The 1995 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally will again be headquartered in Bemidji, Minnesota. The course will travel the scenic and challenging roads of the Paul Bunyan, Two Inlets and White Earth State Forests. The roads vary from twisty, hard surfaces to flat and sandy surfaces. The course is designed to be compact, with a comfortable schedule. We always run on time.
The national course is about 350 miles long with about 150 miles of competition, beginning on Friday and ending at approximately midnight on Saturday. 10,000 Lakes Divisional will run on Friday as a coefficient 2 rally with 45 stage miles and approximately 150 total miles. The Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional on Saturday will be a coefficient 3 rally with 90 stage miles in approximately 200 total miles. The National counts toward the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally championship and the North American Rally Championship.
The tentative event schedule in Bemidji is:
Friday, August 25 0800 - 1600 Registration
0900 - 1700 Tech Inspection
1930 National Rally Begins
10,000 Lakes Begins
Saturday, August 26 0930 - 1230 Divisional Registration
1200 - 1400 Parc Expose for United Way
1400 Rally Leaves Bemidji
PBR Begins
2400 Rally Ends
Sunday, August 27 0100 - 0300 Rally Awards Buffet
The rally is headquartered at the Northland Inn. Reservations may be made by calling the Northland Inn at (218) 751-9500. Use the reservation code of OPR. Other motels are the Comfort Inn at (218) 751-7700 (use the same reservation code); the Super 8 Motel at (218) 741-8481; and the Days Inn at (218) 751-0390. It is recommeded that you call early for reservations.
If you need a co-driver or driver for this event, or, if you will be attending the divisional school, please contact Kerry Freund and make a note on your entry form.
If you would like more information about this event, please contact one of the following people:
Beryl Burton, Chairman
Bruce Weinman, Chairman
CompuServ: 73220,611
[email protected]
Kerry Freund, Registrar
CompuServ: 73510,3722
Sarah Lenz, Press
[email protected]
MEDIA_ALERT
Event: Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Round #9 of the 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally series. Race cars from around the world will compete at high
speeds through the White Earth State Forest and Paul Bunyan State
Forest between Bemidji and Park Rapids, in northern Minnesota.
When: Friday - Sunday, August 25 - 27, 1995
Schedule_-_Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Registration - Northern Inn, Bemidji
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Tech inspection - Chalet Car Wash, Bemidji
7:10 PM - First car starts - Leg #1 of Ojibwe Forests Rally; also
10,000 Lakes Divisional PRO Rally;
Northern Inn, Bemidji
midnight - First car finishes Friday section - Northern Inn,
Bemidji.
Schedule_-_Saturday
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Divisional Registration - Northern Inn,
Bemidji
noon - 2:00 PM - ParcExpose - Display of cars
Northern Inn, Bemidji.
2:00 PM - First car starts Leg #2 of Ojibwe Forests Rally and
Paul Bunyan's Ride divisional event - Northern Inn,
Bemidji
11:45 PM - First car finishes Ojibwe Forests Rally -
Northern Inn, Bemidji.
Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Northern Inn, Highway #2,
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 (218) 751-9500.
Duration: 145 stage miles, 400 total miles, 17 stages
Rank: Full National Rally, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America,
administered by the American Rally Association, and sponsored
nationally by Michelin Tire Company. Presented by the Land O'Lakes
Region of the Sports Car Club of America.
Interviews: Drivers will be available by contacting the press room at the
Northern Inn starting August 24th. Series spokes-people are
also available through the press room including Series Manager
John Buffum, former 11-time national Champion, event organizer
Beryl Ann Burton, defending champion Paul Choiniere and Duluth
resident and driver Steve Gingras.
Expected Top Entries: Paul Choiniere - defending overall three-time
national and 4-time Ojibwe champion - in his Hyundai Elantra; Carl
Merrill - with an updated '95 model - in his 400 hp Ford Escort
Cosworth; Doug Shepherd, former national co-driver champ, in an Eagle
Talon; Henry Joy - second in two '95 events - in a new right-hand-
drive Mitsubishi Lancer; Bruno Kreibich, veteran PRO Rally
competitor, in an Audi Quattro; Peter Moodie - Jamaican rally
champion and defending Group A titleholder - in an updated Mazda
323GTR; Jeffrey Panton, another Jamaican driver, in an ex-Carlos
Sainz Toyota All-trac; Steve Gingras, fastest local racer -from
Duluth - in the Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse that won the class
las year: Cal Landau, 1990 Production champion, in a Production GT
Mitsubishi Eclipse that has won last two '95 events; Janice Damitio,
from Washington State, currently leading Production GT class, could
become first woman to win PRO Rally title, in a Toyota AllTrac.
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and
video crews onto the course during the daylight part
of the rally on Friday and Saturday. Anyone requiring
supplied photos or video should contact Andy Schupack in the
press room starting August 24. Rally cars going through mud,
over yumps and rough terrain, and sliding at high speed through
tight turns provide exciting visuals.
Media Info: We will provide phone-ins on event information,
driver interviews, and results. We will fax
stories and agate Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We have B-roll available for TV. The press room will be
located in the Northern Inn, Bemidji.
Contact: Andy Schupack - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
media liaison:
(218) 751-9500 ext. 320 (direct line -
August 24 - 27)
(401) 739-5677 (before August 24; after
August 27)
# # #
HOW A PRO RALLY WORKS:
Each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or navigator), and the
exact course is kept secret until just before the event - different from
World Rally, where practice is allowed. The cars start at one-minute
intervals and race against the clock over 10 - 18 stages which range in
length from four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies include night stages,
making it necessary for competitors to adjust their driving style. Speeds
of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on long straight-aways,
with the team achieving the fastest combined times winning the event.
# # #
MICHELIN PRO RALLY TRAIL COMES TO NORTHERN MINNESOTA FOR TENTH TIME;
DEFENDING CHAMPION CHOINIERE LOOKS TO CLINCH FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE
BEMIDJI, Minn. -- As the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally circus sets up its tent
for Round #9 - the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, August 25 - 26 -- a pattern is
developing which seems to be bad news for most of the overall competitors.
It goes something like this -- Henry Joy, Carl Merrill, Peter Moodie,
Tom Ottey, and Bruno Kreibich all go fast enough to win, but Paul Choiniere
DOES win.
Choiniere, who has won the national championship four of the past five
years, can clinch the title again this year if he and co-driver Jeff
Becker can score their sixth win of the season in their Hyundai Elantra on
the fast gravel roads of the White Earth, Two Inlets, and Paul Bunyan State
Forests near Bemidji. The pair have reeled off wins at the four national
events including Sunriser (Ohio), Wild West (Washington), Rim of the World
(California) and the Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally (Pennsylvania).
And those wins have been the toughest in his career as Henry Joy/Chris
Griffin's Mitsubishi Lancer, Peter Moodie/Michael Fennell's Mazda 323GTR,
Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey's Mazda 323GTX, Bruno Kreibich/Rod Hendricksen's
Audi Quattro, Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur's Ford Escort Cosworth, and Doug
Shepherd/Pete Gladysz' Eagle Talon have been pressuring him all the way.
In fact, Choiniere/Becker tried to clinch the title at the Maine Forest
Rally last month, but a broken belt led to overheating problems, and
Merrill/Bellefleur won the rally to keep all the leaders in the points
chase. If Choiniere/Becker can win the Bemidji event, however, they can
clinch their fourth straight national championship if Joy/Griffin finish
third or below.
