2004 Ojibwe Forests ProRally

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Media TIme Control - SCCA Publication

Update Time	News
Fri 27-Aug-04 08:43	Rally America is live at the Ojibwe Forests ProRally. Registration is underway and the workers are out doing a final check of the stages. The rally will begin later this afternoon with the first car leaving The Northern Inn in Bemidji at 4:45pm. Only five cars participated in running the 2.9 mile practice stage yesterday. The teams had plenty of time to work on their set ups and do some tire testing. There was only one minor incident on the practice stage. Car 84, Niday / Kean ran out of gas, the crew had to go fetch them. Please make sure to check back later in the day for all the latest information.
Fri 27-Aug-04 12:18	Morgan has some shots of the practice stage in the pictures section.
Fri 27-Aug-04 13:16	The seeded draw for the first 6 cars on the road are: Car 54, Richard / Richard Car 111, Lloyd / Gullick Car 374, Styles / Dillon Car 90, O'Sullivan / Putnam Car 122, Martin / DeMotte Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz
Fri 27-Aug-04 14:45	The complete start list is now posted in the Start-List section.
Fri 27-Aug-04 14:46	Kevin Poirier says Happy 60th Birthday Mom
Fri 27-Aug-04 15:01	Car 101, Brown / Holter have been seen on the side of the road near HQ with their flashers on...however, the team has gotten the car going again, but are waiting out tonight's stages before saying too much about the prospect of further mechanical difficulties that seem to be plaguing the car.
Fri 27-Aug-04 15:59	The cars are begining to leave the MTC in route to run Special Stage 1 and Special Stage 2. The teams will have a ten minute service to top off on fuel and do anything else they can fit in. The Rally America truck will be packing up and heading out to set up at the NJK Ranch service location. The first car is due at service at 6:44pm, so please check back for all the latest from service in a couple of hours.
Fri 27-Aug-04 17:30	We have just arrived at service and are setting up. We have heard reports that Car 49, Thompson / Marr have had a soft roll at the end of Special Stage 1. The team is OK and it sounds like they are going to try and continue.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:16	Car 374, Styles / Dillon, sponsored by Perforce Software and 7-24 AirX, have filled out the Rally America Update Form (available on this website), and are reporting that Special Stage 1 was great, dry, but not too dusty, and they would like to do it again; although they state that the top cars may be losing time sweeping the road. The team's normal crewchief, Frank is off to do Monster Garage this weekend, and is sorely missed; however, the new crew of Richie and Dave, are great to have on board.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:17	Car 516, Huntington / Bradford are being reported as off at 1.82 on Special Stage 1. the crew is OK, details are sparse at this time, we will follow up as additional details become available.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:26	Car 122, Martin / DeMotte who have been MIA for a few events in their 1997 Mitsubishi EVO 4 sponsored by The Power of NO (for more details, please visit their website at www.powerofno.com), but the team is happy to be back in action here at Ojibwe Forests ProRally, they are having a good time, despite the dusty conditions, and their goal for the weekend is to finish.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:31	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz report no problems on Special Stage 1 or the Super Special Stage 2, but have found the stages, especially on Special Stage 1 to be "stony" and tricky, which Doug noted that several teams have learned the hard way about the tricky conditions. Doug reports that they are making the best of the what are difficult conditions for any of the 2WD cars, their 2004 Dodge SRT 4 included.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:37	Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino are reporting an unofficial 2nd place standing after the first two stages. Graham Wilcock, owner of Autosport Engineering, and builder of Car 124, reports that the team have just finished a good 2 day test. In the test, Peter gained a lot of confidence, and was able to fully test the limits of the car. Graham hopes that the successful test will transpire into a good finish here at the Ojibew Forests ProRally.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:42	Car 91 smelled rather hot when the team came in for their 10 minute service after Special Stage 1 and Special Stage 2, and after further inspection, the team found a fatigued oil line, which seemed to be a "rogue" failure. The crew, led by Autosport Engineering (www.autosportengineering.net), were able to get the car fixed and out of service without losing any time.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:44	Car 44 Co-driver Cindy Krolikowski (or Cindy K, for those who watch ESPN) reports that Henry is doing a great job driving, and has come back into the groove quickly; Special Stage 1 was Henry's first gravel stage since LSPR 2003.
