ProRally: Prescott Friday Notes

Prescott Forest PRO Rally Round #8 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship Prescott, Arizona Notes - Friday, October 2, 1998

22. An important announcement from Replica Productions. Because of the ESPN NFL football package, the network is cancelling much of its motorsports programming for 1999, including the ESPN2 PRO Rally package. Fortunately, Replica Productions executive producer Doug Plumer, with the help of the SCCA, has negotiated a six-race deal with SPEEDVISION, the 24-hour auto racing/motorcycle racing/boat racing/airplane racing cable channel. A schedule of TV events will be announced later in the year after the PRO Rally Board determines the 1999 Michelin PRO Championship schedule (to be announced at the year- end banquet in Michigan).

23. The Lon Peterson/Peter Workman Group 5 Plymouth Arrow is not the 185- hp racer we're used to seeing, as that car is being completely rebuilt over the winter. For this event, Peterson will be driving John Moore's very stock Plymouth Arrow, with approx. 130 hp., although the car has Lonnie's suspension and some internal engine modifications.

24. With registration coming to a close, it looks like 37 cars will take the countdown this afternoon for the start of the rally (26 national cars, 11 divisional only - with 22 total running the divisional). The only question mark at this time

25. A close scrutiny of the Production class points reveals that Trevor Donison and Jay Kowalik are tied for the lead with 66 points each. We had previously reported that Donison had a two-point lead, and could clinch the championship by winning here this weekend. Now, if Donison wins Production here, he would have to get at least his two starting points at the D&N Bank Lake Superior event. Complicating the situation is the late entry of Roland McIvor's Nissan Sentra in the class, and Roland found a co-driver - Wild West organizer John Forespring - only 45 minutes before the start of the event. Now Donison has to beat McIvor to get those 22 points. Otherwise, Kowalik still has a chance to win the title at Lake Superior.

26. 36 cars started the 11th running of the Prescott Forest PRO Rally. The one DNF (he crossed the start line backwards in order to get his two starting points) was the Garen Shrader/Doc Shrader Ford Sierra Cosworth. While testing the car this morning, the car popped a half- shaft out of place, and popped the replacement out less than 100 yards later. With no more parts and no more time - the car was towed into Parc Ferme as the other cars were starting - the team was forced to take a DNF. Garen's two starting points put him in line to win the Rookie of the Year award (best overall points for a seed six driver).

27. The cars will run four stages tonight (Friday), with a re-seed after two stages at the Mill Restaurant service in Crown King - a very old mining town in a remote area south of Prescott. They will run 44 of the 108 stage miles, with dusty conditions probably requiring two or three minutes start intervals during the night.

28. Shortly after the beginning of stage #1, one of the rally cars went off the course, and a driver was injured. A helicopter has transported the driver to a hospital - no confirmation of which one - and the Friday stages have all been cancelled. We don't have confirmation of any further details at this early time. We will release additional information as soon as we have it.

Round #8 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship PRESCOTT FOREST PRO RALLY - Prescott, AZ Final Entry/Start List

Start  Car  Driver/          Co-Driver/         Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.  No.  Hometown         Hometown           Division/Tires

  1     1   Paul Choiniere   Jeff Becker        Hyundai Tiburon/Open
            Shelburne, VT    Great Neck, NY     National/Michelin

  2     3   Carl Merrill     Lance Smith        Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
            Ogunquit, ME     Colchester, VT     National/Michelin

  3    16   Dave Summerbell   Michael Fennell   Mitsubishi Lancer
            Kingston, Jamaica Kington, Jamaica  Evolution IV/Open

  4    43   Mike Whitman     Paula Gibeault     Ford Sierra Cosworth
            Farmington, NM   Ridgecrest, CA     National/Michelin

  5    18   Noel Lawler      Charles Bradley    Hyundai Elantra/Open
            Manchester, VT   Atlanta, GA        National/Michelin

  6    30   Hiroyuki Genta   Kazmasa Takata     Subaru Impreza/Open
            Kyoto, JAPAN     Kyoto, JAPAN       National/Dunlop

  7     6   Steve Gingras    Eric Carlson       Eagle Talon/PGT
            Elk River, MN    Oregon, WI         Nat./Div./Michelin

  8    11   Ralph Kosmides    Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
            Newport Beach, CA Bothell, WA       National/Michelin