With only minor teething problems, the Hyundai Elantra has proven it can go
the distance in the heat of all-out competition, and Choiniere has had to
push the car to the limit to eke out several of his wins.
Choiniere, from Shelburne, Vermont, will have additional pressures for the
Ojibwe Forests event as the second-place team of Henry Joy/Chris Griffin
have their new right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer, which develops 400
horsepower and has established a winning reputation on the world rally
circuit. In addition, Tom Ottey will be debuting a new Hyundai Elantra to
challenge the field and help Hyundai in the manufacturer's point race.
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed. The cars
start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 6 - 24
stages which range in length from four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies
include night stages, making it necessary for competitors to adjust their
driving style. Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
long straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
winning the event.
Other top entries expected for the Maine Forest Summer Rally include
Janice Damitio, from Montesano, Washington, who currently leads the
Production GT class in her Toyota AllTrac, and is trying to become the
first woman ever to win a Sports Car Club of America PRO Rally
championship. Ms. Damitio will be challenged by Cal Landau, from
Coraopolis, Penn., in his Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the fastest local entry,
Steve Gingras, from Duluth, also in an Eclipse.
Sam Bryan, from Kent, Wash., will be trying to add to his Group 2 class
points lead in a Saab 900, while the Bruce Newey Toyota AllTrac will be
trying to build its points advantage in the Group A class.
Activities get underway on Friday, July 28 with the tech inspection for all
the race cars at the Chalet Center Car Wash, 703 Paul Bunyan Drive, in
Bemidji from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The cars then leave the Northern Inn in
Bemidji at one-minute intervals at 7:30 PM to start the first night of
racing.
On Saturday, the cars will be on display from noon to 2:00 PM at the
Northern Inn, with all activities to benefit the Bemidji Area United Way.
Live radio remotes, a raffle for a free set of Michelin tires, a vote for
the public's favorite car, and other prizes will be part of the
festivities. The rally then leaves the Northern Inn at 3:15 PM.
Directions for viewing areas for the racing in the forest will be available
at the Northern Inn starting Thursday, August 24. Admission to all
activities is free.
# # #
Press Notes #1
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 25, 1995 - 1:15 PM
1. ALWAYS USE A WEATHER LEAD
The weather will definitely become a factor for the 10th running of the
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally. Torrential rains have softened the roads
considerably, and more are expected tonight and tomorrow. At least the
dust won't be a factor for the early cars on the road.
Earlier this summer, tornados ripped through the forests of Northern
Minnesota, making some of the traditional Ojibwe Forests roads impassible.
Although the DNR has labored continuously for six weeks to clear the roads,
many stages had to be rerouted. Even the stages that have been used before
have a new look; formerly majestic pines were chopped off at about ten feet
due to straight line winds.
2. WHO'S NOT HERE AND WHY
Steve Gingras, an up an coming national driver, whose Mitsubishi Eclipse
has proved to be a successful finisher over the last two seasons, has
withdrawn from the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally and the accompanying Co-
efficient 3 divisional events. Due to employment changes that necessitated
a move from Duluth to the Twin Cities, Steve is busy getting his house
ready for sale. He's also "saving" the car so that it will be ready for
competition in the newly designated super divisional series starting in
September.
Neither of Tom Ottey's cars could get roadworthy for this event.
Tom, and co-driver and spouse Pam McGarvey, had planned to debut
their new Hyundai Elantra the 95 Ojibwe, but since taking delivery
of the new racer three weeks ago, it's been discovered to have holed turbo.
The "old" car, a Mazda 323, was terribly tired after finishing the Maine
Summer Rally in May and hadn't been repaired pending arrival of its
replacement.
3. WHO'S NOT HERE AND WHY, CONTINUED...
The Open class Mazda 323GTR of Peter Moodie/Michael Fennell, one of only
two teams to win a PRO Rally event this year besides Paul Choiniere and
Jeff Becker, will not run the rest of the season as they are out of the
championship hunt. Moodie, from Kingston, Jamaica, was only 40 seconds
behind Maine Forest Rally winner Carl Merrill with two stages to go last
month when he went off the road and crashed his car trying to catch up.
Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley, who finished his first PRO Rally
ever when he was 15th overall here last year, hopes to come back to the
series next year, maybe in a different car.
Filmmaker Jeff Zwart, whose Porsche 911 Carrera 4 was a favorite of many
fans in '93 and '95, is too busy shooting car company commercials to rall
this season
4. THE RUN FOR THE ROSES
Here's a rundown of the national championship points chase for the 1995
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series by class:
Overall
The Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker Hyundai Quattro can clinch their fourth
straight national title with a win here at Ojibwe. Paul can also
clinch if the Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer does not
finish. If Paul finishes second or third, he can also clinch if Henry
doesn't win. If the Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur Ford Escort wins,
Carl still has a chance for the title if Paul finishes lower than sixth
overall. In other words, Paul is still in control of the championship
fight, but the other guys still have a chance.
Production_GT
Janice Damitio continues her march to be the first-ever woman national
PRO Rally champion in her Toyota Celica All-trac. Ms. Damitio and co-
driver Amity Trowbridge have a 21-point lead over the Mitsubishi
Eclipse team of Cal Landau/Eric Marcus. In the last two events, Landau
has won the class and Damitio has finished second. If that scenario
continues over the last three events, Landau would win the title
because only the best six finishes count, and Landau would have more
wins. If Landau does not finish an event, however, and Janice wins one
or two, than Janice would win the title.
Group_A
Only the Toyota All-trac of Bruce Newey/Charles Bradley is here for
this event, and they are the Group A leaders by 10 points. If they can
finish, and thus win the class here, they would have a commanding lead
over the Rick Davis/Ben Greisler BMW M-3. Davis probably won't run the
rest of the season as he tries to get a light-weight M-3 shell from BMW
Motorsports for an assult on the new Group 5 championship for 1996.
Group_2
This is the closest points battle so far this year, with the Sam
Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 having a slim two-point lead over the older
Saab 99EMS of Gerry Sweet and Stuart Spark. Bill Malik, the third
place driver, is also here in an unusual appearance outside his West
Coast area in a Volvo 240. Malik's regular co-driver, Roine Andersson,
is on vacation in Sweden, so Carlos Tavares will be in the navigator's
seat. Malik was able to come to the event in part because two veteran
PRO Rally drivers - Jeff Hendricks and Roger Hull - volunteered to tow
the car across the country and crew for the team.
Production
The Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escort GT jumped off to an early-season
points lead, but a crash at STPR totalled their car, and the Jim
Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prelude VTEC has been finishing well -
including three second places - to creep within five points of Ohtake.
Third in class - and only 20 points behind - is the other Honda Prelude
VTEC of Greg and Sonia Trepetin. Greg is relatively new to PRO Rally,
but has started to come on strong, beating Anderson on the last three
stages of the most recent event in Maine.
Rally_Truck
Only Dave Turner's Mitsubishi Pick-up and Greg Healey's Dodge Ram 50
Pick-up have points in this class, with Turner holding a 12 point lead.
Neither driver is here this weekend.