Fri 27-Aug-04 18:56	Car 99, Iorio / Ho state that Special Stage 1 to be "slicker" than they expected; it seemed that it was a lot tougher to get the car to behave properly than they had previously expected. Otherwise, the team reports no problems, and are looking forward to the rest of the rally.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:04	Net control is reporting that 52 cars have started Special Stage 2. It has been confirmed that Car 49, Thompson / Marr have turned in their log book and "retired" for the event, but apparently Car 526 , previously reported as off on Special Stage 1, is trying to continue.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:21	Car 523, Kendall / Friberg "smoked the alternator" on the transit to Special Stage 1 and were running on battery power. They did need a few pull starts, a push across the finish of Special Stage 2 and Car 60, Davis / Brandt to tow them into service. They were able to change the alternator and contiue.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:23	Car 54, Richard / Richard is reported off with engine trouble on Special Stage 3. They are on side of the road attempting to fix the car.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:28	Car 84, Niday / Kean is having a few problems, the clutch won't fully engage and they are unable to go over 60mph. On the plus side, JB feels he drove the first two stages very well! The CPD Racing crew came to help them out in service.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:37	The crew of Car 323 had some help in service from future rallyist Madelyn. The car is handling "weird" due to a missing sway bar link and the stock suspension (their DMS hasn't arrived yet!). They took the link off the other side so it's even, Mark said "At least it handles bas all the way around and it's predictible."
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:44	Car 507, Witala / Takkunen were working on the brakes at service, it was possibly a stuck caliper. They fixed the problem and left service on time. Car 625, Wray / Grittman also had some trouble, but their problem was electrical. A loose ground on the motor forced them to stop on Special Stage 2 but they were able to restart and bring it into service and fis the problem. They fixed it and are set to go.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:50	The cars are starting to come into the 2nd and final service of the evening. This service is due to be a 60 minute service, and with some shuffling around (by the organizers), we are due to pick up the 10 minutes we lost earlier in the evening, and will be right back on time as the cars go back out to the stages after service. As previously reported, the dust has been quite an issue, and as such, the organizers have given everyone an additional dust minute.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:53	Car 111, Lloyd / Gullick are the first car to come into service, and they report the stages to be lovely, fantastic, but slippery. They surpassed Car 54, Richard / Richard on Special Stage 3 (the team was stopped with reported engine troubles), and were leading the event at that point. On Special Stage 4, they lost that lead to Car 374, Styles / Dillon, who unofficially leads them overall by 11 seconds.
Fri 27-Aug-04 19:59	Car 90 co-driver Scott Putnam states that he is finding it challenging to be running the numeric note system for the first time, and not only that, but also riding with Lauchlin O'Sullivan for the first time. He is accustomed to using the descriptive note system when he rides along with his regular driver, Doug Havir; with the descriptive notes, delivery of the notes has become intuitive for him, but is finding that he is needing to think now, while using the numeric. Despite this, Putnam is getting in to the groove and very excited.
Fri 27-Aug-04 20:03	Car 122, Martin / DeMotte are "super comfortable" with the car, and although the team have had no "moments" tonight, are still finding it difficult to "get back on the horse" , no doubt a reference to this being the first time back in the car since their crash at Oregon. They are feeling like they are slower than they would like to be, they are not looking at times and just hoping for a finsh on the weekend, and to get back in the "groove".
Fri 27-Aug-04 20:09	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz describe the car as fast and strong in the cool conditions today, apparently the car likes cool conditions; they feel that they are giving a lot of the local 4WD guys a run for their money.
