2004 Colorado Cog - Update Info

2004 Colorado COG ProRally

Local Time is GMT -7

Update Time	News
Fri 24-Sep-04 17:31	The 1st Annual Colorado Cog ProRally (round 8 of the 2004 SCCA National ProRally Championship) events are now underway as Parc Expose began at 5:30 PM. Rally America is present and will be doing updates throughout the evening. Stay tuned!
Fri 24-Sep-04 17:33	The seeded draw has been done, and is as follows: 1. Car 54, Richard / Richard 2. Car 88, Havir / Putnam 3. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz 4. Car 83, Utecht / Secor 5. Car 374, Styles / Dillon 6. Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino 7. Car 91, Bottoms / Krolikowski
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:15	A few teams took advantage of the practice stage on Thursday. Car 88, Havir / Putnam had some clutch problems on their first practice run. With a new clutch installed they are set to go for the rally. There were no other problems or dramas reported from the practice.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:24	Car 86, Halley / Greek is reporting that they have had little sleep this week in an attempt to get their car ready (the car they called the ugliest car in the rally!!!). Mike reports as little as 12 hours of sleep since last Sunday, as he was up here on business this week, and worked long days, and then long nights working on the car...Rebecca was also tasked with jobs and has been getting a lesson on many of the mechanical aspects of the car as she has been tasked with doing brakes, changing tires, etc. This rally will be the first time that the team have run stage notes together (and Rebecca's first time with notes). They are looking to have a fun, safe time and to finish this weekend.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:28	The recent snow and rains has forced some changes to the rally schedule. Special Stage 2 has been cancelled due to the road conditions and the new start time of the rally will be 8:56 am. Without Special Stage 2 being run, there will be no optional fuel stop prior to the first service.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:31	Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino are happy with the results of the seeded draw. They are starting 6th, and are happy that they did not get the 1st spot, as they believe some of the stages are clay and will be greasy. Starting 6th, they will have the advantage of seeing the lines of those going before them; an advantage that the 1st starting spot will not have. On another note, Alex would like to say hello, from rainy Colorado, to his wife Christie in California.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:51	Spectators and competitors braved the rain in Downtown Steamboat Springs.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:54	Guess which codriver is sporting this footwear?! Log on to the Rally America forums to place your bet. Can you imagine trying to push a car in the mud in these shoes.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:57	Parc Expose is now over and the evening's events have officially concluded. Rally America will be shutting down until the start of the rally tomorrow morning at 8:56 AM.
Fri 24-Sep-04 19:59	Just a few more shots from Parc Expose.
Sat 25-Sep-04 09:20	Good morning from chilly Steamboat Springs. The drivers meeting took place at 8:26 this morning where the teams were given a rundown of what to expect out on the stages today. The cars started the rally at 9:04 from Tennis Meadows at the base of the mountain. The teams are headed off to run Special Stage 1, Special Stage 3, and Special Stage 4 before the first service break at the Hayden Fairgrounds.
Sat 25-Sep-04 09:30	Fog covered the start area earlier in the morning. I know you can't see them, but there are rally cas parked next to that white building. The fog did burn off before the start and a hot air baloon was able to take off.
Sat 25-Sep-04 09:50	The organizers provided an update on the stage conditions (observed Friday 9/24) at the morning Parc Expose. Special Stage 1, Wolf Mountain, has pot holes full of water through much of the stage. Previous traffic has left the road in rough codition with two main tracks that have been rolled in. The sides of the road can be wet and slick. Special Stage 3, Breeze Basin, has some rutting throughout the stage. One section in particular has numerous deep ruts, it is between mile 5.44 and 6.06 of the stage. Special Stage 4 is the first running of the Super Special. The first cars may find that it is damp in the corners of the .92 mile stage.
Sat 25-Sep-04 09:57	We expect to see the first cars here at the Fairgrounds at 11:04 am. So far, we have heard that Special Stage 1 is underway.
Sat 25-Sep-04 10:53	The cars are passing by the fairgrounds on their way to the start of Special Stage 3. Car 91, Bottoms / Krolikowski has pulled over on the side of the transit, they had no oil pressure and have decided to retire and not chance blowing the motor up. Car 22, Kosmides / Brandt has also stopped on the side of the road. They are attempting to fix their gearbox which is stuck in third gear.
