration: 130 stage miles, 305 total miles, 15 stages (combined two days)
Rank: Full national PRO Rally (run in conjunction with two coefficient 3
divisional PRO Rallies) awarding full national points towards the
1994 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series national championship. Presented
by the Northwest 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 at the rally headquarters and the
parc expose per the schedule above. Call Andy Schupack in the
media center (206) 352-0511 April 21 - 24.
Expected Top National Entries: Paul Choiniere, from Shelburne, VT,
defending national champion, in an Audi Quattro S-2; Carl Merrill,
from Ogunquit, ME, in a 400 HP AWD Ford Escort Cosworth; Jeff Zwart,
from Aspen, Colo., in a unique Porsche Carrera AWD - won Doo Wop PRO
Rally in Olympia in March; Henry Joy, from Wilmette, IL, in a 350 HP
Mitsubishi Eclipse; Greg Lund, from Bellevue, Wash., best local
potential finisher, in a revamped Mazda 323GTX; Doug Shepherd,
Plymouth, Mich., Eagle Talon, veteran rally winner; Rhys Millen, from
Newport Beach, CA, son of champion Rod Millen, in a Toyota All-Trac;
Goran Ostlund, from Seattle, in a Saab 900, favorite in new Group 2
class; Sam Bryan, Kent, Wash, Saab 99, another local Group 2 favorite.
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and video crews onto
the course on Saturday.
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 - before April 21 and after April 24
(206) 352-0511 - April 21 - 24
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 15 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.
WILD WEST PRO RALLY
ROUND #3 - SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES
April 22 - 23, 1994
Final Entry List/Starting Order
NAT/
CAR# CLASS DIV DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Open N Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi S-2
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NJ
3 Open N Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Ford Escort
Ogunquit, ME Bloomfield Hills, MI Cosworth
9 Open N Doug Shepherd Pete Gladysz Eagle Talon
Plymouth, MI Troy, MI
5 Open N Henry Joy Brian Maxwell Mitsubishi
Wilmette, IL Port Hope, ONTARIO Eclipse
98 Gp.A N Vinnie Frontinan Frank Arruda Toyota
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI Celica GT4
4 Open N Jeff Zwart Martin Headland Porsche
Woody Creek, CO Calgary, ALBERTA Carrera 4
25 Gp.A. N Peter Moodie Michael Fennell Mazda 323GTX
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica
21 Gp.A. N/D Greg Lund Lynne Lund Mazda 323GTX
Kent, WA Kent, WA
16 GT N Selcuk Karamanoglu John McArthur Mitsubishi
Bath ME Honeoye Falls, NY Eclipse
22 Gp.A. N/D Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3
West Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA
17 GT N/D Dale Beard Richard Simmons Mazda 323GTX
Elma, WA Bonney Lake, WA
14 GT N/D Rhys Millen Chris Griffen Toyota AWD
Newport Beach, CA Tujunga, CA
28 Gp.2 N/D Sam Bryan Mark Simons Saab 99
Kent, WA Buckley, WA
24 Gp.2 N/D Goran Ostlund Steve Baker Saab 99
San Salvador Seattle, WA
20 Gp.2 N Mike Whitman Kevin Linville Datsun 510
Farmington, NM Durango, CO
26 Gp.2 N Chad Dykes Pat Hanson Mitsubishi
Escondido, CA Escondido, CA Truck
23 Gp.2 N/D Erik Thompson Cam Jackson Volvo 142E
Portland, OR Portland, OR
31 Prod N/D Dave Turner Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi
Hemet, CA Ontario, CA Eclipse
27 Open N/D Mitch McCullough Scott Webb Mazda 323GTX
Laguna Nigel, CA Hermosa Beach, CA
30 Open N/D Rui Brasil Tony Tavares Audi 4000
San Jose, CA San Jose, CA Quattro
44 Gp.2 N/D Vern Johnson Ben Bradley Toyota
Portland, OR Portland, OR Corolla
43 Gp.2 N Pete Lahm Keith Roper Datsun 510
Phoenix, AZ Peoria, IL
29 Open D Steve Walker David Lowe Dodge Omni
Issaquah, WA Bainbridge Island, WA
36 Gp.A. N Chris Weleff Brian Paul Toyota AWD
Riverside, CA Anaheim, CA
