| Press Releases |
June 6, 2004
All the top cars passed impound, and the Shane Mitchell/Glenn Patterson
Subaru Impreza is indeed the overall winner at STPR. As the only
driver with a chance to catch Patrick Richard for the Group N points
chase, this was a vital race for Mitchell
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June 6, 2004
Scoring their first-ever SCCA ProRally event victory ever, Shane
Mitchell and Glenn Patterson drove their Group N Subaru Impreza
to victory in the 28th running of the Susquhannock Trail Pro Rally
in Wellsboro
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June 5, 2004
The leaders are having problems, and we might have a surprise winner
of the rally. The winner could be a first-time victor, or even a
2WD car! The first problem was the Mitsubishi Evo of Frank Sprongl/Dan
Sprongl
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June 5, 2004
Patrick Richard, who started first on the road in his Subaru Impreza,
lost time to the Sprongls on stage two when he spun, but is still
running second overall and first in Group N.
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June 5, 2004
Latest on the fire and the delay in the rally is that the Poitr/McAllister
Subaru rolled on its side and the car caught fire when
power steering fluid spilled onto the turbo, and the car burned to
the
ground before the fire department could do much about it. |
June 5, 2004
#587, the Group 2 Honda Civic of Matt Johnson/Steve Zoepf, quit at
the end of stage #1, and had to be towed off the course - a DNF. After
the stage was closed, their service crew headed down to the creek
to get the disappointed drivers. |
June 5, 2004
In the midst of a steady rainfall, 58 cars left the town Green in
Wellsboro to start the 28th running of the Susquehannock Trail ProRally
(car #961, the VW Golf of Jerzy Banjo/Erwin Meisel - Group 2 - did
not
start). |
June 5, 2004 The weather is a factor at every rally, and this year’s STPR will be no
exception. A low pressure system is coming in from the Ohio Valley this
evening which will spawn showers after midnight.
|
June 4, 2004
1. Welcome to the 28th running of the Susquehannock Trail ProRally,
round #4 of the 2004 Sports Car Club of America ProRally Championship
presented by HotWheels. This event, which is one of the few one-day
rallies on the SCCA circuit, kicks off on Saturday, June 5, from the
main town Green in Wellsboro at 10:30 AM.
|
June 2, 2004
NEW LEADERS, FORMER CHAMPIONS EXPECTED TO CHALLENGE FOR SUSQUEHANNOCK
TRAIL PRO RALLY TITLES JUNE 5-6 IN WELLSBORO
----Canadians
Frank Sprongl and Peter Thomson, veterans Paul Choiniere, Doug Shepherd,
and Mark Utecht among returning STPR winners to 2004 event; 2004
Points Leader Pat Richard – also from Canada – is a
late entry--
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April 16, 2004
28TH RUNNING OF SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL PRO RALLY IN WELLSBORO BRINGS
TRADITION, NEW GENERATION OF RACERS TO NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
--This year’s STPR event, set for June 5 – 6, 2004,
promises a record number of entries, fans to descend on Wellsboro,
Penn. for auto racing’s romp through the woods--
|
|
| Update Time |
News |
| Fri 04-Jun-04 17:03 |
The teams have been busy with registration, scrutineering, and practice in preparation for tomorrow's events. In general, the practice stage was very casual, with the team's focusing mainly on tire choices (which can be a particularly challenging and important decision due to the differing road surfaces and the possibility of rain). Registration for the teams have closed and the official start list will be posted soon. As the official activities have ended for the day, we will not likely be making further entries tonight, but will be back tomorrow to report the events of the rally...First car out at 10:31 AM...Stay tuned tonight for Morgan's pictures of the practice stage.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 10:32 |
Welcome to STPR 2004. Even though it's overcast and raining here this morning, the turnout at the Green is pretty good. Most teams are hiding under the trees trying to keep dry as they wait to start todays event. The famous water crossing at the finish of Special Stage 1 will be run despite the rain. The creek depth was about six inches when measured this morning, but teams were warned to stay to the right because it was about 14 inches deep to the left. 