# # #
1995 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Entry List
Round #9 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Entry List (as of 8/24 - 9:30 PM)
*notes running Divisional as well
Car
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin
4 Henry Joy IV Christopher Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Burbank, CA Michelin
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin
25 Jeffrey Panton Rudy Meikle Toyota Celica GT-4 Open
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Pirelli
12 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
10 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Group 2
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
96 Bruce Newey Charles Bradley Toyota All-trac Group A
Atlanta, GA Ardmore, PA Michelin
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort GT Prod.
Dearborn, MI Goodrich, MI Michelin
13* Rene Veillemure Mike Villemure VW Beetle Open
Flatrock, MI Westland, MI Michelin
14 Janice Damitio Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac P-GT
Montesano, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
15 Brian Pepp Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Marquette, MI Ishpeming, MI Pirelli
16* Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX Group 2
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin
17 Bill Malik Roine Anderson Volvo 240 Group 2
Burbank, CA Santa Clarita, CA Michelin
27 Jim Anderson Martin Dapot Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Reston, VA Michelin
23 Greg Trepetin Sonia Trepetin Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
N. Potomac, MD N. Potomac, MD
18 Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliff Lake, NJ Colway
19 Ed Maklenberg Bill Siess Dodge GLH Open
Milford, MI Troy, MI
26 David Ralakis Tom Gillespie Mazda 323GTX PGT
Parker, TX Cedar Rapids, IA Michelin
20 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin
21* John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 Group 2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
22 Lynn Anderson Barry Berg VW GTI Group 2
Minneapolis, MN Apple Valley, MN Michelin
24 John Moore Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Jacksonville, AK Knoxville, TN Michelin
1995 10,000 Lakes Divisional Entry - Friday night
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Blazer O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
54 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby O2
Blaine, MN Blaine, MN Bridgestone
16 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX U2
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin
51 Robert Nielsen Diane Sargent VW GTI U2
Maplewood, MN Proctor, MN Michelin
52 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo U2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
21 John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 U2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
58 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
55 Joe Hauser Paul Moormann Saab 97 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
56 John Alderman Jason Lajon Dodge Omni GLH O2
Minneapolis, MN Crystal, MN Michelin
57 Damien Crane Larry Warrington VW Rabbit U2
Minneapolis, MN Hermantown, MN Pirelli
1995 Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional Entry - Saturday
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Blazer O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
54 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby O2
Blaine, MN Blaine, MN Bridgestone
13 Rene Villemure Mike Villemure VW Beetle Open
Flatrock, MI Westland, MI Bridgestone
51 Robert Nielsen Diane Sargent VW GTI U2
Maplewood, MN Proctor, MN Michelin
52 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo U2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
56 Jason Lajon John Alderman Dodge Omni GLH O2
Crystal, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
21 John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 U2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
58 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
55 Joe Hauser Paul Moormann Saab 97 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
57 Damien Crane Larry Warrington VW Rabbit U2
Minneapolis, MN Hermantown, MN Pirelli
# # #
Final entry coming Friday late afternoon.
1995 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Entry List
Round #9 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Final Start Order/Entry List
*notes running Divisional as well
Car
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin
4 Henry Joy IV Christopher Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Burbank, CA Michelin
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin
25 Jeffrey Panton Rudy Meikle Toyota Celica GT-4 Open
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Pirelli
12 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
10 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Group 2
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
96 Bruce Newey Charles Bradley Toyota All-trac Group A
Atlanta, GA Ardmore, PA Michelin
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort GT Prod.
Dearborn, MI Goodrich, MI Michelin
13* Rene Villemure Mike Villemure VW Beetle Open
Flatrock, MI Westland, MI Michelin
14 Janice Damitio Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac P-GT
Montesano, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
15 Brian Pepp Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Marquette, MI Ishpeming, MI Pirelli
16* Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX Group 2
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin
17 Bill Malik Carlos Tavares Volvo 240 Group 2
Burbank, CA San Jose, CA Michelin
27 Jim Anderson Ben Greisler Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Philadelphia, PA Michelin
23 Greg Trepetin Sonia Trepetin Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
N. Potomac, MD N. Potomac, MD
18 Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliff Lake, NJ Colway
19 Ed Maklenberg Bill Siess Dodge GLH Open
Milford, MI Troy, MI
20 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin
21* John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 Group 2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
28 Dave Konetski Glenn Koelher Toyota Celica Group 2
Andover, MN Rush City, MN Colway
26 David Ralakis Tom Gillespie Mazda 323GTX PGT
Parker, TX Cedar Rapids, IA Michelin
24 John Moore Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Jacksonville, AK Knoxville, TN Michelin
22 Lynn Anderson Barry Berg VW GTI Group 2
Minneapolis, MN Apple Valley, MN Michelin
1995 10,000 Lakes Divisional Entry - Friday night
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
54 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby O2
Blaine, MN Blaine, MN Bridgestone
16 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX U2
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin
51 Robert Nielsen Diane Sargent VW GTI U2
Maplewood, MN Proctor, MN Michelin
52 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo U2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
21 John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 U2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
58 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
55 Joe Hauser Paul Moormann Saab 97 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
56 John Alderman Jason Lajon Dodge Omni GLH O2
Minneapolis, MN Crystal, MN Michelin
57 Damien Crane Larry Warrington VW Rabbit U2
Minneapolis, MN Hermantown, MN Pirelli
1995 Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional Entry - Saturday
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
26 David Ralakis Tom Gillespie Mazda 323GTX 04
Parker, TX Cedar Rapids, IA Michelin
54 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby O2
Blaine, MN Blaine, MN Bridgestone
13 Rene Villemure Mike Villemure VW Beetle Open
Flatrock, MI Westland, MI Bridgestone
51 Robert Nielsen Diane Sargent VW GTI U2
Maplewood, MN Proctor, MN Michelin
52 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo U2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
56 Jason Lajon John Alderman Dodge Omni GLH O2
Crystal, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
21 John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 U2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin
58 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
55 Joe Hauser Paul Moormann Saab 97 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
57 Damien Crane Larry Warrington VW Rabbit U2
Minneapolis, MN Hermantown, MN Pirelli
# # #
Press Notes #2
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 25, 1995 - 11:25 PM
5. 31 ENTRIES; 30 STARTERS FOR 10TH OJIBWE
Of the 31 entries, 30 cars started the 10th running of the Ojibwe Forests
PRO Rally, round #9 of the 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series. 23
national cars and eight divisional racers entered the event, but the Dodge
Omni GLH of Ed Maklenburg and Bill Siess was unable to answer the bell for
the start. The ex-Henry Krolikowski car, built as a rally racer but never
rallied, developed an electrical problem right before the start, and Ed
could not find a replacement part in time. The team hopes to run the
divisional event on Saturday if they can find the part overnight.
Others who will have to be watched include the Bill Malik/Carlos Tavaras
Volvo 240, which was making transmission noises at the start, and the Cal
Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse which seemed to have a clunking rear
axle.
6. MUDDERS
The Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth crew was busy re-
grooving their Michelin rally tires for the expected muddy conditions.
Others were skeptical of this tack, but were then seen behind their
service trucks doing the same thing.
7. FIRST DNF
The Bruce Newey/Charles Bradley Toyota Celica All-trac overheated on the
transit on the way to stage #1, but thought they could live with the
thermostat problem until the end of the stage. But they realized it was
more than that when they overheated again right at the start of stage #1,
and shut the car down before they caused any engine damage.