71 Open N/D Janice Damitio Monty Horn Datsun 510
Montesano, WA Olympia, WA
19 Open D Dave Clark Jan Halliday Opel GT
Seattle, WA Lacey, WA
48 Open D Carl Jardevall Anders Karlsson Saab 99
Santa Monica, CA Moorpark, CA
40 Open D Todd Hartman Kirk Knestis VW Golf GTI
Issaquah, WA Issaquah, WA
39 Open D Gary Michael Gary Jurss BMW 2002
Olympia, WA Lacey, WA
35 Open D Brian Cooper Don Schroeder Datsun 210
Aberdeen, WA Morton, WA
32 Open D Duane Bender Mary Jo Czyzio Datsun 510
Redmond, WA Redmond, WA
34 Open D Gary Caffroy John Arnold Mazda RX-3
North Bend, WA Seattle, WA
33 Open D Scott Simons Erin Drebis Datsun 210
Tumwater, WA Tumwater, WA
76 Open D John Forespring Chris Forespring Toyota
Olympia, WA Olympia, WA Starlet
79 Open D Jack Horn John Elkin Mazda GLC
Ranier, WA Lytle Creek, CA
88 Open D Ralph Kosmides Joe Noyes Ford Escort
Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA
82 Open D Victor Harvey Mike Furmann Datsun 200SX
Prince George, BC Prince George, BC
83 Open D Douglas Schrenk Michael Leonard Saab 99
Olympia, WA Olympia, WA
85 Open D Marc Erickson Andy Pedack Mazda 626
Bothell, WA Bothell, WA
72 Open D Terry Simons Mike Jones Dodge Omni
Kent, WA Kirkland, WA
70 Open D Debbie Sjodin David Treen Plymouth
Lynnwood, WA Seattle, WA Arrow
73 Open D Robert Hanson Kathy Lewan Mazda RX-3
Phoenix, AZ Peoria, AZ
84 Open D Jason Davenport Erin Drebis Datsun 210
(Sat. Only) Olympia, WA Tumwater, WA
Open D Gene McCullough Ray Damitio Toyota
(Sat. Only) Aberdeen, WA Montesano, WA Celica AWD
Press Notes #1
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 22, 1994 - 8:00 PM (Pacific Standard)
1. Although this is the third round of the 1994
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series, this is the first event
of the season where the top East Coast and West Coast
competitors are meeting at the same rally. It is also
the first full national rally of the season, and the
second annual Wild West PRO Rally (changed from Coachman
Stages and moved to the April time slot in 1993).
The 15-stage, 130-mile rally will run in the Capitol
Forest southwest of the Olympia/Aberdeen areas of
Washington State.
2. All the "top guns" of the U.S. PRO Rally scene have
descended on Olympia, with defending champions Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker in their Audi Quattro S-2 at the
top of the heap. Although Choiniere's car won the Wild
West Rally in '93, Paul's wife was in labor with their
son Tanner and didn't make the trip, so step-father and
former rally champion John Buffum stepped in with co-
pilot Becker to sweep to victory in the debut of the S-2.
But that doesn't mean Choiniere is a stranger to victory
circle here, as he won the '91 Coachman Stages rally
here. For '94, Choiniere, from Shelburne, VT, has
already won one rally - the Sand Blast/Sand Hills PRO
Rally in Cheraw, SC.
3. The other winner so far in 1994 has been the Jeff
Zwart/Martin Headland Porsche Carrera 4, which won the
Doo Wop PRO Rally here last month. Zwart, who has
replaced the rear end of his car since his Doo Wop
victory last month, is also sporting a new co-driver in
Calgary's Martin Headland. His regular co-driver, Asia-
Pacific World Rally co-driver Tony Sircombe, had a
testing conflict this weekend, so Headland, who is a
veteran navigator, has taken over for the majority of the
season in the Porsche.
4. The Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens 400 horsepower Ford
Escort Cosworth, which won two of the last three events
in 1993, looks to start that momentum all over again here
in Washington. Merrill finished a fine second in this
event last year in the car's debut, but the car he has
this year is a replacement for that car, which took a
285-ft. plunge off Pike's Peak last July during the
famous Colorado hillclimb. Merrill was okay, but the car
was demolished. Carl finished second at the Sand
Hills/Sand Blast PRO Rally in February.