The cars are getting ready to take the start from the Green with the first car leaving at 10:31am.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 10:44 |
Doug Sheperd tells us that they are happy to see the rain today. The amount of rain is perfect, the dust will be kept to a minimum and the roads shouldn't be too slippery. The goal for the Dodge team of Car 52, Shepherd / GLadysz and Car 11, Choiniere / Krolikowski this weekend is to bring home two cars in good shape so they have as little work as possible to do to be ready for Pikes Peak in three weeks.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 10:47 |
Some last minute traffic before Main Street was closed caused some minor problems. I guess this was the first vehicle to take the start...and almost the start sign! 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 10:52 |
Fans line the road as the first car, Car 54, Richard / Richard, takes the start. 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:01 |
Cars are shown the green flag by start line officials.  The first cars that left were fairly conservative, but as we move through the pack, the teams are doing their best to keep the crowds entertained.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:16 |
Special Stage 1 is underway. The cars will run the stage and then have a quick service so they can look over the car after the water crossing. They teams will then run Special Stage 2, Special Stage 3, and Special Stage 4 before a 30 minute service in Morris. After the Morris service the cars will be transiting back to Wellsboro for the afternoon break, which is scheduled to be about two hours.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:16 |
Car 83, Utecht / Secor report that they think that the transmission problem that caused them troubles at OTPR and Rim is fixed. Although they did not find any worn or broken parts in the transmission, they could see what it was doing, and did replace all related parts, as well as making a few minor modifications. Mark reports that the goal for this weekend is to finish. 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:31 |
Car 774, Dimiters / Monin state that they are very excited to have bought the Vermont Sportscar prepped Subaru Impreza. Despite the fact that they were planning to wait until next year to upgrade, the "right deal" came along! 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:34 |
Car 83, Utecht / Secor have been reported as withdrawing for mechanical problems. We will post additional updates as they become available.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:37 |
The final car has taken the start from the Green. 
The Rally America truck will be packing up and heading out to the finish of Special Stage 2 to collect time cards for the reseed. We will be back with more updates in awhile.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 11:59 |
Car 912, Cassidy / Getchell is starting in 30th position today. Despite the fact that they were hoping for dry weather, they realize that they have alot more experience in the wet conditions that seem to be the norm at this event!!The team is driving the original "steel tulip",  as T2 (steel tulip 2) is on the train back from the Rocky Mountain event (at which the team finished 15th last weekend). They feel that it might take a couple stages to get re-acquanted with this car, as it has limited power (as compared to T2) and no boost.
Last Ditch Racing are the distributors of the much coveted "Triple Caution Thong" award. While the criteria for winning the award changes every event, we have been told that the team that shows the most resourcefulness and finishes the event will win the award here at STPR (duct tape, zip ties and other MacGyver-type activities will be given special consideration). LDR have added yet another tier to the award by adding a "hand embroidered" logo to the thong, they note that, while you can buy a standard Triple caution thong on their website at www.lastditchracing.com, only the winners of the award will recieve the hand embroidered thong.  The team wanted to reiterate that the award is not intended to be offensive to a particular gender and in fact, it is rumored that there may be a picture of a current competitor in the thong (outside of the driving suit) that could dispel any negative connotations to the award.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 12:18 |
The first car has finished Special Stage 2. The RA truck is at the finish and will get all the latest as cars finish the stage.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 12:35 |
Car 712, Stempler / Amato will be starting in 33rd position today with their 1986 Golf GTI as the third G2 car in the field. The driver states that while they have "decent" speed factor, and are seed 6, their goal will be to try and finish the Sherwood Club Rally. Prior to today's events, the team has only run 3 stages on stage notes, so they will be trying to get in sync and work on delivery with them. If all goes well, they will try to push a "little" harder in the Finger Lakes Club Rally, in an effort to secure their bid to become seed 5.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 12:41 |
In a sentiment that seemed to be echoed throughout the field, Car 911, Balser / Barta states that they do not want to "overcook it" on the Subaru Splash and risk a shortened rally. Despite early brake problems, which the crew promptly repaired, they are happy with their Force 5 maintained VW Golf. It is their goal to finish the day's events, and work on cockpit communications as it is the first time since MFR 2003 that they have been in the car together.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 12:49 |
