2005 Lake Superior ProRally

Local Time is GMT -4

Update Time	News
Fri 21-Oct-05 14:47	Welcome to Lake Superior, the 8th and final round of the 2005 Rally America National Championship. There is a 62-car field ready to test their cars against whatÕs been called the toughest and meanest rally roads in the country. The number one car of Pat and Nathalie Richard are poised to take both the Overall and the Group N championship wins here as their closest competitor, Stig Blomqvist and Ana Goni, took a strategic gamble by not coming to this rally. It will not be easy though, even without the Car 65 team here, if Pat and Nathalie Richard are to win both championships, they will need to win the event here!!!
Fri 21-Oct-05 15:48	We are at the Copper Country mall in Houghton, MI, at the Lake Superior Rally. The driver's meeting has just finished and Car 1, Richard / Richard is leaving here as the first car to start the first leg of the Lake Superior National Rally. The Friday portion of LSPR also represents the regional Ottawa Rally and will consist of 6 special stages totaling 215.96 miles (40.45 stage miles/175.51 transit miles). The first stage will start at 4:01 PM and will finish back in Houghton at 12:39 AM. Saturday's leg of LSPR is also the regional Auto Value Keweenaw Challenge Rally and consists of 200.17 miles (41.46 stage miles/158.71 transit miles). The first car is out tomorrow at 10:30 AM from the Quincy Mine and will finish back here at the Copper Country Mall at 6:44 PM. As the 8th and final round of the Rally America National Championships, with multiple class championships still undecided, LSPR is bound to be exciting, so stay tuned.
Fri 21-Oct-05 16:12	Car 1, Richard / Richard has had an interesting rally weekend already. The team can relax now that Pat has finally arrived. Pat was originally due in yesterday afternoon, but was delayed in customs at Minneapolis Airport and missed his flight. He finally arrived at the team's hotel at 2:30 PM this afternoon...just in time to jump in the car and get over to the Parc Expose (which started at 3 PM)! Co-driver Nathalie Richard states that she "wants to be able to win this one for Pat". For Nat's part, she has already secured her co-driver title, but Pat's title is still very much up for grabs as he needs to get 20 points or the win in order to secure both the Overall and Group N Championships. In jest, Nat let us know that a fortune cookie she had this morning stated "a member of your family will make you proud", Nathalie and the crew had a good laugh about it!!!
Fri 21-Oct-05 18:05	Competitors and spectators gathered at the Copper Country Mall for Parc Expose. Teams were able to meet fans, share strategies, and tell stories of past LSPR experiences.
Fri 21-Oct-05 18:19	Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri makes their first US rally start in a Cascade Autosport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7. The Itallian team is excited to be here. This team could really challenge Car 1, Richard / Richard for the win at this event. Due to the fact they have chosen not to collect points in the National Championship, they will not be a factor in the Richard's quest for the Overall and Group N Championships. But the team could add even more excitement to next season, I've already have heard rumors that this won't be their last rally here. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Fri 21-Oct-05 18:21	After DNF'ing 2 out of the last 3 events they have run, Car 43, Block / Gelsomino has renewed their desire to finish. Ken states "this is the last event and I want to make it a good event by finishing"...If only it was that simple...Despite a desire to finish, the team is very aware of their ability to finish on the podium in the Rally America Group N National Championship. The team is currently in 4th, and will need to surpass Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom if they hope to get 3rd in the Championship. According to Alex's calculations, if Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom finishes 2nd (in class), they will need to finish 5th in order to secure that spot, if Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom finishes 3rd, they will need to finish 7th. The battle between Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom and Car 43, Block / Gelsomino presents an interesting dynamic as the two are teammates, and Travis is also a sponsored athlete for Ken's company, DC Shoe. Ken made light of their (he and Travis) current situation, teasing Travis - "how will he like being beat by the boss"; Ken goes on to say that the competition between he and Travis makes it fun. Currently, Car 43, Block / Gelsomino is being listed in the 2nd position, led only by Car 1, Richard / Richard...Travis is trailing by 24 seconds!!