Fri 27-Aug-04 20:14	Car 83 co-driver Jeff Secor states that Driver Mark Utecht, after a month and a half off, has "come back rocking", and is right back in the flow, like he never missed a second. Unofficially, it does appear that Car 83, Utecht / Secor are leading Group N.
Fri 27-Aug-04 20:24	Car 54, Richard / Richard , previously reported as stopped on Special Stage 3 with engine issues, has returned to service. Apparently, they lost one of the coil packs, causing the engine to run slowly and inefficiently; soon after, they lost another one and were forced to stop and try to replace one or both of them. They were successful in repairing one of the coil packs, but not both. The team had a 24 minute stage time for Special Stage 3 and are now way down in the field. The team is confident that they will be able to repair the car issues, and will get back out on the course this evening. Nathalie has one thing to say, which apparently is an inside joke, we have promised to publish it, with the assumption that the next time they win, they will tell us the meaning - "gros comme les elephants" .
Fri 27-Aug-04 20:58	Car 432, Nelson / Montgomery had an off on Special Stage 1 that sent them off the road where they "bounced off some stuff". Since then, they are coasting along and being conservative.
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:18	There is an update on Car 507, Witala / Takkunen. They didn't have a caliper stick on Special Stage 3 as earlier reported. They actually snapped a left rear rotor that then wedged itself in the wheel and caused a flat. They were able to fix everything and have a great time on Special Stage 3 and Special Stage 4. The team reports that the dust isn't that bad even though they are catching the car in front of them. The clutch problems for Car 84, Niday / Kean have been sorted and they team is having a good time. Dave tells us that they are having fun and lots of laughs in the car. They are getting better with every stage as JB trusts the car more and more.
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:24	Most of the cars are now back out on the stages, a few more notes from service are as follows: Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley were reporting overheating problems on Special Stage 3 and also were caught in the dust of cars 50 and 54. Other than losing some time on Special Stage 3, they are setting good times on the stages and everything is going well. Car 99, Iorio / Ho "ate a rock and are still trying to digest"...apparently, a rock went underneath the center of the car, and they have been hearing a "funny, squeaking noise".
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:37	Car 566, Huuki / Carlborn are working on their car in service after a roll about eight miles into Special Stage 3. They team encounted some dust and came up quickly on a medium right hander that had no treeline to follow. They rolled down a 100 foot enbankment and landed on their wheels on a trail. Fortunately they were able to follow the trail back to the road and make it back to service. Scott told us that he's happy....the co-drivers door still works!
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:49	Car 515, Boullion / Boullion were making some adjustments to their skid plate after it caused some damage to the oil filter in a hard hit. This was the second time they had this problem. Some nice spectators on Special Stage 4 helped them out with some oil so they could make it back to service.
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:56	Car 101, Brown / Holter have a rear main seal that is leaking about a quart a stage and they are dealing with a transmission with stock gearing that is providing one wheel drive. Mark said "If we finish I will be the happiest guy around". They would like to thank John and Lance with Best VW Parts for getting the transmission back in on time, and Collin at Techtonics for fourth gear (that no VW dealer around was able to find).
Fri 27-Aug-04 21:57	Here are some pictures from service at the Ranch.
Fri 27-Aug-04 22:01	Bob Olson, car 93, bought himself a spare rally car! He is having fun while getting used to a car that is completely different from his Porsche. He is in the process of building a 1974 Capri to run in the Historic class...he says "you have to be different!"
Fri 27-Aug-04 22:02	Special Stage 5 was cancelled as a stage, and was transitted due to some competitor confusion in the route.
Fri 27-Aug-04 22:03	Rally America will be off the air while we transit to the final MTC at the Northern Inn back in Bemidji. We will have the final scores and stories from the finish of day one in a little while.
