WILD WEST NATIONAL PRO Rally®
Round 3 of the 1998 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
Sou'wester Divisional PRO Rally
Wild West Divisional PRO Rally
April 17-18,1998

Presented by:

Little Creek Casino

THE EVENT

The WILD WEST Rally is part of the SCCA PRO Rally Championship.

The Sou'wester and Wild West Divisional Rallies are sanctioned by the NORTHWEST REGION of the SCCA

The Divisional events qualify for the 1998 NORPAC and the 1998 NORTHWEST REGION Divisional Championships. The events will adhere to 1998 National and Divisional Rally Rules and Rules for Organizers.

ENTRY

Entry to the event requires a paid entry fee, valid state drivers license, valid SCCA National PRO Rally or Divisional PRO Rally license for both co-driver and driver, vehicle liability insurance, valid vehicle registration and a completed entry form.

The entry fee for the WILD WEST National PRO Rally is $400.00 thru March 30, 1998, $450.00 on the 1st of April.

The entry fee for the Sou'wester and the Wild West Divisional rallies is $250.00 thru March 30, 1998, $300.00 on the 1st of April. The entry fee is for one or both rallies. Competitors wishing to enter the National and Divisional Rallies should add $25.00 to the National entry fee.

Checks should be made payable to NORTHWEST REGION, SCCA and mailed to BOB GRASS, 24529 13TH PLACE SOUTH, DES MOINES, WA. 98198.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

CO-CHAIRMAN
CO-CHAIRMAN
REGISTRAR
BOB GRASS
JOHN FORESPRING
NAVONNE WATERHOUSE
(206) 824-4558
(360) 943-2191 DAYS
(360) 427-6907
GLASPRO


EVENT DESCRIPTION

The WILD WEST Rally will use the normal stage format utilizing FISA signs and control procedures. The National Rally will run fourteen stages, all of which will be scored. The two Divisional rallies will include all the National stages. The event will have 140 stage miles and a total of 300 miles, All stages will be on gravel.

HEADQUARTERS

The headquarters for the WILD WEST Rally will be the Little Creek Casino, Shelton Washington (360) 427-7711. The Headquarters will not be staffed until the afternoon of April 16th.

REGISTRATION AND SCRUTINEERING LOCATION

Registration and SCRUTINEERING will be at SOUTH PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, 2001 Mottman Road Sw, Olympia, Washington 98512.

SCHEDULE

    
April 16, 1998 - Thursday     19:30          Close of entry
                              16:00 - 19:30  Registration & Scrutineering
                              20:00          Welcome Party - Little Creek Casino, Shelton
                                             Sponsor - Auto GLASPRO, Olympia, WA

April 17, 1998 - Friday       11:00 - 15:00  Registration & Scrutineering
                              16:30   Parc-Expose-Little Creek Casino, Shelton
                              18:00   Start - Wild West National & Sou'wester Divisional
                              23:30   Finish - Little Creek Casino - Finish of Day One - Wild
                                      West National, Finish - Sou'wester Divisional

April 18, 1998 - Saturday     08:00   Parc Expose' - Shelton
                              08:30   Start - Day Two - Wild West National & Wild West
                                      Divisional
                              18:45   Finish - Little Creek Casino - Wild West National, Wild
                                      West Divisional
                              20:00   Awards Banquet - Little Creek Casino
                              21:00   Awards Presentation

AWARDS

Awards will be presented for the first, second, and third places in each National class and for first, second, and third overall. Awards will be presented for first place in each Divisional class and first, second, and third places in each Regional class.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION-PHONE BOB GRASS @ (206) 824-4558, FAX ENTRIES (206) 824-8281 e-mail: rhgrass@baoI.com

Discount rates for rallyists are available at the Best Western Tumwater Motor Inn, 5188 Capitol Blvd. SE, Tumwater, Washington 98501. Telephone for reservations 800-848-4992 or (360) 956-1235. The hotel is located at the Trosper Road exit from 1-5 (Exit 102).

                                MEDIA_ALERT

Event:  1998 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally, round #3 of the 1998
        Michelin PRO Rally Championship.  Race cars from around the country
        will compete at high speeds on the challenging gravel forest roads
        owned by the the Simpson Timber Company southwest of the
        Shelton/Aberdeen areas of Washington State.

When:   Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, 1998

        Schedule

          Friday
          9:00 AM - Media stage; members of the working media will
                    gather at Tyee Hotel, 500 Tyee Drive (off I-5 at
                    exit 102 in Olympia) to caravan into the woods for
                    rides at speed in a leading rally car.
          11:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Registration and tech inspection
                               South Puget Sound Community College
                               2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia
          4:30 PM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          6:00 PM - First car starts - one minute intervals,
                    Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          7:00 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
          8:20 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
         10:20 PM - Servicing of rally cars - downtown Shelton
         11:00 PM - First car finishes - Day One
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.

          Saturday

          8:30 AM - Parc Expose (display of cars for the public)
                    Downtown Shelton, Wash.
          9:00 AM - First car starts - Day 2 - Wild West PRO Rally
                    Downtown Shelton, Wash.
          3:30 PM & 5:00 PM - Spectator stages to be run in the Grace
Harbor
                              County/Thurston County Off-Road Vehicle (ORV)
                              Park.
          6:25 PM - First car finishes - Day 2
                    Little Creek Casino, Shelton, Wash.
          8:00 PM - Awards banquet - Little Creek Casino
          9:00 PM - Awards presentations - Little Creek Casino

Where:  Rally headquarters will be inside the Little Creek Casino, Shelton,
        Washington.  Information and instructions on where to view the
event
        will be available in the Press Room inside the Casino starting
        Thursday, April 16, at 4:00 PM.

Duration: 140 stage miles, 300 total miles, 14 stages (combined two days)

Rank:  Full national PRO Rally (run in conjunction with a coefficient 3
       and a coefficient 2 divisional PRO Rally) awarding full national
       points towards the Michelin PRO Rally Championship national series.
       Presented by the Northwest Region of the Sports Car Club of America.
       The National PRO Rally series is sponsored by Michelin Tire
       Corporation and is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.
Interviews:  Drivers will be available at the rally headquarters and the
             parc expose and service areas per the schedule above.  Call
             Andy Schupack in the press room at (360) 427-7711, ext. 3054,
             April 16 - 19.

Television Coverage: The 1998 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally will
                     be shown on ESPN2, now with coverage in 51 million
                     homes. Initial airdate is listed below; 2 - 4 repeats
                     are likely.

                     Saturday, May 9 - 6:30 - 7:00 PM (Eastern Daylight)

                     The ESPN2 coverage is produced by Replica Productions
                     of Cambridge, Mass., Doug Plumer, executive producer.
                     (617) 492-7444.

Expected Top National Entries:  Paul Choiniere, seven-time defending
         national champion, in 1997 4WD Hyundai Tiburon - won Doo Wops
         national opener here last month; Carl Merrill, in North America's
         fastest rally car - 410 h.p. Ford Escort Cosworth 4WD; Rui Brasil,
         Open class Audi Quattro S-2 - brand new car/won Doo Wop II & IV
         divisional events last month; Janice Damitio, Open class Toyota
         Celica All-trac, missed Production GT national championship by
only
         a few points in '95 - won Doo Wops I last month; Ralph Kosmides,
in
         a new Group 5 Toyota Supra twin turbo - won class las month at Doo
         Wops; Lee Shadbolt - held first place most of '97 in
         Production GT - in a Subaru Impreza; Garen Shrader - veteran
         divisional competitor - in a new Ford Sierra Cosworth Open class
         car;  Mike Whitman - both divisional and national champion - also
         in a Ford Sierra Cosworth Open class car.