Fri 21-Oct-05 18:41	After a well publicized roll at Colorado Cog last month, the main goal of Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom is to finish (and finish as well as possible). According to Travis, he and Christian have been instructed by their crew to "bring the car back as it looks right now"...This is not a result of their history, but of the fact that the car is scheduled to go to the SEMA show and needs to leave on Tuesday. A cheerful Travis responded to the teasing of Car 43 driver Ken Block's post (see previous entry) and states his secondary goal is to beat Ken. Despite the jesting, Travis and Christian both state they hope to go nice and steady, and they will be working on some small technique issues. They do not want a repeat of Cog and and are happy to be back in the car.
Fri 21-Oct-05 19:18	Car 1, Richard / Richard hit something about three miles from the end of Special Stage 2. They suffered a punctured tire and a bent right rear control arm. The team was able to drive out of the stage with some handling problems and they changed the tire on the transit to service. The team maintains a .2 second lead over Car 43, Block / Gelsomino, who had an excellent first set of stages. Car 43, Block / Gelsomino said that the stages were great, very fun roads. A new dynamic at this rally is the fallen leaves that cover the road. Ken said that the roads can be hard to define and are a little sketchy with the slippery covering. The team feels they are running a little conservatively, but the stage times say otherwise!
Fri 21-Oct-05 19:37	Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom are taking it easy after their big roll at the Colorado Cog rally only five weeks ago. The crew at Vermont Sportscar made sure the team had an excellent car to run at the final event of the season. Travis and Christian are working to build their rhythm in the car, but are confident and feeling good. The team is currently 4th overall, 24.3 seconds behind the leader. They look forward to improving their position over the rest of the weekend.
Fri 21-Oct-05 19:40	Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb is in a tight battle for the equivalent of the PGT battle in NARC (North American Rally Championship); his closest competitor is Car 82, Hoskinson / Brandt. Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb must accrue 30 points between this event and the next CARS event (Tall Pines) in order to win that title; given that, Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb is trying to accrue as many points as possible here. Additionally, another interesting dynamic presents itself...by maintaining a manageable time deficit with the leaders in PGT, Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb also has the potential to be a "spoiler" in the Rally America PGT Championship; if one of the top 3 cars bauble- (46, 429, or 153 - who are undoubtedly pushing hard) - bauble, the team stands ready to overtake one of those highly valued top 3 positions...currently, the team is running in 4th position in class - just 17 seconds out of third place. Despite gaining 15 overall spots in the first two stages, Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb is having what they believe to be an ignition problem. After the finish control on Special Stage 2, the car stalled and the team was unable to get it restarted. They were towed by another competitor to the transit and was unable to replicate the problem in service. Right now, the car is running great and is showing no problems, but with an intermittent problem, it can be challenging to mentally overcome a problem that is undiagnosed and seemingly has fixed itself. The team has continued on with hopes of a podium finish. Tim would like to thank Subaru of Nashua for the opportunity to make a run for the NARC, Team O'Neil for the driver/team training as well as Danielle, Noah, and Jonas for all their support.
Fri 21-Oct-05 21:24	The leaders are back in for the final service of the evening. The top five are as follows: Car 1, Richard / Richard - 24:29.1 Car 43, Block / Gelsomino - 24:38.8 Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom - 24:42.2 Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri - 25:12.7 Car 27, Gilligan / Petersen - 25:27.7
Fri 21-Oct-05 21:28	Car 1, Richard / Richard lost their intercom on Special Stage 3 (a repeat of Special Stage 1), the lack of intercom cost the team 30 seconds (from the previous run) on the stage and Nathalie's voice is very scratchy from all the yelling. Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom took about 6 seconds off Car 1, Richard / Richard on Special Stage 3. Nathalie described Special Stage 4 as fast, and detailed that 5th gear "sounds rattley". Currently, the team is still leading by about 10 seconds.