Sat 28-Aug-04 00:51	Rally America is back at the headquarters, the Northern Inn, also the final MTC for the night. The cars are beginning to come in.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:03	Car 83, Utecht / Secor had a moment on Special Stage 6. After a 2 mile series of 5's and 6's, the team came into a Right 4 at about a "billion" miles per hour, they came around the outside of the corner, and considered themselves lucky that there was nothing on the outside to catch them (IE: trees, rocks, etc.). Their rhythm is ok, and the are working make it great!
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:07	Car 99, Iorio / Ho are fast tonight, but they say that they don't feel they are fast, but are pacing themselves. It seems they are tuned in and not having to think about it and despite a rocker panel that they tried to use as a plow, their system seem to be working.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:26	Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley stated that the stages were slick in some places. It was a slick spot where they hit a bank on a Left 4 . There is minimal damage, and they lost no time; however, they did lose time with flat tires. They had a tire with a slow leak that they changed after Special Stage 5; they checked in 2 minutes late to the next stage. They also got a flat on Special Stage 7, which again they changed in transit. They got another flat on Special Stage 8, which at that point had no choice but to put the slow leaking tire (from Special Stage 5).
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:33	Here are some pictures from Special Stage 2 that was the Super Special run at the NJK Ranch. As you can see the dust was pretty thick out there.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:35	Car 374, Styles / Dillon report that John was feeling a little under the weather on that last set of stages. Leon did get lost at one point, making a right instead of a left, but they were able to continue without losing much time.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:38	Car 143, Whiteman / Paulin, had some wildlife sightings out on the stages. They saw one wolf, two deer, and had to slam on the brakes for a bear on Special Stage 7.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:46	Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino has enjoyed a progression of speed throughout the night. It seems that there has been a definite improvement in both driver and car, which they attribute to the 2 day test they have just finished.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:49	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz is having fun and they think the roads are excellent. The car is handling well and can be driven as fast as the drive is coordinated. They are just trying to keep out of the trees on this very challenging rally.
Sat 28-Aug-04 01:51	Car 591, Cizmas / Sturm came in to the hotel on a tow strap behind a service vehicle, the cause of their DNF is unknown. It was also reported that Car 515, Boullion / Boullion rolled on Special Stage 8 and that the team is OK. All the scoring information we have has been updated for the night. Please note that there were some stages transited and a decision on what to do with the scores has been deferred until tomorrow morning sometime. That is all the information we have for tonight. Please check back tomorrow begining with the Parc Expose at 12:00pm.
Sat 28-Aug-04 10:03	The following is a press release from the organizers of Ojibwe Forests ProRally: Car 650, Mark Adkins and Jeff Atkisson, suffered a serious accident on Stage 6 last night. They slid off the road, down an embankment and impacted a tree. Co-Driver Jeff Atkisson was transported to a Park Rapids Hospital where he was treated and released. Driver Mark Adkins was air-lifted to a Fargo Emergency Center where he is in stable condition with a broken pelvis and femur. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Sat 28-Aug-04 12:12	Car 535, Himes / Himes is having a great first rally, and are very excited to have finished last night's Paul Bunyans' Ride ClubRally without wrecking anything. This is the team's first event ever, the brothers are having a great time, and are revelling just in the ability to be here. They would like to their Mom and Dad, and Silas would like to thank his wife, Sarah, for the patience and support that has helped them to achieve their goal of rallying.
Sat 28-Aug-04 12:19	Car 612, Biewald / Weidman finished last night's events better than they ever have; unofficially, they were 9th overall and 2nd in class in that ClubRally. The team built their own car before they ran several events last year, but continued to upgrade and improve it throughout the year; these factors along with being new to rally, created a steep learning curve. Their approach was to run conservatively, while trying not to wreck the car (because they have to fix it), and learn what rally is all about. They feel that approach served them well, and are now ready to step it up a notch. That is exactly what they did last night. The team would like to thank Team Pro-Team for the help.
