| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | St. Paul, Minnesota -- September 28, 1998 |
Contact: Mark Utecht, [email protected]
Website: MayhemRacing.com
Mark Utecht, Mayhem Racing's driver, has selected his co-driver for the upcoming 1998 Lake Superior PRO Rally. Who? Brenda Corneliusen. Here is some background information on Brenda:
While growing up Brenda Corneliusen always followed brother Brett around, trying everything that he did. Even through High School, the two were involved in many of the same activities. It then only came natural for her to try PRO Rally when her brother asked her to navigate lead car at the 1995 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally. She had never even seen a PRO Rally, but Brett did it, so why not? From that weekend on she was hooked, doing anything necessary to be a part of the sport that has now become a major part of her life.
Brenda graduated from Moorhead State University in the Fall of 1993, where she received her degree in Mass Communications concentrating in Public Relations. She now works as an Administrative Assistant and Assistant Project Coordinator for Nygard & Associates Marketing Communications and Nygard Set Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She lives in Bloomington, but spends a lot of time working on a 1981 Rabbit in her brother's garage in Northeast Minneapolis.
What does she do when she's not racing? Keeps the phone company in business by spending a lot of time on the phone with a certain young racer from Indianapolis. She also finds as much time as possible to play with her nephew, Spencer (who will no doubt also be a grease monkey when he gets a little bigger).
Since 1995, Brenda has done everything from finish control and Crew Chief to timing and scoring. In 1997, Brenda and Brett entered their first rally as competitors, the Lake Superior PRO Rally Divisionals. The brother/sister team bought Bob Neilson's Rabbit and they were off and running under the name of Atomic Racing. After a rather disheartening transit past Aaron Hatz's flipped Golf on the first stage, the two finished their first rally 3rd in class.
At the 1998 Headwaters Divisional PRO Rally, the two were at it again. This time, however, it was their turn to crash. After a few acrobatic moves from the Rabbit, they ended up in the ditch. Both driver and navigator were okay, but the car was totalled. So, off they went to find a new car to transform into the next rally beast. After a long and arduous search, they found a good shell and began to prepare for Ojibwe '98. The car was completed just in time, and Atomic Racing was off once again. Unfortunately, after OFPR both Brett and Brenda decided to skip LSPR and pack a little money away for while, until the phone rang...
"Mark called me on my birthday to ask me to co-drive at Lake Superior for him, what a gift?" So, after a little negotiating and a LOT of overtime, Brenda is ready for her first Mayhem Racing experience.
When asked how to get started in PRO Rally, Brenda simply said, "Just have your big brother show you the way!"
Thanks from all of us at Mayhem Racing!