Fri 21-Oct-05 21:39	Car 43 driver Ken Block has done very few night stages to date, and feels that is contributing to their slower stage times. Ken describes Special Stage 3 as "sketchy" and stated they lost about 13 seconds to Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom on that stage alone; Special Stage 4 was "fast and felt like a very scary video game"; Ken describes how different (and difficult) it can be trying to read the road at night as compared to the daytime hours. Ken is just trying to survive the night and to gain experience - "after all, that is what we are here for" he states.
Fri 21-Oct-05 21:45	The battle in PGT is yet to be decided as we go into Lake Superior. Three teams are within seven points of each other. Car 429, Tanner Foust and Scott Crouch, currently lead the battle and must win the rally to secure the Championship win. The team has never been to LSPR before, so they feel they have a slight disadvantage to Car 46, Matt Johnson and Wendy Nakamoto. Foust really doesnÕt know what to expect at this rally, he had heard so many different things. But like most veterans of this rally, he has chosen to take it a little easy tonight to ensure they will be in one piece tomorrow. Foust also said that snow would be good, but it would have to be cold enough to stay snow and not make mud for it to be an advantage for him. Johnson, who has run this event three times previously, needs a win here to have any chance at the Championship win. Their team plans to go for the win, ÒthatÕs what we came here for!Ó said Johnson. Co-driver Wendy Nakamoto is feeling the pressure too, considering Johnson has won twice here in the past (with a different co-driver) she feels she really has to do well. They are a little concerned about where the others will need to finish even if they win; for example, Foust would have to finish third to their first in order for Johnson to win the Championship. Even more scenarios come into play when you add the third car, Eric Langbein and Jeremy Wimpey in car 153. The team is planning on taking a step back to try and learn the car this weekend. Eric was quick to point out that this may not mean they will be going slower! More speed may come from taking the time to learn. The team has been looking forward to this rally as this is the first event this season that the team has prior experience at, they hope their past experience is of some help to them.
Fri 21-Oct-05 21:47
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:06	Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom turned it up a little on the last two stages and made up good time. The team changed tires in the first service, they are now running on more narrow Michelins, and are very happy with them. The sandy stages combined with the light drizzle is making for greasy conditions, but Christian states "this should be considered perfect conditions for LSPR - this the perfect weather - I have never seen the weather be this good". Currently, the team is running about 4 seconds behind Car 43, Block / Gelsomino.
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:06	Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz are having a fun run through the woods today. Doug tells us that Menge Creek (Special Stage 2 and Special Stage 5) is a very different road from the last time it was run as a stage a few years ago. It was a very sandy and easily rutted road in the past, now it is very hard and fast, almost like the highway. The team would like to express their gratitude to all the organizers for putting on such a great day one of the rally despite all the challenges they have faced in the last few weeks.
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:08	Service crews work hard at the L'Anse service area.
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:26	Here are some of the DNF's that have been reported. Car 676, McElduff / Irwin - lost the gearbox at the start of Special Stage 1, they hope to be able to fix the problem by tomorrow. Car 26, Kendall / Friberg - also had gearbox problems. With no spare, they have choosen to try and avoid any further damage and have withdrawn from tomorrow as well. Car 93, Olson / Johnson - had engine problems that ended their rally on the transit after Special Stage 2. Car 99, Seeley / McCague - had an off on Special Stage 3 that forced them to withdraw. The team has fixed the car and continued at the back of the field for no points. We are unsure if they will be back to run tomorrow. Car 570, Payeur / Payeur - went off on Special Stage 3 but were able to continue. Unfortunately, they were forced to retire with a mechanical problem on the transit to the next stage. Car 527, Walli / Liubakka - retired after Special Stage 2 at service with a broken timing belt, they hope to have it fixed for tomorrow. Car 690, Seidel / Martineau - unknown mechanical on Special Stage 1
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:35	Car 83, Utecht / Bohn are out in a new car this weekend. The team is now competing in Group 5 in a 1988 Ford Mustang. Mark said that this has been a rough transition moving to a rear wheel drive car from his all wheel drive Subaru WRX. Unlike every other car Mark has driven, he can't just mat the throttle and go in this one...it has too much power for that! The reason for the change is a financial one, the team needed to find a less expensive alternative to continue to rally. After selling the WRX and buying the Mustang, the team can run the 2006 season on what's left. Mark would like to thank his crew for all their hard work in rebuilding the engine prior to the rally. He would also like to send his congratulations to Heidi Meyers and JB Niday who were recently engaged. 83 on the start ramp
Fri 21-Oct-05 22:53	Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb is withdrawing from the event. The team has had niggling engine issues all evening, and were unable to fully diagnose the problem. It is unclear if the team will reenter tomorrow for the Auto Value Keweenaw Challenge. More details to follow. Dave would like to say hi to Inna.