Despite an earlier wiring harness problem in his 2002 Subaru WRX (the same problem that seems to plague many of the WRX's), Car 866 driver, Tim Penasack was cautiously optimistic, yet reserved when asked about the team's intentions for the day. He did state that he would like to thank Coleburns Subaru for their quick response to the electrical issue, thus allowing the team to be able to compete today.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 12:59 |
Car 587 driver, Matt Johnston stated that this event will be the 3rd for him, and the 2nd for his co-driver. They will be starting in the 46th position. Matt stated that his goal was "to win it or pin it". He was careful to note that does not mean that he was planning to be reckless, just that he is here to compete, not just ride around. He clarified by saying that he will be going as fast as he can while choosing his speed accordingly. This event is the first event on stage notes for the team, and they will be busy trying to work on mastering delivery of the notes. They were hoping to get more practice yesterday with the notes, but that was cut short when a brake caliper fell off on their first run through the practice stage.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 13:08 |
As one of the 8 seed 8 teams in the field today, Car 799, Knox / Komar stated that they have enjoyed the overall SCCA rally experience so far, and have found the volunteers to be very kind and helpful. The team is very enthusiastic and state that their goal for the Sherwood Forest Club Rally is to finish, as is their intent to also participate in the Finger Lakes Club Rally. In the latter rally, the driver (Knox) and co-driver (Komar) will be swapping seats and responsibilities . 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:03 |
Most of the cars have cleared Special Stage 2. Rally America is posted at the finish of the stage, so due to that fact, most of the comments by the teams have been brief. Some of those comments are as follows:
Car 374, Styles / Dillon is reporting a fogging problem and have lost the defroster
Car 45, Mitchell / Patterson state that the conditions are slippery, but that everything is fine otherwise.
Car 87, Sprongl / Sprongl report that the front and rear brakes are hot and glowing and that they had a right front "brush".
Car 11, Choiniere / Krolikowski are wonderful.
Car 52, Shepherd / GLadysz say that the car is "behaving well" and that it is slippery enough to keep awake, but not enough to "scare the heck out of you".
Car 774, Dimiters / Monin report that the stages and the car were a "handful", but that they are having a good time with the new car
Car 947, Bacon / Watt state that the stages were a little nerve wracking in a rental!!!
Car 903, Sanborn / Hathaway have no 4th gear which could make it real easy to go "way off downhill" on these stages.
Car 931, Kennedy / Kennedy is the first crew that we found to be using the comment sheets that can be downloaded from our site...they state that on Special Stage 1, the "motor is strong, but the brakes are not! The pedal went soft on the practice stage (with new pads), so we changed them last night (with new ones), but they still went soft on Special Stage 1. We will be bleeding them at the dinner break service". During ss2, the "brakes (are) better"
Car 857, Thomson / Hendricksen state the blower is not working, but that it was a good stage.
Car 589, Ceinkosz / Cienkosz, Car 573, Wesley / Ehrenberg, and Car 915, Srisook / Cohen are being reported as off on Special Stage 2. Car 130, Egan / Donnelly are being reported as rolled on Special Stage 2. Car 515, Boullion / Boullion is stopped for mechanical reasons.
Car 650, Adkins / Fultz have rolled, causing front end damage and a flat tire. They did lose some time, but have driven it out and then changed at the end of Special Stage 2. 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:24 |
The finish of Special Stage 3 reports that they have a car fire on their stage. The stage appears to be temporarily stopped in order to handle the situation. We do not know the car number yet, but we know the team is out and OK.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:28 |
Car 374, Styles / Dillon called us and left us a message while we were on the way back to Wellsboro. John tells us that they had a bump on the right side near the end of Special Stage 3 that caused a flat. They drove it out and are on the way to service at Morris. They did lose some time and Car 45, Mitchell / Patterson was able to pass them on stage.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:37 |
Special Stage 3 is still delayed at this time. They will be restarting cars after the situation with the car fire is resolved, they expect a delay of at least 40 minutes.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:49 |
The first cars are arriving here at the green, we expect to see very few cars due to the delay on Special Stage 3. It is reported that Car 614, Wiktroczyk / McAllister was the one that caught fire, again, the team is OK.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 14:53 |
Please take a minute to give us your feedback on our forums. We would love to hear what you think and what we can do to make things better. We will also try to get you information on your favorite team....if you let us know who they are!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:23 |
Car 54, Richard / Richard and 374 went off and did some damage to their cars at the same location on Special Stage 3. There was a 3 left (which is a medium tight turn) at the bottom of a slippery downhill section just before the flying finish.