Sat 25-Sep-04 11:10	Here are some very unofficial times from Special Stage 1 Car 54, Richard / Richard 3:38 Car 424, Moberly / Moberly 3:40 Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino 3:46 Car 88, Havir / Putnam 3:48 Car 374, Styles / Dillon 3:52 Car 83, Utecht / Secor 3:56 Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace 3:58 Car 89, Hoeck / Lin 4:04
Sat 25-Sep-04 11:16	Car 443, Oerter / Tracy has arrived here at service. We'll catch up with the team and find out the story.
Sat 25-Sep-04 11:18	Special Stage 4 has started right accross the field from us. The cars will be in for service shortly.
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:02	Just a few notes and pictures from the Super Special...courtesy of Frank, Karl, and Troy (true spectators), and Brenda and Heather (routing for Car 427, Goldsmith / Moody), kindly referred to as the "pushy blondes" by Frank!!. Some of the unofficial times on the Super Special are: Car 374, Styles / Dillon 1:08.3 Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino 1:08.1 Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace 1:14.2 Car 89, Hoeck / Lin 1:10.1
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:09	We have alot of great workers this weekend. Notably, both Arianna and Dakota are our two "runners".
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:27	Car 83, Utecht / Secor told us that they need about 400 more horsepower...because "he who has the horsepower will win this rally". Special Stage 3 was 12 miles of 5th gear with one hairpin in the middle. They are taking it easy and taking no risks, especially since their biggest Group N competitor (#91) is out of the rally. The season goal for the Mayhem team is to finish second in the Group N Championship. Car 54, Richard / Richard is too far ahead, has much driver, and too much car to catch them this season.
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:31	Car 508, Ottey / McGarvey came into service followed by a HUGE cloud of white smoke. They believe they either holed a piston or blew the turbo, they won't know until things cool off and actually look. They would to thank the crew for all their work this weekend!
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:35	Car 22, Kosmides / Brandt was unable to fix their gearbox problem on the side of the road. They ran Special Stage 3 and Special Stage 4 in third gear. The crew is changing the gearbox during the service break and look forward to the rest of the rally problem free.
Sat 25-Sep-04 12:50	The current leader, Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino don't feel like they are that fast from inside the car. Alex credits Peter with excellent driving and not putting a wheel wrong all morning.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:00	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz said that the roads are drying and "freeway-like". Special Stage 3 was very narrow but hard and smooth, Doug said that it was "like a narrow Interstate 80 with just a few more turns.' The team saw 110mph on the stage. When the car came into service the crew discovered a flat left rear tire. They figure that they hit a berm on Special Stage 4 and knocked the tire off the bead....however it happened, it didn't cause any problems for them.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:03	The cars are leaving service in route to Special Stage 5. They will then run Special Stage 6 and Special Stage 7 before returning to the fairgrounds for the second (and final) service of the day.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:18	Car 424, Moberly / Moberly is really turning things up today! They are currently running second and feeling great. The team made the jump to Open class this weekend from PGT. They did plan to fully convert their car and move into Open after this event, but a lower control arm controversy forced them into an early change. They were able to make a few changes last night, like a different intercooler and intake off of Dad's STi. New brakes are one thing that is high on the list with the move to Open class. The plan for the rest of this event is to keep on doing what they have been doing!
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:27	Car 232, Tabor / Poirier report that they have a bent steering rack, they can go left really fast but going right is not so fast. They are just driving for fun now that they started the event. With their one point they earned this morning by starting the rally, they clinched the Production Championship. Congratulations!!
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:40	Car 60, Davis / Sorenson is reporting that the "motor ate something that didn't agree with it". It appears that the engine has sucked a valve (or perhaps, had some other piece failure), which is particularly heartbreaking as this is only the 2nd rally on that engine. Although the team is done for the event, they are planning to be at LSPR.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:44	Car 88, Havir / Putnam reported Special Stage 3 was very fast, they saw 125mph on the stage. There was good grip most of the time, but when it was bad, it was really bad. The ruts could have been a problem as they were very deep out there, 12-18 inches deep. If you ended up putting a wheel off, you'ld be in real trouble. The team did have a little problem on the downhill section coming into the hairpin, they had no grip and were unable to get the car slowed down. They slid off and ended up stalling the car, Doug was able to bump start it, but ended up in neutral. They eventually found second and took off down the stage. They currently sit in fourth place overall.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:48	Special Stage 5 reports that Car 425, Seedorf / Barclay is off about 10 miles into the stage, the team is OK. It is also reported that Car 523, Kendall / Friberg didn't start the stage due to a mechanical problem. They had turbo trouble earlier today but thought they had it fixed. If they return to service we will get the full story.
