Calgary, Alberta-- Driver Lee Shadbolt and co-driver Claire Chizma are one event from qualifying for the North American Rally Cup (NARC). To be eligible, a team must compete in at least two Michelin / SCCA ProRallies in the US and two Subaru / Yokohama CARS Rallies in Canada.

The qualifying team that gathers the most points in six events of the combined series wins the Cup. Hairpin Racing competes in the Production GT (PGT) class in a near stock US specification Subaru Impreza Coupe.

Following a second place PGT finish at the Doo Wops ProRally, and a PGT win at the Rim of the World ProRally, the team entered and completed the Bighorn Rally in Hinton, Alberta. The Hairpin Racing team finished eighth overall and fifth in class.

The Bighorn Rally featured high speed stages and, unlike US events, was completed in just one day. This put huge demands on the car and team as little time was available for repairs. All 17 stages were run in the daylight. This was possible due to the far north location of Hinton. Cold and snowy weather conditions have been the trademark for the Bighorn Rally, but the sun was shining and it was 23?C (73?F). Rally teams came from as far away as Halifax, Nova Scotia to compete in this Canadian National event.

Some adjustments were required of the Hairpin Racing team to compete in Canada. All speeds and distances were marked in kilometers requiring re-calibration of the precision odometer. Also, artificial chicanes were featured on fast straights. These were placed by the organizers to keep competitors from attaining extremely high speeds on the rutted dirt roads. They consisted of three or four staggered obstructions requiring Rally cars to slow down to avoid contact, which would result in a 15 second penalty. In spite of these chicanes, some competitors averaged over 120 km/h on certain stages.

The next event is the Rocky Mountain Rally to be held in Calgary, Alberta on May 29. Hairpin Racing will compete in this event before returning to the US to enter the Wild West Michelin / SCCA ProRally on June 18.

For additional information, contact Tamara Shadbolt at mailto:shadbolt@interserv.com or (503) 624-6366.