Munising, Michigan --Team Yo! Rallysport suffered its first major setback last week at the Ottawa ClubRally, run in conjunction with the Lake Superior ProRally in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The race ended quickly and abruptly Friday night on stage 2 when the team missed a corner and hit a large pine tree head on. Both team members walked away from the crash, but it caused some major damage to their Benteler Automotive-sponsored car.

"Our trouble started on stage one when we spun and clipped a bank," says team driver, Jerry Brownell. "We bent the front bumper, which holds our nighttime lighting. When we started stage two, it was dusk and our lights were pointed at the ground. I think I found myself trying too hard to read the tree line. We came into a turn through some hanging dust where the tree line went straight. I reacted too late, nearly recovered, but barreled head long into a large pine tree."

"We're disappointed that our first DNF came at LSPR," says co-driver Jim Windsor. "We consider this to be our 'home' rally, since this is the race that got us interested in the sport. We also know a lot of the roads up here since we both lived in the area for a few years. It was tough to just be spectators on the second day."

Although the damage disabled the car for the weekend, Brownell and Windsor expect to have the car ready for the 2001 season-opening race three months from now, the Sno*Drift ProRally to be held January 26th and 27th in Atlanta, MI. "We already had some major work planned for the car for the off season," says Brownell. "We've already started tearing it apart, and it looks like the car took the hit pretty well, except for the cosmetic damage. And ironically, we just had a spare fiberglass hood painted up a couple weeks ago. We'll be ready to go in January. Besides, it would be a shame to miss the closest rally to our home."

The team rallies a 1983 Chevrolet Citation X-11 that was built by Guy Light in 1988, and credits the 'survivability' of the car to Light's craftsmanship. "Our car is built like a tank," says Windsor. "After the tree took out the bumper, lighting, grill, and radiator, it was stopped cold by the front of the skid plate. I don't think the plate was moved at all."

Overall, the team has had an impressive rookie season. Highlighted by a 9th place overall finish at the Magnum Opus ClubRally just weeks ago, and a 2nd place finish in Group 5 at the Paul Bunyan's Ride ClubRally in August, Team YO! was in 3rd place in the Central Division Group 5 standings and was in a 4-way battle for 2nd place going into the LSPR, until the DNF left them in 5th place for the year.

Team YO! would like to thank Colin McCleery, Jeff Secor, Mark Buskirk, and Jimmy Brandt for their advice and help throughout the 2000 season. They would also like to thank those who served as crew throughout the year, Buskirk, Matt Westveld, and Jeff Hilbrand. Thanks also go out to Benteler Automotive Corporation for sponsorship support.

Visit the Team YO! Rallysport website at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/webpages/teamyo.

Information:
Team Yo! Rallysport
1567 Coit N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Phone 616-361-2516
E-mail: brownell@benteler.com