5. Another top driver with a new navigator is the Henry Joy
Mitsubishi Eclipse. Joy, who finished third in the Open
class championship in 1993, is looking for his first PRO
Rally win ever in his third year of rallying. Joy has
hired Canadian co-driver Brian Maxwell to replace Jimmy
Brandt, who has left the team. Last month, fuel
management system problems relegated Joy/Brandt to a
disappointing DNF (did not finish) at the Doo Wop event.
Joy missed the opening event at Sand Hills because he was
running another racer in an ice-racing event.
6. Last month's double divisional winner at Doo Wop - Dale
Beard/Richard Simmons in a Mazda 323GTX - also won the
Production GT class there. Beard, from Elma, WA, will be
competing against Bath, ME's Selcuk Karamanoglu, who won
the Sand Hills event in a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Karamanoglu, who was last in a rally car in his native
Turkey in 1970 until Press on Regardless last October,
starting his rally comeback by running several Canadian
rallies last year. Selcuk also finished in the top five
at the challenging Mt. Washington Hillclimb last June in
New Hampshire. His wife used to co-drive for him in
Turkey, but won't be navigating for Selcuk for his '90s
comeback because of medical problems. His co-driver for
the season will be John McArthur, a veteran co-pilot who
most recently ran with Production GT contender Russ
Hughes.
7. Peter Moodie, Jamaican rally champion who is running a
state-of-the-art Rod Millen-prepared Mazda 323GTX, was
another disappointing DNF at last month's Doo Wop.
Moodie, who plans to contest the who season in his fast
Mazda, hopes to contend for both the Group A and overall
championship.
Press Notes #2
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 22, 1994 - 11:30 PM (Pacific Standard)
8. The Greg Lund/Lynne Lund Mazda 323GTX, upgraded to
Group A for the '94 season, hopes for better luck this
weekend after a disappointing start last month at Doo
Wop. The car never actually started the Doo Wop event,
with bad engine management chips and other problems
putting the Lunds on the sidelines. At the press stage
this morning, however, the car ran much better - although
it still is running hot - and they were able to start the
event.
9. The new Group 2 class - for non-turbo, under 2.4 liter
two-wheel-drive vehicles - might be the hottest contest
weekend, with the Mike Whitman/Kevin Linville Datsun 510,
the Sam Bryan/Mark Simons Saab 900, the Goran
Ostlund/Steve Baker Saab 99, and the Erik Thompson/Cam
Jackson Volvo 142E all battling it out for the class win.
Whitman/Linville won the Doo Wop Group 2 class last
month. Bruce Newey, from Atlanta, won the first Group 2
event in South Carolina in February (Mike Hurst, the
declared winner, was found to not have a national
license).
10. Rhys Millen, from Newport Beach, Calif., has a new
sponsor - Ruby's Restaurants, a chain of '40s-style
diners. Millen's Toyota Celica All-Trac has several new
suspension components he hopes will lead him to the
Production GT title this weekend. By the way, Millen is
building a similar car for Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason
Priestley for a Rim of the World debut in May.
11. 42 cars, including 24 national competitors, started the
Wild West PRO Rally in downtown Shelton, Washington,
enroute to the first five stages to be run on Friday
night. The weather forecast is for cloudy skies with a
chance of showers - less water than usual for an Olympia
rally.
12. The rally was barely underway when cars began to fall by
the wayside:
--The Rhys Millen/Chris Griffen Toyota crashed during
stage #1, and could not get back on the road in time to
continue.
--The Rui Brasil/Tony Tavares Audi 4000 was stalling and
misfiring from the beginning of the event, and did not
complete stage #2.
--The Carl Jardevall/Anders Karlsson Saab also suffered
mechanical failure on stage #1.
--The Todd Hartmann/Kirk Knestis VW GTI broke its
transmission on stage 3.
--Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson put their Group 2 Mitsubishi
Truck on its side on stage #4, but got back running on
the stage before the 30 minute time limit, so they will
continue.
--Vinnie Frontinan/Frank Arruda Toyota Celica GT4 Group A
car went off the course and high-centered the car on
stage #4. By the time they got the car back on the
road, they were eliminated from the rally due to the
30-minute time rule. The car is not badly damaged,
however, and Vinnie will run the divisional rally (not
eligible for national points) on Saturday.
--Dale Beard/Richard Simmons Mazda 323GTX "snap-rolled"
their car on stage #5 - the last stage of the evening -
damaging the transmission and putting them out of the
event for Saturday. They finished the stage, however,
and managed to win the divisional event, and were
actually six overall in the national at the end of the
evening.