Sat 25-Sep-04 13:59	Car 101, Brown / Holter treated the 1st stage as a shakedown, and the 2nd stage was rather interesting over the loose stuff, but that they are now into the groove. They are reporting a 27 second lead over the 47 car, and 1 minute up on their next closest competitor in class, Car 419. This is exactly where the team wants to be, and although this is a 2 day event, the teams states that it is their intent to not speed up or slow down, but to just maintain. The team needs to finish 2nd or better here in order to secure the championship.
Sat 25-Sep-04 14:30	The cars are once again passing by the service area on their transit, they is a small crowd that has gathered to wave as they pass.
Sat 25-Sep-04 14:30	Car 93, Olson / Ketelsen is reporting that they are having an awesome time in the Subaru and have not had nearly s many "moments" as they would have had in the Porsche (that they previously had) under the same conditions. The team states that it is a nice race, but that they had a bad tire selection; they used mud tires, expecting it to be muddy, and it turned out to the dry. They have swapped the tires, and are hoping to be faster. While Bob believes the tire selection will make them faster, Conrad believes it will actually be the Cool Suits that they installed during the service, that will give them 5-10 seconds per stage. Conrad would like to thank his wife, Kirsten, and his son, lovingly called "lugnut?" for their love and support.
Sat 25-Sep-04 14:33	Car 422, McConnell / Grider in their first ClubRally ever are having an awesome time. While the driver feels he is driving like "grandma", it appears that they are 11th overall and 4th in class. Benjamin would like to thank his wife, Katheryn, for her support and understanding. The team would like to thank Kyle for figuring out the mass airflow sensor problem out last night, and Grant, Mark, Steve, and Brian for all their help in service.
Sat 25-Sep-04 14:36	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz came by way out of sequence, our guess is that they may have had a flat. We will find out on the service break. The last car that had started just pased by service, Car 86, Halley / Greek and Car 232, Tabor / Poirier did not make it by. Oh wait, Car 86, Halley / Greek just arrived here at service, they apppear to have had a mechanical and have DNF'd.
Sat 25-Sep-04 14:39	Car 422, McConnell / Grider, who were running very well considering they are seed 8, are reported going slowly with their flashers on on Special Stage 7. It has now been reported that they did finish the stage.
Sat 25-Sep-04 15:53	Car 89, Hoeck / Lin feel they are going slowly, but the results so far show that they are still on track for their goal of finishing in the top 10; they are currently being listed as 10th overall. They find the roads to be smooth, and minus a few small ruts, they describe the roads to be fabulous. The only issue the team had was before Special Stage 2, where they changed a flat (with the help of Ray Moberly - Thanks, Ray). Julie noted that she thinks the whole organizing team did a great job, is really "first-rate" and must have been organized by former racers!!!
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:00	Car 83, Utecht / Secor finds the roads to be decent; They find them to be interesting and reminiscent of the Rim rally. Mark would like to thank their sponsor, CelCole, and Josh and Mary, his service crew.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:01	The Rally America truck will be heading back to Stemboat for the finish of day one. We will be continuing to make updates in transit so you will have all the news we gathered at service once we arrive at the Steamboat Sheraton and establish a satellite signal.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:20	A 90 degree left hand corner and 90 degree right hand corner combination was almost very costly for Car 424, Moberly / Moberly. The team had no grip on the left hander and almost spun, but they weren't quite as lucky on the right hander. They spun in the corner and ended up off in a ditch, they made a U turn to get back on the road and only lost a little bit of time. After a mile or two of taking it easy, they were back in it and pushing hard. Todd tells us that it was a little scarry seeing 127mph and trusting that your tires were going to grip the surface. Future rally champion Connor Moberly cheers on Dad and Grandpa
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:28	Car 232, Tabor / Poirier have retired after hitting a tree just after the flying finish of Special Stage 6. They skipped off a large puddle and went off the road into a tree which then sent them into another tree. The car sustained minor body damage, a broken passenger window, and the mirror on the passenger door is no longer attached. Marks biggest complaint was that the broken glass ended up in his glass on lemonade. You can ask him why he rallys with a glass of lemonade in the car with him!
