Bangor, Maine, USA -- Performance Rally team Last Ditch Racing will be displaying the team's two Subaru Rally cars at the upcoming Northeast Motorsports Expo, January 2-4 2004 at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine. The show, now in its sixteenth year, attracts thousands of fans of motorsport from all over New England. Last Ditch Racing's appearance will mark the first time a rally team has displayed at the Expo since the late Carl Merrill displayed his Chevy S-10 rally truck there many years ago. Said team driver/owner John Cassidy, "We're very proud to be a Pro level team from Maine and are eager to share our sport with fans at the show."

The 2003 season saw the team participate in six event across the country and Canada. The team enjoyed their first ever top 10 finish at the Rallye Defi. Ste-Agathe/Duhamel, a Canadian National Championship event. 2003 also saw the team's first entry in the North American Rally Cup. Cassidy was fifth in the Overall Driver standings and Getchell took seventh in the Overall Co-Driver standings.

Cassidy and Getchell are ready for the the 2004 season, which starts at the Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki in Canada February 6-8. The team has set their sights on an overall top ten finish in the Canadian National Champhionship and the North American Rally Cup. "We have the experience, and now we have the car that allows us to use it," said Cassidy.

The team has made an early New Year's resolution for 2004 to once again award the, "Last Ditch Racing/Triple Caution Thong," at all events they participate in. "We couldn't wait to announce the award plans for 2004," said Cassidy, "We realize that fellow teams have been waiting for this announcement to choose which events they enter next year." The Thong award is awarded to a fellow team that meets the event-specific criteria. "The Triple Caution Thong is an ever-moving target and a fickle prize," said Cassidy. "Many lust after the Triple Caution Thong, but the price of winning can sometimes be high." The Thong's most recent winner, Canadian Champion Tom McGeer, had to damage his car sufficiently to qualify, but not enough to keep him from finishing. "I'm sure that Tom felt that the expense was completely justified, but I bet he'll never tell his crew he was trying to win the award," said Cassidy.

Last Ditch Racing is pleased to announce partnerships for the 2004 season with:

• Mainehost.com: a Maine based web hosting company. www.mainehost.com
• Team O'Neil Rally School: Expert teaching for those that want to learn car control on loose surfaces. www.teamoneil.com
• Triple Caution, Inc.: New England Distributor for MOTUL lubricants. www.triplecaution.us
• Primm Racing: Source of high quality rally and race equipment. www.primmracing.com
• Subaruxtras.com: Source of high quality Subaru after-market parts.www.subaruxtras.com

• For more information about Last Ditch Racing, please visit: www.lastditchracin.com or e-mail [email protected]
• For Last Ditch Racing apparel and gifts(including the thong), please visit: www.cafeshops.com/lastditchracing#top
• For more information about the Northeast Motorsports Expo, please vist: www.northeastmotorsports.net/index.htm
• For more information on the Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki, please visit: www.lino.com/~rallyperceneige/