--The Scott Simons/Erin Drebis Datsun 210, which was to be
driven by Jason Davenport on Saturday, hit a large rock,
almost bending the car in half. They are also a DNF.
--The Gary Michael/Gary Jurss BMW 2002 blew a motor, and
is out of the event.
13. After the end of festivities on Friday night, the Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker Audi Quattro S-2 had a 44 second
lead over the Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill/Jon
Wickens. 45 seconds behind Merrill was the Porsche
Carrera 4 of Jeff Zwart/Martin Headland, with the Eagle
Tallon of Doug Shepherd/Pete Galdysz another 17 seconds
back.
Other class leaders included Dale Beard/Richard Simmons
Mazda 323GTX (Production GT, but now out of the event);
Selcuk Karamanoglu/John McArthur Mitsubishi Eclipse
(Production GT - now the only car running in class);
Greg Lund/Lynne Lund Mazda 323GTX (Group A); Goran
Ostlund/Steve Baker Saab 99 (Group 2); and Dave
Turner/Bill Gutzmann (Production - only car entered).
Press Notes #3
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 23, 1994 - 10:00 AM (Pacific Standard)
14. Here are the national results of the Wild West PRO Rally
after five stages:
CAR# CLASS NAT/ DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR/
DIV TIME
1 Open N Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi S-2
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY 43:20
3 Open N Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Ford Escort
Ogunquit, ME Bloomfield Hills, MI 44:04
4 Open N Jeff Zwart Martin Headland Porsche AWD
Woody Creek, CO Calgary, ALBERTA 44:49
9 Open N Doug Shepherd Pete Gladysz Eagle Talon
Plymouth, MI Troy, MI 45:06
5 Open N Henry Joy Brian Maxwell Mitsubishi
Wilmette, IL Port Hope, ONTARIO 45:23
17 GT N/D Dale Beard Richard Simmons Mazda 323GTX
Elma, WA Bonney Lake, WA 46:05*
21 Gp.A. N/D Greg Lund Lynne Lund Mazda 323GTX
Kent, WA Kent, WA 46:32
24 Gp.2 N/D Goran Ostlund Steve Baker Saab 99
San Salvador Seattle, WA 47:12
16 GT N Selcuk Karamanoglu John McArthur Mitsubishi
Bath ME Honeoye Falls, NY 47:32
29 Open N/D Steve Walker Dave Lowe Dodge Omni
Issaquah, WA Bainbridge Island, WA 47:50
27 Open N/D Mitch McCullough Scott Webb Mazda 323GTX
Laguna Nigel, CA Hermosa Beach, CA 48:18
25 Gp.A. N Peter Moodie Michael Fennell Mazda 323GTX
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica 48:19
22 Gp.A. N/D Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3
West Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA 49:00
20 Gp.2 N Mike Whitman Kevin Linville Datsun 510
Farmington, NM Durango, CO 49:06
23 Gp.2 N/D Erik Thompson Cam Jackson Volvo 142E
Portland, OR Portland, OR 49:11
28 Gp.2 N/D Sam Bryan Mark Simons Saab 99
Kent, WA Buckley, WA 49:32
44 Gp.2 N/D Vern Johnson Ben Bradley Toyota
Portland, OR Portland, OR 50:31
31 Prod N/D Dave Turner Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi
Hemet, CA Ontario, CA 50:46
36 Gp.A. N Chris Weleff Brian Paul Toyota AWD
Riverside, CA Anaheim, CA 51:31
43 Gp.2 N Pete Lahm Keith Roper Datsun 510
Phoenix, AZ Peoria, IL 52:28
71 Open N/D Janice Damitio Monty Horn Datsun 510
Montesano, WA Olympia, WA 1:01:49
26 Gp.2 N Chad Dykes Pat Hanson Mitsubishi
Escondido, CA Escondido, CA 1:06:23
14 GT N/D Rhys Millen Chris Griffen Toyota AWD