Fri 21-Oct-05 23:23	Car 18, Iorio / Holter had a left front flat tire on the second corner on Special Stage 3. Ole stated that Matt was not cutting at all, but that they hit something big in the road. With 7 miles to go on Special Stage 3, they decided to drive it out and were not caught until the end of the stage by Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom. As such, they lost 1 minute on that stage, but felt they set a fast time on Special Stage 4 "we totally hauled" Ole stated. It is their goal to slowly chip away at the small lead that Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom now holds. They also realize that they must finish to maintain and stay ahead of Car 43, Block / Gelsomino in order to win the NARC and are factoring that into their goals also.
Fri 21-Oct-05 23:32	Car 543, Merbach / Feldt stopped by to drop off some updates of their first four stages of the rally. "With proper oil pressure and expert note calling, Merbach and Feldt are reporting in from stage one with happy grins from catching air for the first time. It was like landing on marshmallows." They were hoping for a good reseed at the first service, they did move up three positions. After Special Stage 4 "Merbach and Feldt are reporting in with an awesome night. The crew, car, and their Kromer caps are all performing awesome. The warm hats are keeping the crew at their top performance. We feel fast!" Car 543, Merbach / Feldt is sponsored by Jacquart Fabris, Stormy Kromer, and Optima Batteries.
Fri 21-Oct-05 23:48	The cars are starting to come in from the last stage of the evening, and the top five for LSPR are: Car 1, Richard / Richard 38:23.4 Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom 38:56.7 Car 43, Block / Gelsomino 39:21.0 Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri 39:30.2 Car 18, Iorio / Holter 39:44.1
Fri 21-Oct-05 23:52	The comments are short as the competitors are busy trying to get their service down and get back to Houghton. Some of them are as follows: Car 1, Richard / Richard - the stages were slippy, but we did well and were able to take time off the rest of the field Car 43, Block / Gelsomino - it was tricky out there, no grip, toughest stages we have seen in a long time - glad this leg is over Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto - thought we had all the jumps noted, but found one, went partially off course - some small foliage hanging off light pods, but no major damage
Sat 22-Oct-05 00:15	Due to a bad tire choice Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto lost 17 seconds to Car 429, Foust / Crouch on Special Stage 5. The roads were not sloppy like the team thought they would be with the rain coming down. Instead, the braking zones were as hard as concrete and the team gave up the PGT lead. The team was able to take back one second from Car 429, Foust / Crouch on Special Stage 6 leaving them a total of 6.9 seconds behind at the conclusion of the Friday stages. Both teams are looking forward to an intense day of competition tomorrow. Car 153, Langbein / Wimpey, also in the PGT hunt, had some gearbox problems that cost them some time on Special Stage 6. The team plans to get some rest tonight and change the gearbox in the morning light. They are not sure they will be able to make up the deficit incured with todays issues, but plan on running hard tomorrow.
Sat 22-Oct-05 00:21	Car 654, Grenwis / Goldman has been reported to have rolled onto it's side on Special Stage 6. The team is OK and have righted their car and continued under their own power.