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:28	Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino is now listed in 2nd position, 15.1 seconds behind Car 54, to which Alex stated "he caught us!" They were trying very hard, but Patrick is fast. The team is now facing pressure from the both the front and rear, as Doug Havir is only 6.8 seconds behind them. In an effort to try and pick up some time, the team is going to gamble on tire choice. They will be using a softer, more open treaded tire on the rest of the stages tonight. The conditions today make it hard to get a great tire for all of the conditions that exist, so there has to be a compromise, and Alex states that if it works, that would great, if not, they will change them and get out there and try again tomorrow.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:36	Car 290, Hollingsworth / Grahn is staying on their plan, which is to race to finish today, and then press tomorrow. Currently, they are tied for 3rd in Group 2. With the fierce battle that exists between Car 47, Freehill / Elliot and Car 101, Brown / Holter in Group 2, this team is playing a game of survival, as they have very little to lose, but everything to lose by pushing it too hard.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:37	Car 425, Seedorf / Barclay arrived back in service on the hook of a tow truck. They went off on Special Stage 5 about 4.5 miles in. Their excursion through the ditch resulted in both tires on the right side of the car going flat, a broken tie rod, and a blown CV. The crew was working hard at service to make the repairs needed so the team could run the last two stages for seat time.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:43	Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace feel that they were a little "slow out of the box" on the morning stages, but that they kicked it up a notch after service; the team is currently listed as being in 7th position overall and 2nd in Group N. They attribute this to the fact that the car is working well, their chemistry is on, and that the stages after service were of the tight, gnarly stuff they enjoy.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:43	The crew for Car 22, Kosmides / Brandt had some work to do at the service break. The team had no odo on the last set of stages, they hope that will be resolved for the rest of the day. They also lost a left rear CV that were changing. Overall the team appears to be having a good time! On Special Stage 7 they were going as fast as the Ruby's Subaru would go, they were bouncing off the rev limiter in fifth gear for most of the 12.71 mile stage.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:52	Car 54, Richard / Richard felt they had no choice but to pick up the pace after the first stages of the event (when they were in 3rd). They liked Special Stage 5 and Special Stage 6, which were twisty, and turny, and described them as "our type of stages". Their main goal today is to "keep in on for the rest of the day"; however, a thought that is not too far from their minds is the battle between Pat and Leon for the overall driver championship (if they win, Pat could clinch it! No pressure!!!). One note from Nathalie...Champ de Mars Mirrors.
Sat 25-Sep-04 16:59	Local favorites Car 429, Foust / Crouch are having fun and running a great rally. They had a little "Kodak Courage", pushing hard while being followed by the Speed helicopter. Tanner thought for sure he was going to roll he car at one point. "If you do something stupid you're sure to make the TV show", but they really don't want to get TV coverage that way. They did want to say thanks to Mark Cox and Jim Gill for an excellent rally. The rally brings racing back to a town that has been missing racing since they lost a long standing vintage race.
Sat 25-Sep-04 17:14	We have heard a rumor that Car 424, Moberly / Moberly is off and OK on Special Stage 9. We will update you as soon as we have more information.
Sat 25-Sep-04 17:21	We are now at the finish of day one of the Colorado Cog ProRally. The cars are scheduled to start arriving here at 5:51pm and we will have updated scores shorly after.
Sat 25-Sep-04 18:51	Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino is happy with 2nd position for the day; they are 23 seconds behind Car 54 and 8 seconds in front of Car 88. They are very happy with their result and with their gamble on tires. They would like to thank Autosport Engineering for the phenomenal full package...phenomenal car, crew,eveyrthing!!!
Sat 25-Sep-04 18:55	Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace is very happy because they are running well. They have made up some time on Car 83, Utecht / Secor and to them, this means progress, because historically, Car 83 has beaten them consistently. The team is in 2nd in Group N, about 15 seconds in front of Car 83 , and Car 54 is leading overall. Their goal is to go conservative, but hold onto 2nd.