Newport Beach, CA Tujunga, CA 1:34:56*
*time-barred/DNF
Press Notes #4
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 23, 1994 - 11:30 AM (Pacific Standard)
15. Here are the results of the divisional rally from
Friday night:
CAR# CLASS NAT/ DRIVER CO-DRIVER CAR
DIV TIME
17 GT N/D Dale Beard Richard Simmons Mazda 323GTX
Elma, WA Bonney Lake, WA 46:05
21 Gp.A. N/D Greg Lund Lynne Lund Mazda 323GTX
Kent, WA Kent, WA 46:32
24 Gp.2 N/D Goran Ostlund Steve Baker Saab 99
San Salvador Seattle, WA 47:12
29 Open N/D Steve Walker David Lowe Dodge Omni
Issaquah, WA Bainbridge Island, WA 47:50
27 Open N/D Mitch McCullough Scott Webb Mazda 323GTX
Laguna Nigel, CA Hermosa Beach, CA 48:18
22 Gp.A. N/D Rick Davis Ben Greisler BMW M-3
West Chester, PA Philadelphia, PA 49:00
23 Gp.2 N/D Erik Thompson Cam Jackson Volvo 142E
Portland, OR Portland, OR 49:11
28 Gp.2 N/D Sam Bryan Mark Simons Saab 99
Kent, WA Buckley, WA 49:32
35 Open D Brian Cooper Don Schroeder Datsun 210
Aberdeen, WA Morton, WA 49:41
32 Open D Duane Bender Mary Jo Czyzio Datsun 510
Redmond, WA Redmond, WA 49:42
44 Gp.2 N/D Vern Johnson Ben Bradley Toyota
Portland, OR Portland, OR 50:31
85 Open D Marc Erickson Andy Pedack Mazda 626
Bothell, WA Bothell, WA 50:31
31 Prod N/D Dave Turner Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi
Hemet, CA Ontario, CA 50:46
83 Open D Douglas Schrenk Michael Leonard Saab 99
Olympia, WA Olympia, WA 51:00
76 Open D John Forespring Chris Forespring Toyota
Olympia, WA Olympia, WA 53:57
34 Open D Gary Caffroy John Arnold Mazda RX-3
North Bend, WA Seattle, WA 54:28
72 Open D Terry Simons Mike Jones Dodge Omni
Kent, WA Kirkland, WA 55:46
82 Open D Victor Harvey Mike Furmann Datsun 200SX
Prince George, BC Prince George, BC 56:59
71 Open N/D Janice Damitio Monty Horn Datsun 510
Montesano, WA Olympia, WA 1:01:49
70 Open D Debbie Sjodin David Treen Plymouth
Lynnwood, WA Seattle, WA 1:04:23
88 Open D Ralph Kosmides Joe Noyes Ford Escort
Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA 1:22:50
14 GT N/D Rhys Millen Chris Griffen Toyota AWD
Newport Beach, CA Tujunga, CA 1:34:56
Press Notes #5
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 23, 1994 - 12:30 PM (Pacific Standard)
16. More overnight news from Friday's rally action:
--The Peter Moodie/Michael Fennell Mazda 323GTX - the
Jamaican team - is having all kinds of motor problems,
and the crew is working to remedy the situation. To
add to their woes, the team was assessed 18 minutes
in road points for early and late check-in times on
stages #3 and #5.
--Jeff Zwart reports the suspension changes they made
in the Porsche between Doo Wop and this event have
made the car much easier to drive.
--Goran Ostlund/Steve Baker Saab 99 has an almost two
minute lead over the second place car in the Group 2
class - the Mike Whitman/Kevin Linville Datsun 210.
But then, Whitman/Linville, the Volvo of Erik
Thompson/Cam Jackson, and the Saab of Sam Bryan/Mark
Simons are all on the same minute.
--Although the Rui Brasil/Tony Tavares Audi 400 Quattro
blew its engine last night, the crew has rebuilt the
motor and the car is ready to run the divisional.
Also running the divisional after a national DNF
yesterday are Rhys Millen/Chris Griffin Toyota All-
Trac, and the Vinnie Frontinan/Frank Arruda Toyota
Celica GT4.