Sat 22-Oct-05 00:48	Here is some information that may help to explain some of the last minute withdrawls and team changes for LSPR. Bruce Davis chose to stay home from the rally in order to spend time with his ill mother. His regular co-driver, Jimmy Brandt was able to find a ride with Car 82, Hoskinson / Brandt who needed a replacement for the absent Jeff Secor. Jeff Secor and his wife Deb will be missed this weekend as they are attending the funeral of their sister in-law Darleen Boris, a long time rally competitor, worker and supporter. Her husband, Jeff Boris, was instrumental to rally in Michigan as a competitor, and later as an organizer. He passes on wishes to all competitors to PRESS ON REGARDLESS. In fact, Jeff told Deb and Jeff that they should still go and run the event, that Darleen would have wanted that, but that was typical of Jeff and Darleen to always be thinking of others. Justin Pritchard and Kim DeMotte also withdrew from the event. Kim's father passed away earlier this week. We would like these members of our community to know that are toughts are with them.
Sat 22-Oct-05 00:51	All of the cars have finished and will be going off the air for the night. Please check back tomorrow as LSPR and the Rally America National Championships are decided.
Sat 22-Oct-05 12:58	Grey skies and drizzle welcomed rally teams as they prepared to start the final day of the Lake Superior Pro Rally and of the 2005 Rally America National Championship. Pat and Nathalie Richard, in the Car 1, Richard / Richard car, are still out front as they head out to tackle the first of todayÕs eight stages. At the completion of last nights six stages, the RichardÕs had a 33.3 second lead over car 199, Travis Pastrana and Christian Edstrom who sit in second place. Moving into third place is Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri DeDominicis and Daddoveri nudging out the Car 43, Block / Gelsomino car of Block and Gelsomino by 10.8 seconds. Tanner Foust, car 429, pulled ahead of Matthew Johnson in the 46 car by 6.9 seconds on the final two stages of yesterdayÕs battle in PGT. The rally is far from over, and both teams are set to go all out today. There was even some friendly banter at this mornings Parc Expose between the two teams, everyone is very excited to have such a great battle still going on.
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:01	The cars have started to come into the first service, the top five are as follows: Car 1, Richard / Richard - 49:34.1 00.0 Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom - 50:07.0 +32.9 Car 43, Block / Gelsomino - 50:45.4 +01:11.3 Car 18, Iorio / Holter - 50:50.9 +01:16.8 Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri - 50:51.8 +01:17.7
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:05	Several DNF's are being reported: Car 774, Dimiters / Monin Car 591, Cizmas / Himes Car 533, Ritchie / Ritchie More details to follow as they become available
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:08	A couple of updates and further information on DNF's from last evening: Car 93, Olson / Johnson - the engine "locked up" on the transit after Special Stage 1 - Driver Bob Olson stated that he was "so disappointed"; the team had a great run on the first stage and detailed it as very, very fun! Car 690, Seidel / Martineau - Driver Carl Seidel stated "Timing belt broke at the end of Special Stage 1. (We) got the head off, got the spare head to scrounge valves from and a used timing belt to put on, but broke the valve spring compressor trying to take the valves out." At 2:45 am, the team threw in the towel. "I'm bummed" Carl stated, "Oh well, thats rally". Car 19, Penasack / Goldfarb withdrew from the event due to a blown engine - they are not speculating as to whether or not their previous issues contributed to their DNF - "it is impossible to speculate whether or not it affected the final outcome" stated Driver Tim Penasack, "we may know when we pull the motor, but then again, we may never know". Tim would like to thank Subaru of Nashua for all their support.
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:18	Car 83, Utecht / Bohn have withdrawn from the rally with a mechanical problem. The team lost about 5 minutes with a spin on Special Stage 5 last night and were unable to restart the car. Stage workers were able to help push the team out so the could bump start the car on a downhill section. They did finish yesterdays stages, but were forced to withdraw with a broken harmonic balancer which resulted in a possible broken crank shaft. Mark is heading out to spectate and get a hotdog at Deleware Mine.