8. FIRST REPORTS/CHOINIERE IN THE LEAD
Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker in the Hyundai Elantra lead Carl Merrill/John
Bellefleur in the Ford Escort Cosworth by 55 seconds after three stages.
The Henry Joy/Chris Griffin right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer is running
third, but several minutes behind the leaders. Joy is being cautious
during the first night of the rally, looking forward to making up time
during the faster roads in the Paul Bunyan Forest tomorrow. Henry DNFed
less than a mile into the first stage during the car's debut last month at
the Maine Forest Rally after he slid off the road and punctured the oil
cooler.
We should have scores for the first three stages shortly.
# # #
Press Notes #3
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 2:40 AM
9. SURPRISE HALFTIME SCORES - SIX OF 17 STAGES COMPLETE
NATIONAL STANDINGS
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE PLACE/CLASS
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Ford Coswo 0 40:10 1 Open
25 Jeffrey Panton/R Meikle Toyota Cel 1 41:16 2 Open
4 Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsu Lanc 0 42:25 3 Open
10 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden SAAB 900 1 45:12 1 Group 2
16 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200 3 46:19 2 Group 2
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 3 46:31 4 Open
14 J Damitio/A Trowbridge Toyota GTS 3 47:20 1 GT
12 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsu Ecli 1 47:31 2 GT
27 Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prel 3 48:01 1 Production
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escor 2 48:04 2 Production
18 Gerald Sweet/Stuart Spark SAAB 99 4 48:21 3 Group 2
20 Peter Lahm/Jim Brandt Datsun 510 5 48:44 4 Group 2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 5 49:15 5 Group 2
23 G Trepetin/S Trepetin Honda Prel 4 50:37 3 Production
22 Lynn Anderson/Barry Berg VW Rabbit 6 53:51 6 Group 2
26 David Ralakis/T Gillespie Mazda 323 5 1:03:51 3 GT
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai El 0 1:24:39 5 Open
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 3 DNF
28 Dave Konetski/G Koelher Toyota Cel 5 DNF
96 Bruce Newey/C Bradley Toyota Cel 2 DNF
19 Ed Maklenburg/Bill Siess Dodge GLH 5 DNF
17 Bill Malik/Carlos Tavaras Volvo 240 3 DNF
24 John Moore/Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 6 DNF
10. THE CHOINIERE CHRONICLES
According to various sources, the Choiniere/Becker Hyundai Elantra stalled
at the beginning of stage #4, and did not present itself to start its
assigned position as first on the road when the stage was declared open.
In fact, all the national and all the divisional cars started before
Choiniere could fire up the car to start the stage. Paul then asked for
and received a revised starting time, received it from the marshalls, and
ran the stage. The organizer, with support of the series steward, assigned
Paul the extra 40 minutes of time from his original starting time, putting
him way down in the field. Paul claims that he was given a legitimate
new starting time, and his stage time should be counted as normal. This
will probably not be resolved until the end of the rally, but certainly
puts all of Saturday's results in doubt.
# # #
Press Notes #4
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 8:00 AM
11. THE CHOINIERE CHRONICLES - CONTINUED...
As far as we can tell, the issues surrounding the Choiniere/Becker
situation are these:
--Paul will receive at least 10 minutes in road points for working on his
car in a control zone (while trying to get it started). Depending on who
finishes above him, he could still clinch the championship this weekend
with strong times today which could overcome much of that penalty.
--While the marshalls in the field might have not been justified in giving
Choiniere his requested new start time, the fact remains they gave it to
him, and the rule book is not clear as to whether or not he should
receive penalties or road points for not starting at his originally-
assigned time. If he had actually started the stage and then stalled, it
would have been a different situation.
--As the standings after six stages are just that - standings, not
results - there will be no protests filed either way this morning.
Merrill and/or Joy will probably file a protest if Choiniere ends up
receiving no penalties, and might file a protest if he receives only the
ten minute nick. Choiniere will almost certainly protest if he is asked
to carry the extra 40 minutes now assigned.
12. THE REST OF THE STORY
While the Choiniere Controversy rages on, lost has been the fact that the
rest of the rally has been terrific so far. Here are some of the
highlights:
--Despite getting stuck in service for ten extra minutes, the Carl Merrill/
John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth has a 1:16 lead over the Toyota All-
trac of Jamaicans Jeffrey Panton/Rudy Meikle. Merrill was ready to leave
the service area after stage #3 when the car mysteriously stalled.
Ten minutes later, it mysteriously started again, and he was on his
way, making it to the start of #4 on time. The other minor problem was
a broken fuse holder depriving Bellefleur of his trip computer for stages
#2 and #3. Panton is also running well, with co-driving Meikle reporting
the pair was surprised how fast the course was considering the amount of
water that was reported earlier.
--The Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer, which completed its first
ever competition stages last night, is currently third, another minute
behind Panton. Joy said the car is running fine, but he is still getting
used to the right hand drive and the car's handling versus his prior
mount - a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
--Running fourth overall and first in Group 2 is the points-leading team of
Sam Bryan/Rob Walden in their Saab 900. About one minute behind them and
second in Group 2 is the Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX. Hurst said
the car is running fine, despite the fact he is using just a plain stock
transmission for this event. Hurst already accomplished one goal last
night by winning the 10,000 Lakes divisional event, thus clinching the
CenDiv championship in the over 2-liter class (more on the divisional
later).
--The big-bore (2375 cc) Beetle of Rene and Mike Villemure is sixth
overall, but the pair is worried about an oil leak in the dry sump
system. It was minor last night, but they couldn't stop it.
--In the battle for the Production GT points, Cal Landau/Eric Marcus'
Mitsubishi Eclipse got off to a bad start when they began the event with
a broken rear axle, thus running all six stages last night with two
instead of four wheel drive. Add to that the fact that the Janice
Damitio/Amity Trowbridge Toyota GTS All-trac is running flawlessly, and
Ms. Damitio has an 11-second lead over Landau going into today's action.
Right behind them is the Production class battle, where the Jim
Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prelude VTEC ran a terrific set of stages
last night, and holds a three-second lead over rivals Tad Ohtake/Bob
Martin in their reshelled Ford Escort GT. The Greg Trepetin/Sonia
Trepetin Honda Prelude VTEC is third in class, three minutes back.
--Although they are a DNF in the national, the Bruce Newey/Charles Bradley
Toyota All-Trac Group A entry will test their car with a repaired
thermostat this morning in hopes of running the Paul Bunyan divisional
today.
--The Bill Malik/Carlos Tavares Volvo 240, one of the pre-rally favorites
Group 2, broke the syncromesh in their transmission on stage #4, leaving
them with only fourth gear, and they could not continue. Malik was in
fourth place in Group 2, about 1:30 behind the leader, when he broke.
--The Gerry Sweet/Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS, closest to Sam Bryan in the
season point standings, is currently running third in Group 2, two
minutes behind Hurst/Bohn despite the fact that driver Sweet is under the
weather. He hopes a good night sleep will improve things on Saturday.
--Perhaps the most disappointing DNF of the evening was that of the Brian
Pepp/Dean Rushford Group 2 Mazda RX-7. The pair was leading Group 2 and
was running as high as fourth overall when Pepp ran off the road on stage
#6. They were towed out by sweep, but it was more than one hour later,
and the entry was time-barred.
--The Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 is right behind Sweet/Spark in
Group 2 despite hitting something early in the event which jammed the co-
driver-side door shut. Lahm reported they didn't even know what they
hit, but it was either "a stump hidden by a bush or a big black bear's
ass."
