Calgary, Alberta -- Defending Canadian Rally Champion Patrick Richard and the Subaru Rally Team Canada are preparing for an aggressive performance at the 2003 Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary Alberta this weekend. This is the 4th round of the Canadian Rally Championship and the competition is becoming fierce. However this will be the second outing for Patrick and co-driver Ian McCurdy in the awesome new Subaru Sti WRX and they are hoping to come out ahead.

This weekend the Sti gearbox has been switched for a new Dog Box that should improve speed. Furthermore, the stock engine should provide greater reliability at high altitudes than other more highly tuned vehicles in the race.

"This will be my fourth year of racing at the Rocky Mountain Rally and winning is particularly important because we have had mixed fortunes in previous years. In our first year we rolled the vehicle but managed to keep going. In 2002 we did better and came second; however last year we had a DNF because our engine blew. So I will be really gunning for victory this weekend."

The Rocky Mountain Rally, now in its 30th year, is especially challenging as the road conditions in the mountain areas can change from day to day. Competitors can expect anything from dry and dusty to wet or even snowy conditions. However this is the first time that a Canadian Rally Championship event will be providing stage notes based on the Jemba inertia based system.

"I love this event because the roads are fast, twisty and have some hair-raising drop-offs that can get your heart pounding" said Patrick. "We are hoping to take the course faster and with greater confidence than usual because the new stage notes should provide a lot more detail than the old rough route book. This is similar to what I have experienced at the WRC level, so it is great to see the organizers take Canadian rally to the next level" said Patrick.

The event will be held on May 23rd and 24th and rally teams from across Canada will be racing at the Blackfoot Motorcycle Park and on controlled roads through the Porcupine Hills forestry area southwest of Calgary. The course is one of the best in the championship for spectator viewing and includes a scenic mountain setting where 8 special stages will pass the one location. The competition will be intense with Richard and McCurdy facing Subaru Rally Team Canada team mates Tom McGeer and co-driver Howard Davies as well as top class drivers such as Sylvain Erickson, Antoine Lestage and Andrew Comrie-Picard.

Further information about Patrick Richard: http://www.patrickrichard.com
Further information about the event: http://bishop.ab.ca/CSCC/rocky/index.html
Press inquiries: Tim Gage
timgage@patrickrichard.com
604 737 2531