17. After six stages (and the first stage completed on
Saturday), here are the top national times (includes
penalties assessed after Friday's results):
Driver/Co-driver Car Class Time
Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 Open* 50:50
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosw. Open 52:01
Zwart/Headland Porsche Carrera 4 Open 52:49
Shepherd/Gladysz Eagle Talon Open 52:57
Joy/Maxwell Mitsu. Eclipse Open 53:45
Lund/Lund Mazda 323GTX Gp.A* 54:41
Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 Gp.2* 55:28
Karamonoglu/McArthur Mitsu. Eclipse GT* 55:39
Walker/Low Dodge Omni Open 56:17
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E Gp.2 57:28
Davis/Greisler BMW M-3 Gp.A 57:30
Bryan/Simons Saab 900 Gp.2 58:08
McCullough/Webb Mazda 323GTX Open 56:56
Johnson/Bradley Toyota Corolla Gp.2 58:45
Turner/Gutzmann Mitsu. Eclipse Prod* 1:00:42
Weleff/Paul Toyota AWD Gp.2 1:00:41
Lahm/Roper Datsun 510 Gp.2 1:01:25
Moodie/Fennell Mazda 323GTX Gp.A 1:14:19
Dykes/Hanson Mitsu. Pick-up Gp.2 1:21:08
Damitio/Horn Datsun 510 Open 1:12:13
* class leaders
In the divisional event, the national drivers who are also
entered in the divisional are dominating, with the Group A
entry of Greg and Lynne Lund, from Kent, WA holding a five
second lead over the Toyota Corolla of Vern Johnson and Ben
Bradley. As the divisional starts anew on Saturday, these
top results are after stage #1:
Lund/Lund Mazda 323GTX 8:09
Johnson/Bradley Toyota Corolla 8:13
Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 8:16
Frontinan/Arruda Toyota Celica GT4 8:16
Hartmann/Knestis VW GTI 8:17
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E 8:18
G. McCullough/R. Damitio Toyota All-Trac 8:26
Walker/Lowe Dodge Omni 8:27
Davis/Greisler BMW M-3 8:30
18. The Gene McCullough/Ray Damitio Toyota All-Trac is a new
car that was three years in the making, and was making
its debut today in the Saturday divisional. Built by
long-time Northwest Region champion Grant Whiting,
Damitio's regular driver, the car ran well in the first
two stages, but came to a halt on stage #3 of the
divisional and became a DNF. McCullough was driving the
car as Whiting was unable to attend the event.
Press Notes #6
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 23, 1994 - 4:00 PM (Pacific Standard)
19. Here are the standings with 10 of the 15 stages
completed for the national event:
Driver/Co-driver Car Class Time
Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 Open* 1:29:29
Merrill/Wickens Ford Escort Cosw. Open 1:31:11
Shepherd/Gladysz Eagle Talon Open 1:32:02
Zwart/Headland Porsche Carrera 4 Open 1:33:02
Joy/Maxwell Mitsu. Eclipse Open 1:35:18
Lund/Lund Mazda 323 GTX Gp.A* 1:36:37
Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 Gp.2* 1:37:39
Karamonoglu/McArthur Mitsu. Eclipse GT* 1:37:39
Whitman/Linville Datsun 510 Gp.2 1:38:41
McCullough/Webb Mazda 323GTX Open 1:39:52
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E Gp.2 1:40:11
Davis/Greisler BMW M-3 Gp.A 1:40:45
Bryan/Simons Saab 900 Gp.2 1:40:08
Johnson/Bradley Toyota Corolla Gp.2 1:42:07
Lahm/Roper Datsun 510 Gp.2 1:46:36
Weleff/Paul Toyota AWD Gp.2 1:47:35
Turner/Gutzmann Mitsu. Eclipse Prod* 1:53:11
Moodie/Fennell Mazda 323GTX Gp.A 1:53:58
Damitio Datsun 510 50:05
Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 50:27
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E 51:00
Millen/Griffin Toyota All-trac 51:10
Hartmann/Knestis VW GTI 51:20
M. McCullough/Webb Mazda 323GTX 51:34
Davis/Greisler BMW M-3 51:45
20. We have a report from the organizer that the Paul
Choiniere/Jeff Becker Audi Quattro S-2 has rolled on
Stage #13, and the report says the car is not driveable.
Choiniere has failed to finish a rally only once since
1992, and has not rolled his rally car since Gold Rush
PRO Rally in Colorado in October, 1991. More details to
come.
Press Notes #7
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 23, 1994 - 9:30 PM (Pacific Standard)
21. Several dramatic developments during the final stages
of the Wild West PRO Rally that have thrown the results
into question.
--As reported earlier, Choiniere and Becker hit a rut
and and rolled their Audi Quattro S-2 on stage #13,
causing sufficient damage so the defending national
champions could not continue.