Sat 28-Aug-04 12:26	Car 964, Anton / Coombs states that their goal for the weekend was to finish 3rd or 4th in the Group N class, and hopefully, in the top 10 overall; Their goal appeared to be within reach after the first leg of the Ojibwe Forests ProRally last night; however, a late entry into the Parc Expose today may cause them a penalty that could put them out of contention for their goals. The organizers are determining the appropriate penalty or fine for checking in late, as Car 964 had a lot of company coming in late to Parc Expose. Overall though, the team is very pleased with how the weekend is going.
Sat 28-Aug-04 12:44	Here are some images from Parc Expose at the Northwest Technical College.
Sat 28-Aug-04 13:27	Here are some follow-ups to some of the teams that were unable to finish last nights stages. Car 593, Payeur / Payeur that arrived at the hotel on a tow strap blew a motor on Special Stage 8. The team has withdrawn from the event. Car 591, Cizmas / Sturm had clutch problems on Special Stage 3. They actually "blew the pressure plate into little pieces". They were able to fix the car and are restarting today. Car 585, Sterling / Sterling slid off the road with only about a mile left of Special Stage 4. Dave told us that "the road turned and I didn't". They would like to say hi to all their friends on mini2.com watching on the web...they said they will try and do better today!
Sat 28-Aug-04 14:45	The cars started from the Parc Expose at 2:00pm and headed off to run Special Stage 9 and Special Stage 10 before a five minute roadside service. They will then run Special Stage 11, Special Stage 12, and Special Stage 13 before we will actually see the cars at the service area in Osage at the RD Offut Potato Factory. We expect that we will see the first car at 6:10pm. In the mean time, we will do our best to get you any information that we hear from the rally's radio communications.
Sat 28-Aug-04 14:55	Car 49, Thompson / Marr were previously reported as having a soft roll on Special Stage 1 last night. San came in today and gave us the full story. Apparently, they came into a corner just a little too sideways and took a tree to the left rear. This hit spun the car across the road, and then they hit a stump, which ultimately caused the car to flip over. Sans would like to thank Lance Smith (Vermont SportsCar) for his quick help; at the time, Lance was spectating when their car flipped and was on scene momentarily. Apparently, prior to Lance's arrival, neither team member could get out of the car as the co-driver side of the car was in mud, and a tree was jammed into the driver's side. The team is fine except for being a little sore (and, possibly, grouchy - qoutes Karen). This is probably a season ender for the car and the team, as they are preparing to build their car (details TBA) for 2005.
Sat 28-Aug-04 15:10	It sounds like the cars have finished Special Stage 9 and are still running Special Stage 10. They just reported that they will start cars on Special Stage 11 begining in 6 minutes.
Sat 28-Aug-04 15:15	We just heard that Car 50, Gingras / Perry has retired on the transit between Special Stage 10 and Special Stage 11 with a mechanical issue.
Sat 28-Aug-04 15:16	Cars started Special Stage 11 at 4:16pm.
Sat 28-Aug-04 15:41	Special Stage 10 reports that all 46 cars that started the stage have finished it.
Sat 28-Aug-04 16:18	We have reports of a few offs on the 22.42 mile long Special Stage 11. Car 523, Kendall / Friberg and Car 591, Cizmas / Sturm have been reported off and OK at the spectator area 11.04 miles into the stage. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz has been reported off at the spectator area 4.6 miles in, and there is an unidentified black and white Subaru stuck in a ditch about 2 miles from the finish. All of the teams are showing the OK sign.
Sat 28-Aug-04 16:22	Also reported on Special Stage 11 is Car 520, Olson / Christ, they are reported off and OK about 4 miles into the stage.
Sat 28-Aug-04 16:26	The crews are arriving and are setting up here at the service location.