--The alternator on the John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 is acting up,
but the pair reported that using only 1/2 their lights gave them enough
visibility and allowed them to run strong.
# # #
Press Notes #6
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 3:00 PM
14. CHOINIERE CONCLUDED
The Libra Racing team filed a protest with the organizer claiming that
their Hyundai Elantra was unfairly penalized as there is no rule stating
that they couldn't ask for a revised start time, and once they received
that time, then that became their ideal start time. The Claims Committee
denied the protest, stating Choiniere/Becker cannot benefit from creating
a situation of "force majeure" when they blocked the start of stage 4 and
forced the starting times of all the subsequent cars to be changed. They
were, however, detained six minutes after they were ready to go - for
safety reasons - so the penalty was reduced by six minutes.
What does this all mean? The 48 minute penalty applied for the late start
(48 minutes after their scheduled start time due to the stalling of their
vehicle) was kept, along with a 10 minute penalty for working on their car
(trying to get it started) in a control zone. The 58 minutes was then
reduced by six minutes.
Ordinarily, the 48-minute penalty would have exceeded the MPL (maximum
permitted lateness) of 30 minutes normally applied, but the organizer, to
keep Paul and several others in the event for the sake of competition,
waived all MPL disqualifications for Friday night.
15. COAT TAILS
One of the beneficiaries of the MPL waiver is the Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford
Mazda RX-7, which has run off the road on stage #6, falling more than an
hour behind the rally and time barred. Pepp has been reinstated with the
hour delay added to his time.
16. WITHDRAWN
--The Joe Hauser/Paul Moormann Saab 97 was forced to withdraw as driver
Hauser became ill during the Friday night stages and did not feel better
this morning.
--Both the Bruce Newey/Charles Bradley Toyota All-trac and the Ed
Macklenberg/Bill Siess Dodge Omni GLH broke last night and had hopes of
fixing their cars and running the divisional today, but both teams came
up short and did not start the event this afternoon.
17. 18 NATIONALS, NINE DIVISIONS START SATURDAY OJIBWE
18 National cars and nine divisional entries started from the Northern Inn
to run 11 of the 18 stages which constitute this year's Ojibwe Forests
event.
# # #
Press Notes #7
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 4:00 PM
18. Results from Friday's divisional event:
10,000 Lakes Divisional PRO Rally Results
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/Class
16 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200 2 46:19 1 O2
54 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Char 2 47:31 2 O2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 3 49:15 1 U2
51 Bob Nielsen/Diane Sargent VW Rabbit 2 50:23 2 U2
117 K Stewart/F "DOC" Shrader Chevy S10 2 50:25 1 4WD
56 John Adleman/Jason Lajon Dodge Omni 6 53:30 3 O2
58 S Stepniewsk/A Pelc VW Scirocc 3 53:48 3 U2
55 Joe Hauser/Paul Moorman SAAB 97 3 1:08:17 4 O2
57 Damien Crane/L Warrington VW Rabbit 6 1:14:16 4 U2
52 Mark Utecht/Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni 3 DNF
10,000 lakes - LEG SCORES
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4
M.Lars 1147 M.Hurs 616 M.Hurs 647 M.Lars 501
M.Hurs 1152 M.Lars 653 M.Utec 673 D.Cran 507
J.Gold 1165 J.Adle 659 M.Lars 676 M.Hurs 510
M.Utec 1222 D.Cran 666 D.Cran 686 K.Stew 511
B.Niel 1233 S.Step 668 B.Niel 688 M.Utec 515
S.Step 1250 B.Niel 676 K.Stew 707 J.Gold 547
K.Stew 1270 M.Utec 676 J.Gold 718 B.Niel 550
J.Haus 1314 K.Stew 678 J.Adle 770 S.Step 553
J.Adle 1362 J.Gold 708 S.Step 1020 J.Adle 582
D.Cran 1507 J.Haus 745 J.Haus 1376 J.Haus 641
STAGE 5 STAGE 6
M.Hurs 728 M.Hurs 979
M.Lars 740 J.Gold 1008
D.Cran 751 M.Lars 1035
J.Gold 779 K.Stew 1083
K.Stew 794 S.Step 1086
B.Niel 800 B.Niel 1092
S.Step 803 J.Adle 1118
J.Adle 860 J.Haus 1711
J.Haus 942 D.Cran 3211
# # #
Press Notes #8
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 9:00 PM
19. NATIONAL RESULTS AFTER SATURDAY - STAGE #3
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/Class
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Ford Coswo 0 1:03:10 1 Open
25 Jeffrey Panton/R Meikle Toyota Cel 1 1:05:12 2 Open
4 Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsu Lanc 0 1:06:57 3 Open
10 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden SAAB 900 1 1:11:18 1 Group 2
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 3 1:13:10 4 Open
16 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200 3 1:13:21 2 Group 2
12 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsu Ecli 1 1:14:16 1 GT
27 Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prel 3 1:15:07 1 Production
18 Gerald Sweet/Stuart Spark SAAB 99 4 1:15:37 3 Group 2
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escor 2 1:15:52 2 Production
20 Peter Lahm/Jim Brandt Datsun 510 5 1:16:07 4 Group 2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 5 1:16:14 5 Group 2
23 G Trepetin/S Trepetin Honda Prel 4 1:18:44 3 Production
14 J Damitio/A Trowbridge Toyota GTS 3 1:18:48 2 GT
22 Lynn Anderson/Barry Berg VW Rabbit 6 1:25:18 6 Group 2
26 David Ralakis/T Gillespie Mazda 323 5 1:39:46 3 GT
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai El 0 1:51:35 5 Open
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 3 2:05:09 7 Group 2
28 Dave Konetski/G Koelher Toyota Cel 5 DNF
96 Bruce Newey/C Bradley Toyota Cel 2 DNF
19 Ed Maklenburg/Bill Siess Dodge GLH 5 DNF
17 Bill Malik/Carlos Tavaras Volvo 240 3 DNF
24 John Moore/Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 6 DNF
Paul Bunyan's Ride - After three stages
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/Class
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 1 26:39 1 O2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 3 26:59 1 U2
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 2 27:11 2 O2
57 Damien Crane/L Warrington VW Rabbit 3 28:22 2 U2
51 Bob Nielsen/Diane Sargent VW Rabbit 2 28:34 3 U2
28 Dave Konetski/G Koehler Toyota Cel 3 28:37 4 U2
117 K Stewart/F "Doc" Shrader Chevy S10 2 28:46 1 4WD
58 S Stepniewsk/A Pelc VW Scirocc 3 29:19 5 U2
54 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Char 2 29:37 3 O2
56 Jason Lajon/John Adleman Dodge Omni 3 30:30 4 O2
52 Mark Utecht/Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni 3 DNF
55 Joe Hauser/Paul Moorman SAAB 97 3 DNF
# # #
Press Notes #9
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 11:30 PM
22. NATIONAL RESULTS AFTER SATURDAY - STAGE #9 (15 of 18 total stages