  9    22   Dave White       W. David Watts     VW GTI/Group 2
            Benicia, CA      Carson City, NV    Nat./Div./Michelin

 10     8   Bill Malik       Christian Edstrom  Volvo 240/Group 2
            Burbank, CA      Los Angeles, CA    Nat./Div./Michelin

 11    55   Tony Takaori     Ken Cassidy        Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III
            Kyoto, JAPAN     Tempe, AZ          National/Falken   Open

 12    17   Janice Damitio   Amity Trowbridge   Toyota Celica GT4/Open
            Montesano, WA    Seattle, WA        Nat./Div./Michelin

 13    27   Roger Hull       Sean Gallagher     Eagle Talon/PGT
            Prescott, AZ     Santa Ana, CA      National/Goodyear

 14   119   Lon Peterson     Peter Workman      Plymouth Arrow/Group 5
            Victorville, CA  Calgary, ALB       Nat./Div./Michelin

 15    14   Garen Shrader    Doc Shrader        Ford Sierra Cosworth/Open
            W. Memphis, AK   W. Memphis, AK     National/Michelin

 16   117   Ken Stewart      Jim Dale           Chevy S-10 Pickup/Open
            Grove, OK        Conway, AK         Nat./Div./Cooper

-more- -2-

 17    15   Carl Jardevall   John Elkin         Volvo 740/Group 5
            San Carlos, CA   Portland, OR       Nat./Div./Michelin

 18    35   Lee Shadbolt     Paul Eklund        Subaru Impreza/Prod. GT
            Tigard, OR       Tigard, OR         National/Michelin
 
    19    25   Fred Ronn        John Dillon        Toyota Celica/Group 2
            Agoura, CA       Thousand Oaks, CA  Nat./Div.

    20    66   Doug Robinson    Chris Beavis       Mazda RX-7/Group 5
               Ramona, CA       Ridgecrest, CA     Nat./Div.

 21    16   Tom Bier         Ole Holter         Saab 99/Group 2
            Solano Beach, CA Long Beach, CA     Nat./Div.

 22    88   Kendall Russell  Lynn Dillon        Dodge Charger/PGT
            Knoxville, TN    Indianapolis, IN   National/Michelin
 
    23    45   Arthur Odero-Jowi Farina O'Sullivan Mitsubishi Eclipse/PGT
            Arlington, TX     San Fran., CA     Nat./Div./Michelin

 25     7   Sergei Bellesov  Catherine Roso     Mazda 626/Group 2
            Mexico, ME       Portland, OR       National/Michelin

 24    21   Trevor Donison   John Allen         Plymouth Neon/Production
            Vancouver, WA    Bainbridge Is., Wash.    Nat./Div./Michelin

 25    82   Roland McIvor    John Forespring    Nissan Sentra/Production
            Bessemer, AL     Olympia, WA        National/Michelin

Divisional Only 4 Ron Wood Kelly Walsh Audi Quattro/4WD Costa Mesa, CA Costa Mesa, CA Divisional

          77   Harris Done         Ray Hocker      Mazda RX-7/02
               Santa Monica, CA    Ridgecrest, CA  Divisional

         323   Paul Timmerman      Suzanne Martin  Mazda 323GTX/04
               Pasadena, CA        Pasadena, CA    Divisional

         601   Randy Holland       Jack Whittington Ford F-150 Pickup/02
               Billings, MT        Billings, MT     Divisional

           5   Mark Brown          Shane Polhamus  Toyota Corolla/U2
               Mesa, AZ            Mesa, AZ        Divisional

          28   Bobbi Whitman       Bill Gutzmann   Datsun 510/02
               Farmington, NM      Ontario, CA     Divisional

         222   Cable Rhodes        Tyler Rhodes    Mazda RX-7/02
               Prescott, AZ        Prescott, AZ    Divisional

-more- -3-

          24   Mick Kilpatrick     Jim Gillaspy    Dodge Colt Turbo/02
               Durango, CO         Durangom CO     Divisional

          50   Eric Oyague         Alfredo Oyague  Toyota Corolla/U2
               Van Nuys, CA        Northridge, CA  Divisional

          52   Steve Bender        Craig McHugh    VW Rabbit/U2
               Corona del Mar, CA  Irvine, CA      Divisional

          93   Neal Gaborno        Patti Scott     Mitsubishi Pickup/U2
               Prembroke, MA       Montrose, CA    Divisional