Sat 25-Sep-04 19:14	After a roll on Special Stage 9 Car 424, Moberly / Moberly did make it into the finish at the Sheraton. They apparantly rolled a couple of times and were stopped by a telephone pole which kept them on their wheels. They are both OK and are looking at starting again tomorrow. The ClubRally scores were made provisional at 7:01pm.
Sat 25-Sep-04 20:29	The ClubRally scores are final and the cars have been released from the Parc Ferme. We will be at the start tomorrow, the first car is scheduled to start at 9:01am. See you in the morning!
Sun 26-Sep-04 08:23	Good morning from the start of day two of the Colorado Cog ProRally. Teams are starting to arrive at Tennis Meadows where the drivers meeting will be held at 8:30. The first car will then start from here at 9:01. The field is comprised of only ProRally competitors today, that means we will only have 17 cars running today. The start order will be up soon.
Sun 26-Sep-04 08:50	It is a beautiful sunny morning in Steamboat Springs, albeit a little cool, at 43 degrees. Today's legs will be starting shortly as the driver's meeting is currently underway.
Sun 26-Sep-04 08:52	Our shoe contest at the Parc Expose was so popular on the forums on Friday that we thought we would try it again...Those shoes did belong to Julie Lin, but...Who do these shoes belong to? And, remember, if you are here at the event, you cannot guess!!!
Sun 26-Sep-04 09:05	We would like to wish Sue Robinson a very Happy Birthday today....I think it's her 29th. Another Happy Birthday goes out to Clint Fast from Vermont Sportscar who celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday.
Sun 26-Sep-04 09:09	A note from Car 101, Brown / Holter...the team ran the last two stages yesterday with no brakes, they stated they feeling like Fred Flinstone for a while. They lost the lead to Car 47, Freehill / Elliot, but are only 33 seconds behind. Overnight, the master cylinder was fixed and Mark and Ole are looking to make up some time today. This could make for an interesting day in Group 2. Stay tuned!
Sun 26-Sep-04 09:11	Rally America will be leaving Tennis Meadows soon, and we will be heading to Routt County Fairgrounds where we expect to see the first car in for service at 11:53 AM.
Sun 26-Sep-04 09:33	Please note that there have been some changes made to the schedule today. The transit times have been extended, in order to make this possible the service time has been shortened. The organizers have also provided course updates for the stages being run today. Special Stage 10 and Special Stage 14 are said to have ruts, deep mud, and large puddles in a number of places. The transit to get to stage 10 has a very confusing and complex intersection, competitors have been warned to be aware and prepared. Rain has deepened the ditches along the right side of the road during the inital uphill climb after the start of Special Stage 11. No cutting the corners on this stage as damage could occur. There was no update on the road conditions for Special Stage 12, Special Stage 14, Special Stage 15, or Special Stage 16. Many of the roads in the rally have been used multiple times. The competitors tell us that the roads are holding up well and are in good condition. In fact, we have been told that they are almost like pavement in some places.
Sun 26-Sep-04 10:06	The first car has started Special Stage 10.
Sun 26-Sep-04 11:26	The first car has reached the finish of Special Stage 12. They will be transiting to the Fairgrounds for the second running of the Super Special Stage, Special Stage 13. The organizers watered the jump earlier this morning to keep the dust down, but have made no changes to the course.
Sun 26-Sep-04 11:52	We have reports that Car 432, Nelson / Beckwith and Car 59, Moro / Fultz are off and OK on Special Stage 12. The crew for Car 59, Moro / Fultz just left the service area, we suspect they are on their way to go get the team.
Sun 26-Sep-04 11:56	The cars are once again passing by the service area in route to the start of Special Stage 13. Quite a large crowd has gathered at the fairgrounds to watch the super special.
Sun 26-Sep-04 12:03	It sounds like Car 432, Nelson / Beckwith had some sort of off road excursion. It was reported that the team is OK and the car has been righted and moved to a safe location. Cars have started to arrive for service, it looks like the lead of Car 54, Richard / Richard is shrinking a bit. We should have current scores soon.
Sun 26-Sep-04 12:30	The Super Special, Special Stage 13, is now underway; times seem to be improving slightly over yesterday's running on the same stage. The top competitors have run, currently, Car 88, Havir / Putnam is being listed as having the fastest time on that stage. As the competitors finish the stage, they will be coming into service.