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:38	Car 429, Foust / Crouch started today's leg with a very small lead, and unfortunately, lost it on Special Stage 7. The team was 7.1 seconds behind Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto after leaving the last service; however, net control is reporting that Car 46 has rolled and continued on Special Stage 9. No further information is available on the 46 car at this time. As far as Car 429, Foust / Crouch goes, there is a "fun amount of pressure" right now - that is what the team is stating; however, the tension seems palpable in the 429 service area. Scott is trying hard to convince Tanner that 2nd is good enough to win the PGT Championship. In reference to the 10 seconds they lost on Special Stage 8, Tanner states that Matt's (Car 46 driver) local knowledge is invaluable on that stage in particular - "there are a lot of 5's and 6's (very fast) parts, where it is easy to hesitate, and lost valuable seconds - Matt has the advantage of running this event previously". With Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto's roll, the PGT lead could give the lead back to Car 429, Foust / Crouch...stay tuned!
Sat 22-Oct-05 13:48	The service after Special Stage 8 and Special Stage 9 was only fifteen minutes and the teams were too busy to talk for long, a few snippets are as follows: Car 27, Gilligan / Petersen feels confident about the times they are setting. Their goal is to finish in the top five here. They are not worried about a championship, just want to do the best they can here at LSPR. Car 44, Krolikowski / Krolikowski is in the top ten, but their windshield wipers just quit. After the electrical issues that plagued them prior to the event, the team is happy about where they are sitting and are confident they can solve the wiper issue - "if not, we will resort to rain-x". Currently, there is a light drizzle! The team would like to thank all their family and friends that cam out to help them. Cindy has 2 brothers helping in service (one more driving) as well as 2 of her sister-in-laws and 2 friends from the UP helping out today. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz is hoping that they have gotten their problems out of the way and will have a clean run today. Last evening, they had a tire go down on Special Stage 3, had to run on the wheel through Special Stage 4, and broke a driveshaft on Special Stage 6. They managed to finish up last night and despite the "tricky" conditions today, they have had no trouble. They are just trying to stay dry and warm - like everyone else today! Car 515, Boullion / Boullion had some small new-car issues with their Ford Focus. They feel that the torque curve is too high right now and they have no power until they get above 5000 RPM's, so the car feels slow! Despite the new-car bugs, everything is fine, and they are liking the new car. Car 49, Thompson / Marr would like to tell Bruce hello. They had a small braking problem last evening. They fell that they are going good - happy to still be on the road in these slippery conditions. Sans has already secured the P Championship, but was committed to doing this event - "the car was in Detroit, and had to go back home (to California), so it would have been a shame to not run this event - I was committed to running the season, and the timing for picking up the car worked out well". In jest, Sans laughingly stated that he had to take the Woodner cup from Doug Shepherd - "who has had it all those years" - Sans has secured the Cup also. All year Sans has been running as fast as he had to (keeping the Championship in mind) and is happy to be able to "run as fast as he can here". Sans would like to be the fastest 2 wheel drive in this rally, he also wants to stay on the road and finish - "Craig has never finished, so we really wanted to do that". Car 533, Ritchie / Ritchie bumped a bank, ran over some stumps and required a tow from sweep on Special Stage 7, but they have returned to service, and despite the tow, were allowed to continue on Car 866 rolled twice in the same spot that Car 533 had troubles on Special Stage 7. The car landed back on its wheels and there is not a lot of damage. The team is o.k. and has returned to service. the team is being listed as DNF.
Sat 22-Oct-05 14:21	The fight for third place has heated up here at Lake Superior. Only 6.4 seconds separate Car 43, Block / Gelsomino, Car 18, Iorio / Holter, and Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri. Car 43, Block / Gelsomino is currently third, 5.5 seconds in front of Car 18, Iorio / Holter. Block / Gelsomino set out at a much faster pace this morning, they were second fastest on Special Stage 8. The team prefers the daylight stages and plan to be smooth and consistent for the remainder of the rally. Sitting fourth is Car 18, Iorio / Holter, a mere .9 seconds in front of fifth place Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri. Iorio / Holter set the fastest time on Special Stage 7, saying that it was an "awesome stage". It was reported that De Dominicis / Daddoveri had some trouble with their odometer between Special Stage 7 and Special Stage 8. Their stage times do reflect that they may have been affected by the problem on Special Stage 7, they lost nearly 20 seconds to both Car 18, Iorio / Holter and Car 43, Block / Gelsomino. The roads have been reported to be fairly slippery today, and with no chance of the rain letting up, the conditions will only deteriorate. With six stages remaining, the rally known to be the "oldest, toughest, meanest rally on the circuit", will surely test the competitors until the very end.