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 - Michelin PRO Rally Championship
                         national media liaison:

                         (401) 739-5677 - before April 16 and after April
19
                         (360) 427-7711, ext 3054, press room April 16 - 19
 

 


                                    # # #



              Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
       LITTLE CREEK CASINO WILD WEST PRO RALLY - Olympia, Washington
             Entry List (no start order until seeded draw 4/16)
                      (Peliminary as of April 6, 1998)

Start  Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.  No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires

        1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
            Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin

            John Buffum      Mark Williams      Hyundai Elantra/Open
            Burlington, VT   Gaithersburg, MD   National/Michelin

            Gerry Valentini  Lee Sorenson       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
            Sacramento, CA   Fair Oaks, CA      National/Michelin

        3   Carl Merrill     Lance Smith        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
            Ogunquit, ME     S. Burlington, VT  National/Michelin

            Rui Brasil       Carlos Tavares     Audi Quattro S-2/Open
            San Jose, CA     San Jose, CA       Nat./Div./Michelin

       11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
            Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

       17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac/Open
            Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

            Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
            Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin

            Todd Hartmann    Kirk Knestis       VW GTI/U2
            Issaquah, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            John Lane        Scott Huhn         Volvo 262/02
            Bellevue, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            Jake Dekovic     Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/02
            Lynnwood, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            Garen Schrader   Doc Schrader       Merkur Sierra Cosworth/Open
            West Memphis, AK West Memphis, AK   National/Michelin

            Steve Gingras    Bill Westrick      Eagle Talon/Prod. GT
            Elk River, MN    Orin, MI           Nat./Div./Michelin

            Shawn Callahan   Jim Hake           VW Scirocco/Group 2
            Rochester, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

            Ken Cassidy      TBA                Mitsubishi Galant/Prod.  GT
            Mesa, AZ                            Nat./Div./Michelin

            Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Shadow/Prod. GT
            Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin

            Scott Fuller     Peter Weeley       VW GTI/Group 2
            Eugene, OR                          Nat./Div./Michelin

            Kirk Simons      TBA                Dodge Omni/U2
            Bothell, WA                         Divisional

            Bill Malik       TBA                Volvo 240/Group 2
            Burbank, CA                         National/Michelin

            Simon LeVear     Kevin Poirrer      Datsun 510/U2
            Tigard, OR       Ranier, WA         Divisional

            Noah Third       Jason Lane         VW Rabbit/U2
            N. Vancouver, BC Burneby, BC        Divisional

            Chris Kouba      John Allen         Mazda RX-7/02
            Milwaukie, OR    Portland, OR       Divisional

       79   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
            Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin

            Bob Reaves       Tammy Reaves       Mazda RX-3/02
            North Bend, OR   North Bend, OR     Divisional

            Trevor Donison   TBD                Plymouth Neon/Production
            Vancouver, WA                       Nat./Div./Michelin

            Greg Lingelbach  Steven Andrews     Dodge Colt/U2
            Portland, OR     Battle Ground, WA  Divisional

            Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
            San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

            Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin

            Arthur Odero-Jowi   TBD             Mitsubishi Eclipse/Prod. GT
            Arlington, TX                       National/Michelin

            Dave Summerbell   Micheal Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
            Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Evolution IV/Open

            Christian Tudor  Tad Phenegger      Audi 5000 Quattro/4WD
            Bellevue, WA                        Divisional

            Brian Bliven     Jan Molotte        Toyota Celica/U2
            Seattle, WA      Renton, WA         Divisional

            Mark Wilkie      Brian Fradenburg   VW Rabbit/U2
            Seattle, WA                         Divisional


                                   # # #



                         


                                    # # #

              Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
       LITTLE CREEK CASINO WILD WEST PRO RALLY - Olympia, Washington
             Entry List (no start order until seeded draw 4/16)
                      (Peliminary as of April 10, 1998)

Start  Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.  No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires

        1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
            Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin

            John Buffum      Mark Williams      Hyundai Elantra/Open
            Burlington, VT   Gaithersburg, MD   National/Michelin

            Gerry Valentini  Lee Sorenson       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
            Sacramento, CA   Fair Oaks, CA      National/Michelin

        3   Carl Merrill     Lance Smith        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
            Ogunquit, ME     S. Burlington, VT  National/Michelin

            Rui Brasil       Ben Bradley        Audi Quattro S-2/Open
            San Jose, CA     Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

       11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
            Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

       17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac/Open
            Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

            Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
            Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin

            Todd Hartmann    Kirk Knestis       VW GTI/U2
            Issaquah, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            John Lane        Scott Huhn         Volvo 262/02
            Bellevue, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            Jake Dekovic     Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/02
            Lynnwood, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            Garen Schrader   Doc Schrader       Merkur Sierra Cosworth/Open
            West Memphis, AR West Memphis, AR   National/Michelin

        6   Steve Gingras    Bill Westrick      Eagle Talon/Prod. GT
            Elk River, MN    Orin, MI           Nat./Div./Michelin

            Shawn Callahan   Jim Hake           VW Scirocco/Group 2
            Rochester, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

            Ken Cassidy      TBA                Mitsubishi Galant/Prod.  GT
            Mesa, AZ                            Nat./Div./Michelin

            Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Shadow/Prod. GT
            Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin

            Scott Fuller     Peter Yeeles       VW GTI/Group 2
            Eugene, OR       Issaquah, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

            Kirk Simons      TBA                Dodge Omni/U2
            Bothell, WA                         Divisional

            Bill Malik       TBA                Volvo 240/Group 2
            Burbank, CA                         National/Michelin

            Simon LeVear     Kevin Poirer       Datsun 510/U2
            Tigard, OR       Ranier, WA         Divisional

            Noah Third       Jason Lane         VW Rabbit/U2
            N. Vancouver, BC Burnaby, BC        Divisional

            Chris Kouba      John Allen         Mazda RX-7/02
            Milwaukie, OR    Bainbridge Is., WA Divisional

       79   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
            Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin

            Bob Reaves       Tammy Reaves       Mazda RX-3/02
            North Bend, WA   North Bend, WA     Divisional

            Trevor Donison   TBD                Plymouth Neon/Production
            Vancouver, WA                       Nat./Div./Michelin

            Greg Lingelbach  Steven Andrews     Dodge Colt/U2
            Portland, OR     Battle Ground, WA  Divisional

            Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
            San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

            Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin

            Arthur Odero-Jowi   TBD             Mitsubishi Eclipse/Prod. GT
            Arlington, TX                       National/Michelin

            Dave Summerbell   Micheal Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
            Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Evolution IV/Open

            Christian Tudor  Todd Phenneger     Audi 5000 Quattro/4WD
            Bellevue, WA     Moscow, ID         Divisional
                     
            Brian Bliven     Jan Molotte        Toyota Celica/U2
            Seattle, WA      Renton, WA         Divisional

            Mark Wilkie      Brian Fradenburg   VW Rabbit/U2
            Seattle, WA                         Divisional


                                   # # #
 

    For Immediate Release    Contact:  Andy Schupack  (401) 739-5677
 
    TOP U.S RALLYISTS FACE JAMAICAN CHALLENGER WITH LATEST WORLD-CLASS

       RACE CAR; ALL-TIME U.S. CHAMPION BUFFUM RETURNS TO NORTHWEST



OLYMPIA, Wash. -- April 10 -- Two U.S.-built Korean racers, a U.S.-built

English racer, and a Jamaican-built Japanese car - all generating more

than 350 horsepower each - will face off for the overall title in this

year's Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally, round #3 of the Michelin

PRO Rally Championship, April 17 - 18.



Perennial champions Paul Choiniere and co-driver Jeff Becker, winners of

the Michelin PRO Rally title every year since 1992, are the favorites in

their Hyundai Tiburon 4WD, having started out the season in Olympia last

month with a Doo Wops III & IV win.  Choiniere's teammate, car owner, and

step-father - 11-time national champion John Buffum - will also be running

in a Hyundai with co-driver Mark Williams.  Buffum, who entered the

'96 championship-winning Hyundai Elantra several times last year to

bolster the Korean company's chances for manufacturers points, makes it

clear who's the priority on the team.



"Paul and Jeff are running for the driver's championship, and my job as

the team owner and my responsibility to Hyundai is to make sure they win.

Mark and I will try our best to run up front, and we want to be there for

Hyundai in case anything happens to Paul's car," said Buffum, who last won

here in 1993, subbing for Choiniere in an Audi.



Challenging Choiniere will be the 410 h.p. Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford

Escort Cosworth, winner of the Susquehannock Trail event last year in

Pennsylvania, and contender for the crown until electrical problems put

him out of the hunt in Minnesota last summer.



Rui Brasil, a Portuguese-born racer now living in San Jose, Calif.,

will also be a contender with his new Audi Quattro S-2, which won one of

the Doo Wop divisional events last month.  Rui, always at top three

threat, replaced his older Quattro with an new S-2 over the winter.



