ACP takes third  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
We will definitely be seeing Car 20, Comrie-Picard / Goldfarb in at least one of the final rounds of the Rally America National Championship. "We will be at LSPR, and maybe Wild West...we'll see" said Comrie-Picard. With the exposure of the X Games, the team was able to secure funding to run the entire 2007 National Championship. The team finished a very competitive third place in a car with 42 rallies on it. The plan for next season includes a new Mitsubishi; even though the old car has treated ACP well, it's time. Look for the SlowBoy team to be going for the Championship in 2007.

Bartram takes Production  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 690 - Bartram/Hotson - took the Production class win this weekend. "It couldnot have turned out better for us. We were driving the heaviest/slowest car here, yet we had the best overall result we have ever had" stated driver "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram.

This event put the team within 5 points of the 2 wheel drive "Woodner Cup" leader and extended the gap in the production class championship.

Despite a heartbreaking injury at the X Games just 6 weeks ago, Kenny states that his arm did not start to bother him until the the stages dried and left ruts that were hard to drive through, and certainly not enough to hold the "Cowboy" back.

The team is looking forward to a faster car next year, but would love to thank Mike Halley for the "bug". Kenny would also like to thank Vitamin Water and Alpinestar for their support.

Anton Wins Group N and secures Group N Championship  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 100 - Anton/Joswiak - finished 6th overall and won Group N today. In addition to that, David has also mathematically secured the Rally America Group N Championship.

"We went to all the rallies and finished each one. Rallispec has built a great, reliable car. I am very happy for David that he is the champion" stated co-driver Dominik Joswiak.

The team would like to thank their crew for a great season, the organizers for a great event and to let Gen know that their hearts are with her.

Conley wins group 5  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 441 Conley/Tremi finished 9th overall and won Group 5. "We came into this event hoping to win Group 5, but also hoping for some competition in class. We did not get any competition, but with the muddy conditions and the subsequent slowing of speeds, we feel it went realy well" stated driver John Conley.

The team thought they had ruined their rally yesterday on SS3 when they hit a curbed cattle guard; they thought they had taken out the suspension, but after further inspection, they continued on.

In a moment of jest, Conley stated that with no additional competition in class, they set their sites on Pastrana - "we were trying to catch Pastrana, but with more talent and car than us, we just couldn't do it". Despite not catching Pastrana, John had a great weekend and would like to thank his wife, Chris as well as their crew, Nathan, Brandy and Sidney, as well as his co-driver Steve for their great performance this weekend.

Kilpatrick has trouble, but continues  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
In a live update form, #436 stated "we broke an axle on SS13 and continued on another mile and a half through the stage. We hit a steep uphill section that we just couldn't drive up. We had to get towed up the hill by sweep." The team came into service under their own power and have continued on.

Comrie-Picard considers Cog a success  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 20 - Comrie-Picard/Goldfarb - is currently sitting in the third position. The team has had a good run this morning and they are very happy with their performance. "We were trying to make up time for a couple of errors we had yesterday and we had a great run on SS13 with the helicopter following us - I am optimistic we should get some great coverage from that" stated driver Andrew Comrie-Picard. With respect to the errors, ACP was referencing previously reported issues of underestimating the other top teams commitment (causing them to lose 20 seconds on SS3), as well as their battery issues on SS10 (causing them to lose 10-15 seconds on SS10).

"This morning, we did lose some time on the fast stages due to our gearbox, but we are confident that because we chose the Yokohama mud tires (despite a general consensus among other teams that gravel tires would have been better), we were more comfortable and faster on the still-wet clay surfaces and did not lose any additional time. Not only were we happy to have the mud tires, but we believe our experience here has already been a success" ACP went on to say. The team decided prior to coming that this event would be a test - they wanted to test equipment, team, and setups as well as to gain more experience for this event next year.

" Cog has narrow roads with scary ledges on one side and deep ditches on the other. The speeds here are amazing. This type of rally is one of the reasons that I love rally - where else can you pitch a car seemingly off a ledge and let the car come back to you - this is why I do rallies - Cog is the epitome of the improbable things we do to cars. I cannot say enough about our teams and sponsors for allowing me not only to race but to prep a car to withstand such abuse. There are so many I want to thank:
1) We are running K&N filters which are great for the 'mud splashes';
2) it is likely that with the altitude here, our car would have blown up already without the tuning from Works Mitsubishi. The same goes for Innovative Performance who gave usa wide band air/fuel meter;
3) the Slowboy Racing techs came from drag racing, but they are fully engaged in rally;
4) because there is a lot of turning, our high end Pagid brake pads are priceless;
5) Additionally, Vibrant Performance, Inside Track Motorsports News, and Griddly Headz all deserves a big thanks for their continued support as does Team O'Neil Rally School for teaching me to drive."

