Tigard, Oregon-- The Hairpin Racing Team, consisting of driver Lee Shadbolt and co-driver Brian Smith, completed both days of the Doo Wops ClubRally. This year's event featured top ClubRally competitors from across the US to compete in the Doo Wops ClubRally run-offs. It was two days of fantastic competition with ideal road conditions for the teams to showcase their skills.

The Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza, along with the Primitive Enterprises Subaru Impreza, started its year in the manufacturer's displays for Subaru at the LA Auto Show. The show lasted 10 days and the rally cars were present to tie the rally heritage of the first-generation Impreza to the new 2002 Impreza WRX. The Hairpin Impreza had never looked better despite the four previous ProRally seasons which have taken the team to events in Maine, Minnesota, Arizona, California, Washington, and in Canada to Hinton and Calgary.

Hairpin's regular co-driver, Bob Sherman, was forced to sit out Doo Wops due to shoulder surgery earlier this year. He will be fully recovered and ready for competition by April 7th in time for the Oregon Trail ProRally. His substitute, Brian Smith, is a regular team service crewmember and is fresh from rally stage training in Great Britain at one of their top forest stage schools.

March 3rd, Saturday, took the teams to the Quinault Indian Reservation for a 10 mile stage that was run once as a repeat, and then backwards. The Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza launched cleanly on the first stage and was immediately into second gear as it sped towards a marked side road 0.40 miles into the stage. They approached the 90 degree right turn in fourth gear where they downshifted and drifted through the corner. Teams averaged over 60 mph on this stage which had two chicanes added to slow the cars on long straights. In spite of this, the Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza was periodically hitting 100 mph on the short straights between corners. Shadbolt commented, "Our Impreza has never been stronger". After the day was completed, Hairpin Racing was 5th overall. There were 42 entries.

March 4th, Sunday, was on "traditional" Doo Wops roads near Montesano, Washington. These included stages used in last year's event including the famous Brooklyn Tavern stage. The first special stages were slick in places and the Hairpin Team had some difficulty on entry to a wooden plank bridge. Any time lost there was quickly made up in the road to follow as they executed four-wheel drifts on the hard packed gravel roads. The team later took advantage of improving condition of the road surface and ran the twisty 6.99-mile Brooklyn stage in 7 minutes 12 seconds. The team finished a satisfying 9th overall on Sunday and reported no problems with the car on any of the six stages thanks to extensive refinement of the car during the off-season.

The next event is the Oregon Trail ProRally in Tillamook, Oregon on April 7-8. This will start at the historic Blimp Hangar and will attract top teams from around the nation.

For more information on Hairpin Racing, please contact Tamara Shadbolt at (503) 624-6366.