David Summerbell, from Kingston, Jamaica, is bringing a Mitsubishi Lancer

Evolution IV - a state-of-the-art world rally car - to the Northwest

for its North American debut.  Summerbell, who has run here once before,

will use Michael Fennell, also a Jamaican - but an experienced U.S.

rallyist - as a co-driver.



Other Open class competitors include a pair of Cosworth-powered Sierras

(one Ford and one Merkur).  The Ford belongs to '96 Group 2 national

champions Mike Whitman and Paula Gibeault, while the Merkur will be

piloted by Garen Shrader with co-driver (and father) Doc Shrader.  Local

star - Janice Damitio, from Montesano - is running her Toyota Celica

4WD in the Open class as well in order to score points for an anticipated

new Open-class car.  Ms. Damitio and co-driver Amity Trowbridge from

Seattle are former divisional national champions.



The event kicks off on Friday, April 17, at 4:30 PM with a display of cars

for the public at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton.  The cars then leave

the casino and go out into the Simpson forests to race, stopping at the

the gravel pit across the highway from TaylorTown at approx. 7:00 PM,

8:20 PM, and 10:20 PM for service.



On Saturday, the Little Creek Casino event features a new twist -

specatator areas in the Grays Harbor County/Thurston County Off-Road

Vehicle Park (ORV).  The usual park use-fee will be waived so race fans

may see the rally cars run for free.  The viewing area - complete with

grandstands and food vendors - opens at 1:00 PM - the cars will be racing

at approx.  3:30 PM and 5:00 PM.  The race cars will speed over 140 racing

stage miles through 14 different forest roads over the two-day event.

The event ends at the Little Creek Casino Saturday at 6:25 PM.


 
 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 - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed.  The cars

 start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 10 stages

 which range in length from four to 25 miles.  The racing stages, closed

 forest roads in the Simpson Timber Company forests, present a variety of

 conditions challenging to the drivers.  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 achieving the fastest combined times winning the

 event.
 


Besides the fastest, overall competitors, there are less exotic cars

running in different classes which allow less modifications.  The cars

mentioned above are all highly-modified racers - most with 4WD and

turbocharging, while various Production classes allow very few changes to

the stock vehicles driven on the street.  All PRO Rally cars have safety

equipment including aircraft-style safety harnesses, roll cages, and fire

extinguishers.



In some of the other classes, Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes, a Northwest-based

team, will challenge the East Coast veterans in a new Group 5 Toyota

Supra twin turbo.  The Group 5 class, the two-wheel-drive version of the

Open class (cars over 2.4-liters adjusted displacement, but with open

engine, transmission and suspension options), are not quite as fast as the

Open cars, but will finish well overall in this event.



The other top contenders are in the Production GT class, which allows

turbocharging and four-wheel-drive, but limited suspension and almost no

engine modifications.  Oregon's Lee Shadbolt lead the class for much of

the season in '97, only to miss out on the championship when he rolled his

car last fall in Arizona.  Challenging Shadbolt will be the defending
                              
national champions Steve Gingras and Bill Westrick, in a Minnesota-based

Eagle Talon racer.



The other two classes include Group 2 - modified 2WD cars with

displacements less than 2.4 liters - and the Production class, in which

vehicles must be completely stock except for the roll bar and safety

equipment.



Racing fans who want to watch the rally action should pick up observer

instructions from the Little Creek Casino starting Thursday, April 16.



The Michelin PRO Rally Championship is not only a contest of who is the

best driver on forest roads, at high speed in the middle of the night, but

also a competition between car preparers and manufacturers.  Competitors

whose car is sturdily built and who can avoid damaging off-course

excursions into trees or ditches, stand a chance of winning.



Tires play an important part in a winning rally effort. They must be

equally reliable on many driving surfaces; the asphalt of the transit

roads that rallyists traverse to get to the competition stages, as well as

varying conditions on the competition stages themselves.  Stages, many of

which are unpaved, can change from sandy to clay to gravel in the space of

a few hundred feet.  Sometimes rain will turn a perfectly ordinary dirt

road into a quagmire within minutes.

                             

Most of the top competitors will be using specially constructed Michelin

Pilot High Performance XGT Rally tires, which not only come in various

compounds for different road surfaces, but have rugged carcass and

sidewall designs to resist puncturing under the stressful rally

conditions.  The tire company sponsors the series to promote one of the

fastest growing motorsports in the country as well as its Pilot line of

high performance street tires.


 
Michelin, which brought the radial tire to the world more than 50 years

ago, is the world's largest tire company.  It has 19 plants in North

America and produces tires to fit every type of vehicle, from bicycles to

the Space Shuttle.


 
 The 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship consists of eight events, is

 sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation and sanctioned by the Sports Car

 Club of America (SCCA).  The 1998 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally

 is presented by the Northwest Region, SCCA.  PRO Rally information, as

 well as scores, updates, membership, or other SCCA material can be found

 on the SCCA web site at <www.scca.com/amateur/prorally>.


                                   # # #
 


              Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship 
	      LITTLE CREEK CASINO WILD WEST PRO RALLY - Olympia, Washington 
	      Entry/Start List (as of seeded draw 4/16)

Start  Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.  No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires

  1     1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
            Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin

  2         John Buffum      Mark Williams      Hyundai Elantra/Open
            Burlington, VT   Gaithersburg, MD   National/Michelin

  3     3   Carl Merrill     Lance Smith        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
            Ogunquit, ME     S. Burlington, VT  National/Michelin

  4    41   Rui Brasil       Ben Bradley        Audi Quattro S-2/Open
            San Jose, CA     Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

  5    28   Dave Summerbell   Micheal Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
            Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Evolution IV/Open

  6     6   Steve Gingras    Bill Westrick      Eagle Talon/Prod. GT
            Elk River, MN    Orin, MI           Nat./Div./Michelin

  7    11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
            Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

  8    58   Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
            Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin

  9     8   Bill Malik       Christian Edstrom  Volvo 240/Group 2
            Burbank, CA      Los Angeles, CA    National/Michelin

 10    43   Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin

 11    17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac/Open
            Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 12         Pete Lahm        Jimmy Brandt       Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
            Phoenix, AZ      Lake Odessa, MI    National/Michelin

 13   117   Ken Stewart      Jim Dale           Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
            Grove, OK        Conway, AK         Nat./Div./Cooper

 14   121   George Plsek     Mark Rathsam       Saab 99 Turbo/Group 5
            Del Mar, CA      Del Mar, CA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 15   111   Scott Fuller     Peter Yeeles       VW GTI/Group 2
            Eugene, OR       Issaquah, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin
 
 16    79   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
            Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin

 17    55   Gerry Valentini  Lee Sorenson       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
            Sacramento, CA   Fair Oaks, CA      National/Michelin

 18    27   Ken Cassidy      Robert Waits       Mitsubishi Galant/Prod. GT
            Mesa, AZ         Lawrenceville, GA  Nat./Div./Goodyear

 19    30   Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Shadow/Prod. GT
            Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin

 20    14   Garen Schrader   Doc Schrader       Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            West Memphis, AR West Memphis, AR   National/Michelin

 21         Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
            San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

 22    26   John Lane        Scott Huhn         Volvo 262/Group 2
            Bellevue, WA     Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 23    49   Shawn Callahan   Jim Hake           VW Scirocco/Group 2
            Rochester, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 24         Doug Schrenk     Rob Walden         Saab 900/Group 5
            Seattle, WA      Shoreline, WA      National/Michelin

 25    22   Jake Dekovic     Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
            Lynnwood, WA     Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 26    21   Trevor Donison   TBD                Plymouth Neon/Production
            Vancouver, WA                       Nat./Div./Michelin

Divisional Only

            Todd Hartmann    Kirk Knestis       VW GTI/U2
            Issaquah, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

            Kirk Simons      TBA                Dodge Omni/U2
            Bothell, WA                         Divisional

            Simon LeVear     Kevin Poirer       Datsun 510/U2
            Tigard, OR       Ranier, WA         Divisional

            Noah Third       Jason Lane         VW Rabbit/U2
            N. Vancouver, BC Burnaby, BC        Divisional

            Chris Kouba      John Allen         Mazda RX-7/02
            Milwaukie, OR    Bainbridge Is., WA Divisional

            Bob Reaves       Tammy Reaves       Mazda RX-3/02
            North Bend, WA   North Bend, WA     Divisional

            Greg Lingelbach  Steven Andrews     Dodge Colt/U2
            Portland, OR     Battle Ground, WA  Divisional