Duncan/Duncan looking for the finish  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
As aptly noted in the forums by Sans Thompson, all Car 169 of Duncan/Duncan has to do is finish in order to secure the Group 2 championship. When we let them know that Sans wished them luck and offered them his words of wisdom, while laughing, the team said "we will follow his advice, not his actions...(HA, HA)...actually, we are really just staying on the road because we are sick of fixing the car" stated driver Eric Duncan. The team has had no drama yet, are sitting in 11th overall and leading G2.

Pastrana still in the lead  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom, leads the rally with only three stages remaining. They have a good lead on second place, so they won't be taking any chances. "If we can run three clean stages, we should be OK" said Edstrom. Car 18, Iorio / Holter, would need to run more than a second faster a mile than Pastrana for the remaining 18 miles to take the lead. "The first stage after service will set the tone to the finish. iorio really has to push hard and take some big risks to catch us, but you know, anything can happen" said Pastrana. The team feels they made a very good tire choice today as the car feels great today, "like it's on rails".

Net Control Report  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Car 421 - Waples/Greek- is being reported as off on SS13. Everyone is OK.

Car 413 - Schmidt/Rose - is being reported as needing a tow. Their crew has been notified.

No further information is available.

Today's stages  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
13 teams will start today's leg of the Colorado Cog national event and 7 teams will compete in the Middle Cog II regional event.

The teams will 4 stages before arriving at service in Hayden and then will go back out for 3 more before finishing at Tennis Meadows. Descriptively, the stages are as follows:

SS11 - Sage Creek #1 - length: 5.59 miles - fast stage. Very slippery if wet after junction at 1.34 and 4.77 miles and are listed as double cautions.
SS12 - Middle Cog #4 - length: 6.7 miles - same as SS8 - fairly narrow due to ditches and drop offs. Ditch right from 0.01-1.6; big drop left from0.01-3.2 miles. Double cautions at 1.57, 2.76, and 5.27 miles.
SS13 - Elkhead Flats - length: 6.03 miles - fairly narrow with a few straights, lots of drops. Busy reading at 0.9. Double cautions at 3.75 and 5.11 miles.
SS14 - Super Special at Hayden Fairgrounds
SS15- Sage Creek #2 - length: 5.6 miles. Fast stage, very slippery if wet. Double cautions at .98 and 2.64. Competitors are urged to avoid jumping at small jump at L4 (marked with big red arrow.
SS16 - Elkhead Flats (E-W) - length: 5.97 miles. Hard pack and gravel with lots of quick short corners.
SS17 - Middle Cog #5 - length: 5.05 miles - same as SS3 and SS5 - technical stage, stable road. Double caution at 3.99. Some exposures at 1.4-2.1 and 3.5 to end. busy reading at 0.52 miles.

The picture to the left is SS11. For more stage maps and google earth images, please go to www.rally-america.com/event.coloradocog2006.php Edit

Despite off, Waples win Middle Cog Regional Rally  - Sunday, September 24, 2006
Earlier reports were that Car 421, Waples / Greek, were out on Special Stage 7. That is not the case, as they were able to continue after their off. In the same place Car 710, Conley / Monks rolled their Subaru, they went wide and knew they were going to go off the road. Waples decided it was best to straighten the car out and go off straight avoiding the chance of rolling themselves. The car left the road and almost cleared a small stream on the other side, but nosed in on the far bank. "The car was still running, so we continued" said Waples. The made it through Special Stage 8 and back to service, where they made some minor repairs before continuing to the finish. Despite the off, the team secured the Middle Cog Regional Rally win.

Scott/Dillon getting more comfortable (and faster)  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
Car 96 - Scottt/Dillon - came into a little tentative and sloppy. It has been several months since they drove this car and are still fighting to get accustomed to the Subaru - "I can drive the Focus faster than the Subaru right now" stated Driver Brian Scott.

Despite the obvious power difference between a Focus and a Subaru, it would be expected that Brian would be able to drive the Focus faster as he has been driving that car for 3 years and he is much more comfortable in that car.