Sat 28-Aug-04 16:34	Car 520, Olson / Christ who was reported off on Special Stage 11 have retired. They are under their own power and making their way out of the stage. Car 548, Bushmore / Dragoiu is reportedly moving slowly down the stage and occasionally stopping to cool the car down. They plan on trying to make it through the stage and hopefully back to service. The previously unidentified car four miles from the finish of Special Stage 11 is reported to be Car 99, Iorio / Ho. We have also heard that they now have company...another car has been reported off and OK at the same location.
Sat 28-Aug-04 17:20	The cars have arrived at the service area. They are being held in the regrouping control and will be released in to service shortly.
Sat 28-Aug-04 18:42	Car 50, Gingras / Perry returned to service on a trailer. They bent a shift fork and stripped all the teeth off of third gear. Up until the problems with the gearbox, the team was having a great time and were driving very well.
Sat 28-Aug-04 18:49	Car 374, Styles / Dillon is the first car back into service. They are having some mechanical issues mostly related to the 22 mile stage (Special Stage 11) when the brake pedal went solid ad when they bumped a bank (causing a spin) which bent their suspension; they spun twice more on Special Stage 11 without causing any additional damage. It seems the spectators are getting a show from Leon tonight, because in addition to the spins, he also overshot a junction and almost ended up in the lake...all of these in front of spectators!!! John would like to tell Donna that he is looking forward to a safe return, and hopefully with a trophy in hand; currently, they are 3rd overall as well as Open class. The team would also like to tell Denise that they are still racing for both the championship and the win!!!
Sat 28-Aug-04 18:50	Car 591, Cizmas / Sturm has retired with a blown motor on Special Stage 11. But things were a little hot for the team on Special Stage 9. The exhaust was so hot that it started a small fire in shifter. They had to put it out by using their water bottles.
Sat 28-Aug-04 18:56	Car 44, Krolikowski / Krolikowski lost 5-6 minutes on Special Stage 11 with a flat tire. Despite the trouble on that stage, the Krolikowskis seem to be having a good time running as a team again.
Sat 28-Aug-04 18:58	Car 111, Lloyd / Gullick had the little to say except that they have had little or no brakes since the first stage. During Special Stage 11, they cooked the brakes probably by boiling the brake fluid. They were able to get them back, but lost them again...and again. They are unofficially in 2nd place.
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:06	Car 90, O'Sullivan / Putnam report that the three of them (Lauchlin, Scott and the car) are having a great rally and really getting to know each other despite a few "new car" niggling problems (intercom failed, suspension and gearbox issues). Scott reports that it a very busy rally, and although sporting a huge smile, stated he was so busy with the notes that he was unable to truly enjoy Lauchlin's driving. They are currently leading the rally.
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:12	Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley were hustling until they hit a tree on Special Stage 11. They bent a control arm, did some body damage, and ended up grooving the right rear tire where the the fender was riding on it due to the suspension damage. They stopped on the transit to pull out the bodywork that was rubbing so they could avoid any further damage. They are currently sixth overall and second in Group N.
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:28	The first car has just started Special Stage 15, they will run Special Stage 16, have a five minute roadside service, then head back to the hotel for the final check in of the rally. The Rally America truck is packing up and will be heading back to the hotel to get the final updates and results of the rally. The first car is due to check in at 10:28pm so please check back!
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:34	Car 964, Anton / Coombs would like to thank CPD crew, who were kind enough to give them fuel at the refuel. They did "encounter" a tree (head-on) on Special Stage 11 and attributed it to "brain fade".
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:43	Everything seems to be great for Car 124, Workum / Gelsomino. The roads are great, the workers are great, and they are having a great time! They are taking some time to learn the car this weekend. The only issue seems to be the dust..but hey, that's rally. Peter would like to say to his wife Jo!
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:43	Car 83, Utecht / Secor in now leading Group N due to Car 91's off, and are hoping to continue that lead throughout the rest of the rally. They did thump a berm that caused dirt to get in the bead of the rear passenger side tire. The team was looking for a tire machine in hopes to get it back on and running again as it is one of their better tires. Other than that, the car is running great.