            Christian Tudor  Todd Phenneger     Audi 5000 Quattro/4WD
            Bellevue, WA     Moscow, ID         Divisional

            Brian Bliven     Jan Molotte        Toyota Celica/U2
            Seattle, WA      Renton, WA         Divisional

            Mark Wilkie      Brian Fradenburg   VW Rabbit/U2
            Seattle, WA                         Divisional

      110   Tim Paterson     Joel Wright        Mazda 323GTX/04
            Redmond, WA      Seattle, WA        Divisional

       47   Vance Walker     Karen Laylor       Mazda RX-3/02
            Newberg, OR      Newberg, WA        Divisional

       88   Mike Mailman     Shelly Kruse       VW GTI/U2
            Arlington, WA    Arlington, WA      Divisional


                                   # # #




Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #1 - April 17 - 9:00 AM (PDT)

1.  Welcome to Shelton, Washington - on the outskirts of
    state capital Olympia - and the first full national event
    on the 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship circuit.
    Round #1 was supposed to be the SNO*Drift PRO rally in
    Atlanta, Michigan in February, but warm, wet weather
    caused the road conditions to be unacceptable, forcing
    cancellation.  Round #2 was held in this area last
    month - the Doo Wops PRO Rally - as a divisional event
    where national license-holders could score 60 percent of
    full national points.  The Hyundai Tiburon of Paul
    Choiniere/Jeff Becker ran and hid from the field
    as closest competitors Carl Merrill (turbo problems) and
    Rui Brasil (tore off a wheel) had problems.  Group 2 VW
    GTI competitors Dave White and Scott Fuller were closest
    to Choiniere in the final results.

2.  This is the third year the Little Creek Casino, operated
    by the Squaxin Island Tribe based here in Shelton, has
    been the title sponsor of the event.  The casino provides
    the Wild West PRO Rally committee with administrative
    facilities for scoring and press operations, as well as
    operating cash and a host for the awards banquet.  And,
    as shown on the front page of yesterday's local paper,
    the rally gives the casino both regional and national
    exposure for its efforts, not to mention the gambling
    revenue from some of the circuit's more well-to-do
    entrants.

3.  The top two overall contenders for the 1998 Michelin PRO
    Rally Championship are entered in this event - the
    defending champions Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker in their
    Hyundai Tiburon and Carl Merrill/Lance Smith in the Ford
    Escort Cosworth.  Other Open class competitors for the
    weekend include:

    --The Rui Brasil/Carlos Tavaras Audi Quattro S-2, an new
      entry for '98, started the season by winning one of the
      Doo Wop divisional events in February, and a second in
      March (the Sunday after the Saturday national DNF).

    --David Summerbell, who ran a Hyundai Elantra here
      several years ago when he came from his native Jamaica
      with Peter Moodie, has brought a Mitsubishi Lancer
      Evolution IV to the Northwest for its North Amrican
      debut.  The car, prepared to WRC Group N specs by
      T.A.D. Motorsports' Murray Thomas, will be co-driven by
      Michael Fennell, who has been here before with both
      Moodie and Henry Joy.

    --Garen and Doc Shrader (son and father respectively)
      have bought the Ford Sierra Cosworth that was under
      construction by Greg and Lynne Lund, and with the
      Lunds' help, will debut their new car here at the
      Little Creek Casino event.  Garen, who hasn't actively
      rallied in several years, showed his driving prowess by
      running in the top ten last month at Doo Wops in a
      borrowed car, and should be quite fast in this 335-
      horsepower, 16-valve turbo AWD machine.  Doc, who has
      co-driven for years with Ken Stewart, knows these roads
      well.

    --Speaking of Stewart, his Open class Chevy S-10 pickup
      has a new co-driver - Jim Dale of Conway, Arkansas.

    --The Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac has
      moved into the Open class in hopes of picking up points
      in anticipation of new car - plans yet to be finalized.

    --After a year of development which included flashes of a
      bright future, the Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault Ford
      Sierra Cosworth will make its season debut here.
      Whitman, who plans to run most of the Midwest and East
      Coast events, could win a PRO Rally national event
      before the year is out.

4.  Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., is back for its
    fourth year of filming and producing PRO Rally events for
    national television, first for SportsChannel and now for
    ESPN2.  This event will air on Saturday, May 9, at
    3:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time (6:30 PM Eastern) on The
    Deuce, with rebroadcasts likely as well.  Plumer hopes to
    cover all the national events this year, and we will
    report air schedules as soon as we have them.

5.  A unique part of this event will be the spectator stages
    taking place on Saturday at the Thurston County Off-Road
    Vehicle Park (ORV).  This county facility, available for
    the public to bring off-road vehicles and motorcycles,
    has had some hard times recently as its usual crowd has
    been cut down due to muddy conditions.  The Wild West
    organizing committee has rented the park for the
    afternoon, so spectators will not have to pay the $6.00
    day use fee to come see the rally cars.  They will also
    have the luxury of grandstands to watch the stage, and
    the concession stands will be open for food and drink.
    The rally cars will run the ORV park stages at 3:30 PM
    and again at 5:00 PM tomorrow.

                            # # #


 

Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #2 - April 17 - 1:00 PM (PDT)

6.  Many interesting happenings at this morning's press
    stage, including:

    --The David Sommerbell (note the corrected
      spelling)/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer
      Evolution IV showed up midway through the press stage,
      and Sommerbell took some hot laps with T.A.D.'s Muraay
      Thomas as well as with co-driver Michael Fennell.  The
      car ran perfectly, and is a legitimate threat to finish
      in a top position here.  Sommerbell's major sponsor is
      SuperClubs, the Carribean's only SuperInclusive resort
      group.  Rates at the eight properties include all
      extras such as unlimited use of all sports facilities,
      entertainment, meals, recreation facilities, etc. - no
      tipping is allow.  The resorts are located in Jamaica,
      the Bahamas, Negril, and St. Lucia.

    --The Garen Shrader/Doc Shrader Ford Sierra Cosworth -
      this one is left-hand drive versus the Whitman right
      hand driver - turned its first wheel after lots of
      effort from Dave Clark Motorsports and Greg/Lynne Lund.
      Although the team has adjustments to make during the
      afternoon, their three laps of the press stage left
      everyone smiling.

    --Since he is recovering from a minor auto accident,
      Lance Smith is a last-minute scratch from the Carl
      Merrill entry, so veteran co-driver and Doo Wops
      organizer Ray Damitio will be co-driving for Merrill.
      Damitio took several consecutive laps this morning in
      the right seat and declared himself ready for the
      challenge.  He last co-drove for wife Janice three
      years ago at Rim of the World.

    --Despite overheating on the way to the press stage, the
      new 320-hp. Toyota Supra twin-turbo Group 5 racer of
      Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes made a successful run this
      morning, and look forward to extending their points
      lead they established at Doo Wops.

    --The plastic material with ties that the Mike
      Whitman/Paula Gibeault Ford Sierra Cosworth team
      installed to protect the underside of the car from
      rocks needs work, according to Whitman, as several
      miles of press stage hammered and broke the ties.

    --The Lee Shadbolt/Paul Eklund Subaru Impreza, leaders
      in the Production GT points chase, have a new 5-speed
      transmission for '98, and look forward to the challenge
      of racing defending class champions Steve Gingras/Bill
      Westrick in their Act II Popcorn Eagle Talon.

                            # # #




Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #3 - April 17 - 3:00 PM (PDT)

7.  Rui Brasil's new Audi Quattro S-2 was the most popular
    car at the press stage this morning, as members of the
    local Audi car club all got rides from the popular
    Portuguese-born driver.  Rui's crew made many adjustments
    to the car as well in preparation for this evening's
    event.