Car 54, Richard / Richard spun and hit a tree with the left side of the car taking out the windows on that side of the car and doing some light body damage. They also turned their exhaust into an accordian, which turned out to be a problem on Special Stage 4 with the loss of power it caused. The good news is that Pat is feeling better after fighting illness all week!
Car 374, Styles / Dillon went off in the same place, but their damage was on the right side of the car.
 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:23 |
In a previous update, we reported Car 614, Wiktroczyk / McAllister to be on fire at the end of Special Stage 3. The crew has reported that they had an off in the same spot that claimed Car 54, Richard / Richard, Car 374, Styles / Dillon, and rolled onto their side, at which time power steering fluid spilled onto the turbo. The fire has caused a 43 minute delay in the schedule. Pictures provided by Peter Watts. 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:36 |
Car 11, Choiniere / Krolikowski are having a good time today. The team had a flat on Special Stage 4 about 2/3 in that they drove out, they only lost about 10 seconds on the stage. Cindy tells us that she is impressed with both the car and the driver. She also wants to say hi to her brother who is at home with his engine in pieces...so, "Hi Russ and Ami Hodges!"
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:42 |
With the long break here in Wellsboro, alot of teams are heading back to the hotel to take a chance to relax and get out of the rain. There are a few brave souls hanging around, like this group 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:47 |
Despite the rain, people are still wandering around the Green checking out the cars.  
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:49 |
Car 587 driver Matt Johnston has told us that on the Subaru Splash on Special Stage 1, they terminally ingested water and have withdrawn. On further inspection, the rods were pointing out of the block. Matt would like to say hello to his mom!!!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:53 |
Car 947, Bacon / Watt report that on Special Stage 3, Bill lost a contact, and subsequently, lost some time on Special Stage 4. Their times are slipping a little, but Peter attributes this to the fact that this rally is the first time that Bill has driven an AWD car.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:57 |
Special Stage 4 is reporting some cars off (with the driver and codriver OK) on their stage:
Car 866, Penasack / Rowland was reported off on the stage
Car 59, Moro / Smith is off with a mechanical and is requesting their crew.
Car 523, Kendall / Friberg is having trouble and is requesting that their crew meet them at the finish.
Car 475, Robinson / Dean is trying to limp into service from the stage
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 16:58 |
Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley lost brakes on Special Stage 4 just prior to a "Left 2 over bridge", which caused them to hit the bridge. Additionally, they had a right rear flat tire on the transit after Special Stage 4 and had to change it. Upon further inspection by the crew, they found their lack of brakes to be caused by a hole that was punched in a brake line. Carolyn states that the conditions were very slick this morning, and they could not feel the car gripping the road surface and that it felt like driving on ice.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 17:01 |
John Buffum, working on the current leaders, Car 87, Sprongl / Sprongl. 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 17:15 |
Special Stage 3 was restarted and then delayed again. It was restarted again and the cars have gone on to finish up Special Stage 4. The rest of the cars caught behind the delay have just started to arrive back in Wellsboro. The restart from the Green for the evening half of the event has been delayed 45 minutes.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 17:25 |
Car 83, Utecht / Secor were forced to stop on Special Stage 1 today when they put a hole in a piston. Hopefully Mark will stop by to tell us all the details.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 17:49 |
Car 931, Kennedy / Kennedy were kind enough to drop off more update forms to the truck. They passed car Car 811, Okula / Dorman on Special Stage 3 then slid wide at the next junction. They ended up having to pass them again a little further down the stage. The team reports that Special Stage 4 was slick throughout the stage and VERY slick at the end. They passed another car on this stage, that's two cars in two stages..not too bad! Matt says "Oh yeah, and the car needs a wash Dad!"