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:50	Car 432, Nelson / Montgomery states the rally is good fun, despite the long, dusty stage which they spun a couple of times on with no damage incurred; in reference to the spins, they "missed eveything the had to miss which was the important part".
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:54	Echoing the sentiments of many of the competitors, Car 565, Hodges / Rossey stated that the dust is causing troubles for the team today and that a little rain might be nice. This is the first time the team has run since SnoDrift and although they had some troubles last night, they seem to be clicking better today.
Sat 28-Aug-04 19:55	Car 507, Witala / Takkunen tells us that Special Stage 9 was awesome and they got lots of air on the stage. But while helping out thier fellow competitors by clearing out some brush on Special Stage 11 they hit a rock. Unfortunately, they did get a flat and finished the stage on the rim. They changed the tire on the transit but figure they lost a minute on the stage. They are having a good time and stated, "it's a great day to rally!".
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:01	Car 516, Huntington / Bradford started the rally with a 4 wheel drive car last night, but quickly went to 2WD, and now they are driving 1 wheel drive due to a broken axle. The car is quite hard to control when they go over 40 MPH,they want to continue, and will ask to be reseeded back further in the field. Their goal for the rest of the event is to finish as some of their fellow Open class ClubRally competitors are DNF'ed and although they are not technically running for the championship, the team stated "you just never know".
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:09	Car 538, Borowicz / Malik was questioning if they would be able to make it back to service without running out of gas. The crew was unable to make it to the optional fuel stop after Special Stage 10 and the team was forced to try and make it through the 45.59 miles of stages and the 73.02 transit miles on the fuel they had on board. Even though the engine did cut out a few times they were able to make it to service. The team tells us the car is great and they are looking forward to setting some good times. They also expressed that they felt that the rally and people have been great.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:09	When asked about his recently purchased all wheel drive Subaru, Car 93, Olson / Johnson states that it is nice to not have to worry about scratching it; apparently, the Porsche that he normally drives has caused some sleepless nights. In reference to the new car, he stated that it has "twice the grip, and half the power" but that the back end stays in place, which is a new concept for him, as the Porsche is rear wheel drive.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:13	In a continuing saga of the MIA DMS suspension, Car 232, Tabor / Poirier reports that their front struts (stock because the DMS is MIA) are almost gone, but they are beating bogey time and that is all they care about at this point. They are pushing where they can, but otherwise taking it easy in an effort to finsih without breaking the car.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:13	Car 612, Biewald / Weidman also got some big air on Special Stage 9, they think it's pretty cool competing so closely with some pretty experienced drivers.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:16	Car 585, Sterling / Sterling states the rally is going well and they are taking it easy to today (due to their off last night). They are just trying to keep the shiny side up, the rubber side down, and going for a finish.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:19	Car 708, Chang / Cruzan are having a good time. It is their first time on stage notes, and although they wish the notes were a little cheaper, they described them as "sweet", finding it exciting to have the additional information that the notes provide over the route book instructions.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:24	Car 59, Moro / Smith are taking it steady today as they lead PGT. They really worked yesterday trying for the win but aren't pushing as hard today. The team is a little "wigged out" because of the incident yesterday that involved their teammates Car 650, Adkins / Aitkins. Both the driver and codriver of the 650 car are in good spirits. The codriver stopped in to say hi and let us know he is feeling fine. He also told us that the driver is doing well and he is telling his crew that they only have a month to prep the car for Colorado Cog.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:24	Car 509, Parrott / Nagy are having a "smashing" good time (hopefully not a prophetic term), despite a small turbo problem. They report the roads to be very good. They would like to thank their wives (AKA their service crew for the weekend), Kristin and Jessica, for their love, support, and patience (please emphasize patience, they asked!!!), and last but not least, feeding them.