completed)
National Rally - Saturday - 15 of 18 stages completed
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/class
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Ford Coswo 0 1:54:15 1 Open
25 Jeffrey Panton/R Meikle Toyota Cel 1 1:55:48 2 Open
4 Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsu Lanc 0 1:58:25 3 Open
10 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden SAAB 900 1 2:07:17 1 Group 2
16 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200 3 2:10:10 2 Group 2
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 3 2:11:07 4 Open
12 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsu Ecli 1 2:11:34 1 GT
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escor 2 2:13:33 1 Production
20 Peter Lahm/Jim Brandt Datsun 510 5 2:14:21 3 Group 2
18 Gerald Sweet/Stuart Spark SAAB 99 4 2:14:48 4 Group 2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 5 2:15:07 5 Group 2
14 J Damitio/A Trowbridge Toyota GTS 3 2:16:31 2 GT
27 Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prel 3 2:19:00 2 Production
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai El 0 2:41:29 5 Open
23 G Trepetin/S Trepetin Honda Prel 4 2:53:07 3 Production
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 3 3:02:26 6 Group 2
22 Lynn Anderson/Barry Berg VW Rabbit 6 3:16:22 7 Group 2
26 David Ralakis/T Gillespie Mazda 323 5 3:28:54 3 GT
28 Dave Konetski/G Koelher Toyota Cel 5 DNF
96 Bruce Newey/C Bradley Toyota Cel 2 DNF
19 Ed Maklenburg/Bill Siess Dodge GLH 5 DNF
17 Bill Malik/Carlos Tavaras Volvo 240 3 DNF
24 John Moore/Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 6 DNF
# # #
Press Notes #10
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 26, 1995 - 11:40 PM
23. Provisional Results - Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional - Saturday
(9 of 9 stages completed)
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/score
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 2 1:24:28 1 O2
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 1 1:24:36 2 O2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 3 1:25:52 1 U2
54 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Char 2 1:29:38 3 O2
117 K Stewart/F "Doc" Shrader Chevy S10 2 1:30:31 1 4WD
51 Bob Nielsen/Diane Sargent VW Rabbit 2 1:30:34 2 U2
57 Damien Crane/L Warrington VW Rabbit 3 1:35:04 3 U2
28 Dave Konetski/G Koehler Toyota Cel 3 1:47:54 4 U2
52 Mark Utecht/Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni 3 DNF
55 Joe Hauser/Paul Moorman SAAB 97 3 DNF
56 Jason Lajon/John Adleman Dodge Omni 3 DNF
58 S Stepniewsk/A Pelc VW Scirocc 3 DNF
# # #
Press Notes #11
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 27, 1995 - 1:30 AM
25. Provisional Results - National PRO Rally
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Place/class
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Ford Coswo 0 2:21:52 1 Open
25 Jeffrey Panton/R Meikle Toyota Cel 1 2:23:29 2 Open
4 Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsu Lanc 0 2:26:18 3 Open
10 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden SAAB 900 1 2:38:09 1 Group 2
16 Mike Hurst/Rob Bohn Nissan 200 3 2:41:13 2 Group 2
12 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsu Ecli 1 2:41:50 1 GT
66 Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin Ford Escor 2 2:45:08 1 Production
20 Peter Lahm/Jim Brandt Datsun 510 5 2:46:00 3 Group 2
18 Gerald Sweet/Stuart Spark SAAB 99 4 2:47:45 4 Group 2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 5 2:47:45 5 Group 2
14 J Damitio/A Trowbridge Toyota GTS 3 2:47:51 2 GT
27 Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler Honda Prel 3 2:51:36 2 Production
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai El 0 3:08:48 4 Open
23 G Trepetin/S Trepetin Honda Prel 4 3:10:24 3 Production
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 3 3:33:57 6 Group 2
22 Lynn Anderson/Barry Berg VW Rabbit 6 4:04:28 7 Group 2
26 David Ralakis/T Gillespie Mazda 323 5 4:11:54 3 GT
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 3 DNF
28 Dave Konetski/G Koelher Toyota Cel 5 DNF
96 Bruce Newey/C Bradley Toyota Cel 2 DNF
19 Ed Maklenburg/Bill Siess Dodge GLH 5 DNF
17 Bill Malik/Carlos Tavaras Volvo 240 3 DNF
24 John Moore/Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 6 DNF
# # #
Press Notes #12
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 27, 1995 - 2:45 PM
24. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
Carl Merrill and John Bellefleur have their second win in a row in this
year's National PRO Rally Championship Series, scoring a 1:37
victory to put them in reach of the overall series titles if they can win
the two remaining events. Merrill's Ford Escort Cosworth performed
flawlessly throughout the race and will need little more than routine
maintenance to make it ready for the Lake Superior PRO Rally the third
weekend in October.
Jeffrey Panton and Rudy Meikle finished second in their Toyota Celica All
Trac. The Jamaicans' first finish in a series event gave them 17 points.
Third place finishers Henry Joy/Chris Griffin pick up 14 points in their
first finish in the new right-hand drive Mitsubishi Lancer, but they cannot
win the championship unless Choiniere does not enter either of the last
events. This makes it mathematically possible for either Paul Choiniere,
who finished way back due to yesterday's time penalties, or Merrill to win
the overall SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Championship.
Group 2 honors go to Sam Bryan and Rob Walden from Kent, Washington, whose
Saab 900 proved reliable this time out. They've gone through five engines
this year, but this time must be the charm as they finished fourth overall
as well. Mike Hurst and Rob Bohn, who won Friday night's 10,000 Lakes Co-
efficient 2 Divisional event, had new personal bests with their fifth
overall finish at Ojibwe and second in Group 2.
Production GT was one of the closely watched battles of the weekend with
Cal Landau and Janice Damitio both in chasing the class crown. The
Landau/Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse competed without benefit of its rear wheel
drive as the crew converted the car to FWD during parc expose when they
couldn't get a replacement rear axle. Damitio fell behind by four and a
half minutes due to a flat tire and was unable to make it up.
In Production, Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin in their rebuilt Ford Escort GT were
trailing the Honda Prelude of Jim Anderson/Ben Greisler most of the rally,
but a flat tire put Anderson way behind and Ohtake scored a six-minute win.
There were no Group A or Rally Truck finishers.
# # #
National Leg Scores:.