Scott/Dillon felt they got quicker later in today's stages and were becoming more comfortable in the later stages of the day. The team is confident they will continue to get quicker as this rally progresses - "the stages tomorrow are shorter and it is expected to be more dry tomorrow - I like that type of stage over what we had today" stated Scott.

Johnson presses on despite problems  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
Even without first gear, Car 46, Johnson / DeMotte, hold onto fifth place in the Colorado Cog National Rally. Johnson believes that first gear went just as they exited a hairpin on Special Stage 7...when the grinding noises started. The team drove Special Stage 8 very well considering their problems. "You just can't screw up because you won't be able to get out of it " smiled Johnson. They are still doing well overall, but did lose quite a bit of time, and the PGT lead, to Car 429, Foust / Crouch.

Car 436 Kilpatrick/Kilpatrick looking to finish - hopefully not last  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
This is the second ever rally for Car 436 - Kilpatrick/Kilpatrick. In 2004, they ran their first ever here at Cog. While they were happy they finished, they were unhappy about road penalties they incurred. The time penalties caused them to finish dead last and they have not forgotten the sting from that.

They want to forget those penalties and as such, have a goal of finishing here, incurring no road points, and hopefully, beating someone - anyone, they don't care who.

Right now, the team is 6th overall in the Middle Cog 1 regional rally. They are 3rd in class and they are in front of three other teams.

Earlier today, the team had their first off today on SS8; the stage was really slippery and they hit their brakes and locked them up, which meant the car would not turn and would not stop. They were able to continue on and only suffered a small overheating problem as a result.

Problems plaguing Jarvis/Weinman  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
Car 113 Jarvis/Weinman is currently leading P class by about 6 seconds, but their day has been anything but uneventful.

When the team came into service this morning, they were complaining that the car would not idle, would not start if they stalled it, they had too little oil pressure, and the coolant had drained twice. The car had been pushed to start, pulled to finish, and the team was frustrated.

"This is the roughest day we have ever had, but that is rally, we are still in and the guys will get us back out" stated driver Kathy Jarvis.

After inspection by the crew, it appears the problem is a water pump. The time required to change the water pump is more than the alloted service time, so Jarvis/Weinman will continue on, as is; they are hopeful that it will hold out until after Parc Ferme this evening when the crew will have adequate time to change the water pump.

Wet conditions make tire choice difficult  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
The wet and muddy conditions are making the tire choice for this rally very difficult. Car 429, Foust / Crouch decided at the start that if they matched the tire choice of Car 46, Johnson / DeMotte, they would be at the same advantage or disadvantage. At the first service, Foust made the choice to go to a narrower Hankook tire that was grooved erring on the side of the slippery corners. "Some corners have grip, and some are slimy" said Foust. "I'd rather drive on snow and ice over this any day, at least you know what you're getting." The team was happy to have had the extra service break this morning as they were able to "lose about 200 lbs" in mud that had collected in the wheel wells.

This event is the local event for the Flatirons Subaru team, and as usual they have put together a great car. After four stages the team sits in second place in PGT and fifth place overall, less than two seconds behind Car 46, Johnson / DeMotte.

Minor damage for Block  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
Car 43, Block / Gelsomino came into service with some cosmetic damage to the left rear of the car. The car wouldn't turn when approaching a tight right hand corner and they went off the road, through a ditch, and hit a post. They were back on the road quickly and lost very little time. "The conditions are very unpredictable, one corner is good and then there's nothing for grip on the next one...I don't like that! I was reading the road conditions pretty well, up until the one we went off on" Block laughed. The service crew was able to beat the fender out and replace the taillight at service and get them out on time. After running four stages, the team is sitting in second place, five seconds behind their teammates Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom.

Internal Battle brews for Iorio  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
"I had a miserable stage, I drove badly - it is unforgivable - worse than I have in a long time" says Car 18 driver Matt Iorio as he steps out of the car during the short service.

Matt goes on to say that the times were quick, in fact only 4 seconds slower than Car 199, but that does not mean he is driving well.

When asked how he balances his anger at self with the performance he wants on the next stages, Matt stated "you cannot go nutty. When I am mad at myself, I use that anger to run faster and cleaner".

Despite his unhappiness with himself, Matt won SS1 and currently, Car 18 is in 3rd position, about 7 seconds out of 1st place.