Sat 22-Oct-05 14:30	Thanks to the crew and team of Car 543, Merbach / Feldt for bringing some treats to the truck We really appreciate it!!!
Sat 22-Oct-05 15:19	The story of Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom is that there is no story - Christian states "the less stories there are, the better story it is". The team is still trying to heed the crew's request of bringing the car back just as it was when the rally started. Travis and Christian are going slow and steady. They decidedly went slow and steady on Brockway, but still set a good time, and Travis is happy with that. Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom is 40 seconds behind Car 1, Richard / Richard and 30 seconds in front of Car 43, Block / Gelsomino.
Sat 22-Oct-05 15:52	Car 429, Foust / Crouch had a moment on Special Stage 9 - in the same spot that Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto rolled. This moment finally convinced Tanner to heed Scott's advice of driving safe and smarter. As previously reported, if Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto wins, then Tanner will need to finish 2nd in order to secure the PGT Championship.
Sat 22-Oct-05 15:57	The roll of Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto on Special Stage 9 cost the team very little time, in fact, they are still leading PGT by 3.5 seconds over Car 429, Foust / Crouch. The team caught a bank on a fast right hand corner sending the car up onto its nose. "The car is just like a cat, it landed on its wheels...it was even facing down the road the right way" said Nakamoto. The roll only cost them about 10 seconds on Special Stage 9, and they then went out and beat Foust / Crouch on Special Stage 10 and Special Stage 11. Johnson struggled with handling and overheating problems as they made their way back to service, but the North Coast Subaru Rally Team crew was working hard to send the team out with the best car possible.
Sat 22-Oct-05 15:59	Car 18, Iorio / Holter picked up about 30 seconds per stage last night, but that is not the case today. There is a previously reported 3 way battle for third place between, Car 18, 43, and 77. Matt thinks the slick stuff is where he can pick up some time and that they will definitely be hauling through the next stage. The team lost 3 seconds on the Burma stage by overshooting a junction and going wide on the first asphalt corner on the same stage.
Sat 22-Oct-05 16:29	Car 625, Wray / DeRose also had a minor problem on Special Stage 9. The team clipped a bank in a place where the stage transitions the asphalt. The car went up on it's left side, and almost in slow motion, came back down onto it's wheels. The car sustained only minor cosmetic damage and a flat left front tire. The team had one other "moment" but on Special Stage 10, the car went left when the road went right. The car landed just fine and they continued on without further incident.
Sat 22-Oct-05 16:57	Car 27, Gilligan / Petersen is happy where they are sitting (in 6th position), despite feeling like they are losing time on the slow and sloppy stages. They came into the last service with new damage - on Burma , they went wide on a left-3 and scraped the side of the car. Their goal is to try and get through to the finish.
Sat 22-Oct-05 17:01	Car 1, Richard / Richard have been gaining a few seconds here and there, not much...but enough! The team is taking things a little easy, but maintaining a quick enough pace to keep a good rhythm. They are more than happy to let the rest of them fight it out, in fact, they are enjoying watching the great battle for third.
Sat 22-Oct-05 17:03	Car 429, Foust / Crouch had the same moment on Special Stage 12 that they had on Special Stage 9 and found a newly renewed desire to finish in 2nd (instead of trying to beat Car 46, Johnson / Nakamoto). Tanner states that the Flat Irons Subaru is the best of the lot to win the PGT Championship and Scott is continuously trying to reign in Tanner's competitive spirit enough to secure their 2nd spot here at LSPR in order to prove that by winning the Championship. Tanner is trying to find a balance between his competitive nature and the 'big picture" racing that he must do to secure the PGT title. In jest, Tanner states that Scott has now revised the notes to read something like this - "left 6 over big jump - championship" and has turned 6's into 4's in an effort to help Tanner find a balance. Despite the obvious pressure, Tanner and Scott love this event - the roads are beautiful, there has not yet been a single delay - Tanner attributes this to the great fans and workers here that support the rally.