Things are going well for the team that is sponsored by Steve Moyer Subaru and KAM R Racing.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 17:58 |
Cars are now starting the second half of STPR. They will be heading out to run Special Stage 5, Special Stage 6, and Special Stage 7 before a service break in Germainia.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 18:14 |
Mark Utecht just stopped by to say hi. He told us that they had decided two days ago that they were going to put a new motor in the car before Pikes Peak anyway, but now they have to. They already had the block ordered and everything. They are planning to go to Pikes Peak and win group N! We did put Mark to work making copies in the truck while he was here, thanks Mark!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 18:25 |
Car 903, Sanborn / Hathaway "tagged" the bridge at the spectator spot on Special Stage 2, but incurred very little damage. What has affected their rally very negatively is that they have lost 4th gear, and are forced to run only 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear; Chris states that the car is uncontrollable in 5th gear. The team also felt they lost alot of time due to their tire choice...they chose wide tires and find they were hydroplaning.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 18:25 |
All the cars are in and we have updated the scores through stage 4. We will be heading off to Germania shortly to get all the latest information and do the sccring from there. It is a 28 mile transit to Germania and the estimate that the route book gives us is that it will take us 75 minutes to get there. Make sure to check back in about 90 minutes as we should be up and running by then.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 19:39 |
The Rally America truck is now up and running at the Germania service area. Cars should begin arriving at about 8:00pm.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 19:39 |
Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley have withdrawn at the finish of Special Stage 5 with a blown motor. The car has limped back to service.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 19:49 |
Rumor has it that we will be trying to make up some time at this service. We will be trying to send out cars begining at 9:00 which is cutting approx 15 minutes out of service.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 19:57 |
It has been reported to us by the teams that Car 87, Sprongl / Sprongl had an off and lost their lead to Car 45, Mitchell / Patterson. We will have the official scores soon since the first cars are arriving here at service now.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 19:59 |
A few final notes from the earlier stages:
Car 866, Penasack / Rowland s"slid out" and got high centered on a burm on Special Stage 4. Tim believed that he had not done enough straight line braking. In a valiant effort, Car 799, Knox / Komar made four attempts in their 1986 Golf GTI to tow out Car 866, and appeared to be making headway until the tow rope broke. Ultimately, 866 was time barred, but has chosen to continue in the Finger Lakes ClubRally. 
The Rally America update form seems to be catching on...#712 has brought in theirs...Stage 1, they chose to run conservativve lines and maintain control. As was echoed by most of the field, the team found the clay in Special Stage 2 to be "slippy", but Rob felt the notes were flowing very well and they were working well together. Preston "really enjoyed stage 2...not perfect, but fun!". He noted that it did get a little "hairy" at one point in a 25 MPH skid, when the car stopped responding to steering or braking inputs, but (we) managed to recover and avoided a steep dropoff. In Special Stage 3 and Special Stage 4, the stages were a "ton" of work and the team was very tired after all the "twisty" in the "well-oiled slop"! In an effort to prepare for the evening, and as a result of the slow moving transit into service, the co-driver slept...Now for the second half!!!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 20:04 |
Prior to the service, Car 912, Cassidy / Getchell had reported a broken spring in the Steel Tulip, but determined that their was not alot that they could do about it, so they were not going to worry about...unfortunately, but not due to the spring, they are currently being reported as DNF at the end of one of the stages that have just been run. As more information becomes available, we will post it.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 20:28 |
Car 54, Richard / Richard report they were slowed slightly by the Car 87, Sprongl / Sprongl off at 18.85 miles into Special Stage 5, and also lost their brakes at that end of the stage; subsequently, losing the stage by one second to Car 45, Mitchell / Patterson. Things got "dicey" for the team on Special Stage 6 as their brakes did not return, additionally, they missed a Right 1 and went straight through the banner tape which cost them about 30-45 seconds. During Special Stage 7, they came back to win the stage by 1 second over Car 45, but not without some excitement, as they tagged a post when coming up a Right 1 uphill (without a "Do Not Cut" instruction)...they cut. That did not appear to cause any damage, but again cost them valuable time. Nathalie states it is possible to win if they have no problems, but they need to run a clean rally, and their chemistry will have to be right on.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 20:30 |
Car 908, Kelbel / Sekella is being reported as out of the race, as they are "heading back to Wellsboro, via Morris".