Attitude is key to success of rally  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
Rally has been known to have highs and lows, whether it be minute to minute or season to season. Travis Hanson's rally season has been no different - one of highs and lows.

Travis and his co-driver father, Terry ran several events early in the season in their Celica. They decided in June to buy a Subaru and did so, just prior to Maine Forest Rally. They had done some testing prior to Maine and were confident in their and the cars abilities. At Maine Forest Rally, they were a fan and press favorite at the jump, and their picture appeared online at MSNBC, in the Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune among others. They were riding high, both figuratively and literally...that was until they rolled the car and it sustained significant damage.

What could have been considered a low has turned into a learning experience. Travis and Terry's view of the season changed in the turn of a car, but Travis did not let that keep him down. Instead of sitting at home pining over the damage to his new car, he turned a potential low into a high - he is a self proclaimed "poster child for Rally America".

Knowing that his car would take time and resources to fix, Travis decided that if he could not drive, he would find a way to stay involved in rally. At Ojibwe Forest Rally, Travis co-drove for fellow newcomer, Heath Nunnemacher and here at Cog, he will be servicing for Matthew Johnson.

Travis is not the exception to the rule, but the norm in rally. For those in the rally community, this is the ordinary. Rally is a tight community where it takes everyone from the event workers to the drivers to make a successful rally and as such, many do the same crossover that Travis is now doing.

For those who aspire to be in the rally community, this is the epitome of what they should strive for. Not only is there an altruistic element to helping others, there is also a belief that crossover such as this will make a participant more well-rounded in whatever position they hold. If they aspire to drive, then a stint as an event worker, as a service crew, or in the co-driver seat will help them achieve that goal.

Boost problems for Johnson  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
After the shakedown stage yesterday, Car 46, Johnson / DeMotte decided it was best to replace their turbo. The team was having boost problems and hope the new turbo solves the issue. "I know everybody is down on power here at this elevation, but our problem is more than that." The crew changed to their "old reliable" turbo at Parc Expose last evening and as of the drivers meeting today, it appeared that the turbo was maintaining boost. Johnson took the PGT win at Ojibwe Forest Rally last month and finished third overall. The team would like to push hard this weekend, but with the predicted slippery road conditions, just making it to the finish is the biggest concern.

Strategies for top 3 teams  - Saturday, September 23, 2006
With only three events left in the Rally America National Championship, the top teams are thinking about the final results of the season and trying to plan for the results they want. Those strategies are as follows:

Car 199 - Pastrana/Edstrom - Referencing their much publicized multiple roll here last year, Pastrana stated, "We want to finish, I am just going to listen to Christian and try and maintain our lead". Currently, Pastrana/Edstrom has 91 points in the standings.

Car 18 - Iorio/Holter - "We are going for the win. That is what we came here for. The only way we can win the championship is for us to win and for Pastrana to have a couple of not so great runs - we cannot control what that team does, so we have to go for the win in order to set ourselves up for the Championship in the next few events" stated Co-driver Ole Holter. Currently, Iorio/Holter has 59 points in the standings.

Car 43 - Block/Gelsomino - "We want to be fast and safe and have a good run here. Right now, Pastrana is 'out there', we probably cannot catch him, but we are only 6 points behind Iorio. We are aware of that and will be watching that" stated Co-driver Alex Gelsomino. Currently, the team has 53 points in the standings.

Last event of the season for Car 113 - Jarvis/Burton  - Friday, September 22, 2006
This will be the last event of the Rally America season for the Femme Fatale Motorsports Volkswagen. Kathy is planning on running Baja and as such, will be focusing her time and resources on that. "We love Rally America events, but we need to focus on getting ready for the Baja".

"We would like to have a good result here at Cog and we are very excited to have some competition (in which to gauge ourselves)" stated team member Forest Duplessis.

The team's regular co-driver Martin Headland could not make this event, but the team is excited to have Emily Burton-Weinman. Emily has had several conversations with Martin and they are confident that the now all-girl team will work wonderfully.

A lot of work has been done to the Femme Fatale Volkswagen since it's last event at Ojibwe Forest Rally, to include new suspension, driveshaft and brakes. In a raving review, Team Manager John Corser states "if anyone is running a volkswagen, Duplessis Motorsport and Team O'Neil Rally School, are the guys you need to talk to.

The team is planning to play with setup and work on getting Kathy and Emily 100% comfortable in the car.