Sat 22-Oct-05 17:13	Car 44, Krolikowski / Krolikowski is excited to be driving an AWD car here. After years of driving a 2WD car, Henry finally took a "leap", something he was previously unable to do. This is Cindy's 21st consecutive LSPR and after all of their problems this event, they are just happy to be here and are having a good time.
Sat 22-Oct-05 17:26	In an RA update form, Car 565, Hodges / Rossey submitted the following information: Car 565 is having a great time. Special Stage 10 made us laugh. We would like to say hello to Julie and Lance. We are sorry you could not make it, and miss you. The weather is typical - overcast and rain.
Sat 22-Oct-05 19:27	In an RA update form, Car 884, Stevens / Hagan submitted the following information: "after rolling on Special Stage 5 yesterday, we've came back for the Saturday regional event. The car has been running well and we hope to put on a good performance for the rest of the rally. Thanks goes out to our crew and our families."
Sat 22-Oct-05 19:32	The top five teams for LSPR are as follows: Car 1, Richard / Richard - 1:05:42.4 00.0 Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom - 1:06:26.2 +43.8 Car 18, Iorio / Holter - 1:06:52.4 +01:10.0 Car 43, Block / Gelsomino - 1:06:57.2 +01:14.8 Car 77, De Dominicis / Daddoveri - 1:07:09.8 +01:27.4 Scores are informational only and will be posted as provisional at 9 PM at the Michigan Tech Ballroom, with the awards banquet to follow. As far as the Overall and Group N Championships, Car 1, Richard / Richard scored the 20 points for a win, as well as 1 point each for starting and finishing the event. That will be enough for secure both Championships. Car 18, Iorio / Holter has won the Open Class Championship. As far as the PGT Championship, Car 429, Foust / Crouch is being listed as the winner here, and as such, has secured the PGT Championship. Car 52, Shepherd / Gladysz has secured the Group 5 Championship. Car 587, Johnston / Kihurani has secured the Group 2 Championship. Car 49, Thompson / Marr has secured the P Class Championship.
Sat 22-Oct-05 22:09	The results have been made final and the awards are about to be given. Thanks to the competitors, organizers, workers, and fans for helping to make Rally America's first year a success. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. Please make sure to join us for all the excitement to come in 2006, starting with the Sno*Drift Rally in January. The 2006 season schedule should be posted soon, so please check the site for further details. The season may be over, but the Rally America TV coverage is just beginning! Check it out on Saturdays on OLN. We'll see you next year!
Sat 22-Oct-05 22:23	Car 543, Merbach / Feldt dropped off an update for todays stages. "#543 report that the Jagged Edge versus Endurance Racing battle is over. With fresh Hankook Tires today we made up the 40 second deficit from day one and were leading by a few seconds. Then, the Jagged Edge Neon (#49) was passed by another competitor that reported that they were on fire. This was the best racing Endurance has ever participated in...that case of wine will be yummy. Trick or treat!" Unfortunately, car 49's rally ended on Special Stage 12. The team is OK and the crew has gone to get them. Earlier, their team reported that after having a terrific run yesterday, but the Rally Gods decided to throw the Jagged Edge Motorsports team several curveballs today. The team broke the exhaust on Special Stage 8, burned up the wiring harness to the alternator, broke an axel, and the car battery wouldn't charge. All of this is trivial in comparison to the fire that ended their day. Merbach joked that he thought "somebody had a bonfire going out there on the stage, guess it was just Sans!" Car 49, Thompson / Marr and crew would like to thank Speed toyz.com, Laeng Works, Tom Laeng and Craig Marr for all of their help this year!!