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5
P.Choi 960 C.Merr 537 P.Choi 567 C.Merr 431 C.Merr 640
C.Merr 960 P.Choi 541 C.Merr 571 J.Pant 455 J.Pant 640
J.Pant 1037 J.Pant 552 H.Joy 580 S.Brya 495 H.Joy 641
H.Joy 1047 H.Joy 562 J.Pant 581 H.Joy 500 P.Choi 649
B.Pepp 1065 R.Vill 614 B.Pepp 626 M.Hurs 510 S.Brya 708
S.Brya 1093 B.Pepp 616 S.Brya 632 R.Vill 511 B.Pepp 714
R.Vill 1119 M.Hurs 616 R.Vill 646 J.Ande 517 M.Hurs 728
C.Land 1143 T.Ohta 631 M.Hurs 647 T.Ohta 519 R.Vill 733
J.Dami 1151 S.Brya 633 J.Dami 653 B.Pepp 520 J.Dami 741
M.Hurs 1152 J.Dami 635 B.Mali 654 P.Lahm 526 C.Land 747
J.Moor 1155 B.Mali 635 T.Ohta 655 J.Dami 527 P.Lahm 750
J.Gold 1165 J.Moor 640 C.Land 657 G.Swee 532 J.Ande 753
J.Ande 1167 J.Ande 646 G.Swee 663 C.Land 534 G.Swee 758
G.Swee 1167 C.Land 649 J.Ande 665 J.Gold 547 T.Ohta 760
B.Mali 1180 G.Swee 665 P.Lahm 683 G.Trep 549 J.Gold 779
T.Ohta 1204 G.Trep 670 G.Trep 700 L.Ande 588 G.Trep 808
P.Lahm 1210 P.Lahm 679 J.Gold 718 D.Rala 662 L.Ande 851
G.Trep 1259 J.Gold 708 L.Ande 745 P.Choi 4254 D.Rala 1001
L.Ande 1322 L.Ande 723 D.Rala 870
D.Rala 1604 D.Rala 884
STAGE 6 STAGE 7 STAGE 8 STAGE 9 STAGE 10
J.Pant 863 P.Choi 786 C.Merr 566 P.Choi 923 P.Choi 547
C.Merr 879 C.Merr 807 P.Choi 584 J.Pant 950 C.Merr 572
P.Choi 895 J.Pant 843 J.Pant 599 C.Merr 952 J.Pant 575
H.Joy 913 H.Joy 859 H.Joy 613 H.Joy 981 H.Joy 584
S.Brya 960 S.Brya 897 R.Vill 667 S.Brya 1045 S.Brya 613
M.Hurs 979 J.Gold 920 S.Brya 667 C.Land 1072 J.Ande 630
J.Gold 1008 J.Ande 920 J.Ande 676 R.Vill 1077 C.Land 631
C.Land 1023 C.Land 921 C.Land 681 J.Dami 1080 J.Gold 635
P.Lahm 1026 R.Vill 921 B.Pepp 681 M.Hurs 1081 R.Vill 636
J.Dami 1027 M.Hurs 935 M.Hurs 687 G.Swee 1085 B.Pepp 642
R.Vill 1029 G.Swee 936 P.Lahm 687 P.Lahm 1088 J.Dami 646
T.Ohta 1038 B.Pepp 939 J.Gold 689 J.Gold 1090 G.Swee 647
G.Swee 1050 J.Dami 943 G.Swee 706 B.Pepp 1099 M.Hurs 648
J.Ande 1054 T.Ohta 953 T.Ohta 711 J.Ande 1102 T.Ohta 650
G.Trep 1077 G.Trep 956 G.Trep 715 T.Ohta 1117 P.Lahm 670
L.Ande 1156 P.Lahm 964 L.Ande 806 G.Trep 1140 G.Trep 689
D.Rala 1365 L.Ande 1083 D.Rala 886 L.Ande 1257 L.Ande 748
B.Pepp 6255 6 D.Rala 1254 J.Dami 1124 D.Rala 1351 D.Rala 834
STAGE 11 STAGE 12 STAGE 13 STAGE 14 STAGE 15
P.Choi 386 P.Choi 1200 P.Choi 1783 P.Choi 635 H.Joy 414
H.Joy 396 J.Pant 1232 C.Merr 1795 J.Pant 638 J.Pant 421
C.Merr 396 C.Merr 1236 J.Pant 1795 H.Joy 651 C.Merr 428
J.Pant 400 H.Joy 1271 H.Joy 1830 C.Merr 656 P.Choi 439
S.Brya 436 S.Brya 1367 S.Brya 2003 M.Hurs 708 M.Hurs 454
P.Lahm 441 M.Hurs 1389 B.Pepp 2023 J.Dami 713 J.Dami 462
J.Ande 446 C.Land 1395 C.Land 2028 S.Brya 718 S.Brya 462
R.Vill 447 B.Pepp 1405 T.Ohta 2029 T.Ohta 725 P.Lahm 464
M.Hurs 449 J.Gold 1419 R.Vill 2034 P.Lahm 734 B.Pepp 471
B.Pepp 450 J.Ande 1420 M.Hurs 2034 C.Land 737 T.Ohta 473
J.Gold 451 R.Vill 1431 J.Dami 2055 B.Pepp 738 G.Swee 476
J.Dami 451 T.Ohta 1434 P.Lahm 2079 J.Ande 745 J.Gold 478
G.Swee 454 P.Lahm 1434 G.Swee 2122 G.Swee 756 J.Ande 478
T.Ohta 457 J.Dami 1444 J.Gold 2140 J.Gold 766 R.Vill 479
C.Land 459 G.Swee 1463 J.Ande 2181 R.Vill 768 C.Land 480
G.Trep 485 L.Ande 1694 G.Trep 2279 G.Trep 774 G.Trep 486
L.Ande 525 D.Rala 1793 D.Rala 6047 L.Ande 874 L.Ande 584
D.Rala 576 G.Trep 3126 L.Ande 6681 D.Rala 1055 D.Rala 608
STAGE 16 STAGE 17 STAGE 18
J.Pant 1195 P.Choi 1026 P.Choi 505
C.Merr 1198 C.Merr 1044 H.Joy 517
P.Choi 1201 J.Pant 1051 C.Merr 520
H.Joy 1214 H.Joy 1057 J.Pant 522
C.Land 1307 C.Land 1151 C.Land 569
S.Brya 1318 M.Hurs 1171 B.Pepp 582
T.Ohta 1344 S.Brya 1177 M.Hurs 585
M.Hurs 1349 J.Dami 1194 J.Dami 586
J.Dami 1354 T.Ohta 1195 S.Brya 591
B.Pepp 1365 P.Lahm 1195 P.Lahm 598
P.Lahm 1373 B.Pepp 1204 G.Swee 603
G.Swee 1379 J.Gold 1231 J.Gold 607
J.Ande 1410 J.Ande 1235 J.Ande 615
G.Trep 1418 G.Trep 1267 T.Ohta 619
J.Gold 1425 G.Swee 1313 G.Trep 642
L.Ande 1583 D.Rala 1666 L.Ande 700
D.Rala 1821 L.Ande 2527 D.Rala 814
MERRILL MASHES MINNESOTA PRO RALLY FIELD AS SCCA/MICHELIN
POINTS CHASE NARROWS FOR FINAL TWO SEASON EVENTS
BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Aug. 27 -- Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine, with
Canadian co-driver John Bellefleur, piloted their 400 horsepower Ford
Escort Cosworth to a one minute, 37-second victory at the Ojibwe Forests
PRO Rally here.
With nine of 11 events now completed on the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
circuit, Merrill is the only competitor left who has a chance to catch
points leaders Paul Choiniere/Jeff Becker, whose Hyundai Elantra finished
13th after stalling at the beginning of stage #4 on Friday night. Also,
after winning the Maine Forest Rally last month, Merrill became the first
driver besides Choiniere to win two events in a row since 1991.
Merrill maintained a two-minute lead over the Toyota All-trac of Jamaicans
Jeffrey Panton/Rudy Meikle for most of the event, and was able to cruise to
the victory despite hitting a rut late in the event and jamming a strut
into the shock tower. The right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Elantra of Henry
Joy/Chris Griffin, from Atlanta, MI, was third, five minutes back.
Class winners included Sam Bryan/Rob Walden, from Kent, WA, in a Saab 900
(Group 2); Cal Landau/Eric Marcus, from Coraopolis, PA, in a Mitsubishi
Eclipse (Production GT); and Tad Ohtake/Bob Martin, from Dearborn, MI, in a
Ford Escort GT (Production). Bryan and Ohtake already lead their classes
and their victories enabled them to close in on the year-end titles.