8.  Shawn Callahan was another driver who tested rock
    protection at the the press stage - his idea was rubber
    pieces to protect the rear brakes of his Group 2
    Scirocco.  Like Whitman, the protection was no match for
    the loose rocks thrown up at the race cars.  In our
    continuing effort to bring everyone specs on as many cars
    as possible, here's Callahan's:
                           Volkswagen Scirocco
                          Group 2 PRO Rally Car
Driver:     Shawn Callahan
Co-Driver:  John Hake
      Track:                   63.25"
      Wheelbase:               95.75"
      Weight:                  2095 lbs.
      Engine:                  Volkswagen water-cooled 4 cylinder
                               8-valve.
        Bore:                  82.50 mm
        Stroke:                92.80 mm
        Displacement:          1984 cc
        Connecting Rod:        159 mm gundrilled
        Induction:             2 45mm Delorto Carburation
        Ignition:              Electromotive crankfire
      Transmission:            5-speed close ratio with Torsion Ft
                               Differential and single plate
                               racing clutch
      Chassis:                 A1 type Volkswagen Scirocco, partial seam
                               weld, 16 point welded cage, integrated
                               front sub-frame and skidpan.
      Suspension:              Front-Bilstein struts with adjustable
                               coil over springs, Aluminum and alloy
                               steel multi-link control arms with 3/4"
                               rod ends, adjustable camber plates.
                               Rear-Bilstein Shocks with adjustable coil
                               over springs, modified trailing arms.
      Steering:                GTi Rack with custom tie rods with column
                               extension and steering wheel quick
                               disconnect.
      Brakes:                  Front-10.5" drilled rotors single piston
                               Girling Calipers, Hawk brake pads.
                               Rear-9.5" rotors and single piston
                               Girling calipers with hand brake.
      Tires:                   14/62-15 Michelin Special Pilot Rally
                               tires mounted on 6"x 15" B&B motorsport
                               wheels.
      Lights:                  4 Hella Rally 4000
      Electrics:               Custom Mil-spec wiring harness fully
                               Cannon plugged. Central fuse box, full
                               VDO gauges.






Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #4 - April 17 - 7:00 PM (PDT)

9.  41 cars - 26 nationals included - took the wave of the
    Washington State flag at 6:00 PM for the start of the
    Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally.  Among the
    missing when his starting time came up was the new Pete
    Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Mazda 323GTX, which was being prepared
    at a race shop in Southern Washington.  While co-driver
    Brandt waited anxiously, watching the whole field start
    without him, Lahm was thrashing to get the car ready.
    With less than 12 minutes left until the entry would be
    time-barred, the ex-Carl Merrill, ex-Trevor Donison racer
    appeared in the parking lot, was teched and registered,
    and Lahm/Brandt were on their way.

10. As expected, the two Hyundais forged into the lead, with
    Choiniere/Becker grabbing the lead after two stages by 9
    seconds, but Buffum/Williams retaking the lead by five
    seconds after four stages.  Choiniere was worried after
    stage #4 that excessive tire wear might find him short of
    fresh rubber on Saturday, but the team took on a new set
    of Michelins anyway at that point.

11. The Carl Merrill/Ray Damitio Ford Escort Cosworth is
    running well in third place, less than a minute behind
    Choiniere after four stages.  Carl thinks he can go
    faster, but the car seems free of the turbo problems
    which plagued him here last month.

12. The David Summerbell (it IS spelled Summerbell)/Michael
    Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV sits in fourth,
    another minute behind Merrill as Summerbell is being
    conservative tonight.

13. Some Friday night service reports:

    --The Gingras/Westrick Eagle Talon has had an
      intermittent odo and two flat tires to slow their
      progress.
    --The Shrader/Shrader Ford Sierra Cosworth has developed
      an engine miss, so the crew will replace some engine
      chips overnight.
    --The Kosmides/Noyes Toyota Supra is no longer running
      hot, but continues to adjust various things as part of
      their development effort.
    --The John Lane/Scott Huhn Volvo 262 rolled on stage #2,
      with both occupants shaken, but unhurt.  The car looks
      like a total write-off.
    --The organizer went to two minute intervals at the end
      of two stages because of the dust.
    --The Lahm/Brandt Mazda is running hot as it lost coolant
      on the opening stages.
    --The Jardevall/Elkin Volvo 740 turbo is having brake
      problems.

                            # # #



               Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
       LITTLE CREEK CASINO WILD WEST PRO RALLY - Olympia, Washington
                           Final Entry/Start List

Start  Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.  No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires

  1     1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
            Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin

  2    15   John Buffum      Mark Williams      Hyundai Elantra/Open
            Burlington, VT   Gaithersburg, MD   National/Michelin

  3     3   Carl Merrill     Ray Damitio        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
            Ogunquit, ME     Montesano, WA      National/Michelin

  4    41   Rui Brasil       Ben Bradley        Audi Quattro S-2/Open
            San Jose, CA     Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

  5    28   Dave Sommerbell   Micheal Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
            Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Evolution IV/Open

  6     6   Steve Gingras    Bill Westrick      Eagle Talon/Prod. GT
            Elk River, MN    Orin, MI           Nat./Div./Michelin

  7    11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
            Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

  8    58   Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
            Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin

  9    43   Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin

 10    17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac/Open
            Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 11    54   Pete Lahm        Jimmy Brandt       Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
            Phoenix, AZ      Lake Odessa, MI    National/Michelin

 12     8   Bill Malik       Christian Edstrom  Volvo 240/Group 2
            Burbank, CA      Los Angeles, CA    National/Michelin

 13   117   Ken Stewart      Jim Dale           Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
            Grove, OK        Conway, AK         Nat./Div./Cooper

 14   121   George Plsek     Mark Rathsam       Saab 99 Turbo/Group 5
            Del Mar, CA      Del Mar, CA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 15    56   Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
            San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

 16   111   Scott Fuller     Peter Yeeles       VW GTI/Group 2
            Eugene, OR       Issaquah, WA       Nat./Div./Michelin

 17    79   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
            Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin

 18    55   Gerry Valentini  Lee Sorenson       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
            Sacramento, CA   Fair Oaks, CA      National/Michelin

 19    27   Ken Cassidy      Robert Waits       Mitsubishi Galant/Prod. GT
            Mesa, AZ         Lawrenceville, GA  Nat./Div./Goodyear

 20    30   Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Shadow/Prod. GT
            Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin

 21    14   Garen Schrader   Doc Schrader       Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            West Memphis, AR West Memphis, AR   National/Michelin

 22    26   John Lane        Scott Huhn         Volvo 262/Group 2
            Bellevue, WA     Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 23    49   Shawn Callahan   Jim Hake           VW Scirocco/Group 2
            Rochester, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 24    18   Doug Schrenk     Rob Walden         Saab 900/Group 5
            Seattle, WA      Shoreline, WA      National/Michelin

 25    22   Jake Dekovic     Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
            Lynnwood, WA     Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 26    21   Trevor Donison   Catherine Roso     Plymouth Neon/Production
            Vancouver, WA    Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

Divisional Only

       91   Tim Paterson     Joel Wright        Mazda 323GTX/04
            Redmond, WA      Seattle, WA        Divisional

       47   Vance Walker     Karen Laylor       Mazda RX-3/02
            Newberg, OR      Newberg, WA        Divisional

       23   Todd Hartmann    Kirk Knestis       VW GTI/U2
            Issaquah, WA     Seattle, WA        Divisional

       48   Simon LeVear     Kevin Poirer       Datsun 510/U2
            Tigard, OR       Ranier, WA         Divisional

       98   Greg Lingelbach  Steven Andrews     Dodge Colt/U2
            Portland, OR     Battle Ground, WA  Divisional

       46   Michael Leonard  Leon Owens         Saab 99 Turbo/O2
            Bothell, WA      Tacoma, WA         Divisional

       88   Mike Mailman     Shelly Kruse       VW GTI/U2
            Arlington, WA    Arlington, WA      Divisional

       33   Kirk Simons      Pete Shelton       Dodge Omni/U2
            Bothell, WA      Seattle, WA        Divisional

       83   Christian Tudor  Todd Phenneger     Audi 5000 Quattro/4WD
            Bellevue, WA     Moscow, ID         Divisional

       52   Neville Green    Angela Romeo       Merkur XR4Ti/02
            Seattle, WA      Seattle, WA        Divisional

       73   Noah Third       Jason Lane         VW Rabbit/U2
            N. Vancouver, BC Burnaby, BC        Divisional

       68   Bob Reaves       Tammy Reaves       Mazda RX-3/02
            North Bend, WA   North Bend, WA     Divisional

       74   Mark Wilkie      Brian Fradenburg   VW Rabbit/U2
            Seattle, WA      Redmond, WA        Divisional

       76   Chris Kouba      John Allen         Mazda RX-7/02
            Milwaukie, OR    Bainbridge Is., WA Divisional

       78   Brian Bliven     Jan Molotte        Toyota Celica/U2
            Seattle, WA      Renton, WA         Divisional


                                   # # #





Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #5 - April 18 - 12:30 AM (PDT)

14.  The rally has come to an end for day #1, and it was not
     a good ending for several teams.

     --After suffering a cracked header on stage #5, the
       Doug Schrenk/Rob Walden Saab 900 caught fire on stage
       six and burned to the ground.  Drivers are okay, but
       the car is reported to be totalled.  Early
       speculation points to a transmission fire.