Sun 26-Sep-04 12:40	In an update on Car 86, Halley / Greek from yesterday, in the car dubbed the "clown car" or "partridge family sport coupe", the team had a minor off on Special Stage 5 on the codriver side which caused a bent lower control arm and broke the intercooler. Mike and Rebecca used an old MacGyver move of using a fence post and a tow rope to straighten the lower control arm. This move worked, but they were only able to go 30 MPH on Special Stage 6, and when they came into service, they officially withdrew. In service, they were able to change the lower control arm and bypass the intercooler, so they did run the last stages, but only for fun and experience. Mike is very proud of his running on Special Stage 3. He classifies that stage as "the fastest he has ever run in a rally car". He was only 40 seconds behind Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz, and the team guessed they ran 15th fastest time overall. Mike states that "Rebecca rocks!!" and that she is a great co-driver. The team had a great time and the car is no worse for wear, so they consider the weekend a success in that respect.
Sun 26-Sep-04 12:43	The official times are starting to come in, and the leader board is as follows: 1. Car 374, Styles / Dillon Total Time: 01:09:42.1 2. Car 54, Richard / Richard Total Time: 01:09:49.0 3. Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino Total Time: 01:09:55.1 4. Car 88, Havir / Putnam Total Time: 01:10:04.3 5. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz Total Time: 01:11:08.1
Sun 26-Sep-04 13:26	Car 54, Richard / Richard are pretty disappointed after losing quite a bit of time with boost issues, as Nathalie sais "we got none!". The team stopped on the road and tried to find the problem and fix it with no luck. They were unable to isolate the problem in service, so they're just changing everything and hopefully that will fix it.
Sun 26-Sep-04 13:29	The truck will be moving to the finish of the rally. We will continue to enter updates that will be uploaded once we arrive at the finish.
Sun 26-Sep-04 13:35	The first car started Special Stage 14 at 1:32pm.
Sun 26-Sep-04 13:49	In keeping with Leon's statements before the rally this morning, Car 374, Styles / Dillon is definitely stepping it up a notch. They are currently running 1st and on Special Stage 11, won the stage with the closest competitor almost 30 seconds behind them. The day has not been without troubles for the team as the water temperature was ran up to 228 on Special Stage 12, this caused them to run the water spray manually and slow down, Leon believes this problem cost them 10 seconds on that stage. Leon and John are taking the ups and down of the day one stage at a time, on the advice of team manager, Denise McMahon. With today's impressive stages, and the local paper coverage, they do hope that Donna is proud of them. The team would like to thank Nick Korpal (#724), who, even though his car was not ready, provided the transport. In a final note, Leon would like to say Happy Birthday to his wife, Linda.
Sun 26-Sep-04 13:54	Car 22, Kosmides / Brandt are having a good time despite an electrical gremlin that has invaded the car. They have no dash electrics and the alternator is not charging. The crew was hard at work trying to "exorcise" the car before heading out to finish the rally.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:01	Car 59, Moro / Fultz has withdrawn from the event following an overheating problem on Special Stage 11. Apparently, the bottom radiator hose popped off, causing the car to get hot, but they stopped after the end of Special Stage 11 and replaced the hose, then continued. The clamp on the hose could not be completely tightened, so consequently, the hose popped off again during Special Stage 12; the team tried again to continue, but the tempature was pegged on hot, so about 2 miles from the end of Special Stage 12, they stopped the car. Both Patrick and Pam would like to thank all the competitors that were kind enough to stop and try to help them continue the rally. It seems that the car is now for sale for a very reasonable rate...
