Pastrana wins Ojibwe, but Pinker still leads Championship
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
Despite a puncture on SS12, Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom, were able to hang on
for the win at the Ojibwe Forests Rally. Pastrana's Subaru of America teammate
Car 43, Block / Gelsomino, were able to overcome their Friday issues and take
second place. Block hasn't good luck at Ojibwe in the past; this is his first
finish in his three attempts at this rally. Also overcoming their earlier
troubles was third place Car 5, Pinker / Durant; they have maintained the lead
in the Rally America National Championship, but only by one point.
#34 Foust /Beavis were in position to challenge for the lead, until the middle
of the final stage of the night. The team had a sharp rock go through their
right front wheel which destroyed the drive shaft and subsquently the center
diff. They were able to limp to the end of the stage and through the final
transit and make it to the finish with only seconds to spare.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Rally Colorado starting on September 21st - See you
there.
Wiktorczyk moved to 4th in PGT
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
Prior to the start of the Ojibwe Forest Rally, an inquiry was filed by the
technical director regarding a rules issue with car 614 Wiktorczyk/Brady. The
car was found to be non-compliant with the rules for PGT. It was then the
competitors choice whether or not to change classes (to open class), but if they
chose not to, they would incur a 3 position (in class) penalty. The team chose
to continue in PGT class, and at the end of the rally, were placed in the 2nd
position (which was the last finishing position). A protest was filed by the 614
team to appeal their penalty, but the decision of the stewards was upheld by the
protest committee.
Car 686 Nunnemacher/Nunnemacher gets PGT Win (provisionally)
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
According to the provisional results, Car 686 Nunnemacher/Nunnemacher have won
the PGT battle here at the Ojibwe Forests Rally.
The Nunnemacher's are a son-mother team that faced a myriad of challenges this
weekend. An early calculation error cost the team a 10 minute penalty. Their
spirits were temporarily dashed, knowing a 10 minute penalty is nearly
impossible to overcome, it looked bleak for their hopes of a podium finish; the
team picked themselves up and continued on, knowing that to focus on a past
problem would take their focus off the tasks ahead. The Nunnemacher's goals for
the weekend were to be in control of the car, drive a smart, clean rally and not
break the car. Late in the rally, the team came upon the rollover of Car 444
Moyle/Yarroch and threw a red cross because the car was partially blocking the
stage. Their procedure was questioned, and they were ultimately, fined a
monetary penalty. They could given up, but Heath and Heidi kept in mind the old
adage, imparted to them by 5-time champion Tim O'Neil, "to finish first, you
must first finish"; so they kept their collective heads in the race, and their
tenacity paid off - despite all of their challenges, they have come away with
the PGT win.
Photo Credits: Pete Kuncis, www.onalimbracing.com
Sarasin Wins Group 5; Wolfe is Second
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
After a long two days, with much attrition, the final results are in for Group
5. Young driver Kyle Sarasin and his veteran co-driver Mikhael Johansson have
secured the Group 5 win. After a roll at New England Forest Rally, the last
round in the Rally America National Championship, the pair were looking for a
good finish and have succeeded.
At the beginning of the event, Lars Wolfe and Jeff Secor had one goal - stick
to the game plan. Early on in the race, this meant running their own rally; as
it went on that became running smart and clean. They succeeded in sticking to
the game plan and are rewarded with a 2nd place finish. It was a long tow for
the team from California and it was made possible by the teams sponsors
Ponder Research Group, All Points Petroleum, and Fast Signs as well as O34
Motorsports, Absolute Chiropractic, and their crew (Gabe Johnston and Jimmy
Brandt).
Car 151 Chang/Kihurani Win Group N
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
After a run of bad luck this season culminating in a roll at STPR,
Chang/Kihurani, feel vindicated tonight - they have taken the Group N win. They
feel they have run the best they have ever.
"On the last stage, we could have pushed it and got 5th position, but we just
wanted to finish. We are just happy to be here to collect the win and associated
contigencies" stated driver Josh Chang. The team would like to thank Dave and
Gen at Rallispec for getting the parts in time to get here and Pat Richard for
all his help with mapping.
Car 83 Utecht/Bohn Used all luck and speed yesterday
- Sunday, August 26, 2007
Car 83 Utecht/Bohn won the Paul Bunyan Regional Rally yesterday in their rear
wheel drive Ford Mustang. With rooster tails ablazing, the car is a fan favorite
at the spectator locations. Unfortunately, the team's luck did not continue
today. They began having fuel delivery problems prior to the Osage service. The
car seemingly was running out of fuel, but in fact, the fuel pickup (in side the
fuel tank) was broken. Despite, having a 36 minute stage time (competitive stage
times were in the 10-11 minute range), the team was able to continue on and have
finished in the last place in the regional event.