At the end of stage #13, this left the Carl
Merrill/Jon Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth with a
57-second lead over the Eagle Talon of Doug Shepherd/
Pete Gladysz. Shepherd was a minute and a half ahead
of the Porsche Carrera 4 of Jeff Zwart and Martin
Headland. It looked like - at the beginning of stage
#14 - that each of those three competitors had a
chance to win the event.
--Nothing is easy, however, as Merrill's car blew a
turbo hose during stage 14, and Shepherd made up about
38 seconds, even though his Eagle Talon was suffering
from a loose/broke ball joint. Shepherd also stated
after the rally that he wasn't really aware of how
close he was to Merrill - he was just trying to finish
the event.
Merrill's crew fixed the turbo hose after the stage,
and went on to run a fast final stage.
Meanwhile, Shepherd and Gladysz had a flat tire on the
transit between 14 and 15, and ended up losing time to
Merrill, finishing in second place 58 seconds behind
the Ford Escort Cosworth. Zwart/Headland's Porsche
was third - another minute back.
--But both Merrill and Shepherd were clocked by
organizer radar - used to make sure that drivers
follow posted speed limits on the transit - at more
than 15 mph over the posted speed limit. The rule
book (regulation 12.9.E) states that speeding at more
than 15 mph over the posted speed limit requires the
steward to exclude (i.e. disqualify) the entry.
--Thus, with the posted provisional results showing both
the first and second-place finishers as DNF, Jeff
Zwart and Martin Headland were declared winners of the
Wild West PRO Rally, with the Mitsubishi Eclipse of
Henry Joy/Brian Maxwell second overall and the Group A
Mazda 323GTX of Greg and Lynne Lund third.
22. Without going into any of the political implications or
taking into consideration the personalities involved as
to whether these will become final,
here is the procedure:
--The provisional results become final within 30 minutes
of posting unless a protest is filed. If a protest is
filed by a national competitor for the national rally,
the series manager - former co-driver champion Tom
Grimshaw - will hear the protest and make a final
decision.
23. Doug Shepherd, one of the drivers affected by the
disqualification, has told organizer Bob Grass that,
while disappointed in the organizer's action, that it
was the right thing to do, and he would not protest.
During the provisional results posting period, there was
a spirited discussion as to whether Merrill or Zwart won
the rally. Grimshaw ruled that the organizer's
application of the rule book was correct, and the
disqualifications should stand. Thus, the final
standings for the national rally - with Choiniere a DNF
and Merrill and Shepherd disqualified - is as follows:
Zwart/Headland Porsche Carrera 4 Open* 2:21:45
Joy/Maxwell Mitsu. Eclipse Open 2:23:55
Lund/Lund Mazda 323 GTX Gp.A* 2:27:07
Ostlund/Baker Saab 99 Gp.2* 2:28:31
McCullough/Webb Mazda 323 GTX Open 2:31:14
Thompson/Jackson Volvo 142E Gp.2 2:32:30
Bryan/Delamare Saab 900 Gp.2 2:34:25
Weleff/Paul Toyota Celica Gp.2 2:35:44
Davis/Greisler BMW M-3 Gp.A 2:35:45
Moodie/Fennell Mazda 323 GTX Gp.A 2:40:57
Turner/Gutzmann Mitsu. Eclipse Prod* 2:49:31
Dykes/Hanson Mitsu. Pick-up Gp.2 3:01:33
* class winners
Press Notes #8
Wild West PRO Rally Olympia, Washington
Round #3 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
April 24, 1994 - 11:59 PM (Eastern Daylight)
24. There were many significant ramifications of the
disqualification of Merrill and Shepherd, the Choiniere
DNF, and the Zwart victory at the Wild West PRO Rally.
--There have been several times over the last several
years where either the organizer or the series manager
has used radar to measure speed on transit section
and warned competitors that speeding would result in
penalties, fines or disqualification per the rule book
and the organizer's supplementary regulations.
When it came time to assess those penalties, however,
especially when top drivers were involved, the matter
was usually dropped, including three years ago in
Olympia when both Choiniere and national-champion-to-
be Chad DiMarco were clocked over the limit by radar.
This time, however, the drivers were warned in the
supplementary regulations, and again at the drivers'
meeting about the importance of maintaining the posted
speed limits in transit. It is the co-driver's
responsibility to make sure the driver cools down
after a competitive stage and follows the local
limits.