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 20:51 |
Car 41, Drislane / Burke was towed into service by Car 374, Styles / Dillon. The team was then pushed into the control with the help of John and Leon, Shane Mitchell, and a few others sporting drivers suits. Styles and Dillon then waited for their minute, enterted the control then towed car 41 out of the contol. The team was rather busy and I was unable to learn what the problem was. The car did finally start and they were able to drive it to their service spot.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:03 |
Car 774, Dimiters / Monin had some trouble on Special Stage 7 with their new car just purchased from Vermont Sports Car. They clipped the bank when they came into a medium corner that tightened over a crest. The car then rotated, dug in, and went over landing on its wheels. The car took most of the impact on the drivers side and they were able to drive the car out and into service. The stewards determined that with a little tape and some window nets they could continue the event. Otis wants us to tell Vivian that they are OK and the car isn't too hurt. Peter says "Lauren, we're fine!"   
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:11 |
Things are going well for the Dodge team. Car 11, Choiniere / Krolikowski tells us that the roads are drying out some, but there are still some slippery spots. Cindy says that things are lovely, actually you can't wipe the smile off her face! The car is very well built and they are having a really good time even though they had to pass Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley on stage. The team of Car 52, Shepherd / GLadysz were changing a left front strut that was making a strange noise when they came into service. The bad strut was on the same corner they hit a rock with earlier.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:18 |
Update on Car 774, Dimiters / Monin, they will not be continuing they rally. They have decided there is too much damage to continue.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:22 |
Car 45, Mitchell / Patterson is having a good rally so far, and they are officially leading the rally. They had a small incident earlier where they bumped a bank in a hairpin and lost a lower spot light, otherwise everything is going well.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:25 |
The cars are leaving service to run Special Stage 8, Special Stage 9, and Special Stage 10. They will have a fuel stop back here in Germania before returning to Wellsboro for the final MTC and finish at the Fireman's Annex.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:31 |
Car 374, Styles / Dillon reports that they are having rear diff problems, and that the car is uncontrollable, even on the highway. At this point, they are planning on just limping to finish, so to accumulate points.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:34 |
Car 71, Hourt / Heitkamp have been experiencing brake and transmission problems throughout the day. They have been working hard to fix the rear brakes that were locking up, and they seem to be better, but the team is facing the the night stages without 4th gear.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:38 |
The crew has gone out to get Car 87, Sprongl / Sprongl from the woods on Special Stage 5. The rumor is that the team suffered an engine problem that may have put them off the road. We will try and get the entire story back in Wellsboro where the team is returning to.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 21:45 |
Car 947, Bacon / Watt tells us the Vermont Sportscar prepared car he is renting for the weekend is great. Actually, he is having one almost identical built (by Vt. Sportscar) that is almost ready. Bill told us that the car is very fast and is probably a little over his head ...for now. They are driving a smart rally and keeping the car clean.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:07 |
Eric Burmeister stopped by to tell us that he wanted to "give us an update on bike 42". He is here with a group of people riding around spectating. We tried to get a group photo but our cameras don't take very good night pictures, sorry! 