     --The Shrader/Shrader Ford Sierra Cosworth's maiden
       voyage came to an abrupt halt on stage #5 with a
       rollover.  The car is a DNF - details when they become
       available.

     --Other national DNF are s follows:

       Dekovic/Callahan Mazda 323GTX - rollover
       Callahan/Hake VW Scirocco - mechanical

15.  National results after six stages:

Driver/Co-driver         Car              Class       Time

Choiniere/Becker     Hyundai Tiburon      Open        41:09
Buffum/Williams      Hyundai Elantra      Open        41:33
Merrill/Damitio      Ford Escort Cosworth Open        43:31
Summerbell/Fennell   Mitsui Lancer Evo IV Open        44:50
White/Watts          VW GTI               Group 2     45:30
Kosmides/Noyes       Toyota Supra         Group 5     45:40
Brasil/Bradley       Audi Quattro S-2     Open        45:54
Whitman/Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth Open        46:04
Damitio/Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac      Open        46:25
Jardevall/Elkin      Volvo 740T           Group 5     46:26
Fuller/Yeeles        VW GTI               Group 2     46:49
Malik/Edstrom        Volvo 240            Group 2     47:34
Gingras/Westrick     Eagle Talon          Prod. GT    49:20
Shadbolt/Eklund      Subaru Impreza       Prod. GT    49:28
Stewart/Dale         Chevy S-10 Pickup    Open        51:00
Lahm/Brandt          Mazda 323GTX         Prod. GT    52:23
Cassidy/Waits        Mitsubishi Galant    Prod. GT    53:33
Valentini/Sorenson   Mazda RX-7           Group 5     54:38

Plsek/Rathsam        Saab 99T             Group 5*
Russell/Dillon       Dodge Shadow         Prod. GT*
Donison/Roso         Plymouth Neon        Prod.*

*Times to be determined/start order up to national steward;
 most likely to start in this order at the back of the
 national pack.

                            # # #



Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #6 - April 18 - 10:00 AM (PDT)

15.  Revised national results after six stages - also the
     national start order for Saturday morning:

Driver/Co-driver         Car              Class       Time

Choiniere/Becker     Hyundai Tiburon      Open        41:09
Buffum/Williams      Hyundai Elantra      Open        41:37
Merrill/Damitio      Ford Escort Cosworth Open        43:31
Summerbell/Fennell   Mitsui Lancer Evo IV Open        44:50
White/Watts          VW GTI               Group 2     45:30
Kosmides/Noyes       Toyota Supra         Group 5     45:42
Brasil/Bradley       Audi Quattro S-2     Open        45:54
Whitman/Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth Open        46:04
Damitio/Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac      Open        46:25
Jardevall/Elkin      Volvo 740T           Group 5     46:27
Fuller/Yeeles        VW GTI               Group 2     46:49
Malik/Edstrom        Volvo 240            Group 2     47:34
Gingras/Westrick     Eagle Talon          Prod. GT    49:20
Plsek/Rathsam        Saab 99T             Group 5     49:25
Shadbolt/Eklund      Subaru Impreza       Prod. GT    49:28
Stewart/Dale         Chevy S-10 Pickup    Open        51:00
Lahm/Brandt          Mazda 323GTX         Prod. GT    52:24*
Cassidy/Waits        Mitsubishi Galant    Prod. GT    53:31
Valentini/Sorenson   Mazda RX-7           Group 5     54:38
Russell/Dillon       Dodge Shadow         Prod. GT    56:18
Donison/Roso         Plymouth Neon        Prod.       56:49

*does not include 23 minutes of road points for late start

16.  The Shrader/Shrader roll came at a time when the car was
     running in the top five overall, and co-driver and dad
     Doc Shrader takes great pains to point out that son
     Garen was driving a great event.  The car was on a fast,
     twisty downhill section when they had a flat, careened
     into a ditch, and had enough momentum to be almost back
     on the road again when they hit a large rock or stump,
     sending the car on its roof into a rollover.  They
     landed on their wheels, and both drivers were okay, but
     suspension damage from a front wheel which folded under
     made it impossible to continue.  Car builder Dave Clark
     projects that the other damage was just sheetmetal.

17.  The Schrenk/Walden Saab 900 did indeed burn to the
     ground, with the fire taking almost 90 minutes to
     extinguish itself.  A leaking transmission caught fire,
     and the rest is just history.  Several drivers stopped
     to empty their fire bottles on the blaze, but the only
     course of action was to let the fire burn and make sure
     the woods didn't catch.  Neither driver was hurt.

                            # # #



Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #6 - April 18 - 10:00 AM (PDT)

15.  Revised national results after six stages - also the
     national start order for Saturday morning:

Driver/Co-driver         Car              Class       Time

Choiniere/Becker     Hyundai Tiburon      Open        41:09
Buffum/Williams      Hyundai Elantra      Open        41:37
Merrill/Damitio      Ford Escort Cosworth Open        43:31
Summerbell/Fennell   Mitsui Lancer Evo IV Open        44:50
White/Watts          VW GTI               Group 2     45:30
Kosmides/Noyes       Toyota Supra         Group 5     45:42
Brasil/Bradley       Audi Quattro S-2     Open        45:54
Whitman/Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth Open        46:04
Damitio/Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac      Open        46:25
Jardevall/Elkin      Volvo 740T           Group 5     46:27
Fuller/Yeeles        VW GTI               Group 2     46:49
Malik/Edstrom        Volvo 240            Group 2     47:34
Gingras/Westrick     Eagle Talon          Prod. GT    49:20
Plsek/Rathsam        Saab 99T             Group 5     49:25
Shadbolt/Eklund      Subaru Impreza       Prod. GT    49:28
Stewart/Dale         Chevy S-10 Pickup    Open        51:00
Lahm/Brandt          Mazda 323GTX         Prod. GT    52:24*
Cassidy/Waits        Mitsubishi Galant    Prod. GT    53:31
Valentini/Sorenson   Mazda RX-7           Group 5     54:38
Russell/Dillon       Dodge Shadow         Prod. GT    56:18
Donison/Roso         Plymouth Neon        Prod.       56:49

*does not include 23 minutes of road points for late start

16.  The Shrader/Shrader roll came at a time when the car was
     running in the top five overall, and co-driver and dad
     Doc Shrader takes great pains to point out that son
     Garen was driving a great event.  The car was on a fast,
     twisty downhill section when they had a flat, careened
     into a ditch, and had enough momentum to be almost back
     on the road again when they hit a large rock or stump,
     sending the car on its roof into a rollover.  They
     landed on their wheels, and both drivers were okay, but
     suspension damage from a front wheel which folded under
     made it impossible to continue.  Car builder Dave Clark
     projects that the other damage was just sheetmetal.

17.  The Schrenk/Walden Saab 900 did indeed burn to the
     ground, with the fire taking almost 90 minutes to
     extinguish itself.  A leaking transmission caught fire,
     and the rest is just history.  Several drivers stopped
     to empty their fire bottles on the blaze, but the only
     course of action was to let the fire burn and make sure
     the woods didn't catch.  Neither driver was hurt.

                            # # #

Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #7 - April 18 - 10:30 AM (PDT)

18.  The John Lane/Scott Huhn Volvo 262 - also a Dave Clark
     Motorsports-built car, also looks fixable, and both
     drivers made appearances at the Little Creek Casino last
     night after a trip to the hospital for minor treatment.
     Driver Lane had a swollen hand that required stitches
     from pieces of the shattered windshield, while co-driver
     Huhn suffered a puncture wound from the inside door
     handle.

19.  The other national DNF - the Shawn Callahan/John Hake VW
     Scirocco - broke a tie-rod, but the team fixed the car
     overnight, and they entered the divisional event this
     morning.

20.  Speaking of the divisional event, the Dave White/Dave
     Watts VW GTI - currently running fifth overall in the
     national rally - won the Sou'Wester Divisional PRO Rally
     by a scant nine seconds over the Janice Damitio/Amity
     Trowbridge Toyota Celica All-trac (White won U2 and
     Ms. Damitio won 4WD, with the Vance Walker/Karen Laylor
     Mazda RX-3 winning 02).  The rally was scored on the
     basis of five stages, as the Schrenk fire closed stage
     #6 before any of the divisional-only cars could pass.