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:06	Despite a calculation error on yesterday's stages that cost them a 4:20 penalty, Car 89, Hoeck / Lin appears to have put that behind them; the team feels they are getting more aggressive as the day progresses and hopes the stage times reflect that. Currently, the team is being listed in 9th position.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:09	The Group 2 battle is very intense here in Colorado. Car 290, Hollingsworth / Grahn, Car 101, Brown / Holter, and Car 47, Freehill / Elliot are all within 20 seconds of one another. These three teams are currently the top three in National points, so it is quite the rally out there. Car 290, Hollingsworth / Grahn told us that on Special Stage 13 it felt like he was dragging the trailer behind the car because he has so little horsepower at this altitude. They are really trying to keep their momentum up thrrough the stages and trying not to scrub off too much speed in the corners. Without a turbo, they are definately feeling underpowered. This rally reminds them of Rim, only with less silt. The roads are narrow and there are lots of rocks along the edges, if you put a wheel off you are likely to end up with a flat. Car 101, Brown / Holter had been taking some time off of Car 47, Freehill / Elliot, but Brooks and Sean have started to turn it up. Ole says that the stages are beautiful and all of them are dry with the exception of Special Stage 10.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:23	Local favorites, Car 429, Foust / Crouch, are having a pretty good time out there today despite some problems that started yesterday on Special Stage 8. They bent a control arm and ended up with a ton of toe out causing them to lose some time to Car 59, Moro / Fultz. When replacing the control arm last night, they ended up bending the shock causing more problems. They are now trying to to adjust their toe problem by adjusting the tire pressures. Right now, Tanner is doing his job by "beating the tar out of the rally car" and is working on his other job of finishing the rally. They have set a goal of trying to keep up with Car 83, Utecht / Secor and Car 89, Hoeck / Lin today. The team would like to thank Flatiron Subaru, Flatiron Tuning, and Beta Tools for all their support. They would also like to thank their techs Ryan and Brian from Flatiron Subaru for all their help this weekend, they have really put them to work this weekend.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:25	The first car, Car 54, Richard / Richard, has just finished Special Stage 15.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:31	Car 88, Havir / Putnam, found Special Stage 10 to be particularly tricky. There were many different road surfaces within this one stage. They found mud, gravel, and hardpacked dirt throughout the fast twists and crests. They also found a field that they mowed a small path through durring a minor off. The car is running well and the team is going steady looking for a finish.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:32	It's tough to be a rally dog!
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:33	Here are some other images from service.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:39	We are now located at Tennis Meadows, the site of the finish of the Colorado Cog ProRally. Special Stage 15 is running at this moment and Special Stage 16 is just about ready to start (at 2:39). Once done with stage 16, the cars will be transiting back to Steamboat for the finish.
Sun 26-Sep-04 14:59	An update from the field...After leaving service, and feeling that their power issue was solved, Car 54, Richard / Richard is reported to be low on power on Special Stage 14.
Sun 26-Sep-04 15:09	Sweep has found a skid plate on Special Stage 15, I'm sure there's a story there and we'll try to find it.
Sun 26-Sep-04 15:20	We have heard an update on Car 432, Nelson / Beckwith. They evidentally caught some air when going over a cattle guard, it sent them end over end two and a half times landing on the roof. The team returned to the service area and were showing off their in car video, both driver and codriver are OK.
Sun 26-Sep-04 15:36	Al and our runners, Arianna and Dakota, play while we wait for the cars to arrive.
Sun 26-Sep-04 15:37	The first car, Car 374, Styles / Dillon, just checked into the final control. Car 54, Richard / Richard followed, they had the flashers on and the car was running very rough.
Sun 26-Sep-04 16:33	Car 374, Styles / Dillon is being listed, unofficially, as the winner of the event. Denise states that she is very happy wth this weekend, and that their strategy of approaching each stage as it's own's entity, and not worrying about the championship or the win seemed to work. The team believes that if they, in fact, have won, then they will have clinched the open class championship, but not the overall; it appears that they will need to race at LSPR in order to have a chance at the overall championship.
Sun 26-Sep-04 16:45	Upon first review, it appeared that Car 54, Richard / Richard had finished in 2nd place and Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace was in 6th place, but upon further review, it appears that a technical inspection has shown that both cars have an improperly placed intercooler spray bottle. Both cars are currently being listed as disqualified. Stay tuned for more details.
Sun 26-Sep-04 16:52	The disqualification of Car 54, Richard / Richard would just add insult to injury as the team have had engine trouble throughout the day. They also lost the center diff on the last stage, and then...the throttle stuck wide open (that would explain the fast stage time!). Regardless of the result, Pat and Nathalie would like to thank Rally America for partaking in the event, and making it more enjoyable for those at home. Pat would also like to thank his wife, Anne; his sister, Nathalie; and all of his sponsors: Motul, Golbalstar, OMP, NASIOC.com, and DMS North America.