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:22 |
Car 866, Penasack / Rowland was reported off and the crew OK 11.6 miles into Special Stage 6. The car is reported to be over a bank and will be retrieved Special Stage 9 has been run.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:25 |
Earlier in the rally, on Special Stage 3, Car 99, Iorio / Ho took an acute left too wide and had to back out to get back on course. After their off, the car was low on power. It did not appear to be a problem, until they got to the finished and they realized the turbo was on fire. This caused them to withdraw from the pro. They took the opportunity to change the turbo, and are now running in the Club Rally. Matt is reporting the stages to be "dicey" and nerve wracking, but also noted that he does like the event. The only "moment" they have had since the last service was when they slid off the road on the driver's side, but the only damage was the tire that popped off the bead. Matt wanted to note that he continues to "carry the swinging energy" that Tim O'Neil taught him!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:31 |
Car 27, Healey / MacLeod state they are having a great time, and the only problem they have is that they would like more horsepower. They only have 130 HP in their Subaru Impreza, and on the long hills, it does not seem to be quite enough. They wanted to thank their wives, Sue and Treasa for their love (and financial supoort). they also wanted to thank their service crew (AKA tire monkey...a loving term, I am sure) Mark Johnson for all his hard work and dedication.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:35 |
Car 914, Nash / Fries are just going for the finish. Noel states that he is just out for fun, and that he is not pushing so hard that "steaming is coming off his head at the end of the stages". He has no complaints.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:40 |
Car 937, Farrell / McElhinney are excited to still be in race. The team recently ran an event, in which their 5 speed dogbox caused them a DNF. They have since ordered the newest version of the 5 speed gearbox (known to be quite indestructible). So far, it has been a good event, and they are looking forward to getting to the finish.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:43 |
Car 945, Kelly / Beckwith are working to gain back their confidence since their off at the last event they participated in. The team stated that car is running well and they are just trying to get a finish. Hopefully, if all goes well, they will be running at MFR.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:44 |
We heard an update on Car 91, Bottoms / Bosley. After the team ran Special Stage 5 without an intercom their center differential broke on Special Stage 6. The car was all over the place and that is why they were forced to retire early. Unfortunately, the Great Northern sponsored Subaru WRX had bad luck all day.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:50 |
Car 771, Komar / Knox (same team, but different seat as Car 799, Knox / Komar in the Sherwood Forest Club Rally of earlier today), are just warming up and driving conservatively, reporting no big jumps, and some nice junctions. They only missed one junction (a medium left into a right hairpin) that required them to back up to get back on course. Additionally, they report having difficulties with lighting, but they have done some work to them in service, and are looking forward to being able to see during the next stages. The team is focusing on a finish!!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 22:51 |
Another casualty of STPR is the camera of Morgan Segal. It was reported out on Special Stage 5 and has retired from the event. Unfortunately we will not have any more pictures to post from Morgan tonight. Hopefully he will get the needed parts in time to have it rebuilt for Pikes Peak in three weeks.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 23:10 |
Again, the Steve Moyer Subaru and KAM R Racing supported Subaru of Car 931, Kennedy / Kennedy has provided us with updates on the new Rally America update forms (found here on the web site).
Special Stage 5 - "It was a great stage! Most fun I've had in a while, though the loose gravel at the end was a bit hairy." Don Kennedy
Special Stage 6 - "It was very mucky (and slippery) at the begining, it felt like we had no power. We finally started getting the hairpins right, slow in = fast out !!" Don Kennedy
Matt Kennedy wrote us this. "I've been wearing a HANS today (first event with it) and have had no problems. It doesn't limit my movement to less than what it normally is, and once you hook it up you forget it's there. In fact, with the "newer" style post and clips, I can leave the HANS on and just unclip it to take my helmet off."
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 23:14 |
There are reports from the stages indicate the Car 54, Richard / Richard has lost nine minutes out there somewhere. It has also been reported that Car 52, Shepherd / GLadysz is off and OK. We will get more information on both of the teams as soon as we can.
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 23:21 |
The cars are arriving in Germania for the final time card exchange. The update team will be heading back to Wellsboro to get the latest as the teams arrive at the finish. The scoring crew will be staying here for a little longer to collect times. Scores will be updating but updates will be off the air for awhile. If you can stay awake, contine to check back!!
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| Sat 05-Jun-04 23:43 |
Car 931, Kennedy / Kennedy reports the Special Stage 8 was pretty much the same as the first time through and Special Stage 9 had some heavy fog in spots but not nearly as bad as the transit. They are happy to report too, that they finished!
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| Sun 06-Jun-04 00:47 |
Stage scores are in, they are not yet final and Rally America is signing off forthe evening. Hope you all had as much fun as we have! Good night!
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