     Divisional DNFs included the Greg Lingelbach/Steven
     Andrews Dodge Colt (off-course); Jake Dekovic/Katie
     Callahan Mazda 323GTX (rollover); Neville Green/Angela
     Romeo Ford Mustang (off-course); Brad Bliven/Jan Molotte
     Toyota Celica (engine damage from water ingestion).

21.  The Carl Merrill/Ray Damitio Ford Escort Cosworth dipped
     a wheel into a ditch on stage #6, and then hit a rock or
     stump on the way back on the road, damaging front
     fiberglass and cracking the front light housing pod.
     Although Merrill lost a minute to Choiniere and Buffum
     on the stage, the damage was fixed overnight.

22.  The Dave White/David Watts VW GTI is leading Group 2,
     thanks to the handiwork of car preparer Guy Light, who
     modified a replacement fuel pump to keep White on the
     road.  He leads the second-place GTI of Scott
     Fuller/Peter Yeeles by more than a minute.

23.  In Group 5, the Kosmides/Noyes Toyota Supra has a 45-
     second lead over the Carl Jardevall/John Elkin Volvo
     740 turbo.  In Production GT, the Gingras/Westrick Eagle
     Talon has a slim 8-second advantage over the
     Shadbolt/Eklund Subaru Impreza.  As the lone Production
     class entry, the Plymouth Neon of Trevor
     Donison/Catherine Roso will win that class if they
     finish today.

                            # # #



Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #8 - April 18 - 6:30 PM (PDT)

24.  With less than one hour to go in the Little Creek Casino
     Wild West PRO Rally, it seems that driver error and bad
     luck continues to outnumber mechanical failures for
     those teams that have DNFed.

     --The Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes Toyota Celica, in
       contention for the Group 5 title and running neck and
       neck with the Volvo 740 turbo of Carl Jardevall/John
       Elkin, flew off the road on stage #11 and landed on
       its roof.  The damage is undetermined, but the car was
       far enough off and down that it couldn't be moved
       until the stage was complete; thus, a DNF.

     --The Ken Cassidy/Robert Waits Mitsubishi Galant could
       note pass up a competitor in distress - that of the
       Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Mazda 323GTX.  When Ken saw
       Pete, tow rope in hand, at the end of stage #11, he
       stopped and hook up the Mazda to get it to service.
       The problem was that the Mitsubishi is really not set
       up to tow, and Cassidy blew his clutch, causing a DNF.

     --The George Plsek/Mark Rathsam Saab 99 turbo is also
       out of the event - transmission troubles.

25.  The spectator event at the Thurston County Off-Road
     Vehicle Park - a great idea - drew 500 spectators,
     according to park officials.  Because of the deep mud,
     however, the rally cars couldn't really put on much of a
     show, so the organizer decided to run the stage as demo
     only, and the times did not count.  Many of the
     spectators took names and phone numbers of the
     divisional steward, however, as the stage sparked
     interest in the sport.  The Trevor Donison/Catherine
     Roso Plymouth Neon is the only car the got stuck on the
     stage (#12), while the Vance Walker/Karen Laylor Mazda
     RX-3 put on the best show.  Stage #15 - one from the
     end - will also be run at the park, but will not count
     for time.

26.  The 1998 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally is now
     over, and the Hyundais have it.  The Paul Choiniere/Jeff
     Becker Hyundai Tiburon scored a 40-second win over
     teammates and car owner John Buffum and co-driver Mark
     Williams in a Hyundai Elantra.  Buffum and Choiniere
     swapped the lead back and forth during the entire event,
     with Choiniere falling behind earlier today after
     breaking a brake fitting.  Strong times on the final
     stages, along with an understanding of who need
     championship driver points, determined the final result.

     Other class winners included Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick
     Act II Popcorn Eagle Talon (Production GT); Carl
     Jardevall/John Elkin Volvo 740 (Group 5); Dave
     White/David Watts VW GTI (Group 2); and Trevor
     Donison/Catherine Roso Plymouth Neon (Production).
                            # # #



Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #9 - April 18 - 9:00 PM (PDT)

27.  The event had 41 starters initially on Friday night, 33
     starters on Saturday morning, and 25 finishers at the
     end of the event.  17 of the 26 national starters
     finished the rally.

28.  The Rui Brasil/Ben Bradley Audi Quattro S-2, despite
     being the fastest car on a stage where the organizer had
     a radar dun set up (110 mph), had all kinds of problems
     today, preventing him from finishing in his usual top
     five position.  At various times during today's event,
     Rui ran out of gas, lost his odo, lost his brakes, lost
     his intercom, and lost his fuel management system.  He
     hopes the three weeks between now and Rim of the World
     will allow him to regroup.

29.  The Janice Damitio/Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac had
     a myriad of problems which prevented them from finishing
     in the top ten - where they ran for much of the event.
     The car broke a strut last night, then lost third gear,
     lost 4WD, and finally lost power on the final stages.
     Earlier in the event, when the car was running well,
     Janice was turning top six stage times.

30.  Ralph Kosmides called his rollover "pure driver error"
     as he was trying to make up time after looping the car
     at a spectator stage and killing the starter.  Kosmides
     overcooked it in a tight corner, headed off the road,
     and hit a large log which caused the car to flip over
     and land on its roof.  Fortunately, it was a soft
     landing which damaged only the car's deck lid - no
     broken glass or caved-in roof.  Kosmides might run the
     old car - the '95 normally-aspirated Toyota Supra - at
     Rim of the World depending on his post-rally teardown of
     the new Supra.

31.  The Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault Ford Sierra Cosworth ran
     the best rally of its young career, posting its first
     top-five finish (fifth).  If fact, with the Carl
     Merrill/Ray Damitio Ford Escort Cosworth finishing
     fourth, it marks the first time in recent memory that
     Ford has had two top-five finishes in SCCA PRO Rally.
     Whitman, a former Group 2 aqnd divisional national
     champion, plans to skip the rough Rim of the World event
     in favor of the faster East Coast rallies of
     Susquehannock Trail (Penn.) and Maine Forest this
     spring.

32.  The Dave White/David Watts VW GTI won the Wild West
     Divisional PRO Rally (Saturday's divisional), giving the
     Guy Light-prepared car a sweep of the weekend's
     divisional events.  The Vance Walker/Karen Layor Mazda
     RX-3 won the 02 class, and the Rui Brasil/Ben Bradley
     Audi Quattro S-2 (4WD).

                            # # #
 
Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally
Shelton, Washington
Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
April 17 - 18, 1998
Press Notes #10 - April 18 - 9:30 PM (PDT)

33.  Final national standings:

Driver/Co-driver         Car              Class       Time

Choiniere/Becker     Hyundai Tiburon      Open      2:08:55
Buffum/Williams      Hyundai Elantra      Open      2:09:35
Summerbell/Fennell   Mitsui Lancer Evo IV Open      2:10:54
Merrill/Damitio      Ford Escort Cosworth Open      2:16:07
Whitman/Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth Open      2:16:13
Jardevall/Elkin      Volvo 740T           Group 5   2:17:25
White/Watts          VW GTI               Group 2   2:17:45
Brasil/Bradley       Audi Quattro S-2     Open      2:19:09
Malik/Edstrom        Volvo 240            Group 2   2:24:04
Gingras/Westrick     Eagle Talon          Prod. GT  2:25:47
Shadbolt/Eklund      Subaru Impreza       Prod. GT  2:30:36
Stewart/Dale         Chevy S-10 Pickup    Open      2:34:38
Damitio/Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac      Open      2:38:42
Valentini/Sorenson   Mazda RX-7           Group 5   2:44:05
Russell/Dillon       Dodge Shadow         Prod. GT  2:47:25
Donison/Roso         Plymouth Neon        Prod.     2:49:25
Lahm/Brandt          Mazda 323GTX         Prod. GT  2:49:57

                            # # #





               Round #3 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship
       LITTLE CREEK CASINO WILD WEST PRO RALLY - Olympia, Washington
                           Final National Results

 Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires/Time

  1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
      Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin/2:08:55