Sun 26-Sep-04 16:56	Despite losing a center diff, Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino is very happy with their podium finish. The team is being listed in 2nd position. As a result of their finish, it has been confirmed, telephonically, that the team (and Autosport Engineering) has secured sponsorship for the rest of the season (and possibly, SnoDrift 2005) from OSLV Italia, which is a company that makes small electric motors for automotive applications. Congrats to the team.
Sun 26-Sep-04 16:58	Car 22, Kosmides / Brandt has had a long day battling not only gearbox problems, but also electrical problems, and were down on horsepower. They are very happy to have finished, after what they desribed as a "tiring event".They would like to thank their crew, Steve, Pete and Doug.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:02	Car 88, Havir / Putnam were able to finish the rally in 4th place despite a broken left rear halfshaft 3 miles from the finish of Special Stage 15. Even with the shaft banging around the team say they saw 100mph on Special Stage 16. The crew has informed us that upon further inspection, they found the diff case is cracked, the inner CV is blown, and there is damage to the lateral link and trailing links. Doug and Scott are very happy to have finished the rally.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:12	We did find the owner of the skid plate on Special Stage 15. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz, didn't even know that they had lost it! They took some pretty hard hits on the stage pushing the intercooler in. The team finished 4th overall provisionally.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:14	The Group 2 championship battle has been decided, but not without a few interesting notes. Car 101, Brown / Holter has secured the championsip by finishing 1st in class, 11 seconds in front of Car 47, Freehill / Elliot. The team rolled (or as Brooks says, "flopped") the car over; but luckily, there were spectators that put them back on their wheels, and they only lost about 20 seconds. Mark describes the event as a "great race in G2" and that this is the only rally that the stages seem to get better every time you run them!! Both Car 101, Brown / Holter and Car 47, Freehill / Elliot would like to thank Lance of BestVWParts for the great transmissions he has built for them. Brooks was careful to say that one of the problems they had (the car did not have 1st or 2nd gears) was a shift linkage problem and not a transmission problem. Another problem the team had was a flat tire that they got less than 2 miles in Special Stage 15. They road it our of the stage and changed it on the transit, Car 101, Brown / Holter beat them by 22 seconds on that stage. Car 290, Hollingsworth / Grahn was deep in the battle also, as all of the teams were swapping stage times all weekend. Currently, they are tied for 3rd with 3 other teams, and will not be running at LSPR, so their fate is yet to be determined!!! They would like to thank Kuhmo and Vacation Resorts International for their help and support.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:14	The RA truck will be off the air briefly to move to the Sheraton where the scores will be made provisional. Make sure to stay tuned as there are sure to be a few interesting news items yet to come.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:55	There has been an official inquiry made in regards to the disqualification of Car 54, Richard / Richard. A protest comitte is being formed and we hope to hear a result soon. The scores will be provisional until a decision has been made.
Sun 26-Sep-04 17:57	Prior to the possible disqualification, Car 103, Gubelmann / Pace had a good last day of the rally. The swapped times with Car 83, Utecht / Secor all day; they prevailed on the tight, technical stuff, but Car 83, Utecht / Secor prevailed on the long, fast stages. This rally will be the last for the team this year, and the last for the car, as Wyeth is planning to sell it and have Autosport Engineering build a full blown WRC-spec'd Group N car. The car will likely makes its debut at Rally Mexico next season.
Sun 26-Sep-04 18:01	Correction: The results have been made official pending the inquiry as of 6:00pm. No other inquiries will be accepted.
Sun 26-Sep-04 18:11	Here are some pictures from the end of the rally at Tennis Meadows.
Sun 26-Sep-04 18:51	In case you were wondering....the protest is still being reviewed. We will update you as soon as we hear anything.
Sun 26-Sep-04 19:24	We think Morgan and Al are in this trailer.
Sun 26-Sep-04 20:00	The last news brief is that Car 54, Richard / Richard has been successful in their official protest and the previous disqualification based on the technical inspection has been overturned. Car 54, Richard / Richard now proudly holds the 2nd position. Please click on results above as the official times have now been posted. Congrats to Pat as the team now believes that he has clinched the overall championship. With that, Rally America is officially signing off. See you at LSPR.