ProRally: Sno*Drift preview

<pre> SCCA ProRally Championship Round 1 -- Sno*Drift ProRally

First round (of ten) for the 2001 season. A record-breaking field of over 60 SCCA and FIA Performance Rally cars from across North America will race on demanding snow-and ice-covered roads at the northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This televised event is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

When & Where: January 26-27, 2001; Atlanta, MI; approximately 100 miles (160km) north of Saginaw, MI

Time zone at event: Eastern Standard Time (same as New York)

Schedule: Friday, 26 January, 2001 12:00 noon - 10:00 PM Registration -- all parties -- Atlanta Senior Center 12:00 noon - 9:30 PM Scrutineering-- Atlanta - location TBA 2:30 PM Media rendezvous for press stage, Atlanta Senior Center - Credentials must be issued/reserved prior to this time 3:00 - 4:30 PM Press stage (location confidential)

Saturday, 27 January, 2001 8:15 - 9:00 AM ParcExpose -- Montmorency County Tribune 9:01 AM sharp First car starts Sno*Drift ProRally -- Montmorency County Tribune 2:00 PM -- 5:00 PM Dinner Break 9:30 PM First car finishes Sno*Drift ProRally -- Atlanta Senior Center 10:30 PM Awards ceremony -- Atlanta Senior Center

Format: All events in the SCCA ProRally Championship consist of flat-out racing, in any weather, on challenging forest, mountain or desert roads. SCCA Performance Rally events follow a format similar to that used around the globe.However, most events do not allow for on-course practice (recces) or pacenotes. Competitors generally see the course for the first time as they race it.

At-speed competition takes place only on special stages using demanding back roads closed by local authorities for the event. Transits connect the special stage sections together and are driven at posted speeds, with teams fully subject to all traffic laws.

SCCA Performance Rally vehicles are production-based cars and trucks from manufacturers around the world. They compete both for the overall victory and wins within a class structure that groups together vehicles with similar performance capabilities.

Each vehicle carries a driver and a co-driver/navigator. Using a detailed route book and a specially designed rally computer, the co-driver keeps the team on-course and advises the driver of any hazards ahead. This role is as critical as the driver's skill, since the team is traveling at full racing speeds over roads they have not seen, in any type of weather.

Selected entries (driver/co-driver): * 8-time Overall Driver Champions Paul Choiniere & seven-time co-driver Champion Jeff Becker; Open Class Hyundai Tiburon * 1999 SCCA ProRally Overall Driver/Co-Driver champions Noel Lawler and Charles Bradley; Open Class Hyundai Tiburon * 1999 Production Class and 2000 FIA Group N Driver Champion Karl Scheible with Brian Maxwell; FIA Group N Subaru Impreza WRX. * 2000 Group 5 Driver and Co-Driver Champions Mark Utecht and Brenda Corneliusen-Lewis - PGT Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX * 1999 Production GT Driver Champion Gail Truess with Pattie Hughes-Mayer; PGT Mazda 323GTX * 1999 SCCA Group 5 Champions and 2000 FIA Group N runnerups Henry and Cindi Krolikowski FIA Group N 95 Subaru Impreza WRX-STi.

Additional news interest: * Very strong Open and FIAClass fields -- 3 Libra Racing Hyundais, 7 Mitsubishi Lancer Evos, plus four privately entered FIA group N Subaru Impreza WRXs. * The SCCA Sno*Drift ProRally competition is held in one day, and uses the Atlanta, MI headquarters for all services, making this one of the easiest press coverage events of the season.

Event Rank: Sno*Drift is a full-points round for Driver & Manufacturer Championships in the SCCA ProRally Series.

-SCCA/SCCA ProRacing-