 15   John Buffum      Mark Williams      Hyundai Elantra/Open
      Burlington, VT   Gaithersburg, MD   National/Michelin/2:09:35

 28   Dave Summerbell   Micheal Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
      Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Evolution IV/Open/2:10:54

  3   Carl Merrill     Ray Damitio        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
      Ogunquit, ME     Montesano, WA      National/Michelin/2:16:07

 43   Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
      Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin/2:16:13

 56   Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
      San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin/2:17:25

 58   Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
      Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin/2:17:45

 41   Rui Brasil       Ben Bradley        Audi Quattro S-2/Open
      San Jose, CA     Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin/2:19:09

  8   Bill Malik       Christian Edstrom  Volvo 240/Group 2
      Burbank, CA      Los Angeles, CA    National/Michelin/2:24:04

  6   Steve Gingras    Bill Westrick      Eagle Talon/Prod. GT
      Elk River, MN    Orin, MI           Nat./Div./Michelin/2:25:47

 79   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
      Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin/2:30:36

117   Ken Stewart      Jim Dale           Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
      Grove, OK        Conway, AK         Nat./Div./Cooper/2:34:28

 17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota All-trac/Open
      Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin/2:38:42

 55   Gerry Valentini  Lee Sorenson       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
      Sacramento, CA   Fair Oaks, CA      National/Michelin/2:44:05

 30   Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Shadow/Prod. GT
      Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin/2:47:25

 21   Trevor Donison   Catherine Roso     Plymouth Neon/Production
      Vancouver, WA    Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin/2:49:57

 54   Pete Lahm        Jimmy Brandt       Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
      Phoenix, AZ      Lake Odessa, MI    National/Michelin/3:06:08

Did Not Finish

121   George Plsek     Mark Rathsam       Saab 99 Turbo/Group 5
      Del Mar, CA      Del Mar, CA        Transmission

111   Scott Fuller     Peter Yeeles       VW GTI/Group 2
      Eugene, OR       Issaquah, WA       Cooling

 27   Ken Cassidy      Robert Waits       Mitsubishi Galant/Prod. GT
      Mesa, AZ         Lawrenceville, GA  Clutch

 14   Garen Schrader   Doc Schrader       Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
      West Memphis, AR West Memphis, AR   Rollover

 26   John Lane        Scott Huhn         Volvo 262/Group 2
      Bellevue, WA     Seattle, WA        Rollover

 49   Shawn Callahan   Jim Hake           VW Scirocco/Group 2
      Rochester, WA    Seattle, WA        Tie-rod

 18   Doug Schrenk     Rob Walden         Saab 900/Group 5
      Seattle, WA      Shoreline, WA      Transmission/Fire

 22   Jake Dekovic     Katie Callahan     Mazda 323GTX/Prod. GT
      Lynnwood, WA     Seattle, WA        Rollover

 11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
      Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA       Rollover


                                   # # #






                      MICHELIN PRO RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
                           1998 NATIONAL SCHEDULE
                             (revised 4/19/98)


                                                           Overall
 EVENT                     DATE            LOCATION        Winners


 SNO*DRIFT+                February 27-28  Atlanta, MI     Cancelled -
                                                           road conditions

 DOO WOP III & IV+         March 14 - 15   Olympia, WA     CHOINIERE/BECKER

 LITTLE CREEK CASINO
 WILD WEST PRO RALLY       April 18 - 19   Olympia, WA     CHOINIERE/BECKER
 ESPN2 TV Coverage         Saturday, May 9 - 6:30 PM EDT

 RIM OF THE WORLD          May 8 - 9       Palmdale, CA
 ESPN2 TV Coverage         Friday, May 29 - 6:30 PM EDT

 SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL       June 5 - 6      Wellsboro, PA


 MAINE FOREST RALLY        July 31-Aug. 1  Rumford, ME


 OJIBWE FORESTS PRO RALLY  August 28 - 29  Bemidji, MN


 PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY     October 2 - 3   Prescott, AZ

 D&N BANK LAKE SUPERIOR
 PRO RALLY                 October 23 - 24 Houghton, MI


                                   # # #


+Doo Wop event is a co-efficient 3 rally - national license-holders earn
 60 percent of national points.

 The best six finishes are counted for championship points.

 National events will be telecast on ESPN2 on a delayed basis; produced by
 Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass. (617) 492-7444.

                                   # # #




    For Immediate Release    Contact:  Andy Schupack  (401) 739-5677
 
   "PERFECT" ONE-TWO HYUNDAI PUNCH DOMINATES MICHELIN PRO RALLY EVENT IN

     NORTHWEST; CHOINIERE MORE POLISHED THAN EX-CHAMP, STEP-DAD BUFFUM



SHELTON, Wash. -- April 19 -- 11-time Michelin PRO Rally champion John

Buffum, still considered to be the best American PRO rally driver ever,

showed he still had his stuff, but defending champion Paul Choiniere,

teammate and step-son, showed the baton has been passed on the U.S. rally

scene.



Choiniere and co-driver Jeff Becker, winners of the Michelin PRO Rally

national title every year since 1992, took their Hyundai Tiburon 4WD to a

40-second win over Buffum and co-driver Mark Williams - in a Hyundai

Elantra 4WD - at the Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally in Washington

State.



"Paul has a smoother style than I do, and has learned to adjust his

driving style to his situation better than I did," said Buffum, whose

sticky transmission allowed Choiniere to overcome a mid-rally deficit.

"I was fast when I won my titles, but I would also run off the road with a

big lead - Paul never does that.  My old nickname - "Stuff 'em Buffum" -

was not completely undeserved."



The Jamaican SuperClubs entry of David Summerbell/Michael Fennell was

third - in the North American debut of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV

rally car.  Summerbell, in his first U.S. rally appearance, started off

cautiously on the wet, rocky Simpson Lumber Company logging roads, but was

clocked at more than 90 mph during the late stages of the event.



In the classes, the Carl Jardevall/John Elkin Volvo 740 turbo took the

large displacement two-wheel drive class (Group 5); the VW GTI of Dave

White/David Watts was first in the small displacement two-wheel drive

class (Group 2); defending class champions Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick

were first in the production four-wheel-drive class (Production GT); and

Trevor Donison/Catherine Roso won the stock class (Production) in their

Plymouth Neon.



The rough, slippery conditions caused a record number of rollovers -

four - and one burn-to-the-ground car fire.  The blaze occurred in the ex-

national championship Saab 900 Group 2 car being driven by Doug

Schrenk/Rob Walden.  The car had a cracked transmission case, and the

fluid caught fire.  Both drivers escaped without injury.



Several of the rollovers caused pre-race favorites to end their day early,

including Group 5 points leaders Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes, who lost

control of their 325-hp. Toyota Supra and rolled wheels up into a ditch.



The new Ford Sierra Cosworth, driven by Garen Shrader with co-driver and

dad Floyd "Doc" Shrader, was enjoying its maiden voyage when a flat tire

at speed sent the car careening into a gully.  The only injury of the

event occurred when Volvo 262 entrants John Lane/Scott Huhn rolled their

car end-over-end at speed after hitting a log.  Lane was treated for hand

injuries and Huhn for a puncture wound at a local hospital.



Other pre-event favorites who suffered mechanical ills during the event

included the 410-hp. Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill/Ray Damitio,

which hit a railroad tie a speed, knocking out the car's half-shaft and

relegating it to 2WD for a while.  Merrill finished fourth overall, just

ahead of the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault.



Although Rui Brasil/John Elkin's new Audi Quattro S-2 topped the radar gun

derby at more than 110 mph, Rui's list of mechanical problems, including

the critical fuel management system, gave him a disappointing eighth place

finish.



Replica Productions, of Cambridge, Mass., will present the Little Creek

Casino Wild West PRO Rally on ESPN2 on Saturday, May 9, at 6:30 PM

Eastern Daylight Time (3:30 PM Pacific).


 
 The 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship consists of eight events, is

 sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation and sanctioned by the Sports Car

 Club of America (SCCA).  The 1998 Little Creek Casino Wild West PRO Rally

 was presented by the Northwest Region, SCCA.  PRO Rally information, as

 well as scores, updates, membership, or other SCCA material can be found

 on the SCCA web site at <www.scca.com/amateur/prorally>.



 The next event on the schedule is the Rim of the World PRO Rally, which

 will take place on May 8 - 9, 1998, in Palmdale, California.



                                   # # #
 



Results 98 Index
RRN Index