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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 29, 2006 |
For more information, Contact: John Cassidy Last Ditch Racing E-mail: John@lastditchracing.net Website: www.lastditchracing.net |
Bangor, Maine, USA -- Last Ditch Racing faced one of their more difficult rallies at the past weekend's Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary, Alberta Canada.
After weeks of preparation and travel across North America, the team was forced to retire from the event, completing Friday's stages in a disappointing Nineteenth position after starting Sixth. This was in stark contrast to their second overall finish at the 2005 edition of the event.
The team's 2003 Subaru WRX engine control unit(ECU) was in safety/limp mode, which results in the car's performance being severely limited as a protective measure. As a result, the team's times on stage were uncharacteristically slow.
Team owner/driver John Cassidy said, "We pride ourselves on fielding a well prepped car and that's been the key to our consistency. To be side-lined like this is very difficult for a competitive team like us." Team mechanic Richard Wong and other competitors worked on the car to diagnose the problem, but Wong and Cassidy decided that there were too many variables to try and troubleshoot during the overnight service. "We didn't want to risk possible damage to the motor on Saturday for only single championship point."
"(Co-Driver)Erik Lee and I were all dressed up with no where to go fast!" said Cassidy. "I think the most frustrating thing for a rally driver is to be at a rally without a competitive car."
A highlight of the event was the presentation to the team of a Rocky Mountain Rally Thong award. This is a reflection of the Triple Caution Thong, which LDR traditionally presents to a fellow competitor during events in which they are competing. "The Thong put a smile on our faces and made us realize that what we think is a bad day at a rally is still better than a good day at work!"
Cassidy was pleased to have Richard Wong on board as chief mechanic for the event. "Richard was a very positive and professional addition to the team this weekend and we couldn't have made it as far as we did without him, and we're hoping to work with him again in the future." said Cassidy.
A special thanks to Iain at Planet Motorsport for assistance with ECU tuning for the Rocky Mountain Rally.
Last Ditch Racing's next event is the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in Quebec on July 1. The team will then attend their home event, the Maine Forest Rally on July 20-22.
A special thanks to Iain at Planet Motorsport for assistance with ECU tuning for the Rocky Mountain Rally!: planetmotorsport.com
Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2006 team partners for their continued support!
For more information on Last Ditch Racing and to hear our podcasts, please visit: www.lastditchracing.com
For more information on the Rocky Mountain Rally, please visit: www.rockymountainrally.com
For more information on Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs, please visit: www.rallyebdc.com
For more information on the Maine Forest Rally, please visit: maineforestrally.com