Sat 28-Aug-04 20:42	Car 84, Niday / Kean are working well together and starting to rely on the car more and more. They are not here to be competitive but to have fun. Their goal is to get a little quicker as the team gets more comfortable with the car and each other. This is the first gravel event JB has run in two years so there is a steep learning car with alot of car. They have dialed the car in and it is superb, plus, it still has lots of speed left!
Sat 28-Aug-04 21:23	The cars have arrived at the finish, it looks like the top three are going to be Car 90, O'Sullivan / Putnam Car 111, Lloyd / Gullick Car 83, Utecht / Secor The scorecards are being audited at this time and should be posted soon. Car 374, Styles / Dillon is reported to be limping along on the transit to the finish.
Sat 28-Aug-04 21:38	Here are your top three finishers. Car 90, O'Sullivan / Putnam Car 111, Lloyd / Gullick Car 83, Utecht / Secor
Sat 28-Aug-04 21:41	Car 122, Martin / DeMotte appear to have finished 6th overall. This is a big weight off the team's shoulder's as this is the first time for the team to be back in the car since their big off at Oregon Trail.
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:30	Car 44, Krolikowski / Krolikowski didn't think they would be able to make up the time and be able to beat Cindy's brother in Car 565, Hodges / Rossey (and they were OK with that!). But in the end they wound up on top by one second. What a great display of sibling rivalry...I wonder if Cindy always won as a kid too?
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:34	Car 407, Freehill / Elliot believe that they are winning G2. They have been slow and steady today as the intercom failed early in the day, and the co-driver was getting very hoarse. The team loved the night stages, and were quite happy with the speeds they were going, stating they were glad not be in open class, because those guys are "crazy fast".
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:35	Car 535, Himes / Himes were nice enough to stop on Special Stage 16 to pull out Car 507, Witala / Takkunen who was stuck. It is unknown yet if Micah was able to contiue as we haven't seen him here at the finish as of yet. Himes / Himes also told us that the dust was very thick out there, even with the extra minute they were given. Even with the dust the said that the roads were awesome!
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:37	Car 620, Wilke / Wren declared 10,000 Lakes ClubRally a "wonderful" rally. The are happy to be finshed, but not without thanking their wives, Jennie and Sarah, for their love and patience. They would also like to thank their crew, Black Snake Racing.
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:47	Car 558, Cox / Donovan started the rally with an electrical problem that required them to need a push start. Fortunately, Mike Merbach (who was spectating) had a volt meter and was able to help them fix the problem...Thanks Mike! They did report that the dust was very bad out there, in fact, they ran without their rally lights quite a bit. Jim runs with the standard route book but would like to try the notes. With the poor visibility on the stages he feels the notes would definitely be an advantage.
Sat 28-Aug-04 22:57	Car 523, Kendall / Friberg cooked their engine on Special Stage 11 and have turned in their timecard. They were really disappointed as they felt they were really on it! Kerry was fast, and it would have liked to have a good finsh.
Sat 28-Aug-04 23:06	In a note from earlier, Car 675, Hanka / Nordlie high centered on a rock and lost 15 minutes, but came into the final service, and are continuing. They were pulled off of the rock by a marroon Jetta that unfortunately, was stopped shortly afterward with a bent tie rod, their day was done. Car 675, Hanka / Nordlie would like to thank their crew, (AKA uncle and Dad).
Sat 28-Aug-04 23:09	Car 556, Prusi / Kinnunen rolled 2 miles into Special Stage 16 after getting caught in dust and subsequently, hitting a berm. The car did land on its wheels, so after a fews seconds to get their bearings, and giving time enough to let the next car go by, they continued on, despite the damage (and lack of glass) and finished.
Sat 28-Aug-04 23:17	Morgan's pictures are now up. Here are a couple more miscellaneous pictures, compliments of a nice spectator.
Sun 29-Aug-04 00:04	The awards banquet has just concluded and the official rally activities are now over. Rally America will be online next at the Colorado Cog Rally on September 24-26. See you then.