There was some sentiment among the drivers that, had
Grimshaw not upheld the penalties, then the whole
concept of the integrety of the rule book and the
American Rally Association's overall worthiness would
have been in serious questions.
That does not mean, however, that some thought the
rule which calls for disqualification needs to be
modified. In most sports, a violation outside the
actual field of play, while penalizing the violator
and even the team, does not subtract from results
already achieved in the event. If Wayne Gretsky
punches someone out in the parking lot, he might be
both fined and suspended for several games, but
the league would not take away the two goals he scored
that night as that would give them power to interfere
at will with the itegrety of the game. Several people
felt that suspension from a future rally and a fine
was more appropriate than giving a victory to a team
which did not win the rally - for a violation that did
not occur during the actual rally competition.
--A similar debate has gone on for years on the PGA Tour,
where the misfiling of a scorecard calls for immediate
disqualification.
25. With two national rallies coming up in the next six
weeks, the point standings have been thrown for a loop
by the turn of events. Choiniere and Becker received
only their two starting points for Wild West, putting
them decidedly in the middle of the pack, while Zwart
surges to the front with two wins in two tries. Zwart
was just trying to finish the rally and collect the
third-place points, being happy that the rear-end
adjustments he made after Doo Wop last month made the
Porsche easier to drive.
26. Another point lost among the excitement of the post-
rally debate about the winner was that two Canadian co-
drivers now lead the series co-driving points chase.
Martin Headland from Calgary, who will co-drive for Jeff
Zwart for the rest of the season (except Rim of the
World, when Zwart's regular co-driver Tony Sircombe is
available), is now leading, with Henry Joy's new co-
driver, Ontario's Brian Maxwell, second.
27. Greg Lund's new Group A Mazda 323GTX (his Open car
fitted with new Group A components) overcame its "runs
too hot" condition to last the rally and finish third
behind Zwart and Joy. This was the first national rally
his wife Lynne had run since she was banned from
competition last April for being pregnant. This year,
their new daughter, Brie, helped collate press notes and
check time cards in the press room during the event.
The Lunds also swept to victory in the divisional event
on Saturday, edging Ostlund/Baker.
28. More Group 2 cars finished out of the 13 finishers
(five) than any other class. Although Ostlund/Baker had
a relatively hassle-free rally, the others all overcame
big problems to finish, including Chad Dykes' rollover
in his Mitsubishi Pickup. Dykes, who is building a
Toyota Pickup for Group 2 which might be ready for Rim,
wanted to get some points in Group, thus leaving no one
in the Truck class for the second event in a row.
29. Dave Turner, crew chief for Dave Wolin's Lon
Peterson/Tony Shumaker efforts in '93, had a fine run to
finish and win the Production class in his Mitsubishi
Eclipse 2WD.
PORSCHE WINS SECOND STRAIGHT WASHINGTON RALLY AS TOP
TWO FINISHERS DISQUALIFIED FOR SPEEDING ON TRANSIT
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- April 24 -- When rally leader Paul
Choiniere rolled his Audi Quattro on the Capitol Forest
logging roads mid-way through Saturday's Wild West PRO Rally,
the other top competitors started a bizarre chase for the top
position - eventually claimed by the Porsche Carrera 4 team
of Jeff Zwart, from Woody, Colo. and Martin Headland, from
Calgary, Alberta.
Zwart, who scored his second straight SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
series win having won the rally here last month, was declared
the winner after the top two finishers were disqualified.
"We have a hard and fast rule about drivers speeding on
public roads between racing stages, and Carl Merrill's Ford
Escort and Doug Shepherd's Eagle Talon - who had finished
one-two - were caught by us on radar going over the posted
speed limit," said Bob Grass, Wild West organizer.
"If we are to continue to work with the forest service and
the local communities, we must all obey the rules," he said.
Of the 24 national rally starters, only 13 finished the
grueling two-day event.
Henry Joy, from Wilmette, IL, was second in his Mitsubishi
Eclipse along with Canadian co-driver Brian Maxwell.
Greg Lund and his wife and co-driver Lynne, from Kent, WA,
were third overall and first in Group A in their Mazda
323GTX.
Other class winners included Goran Ostlund/Steve Baker,
Seattle (Group 2); Dave Turner/Bill Gutzmann, Hemet, CA
(Production); and Selcuk Karamonoglu/John McArthur, Bath, ME
(Production GT).
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 Capitol 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 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.
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