Janice Damitio, from Montesano, WA, who is trying to become the first woman
ever to win a PRO Rally national championship, finished second to Landau in
her Production GT Toyota All-trac, and leads Landau by 16 points with two
events remaining.
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed. The cars
start at one-minute intervals and race against the clock over 6 - 24
stages which range in length from four to 25 miles. Most of the rallies
include night stages, making it necessary for competitors to adjust their
driving style. Speeds of more than 120 miles-per-hour could be reached on
long straight-aways, with the team achieving the fastest combined times
winning the event.
The next round of the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series will be the
D&N Bank Lake Superior PRO Rally in Houghton, Michigan, October 20 - 22.
1995 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Round #9 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Final Results - National Event
Car Class
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin 2:21:52
25 Jeffrey Panton Rudy Meikle Toyota Celica GT-4 Open
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Pirelli 2:23:29
4 Henry Joy IV Christopher Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Burbank, CA Michelin 2:26:18
10 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Group 2
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin 2:38:09
16 Mike Hurst Rob Bohn Nissan 200-SX Group 2
Pendleton, IN Noblesville, IN Michelin 2:41:13
12 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin 2:41:50
66 Tad Ohtake Bob Martin Ford Escort GT Prod.
Dearborn, MI Goodrich, MI Michelin 2:45:08
20 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin 2:46:00
18 Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99EMS Group 2
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliff Lake, NJ Colway 2:47:45
21 John Golden Al Kintigh Datsun 510 Group 2
Lakewood, CO Minneapolis, MN Michelin 2:47:45
14 Janice Damitio Amity Trowbridge Toyota All-trac PGT
Montesano, WA Seattle, WA Michelin 2:47:51
27 Jim Anderson Ben Greisler Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Philadelphia, PA Michelin 2:51:36
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin 3:08:48
23 Greg Trepetin Sonia Trepetin Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
N. Potomac, MD N. Potomac, MD Colway 3:10:24
15 Brian Pepp Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Marquette, MI Ishpeming, MI Michelin 3:33:57
22 Lynn Anderson Barry Berg VW GTI Group 2
Minneapolis, MN Apple Valley, MN Michelin 4:04:28
26 David Ralakis Tom Gillespie Mazda 323GTX PGT
Parker, TX Cedar Rapids, IA Michelin 4:11:54
Did_Not_Finish
13 Rene Villemure Mike Villemure VW Beetle Open
Flatrock, MI Westland, MI Bridgestone
96 Bruce Newey Charles Bradley Toyota All-trac Group A
Atlanta, GA Ardmore, PA Michelin
17 Bill Malik Carlos Tavares Volvo 240 Group 2
Burbank, CA San Jose, CA Michelin
19 Ed Maklenberg Bill Siess Dodge GLH Open
Milford, MI Troy, MI
28 Dave Konetski Glenn Koelher Toyota Celica Group 2
Andover, MN Rush City, MN Colway
24 John Moore Kennon Rymer Mazda RX-7 Group 2
Jacksonville, AK Knoxville, TN Michelin
# # #
Press Notes #13
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #9 - 1995 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
August 27, 1995 - 11:40 AM
26. Final Paul Bunyan's Ride results:
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE Position/class
15 Brian Pepp/Dean Rushford Mazda RX-7 2 1:24:28 1 O2
13 R Villemure/M Villemure VW Beetle 1 1:24:36 2 O2
21 John Golden/Al Kintigh Datsun 510 3 1:25:52 1 U2
54 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Char 2 1:29:38 3 O2
117 K Stewart/F "Doc" Shrader Chevy S10 2 1:30:31 1 4WD
51 Bob Nielsen/Diane Sargent VW Rabbit 2 1:30:34 2 U2
57 Damien Crane/L Warrington VW Rabbit 3 1:35:04 3 U2
28 Dave Konetski/G Koehler Toyota Cel 3 1:47:54 4 U2
26 David Ralakis/T Gillespie Mazda 323 3 2:25:02 2 4WD
52 Mark Utecht/Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni 3 DNF
55 Joe Hauser/Paul Moorman SAAB 97 3 DNF
56 Jason Lajon/John Adleman Dodge Omni 3 DNF
58 S Stepniewsk/A Pelc VW Scirocc 3 DNF
paul bunyan's ride - LEG SCORES
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5
J.Gold 920 R.Vill 667 R.Vill 1077 J.Gold 635 R.Vill 447
R.Vill 921 B.Pepp 681 J.Gold 1090 R.Vill 636 B.Pepp 450
B.Pepp 939 J.Gold 689 B.Pepp 1099 B.Pepp 642 J.Gold 451
M.Lars 958 D.Cran 718 D.Kone 1133 M.Lars 651 D.Cran 470
B.Niel 965 K.Stew 727 D.Cran 1136 D.Cran 662 M.Lars 476
D.Cran 984 M.Lars 729 B.Niel 1151 D.Kone 664 D.Kone 476
D.Kone 988 B.Niel 741 S.Step 1154 B.Niel 671 B.Niel 481
K.Stew 992 D.Kone 742 K.Stew 1159 K.Stew 688 K.Stew 483
S.Step 1028 S.Step 751 J.Lajo 1204 S.Step 702 S.Step 498
J.Lajo 1080 J.Lajo 767 M.Lars 1275 D.Rala 834 D.Rala 576
D.Rala 1254 D.Rala 886 D.Rala 1351
STAGE 6 STAGE 7 STAGE 8 STAGE 9
B.Pepp 1405 B.Pepp 2023 B.Pepp 738 B.Pepp 471
J.Gold 1419 R.Vill 2034 K.Stew 759 M.Lars 474
R.Vill 1431 J.Gold 2140 M.Lars 764 J.Gold 478
D.Kone 1460 M.Lars 2141 J.Gold 766 R.Vill 479
K.Stew 1484 B.Niel 2189 B.Niel 767 D.Cran 488
B.Niel 1492 D.Cran 2228 R.Vill 768 D.Kone 489
M.Lars 1496 K.Stew 2270 D.Cran 774 K.Stew 490
S.Step 1552 S.Step 2285 D.Kone 791 B.Niel 501
D.Rala 1793 D.Kone 4047 D.Rala 1055 S.Step 520
D.Cran 2048 D.Rala 6047 D.Rala 608
# # #
EVENT DATE LOCATION WINNER
SAND HILLS/SAND BLAST February 11 Cheraw, SC* Choiniere/Becker
DOO WOP PRO RALLY March 18 - 19 Olympia, WA* Moodie/Fennell
SUNRISER 400 April 7 - 8 Chillicothe, OH Choiniere/Becker
WILD WEST PRO RALLY April 21-22 Olympia, WA Choiniere/Becker
RIM OF THE WORLD May 5 - 6 Palmdale, CA Choiniere/Becker
SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL June 2 - 3 Wellsboro, PA Choiniere/Becker
PRESCOTT FOREST RALLY July 8 Prescott, AZ* Done/Scott
MAINE FOREST SUMMER RALLY July 28 - 29 Rumford, ME Merrill/Bellefleur
OJIBWE FORESTS PRO RALLY August 25 - 26 Bemidji, MN Merrill/Bellefleur
LAKE SUPERIOR PRO RALLY October 20 - 21 Houghton, MI
MAINE FOREST RALLY December 1 - 2 Rumford, ME
*National drivers receive 60 percent points in
this Co-efficient 3 Rally