The team is currently leading the Central Division Group 5 Regional
Championship and hoping to win it this year.
Mark would to thank their crew: Alyssa, Megan, Amanda, Mary, Ryan, Kyle, and
Kevin, as well as Car 26's crew, Dave and Sam for helping to fix the fuel
problem, and the organizers for a great event. In jest, Mark would also like to
apologize to Matthew Johnson for any pain he may have caused him.
Car 70 Makes Strategy Call to Ensure a Finish
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 70 Duplessis/Martin have taken the Group 2 win, but not without some drama.
The team had been fighting a misfire since last evening. It appeared as an
intermittent fuel starving issue during transits. As a precautionary measure,
the team changed plugs and wires this morning and also found buildup (most
likely from dust) in the fuel filter. They were optimistic that they had found
the problem; unfortunately, the problem continued to plague them and they
struggled all afternoon and lost 3 minutes.
At the Osage Service, the Duplessis brothers again found buildup in the fuel
filter and feverishly worked on the car. They were forced with a tough decision.
They needed to get their car up a reasonable, legal speed in order to see if the
work had solved their fuel problem, but if they left service, they would incur a
10 minute illegal service penalty. They made a strategic decision to knowingly
incur the penalty, consciously aware they would give up overall positions, but
be more certain to finish, and secure valuable Group 2 points. The gamble worked
and the car prevailed. They took the Group 2 win and are now leading Car 31
Hoche-Mong/Parekh in the Group 2 National Championship, they also finished in
10th position overall, losing only 2 positions because of the ten minute
penalty.
The team would like to thank their sponsors for all the continued help and
support: Pooh Corner Farm, Team O'Neil Rally School, Wilcox Industries, The
Ogontz Group, and Go Fast.
Car 429 Verdier/Crouch having problems, but still holding the lead
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
At the beginning of SS10, Car 429 co-driver Scott Crouch's intercom began to
work intermittently. Throughout SS10, the problem continued on, and came to
ahead when the team came into a Left Three. Verdier could not hear the call, and
came into the corner too fast. The error caused the car to hit a tree damaging
the right rear quarter and bumper cover. The team was able to continue only to
have another off on the same stage, causing a broken control arm and other front
end damage.
"Right now, our goal for today is survival" Couch stated "we came into today
with a comfortable lead, and were hoping just to cruise to the finish with no
drama, but we all know that never happens in rally..."
Verdier and Crouch would like to thank the organizers for a great event, the
fabulous roads, and great organization.
Car 55 using Ojibwe as a learning lesson
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
The immediate competition for Car 55 Sarasin/Johansson for the Group 5
Championship is Car 26 Kendall/Friberg. With Car 26's DNF on SS12, the pressure
is off of the 55 team. "With Kendall and Friberg off, we can now use this event
as a learning lession - we are now trying to learn as much as possible and get
to the finish" stated driver Kyle Sarasin "this event has an element of
difficulty because the surface constantly changing, there is no consistency like
other events, and that is tough to adapt to and we can now capitalize on that
because we are not in direct competition with anyone." Sarasin and Johansson
would like to thank their crew, Kyle's Dad, and the organizers for a great
event.
Foust second after 12 stages
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Only 12 seconds behind Pastrana, Car 34, Foust / Beavis, could be the spoiler in
the battle for the Championship. Foust felt that the tires they started the day
on hurt them early on, but by the last two stages of the morning they were
running pretty evenly with the competition. With three stages remaining, and the
last one being 25 miles long, anything can happen.
Pastrana's lead shrinks
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom, saw their 40 second lead shrink to just over 10
seconds after a flat tire on SS12. Edstrom thought they might have a tire going
down at the start, and by the third turn of the stage, they were sure. By the
end of the stage, the team was driving on just the rim of the right rear. "We
lost about 30 seconds by driving on the flat, we would have lost at least a
minute and a half if we would have stopped to change it" said Edstrom. As far as
the Championship goes, Pastrana and Edstrom need the win and they plan to go for
it!
Pinker fourth
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
After 12 stages Car 5, Pinker / Durant, maintains the fourth position but have
lost a lot of time to the leaders. Pinker described the motor as "limp" on SS12
and was very unhappy about the time they lost. Once in service, the crew
determined the problem was a bad turbo; they will also be changing the turbo on
Rockstar teammates Car 34, Foust / Beavis, car as a precaution. With crucial
Championship points at stake, expect the 5 car to me making a hard charge to the
finish. "We're not quitters" smiled Durant.
Car 26 hoping to lead 2WD and Group 5 to the finish - not to be
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
At this morning's parc expose, Car 26 Kendall/Friberg was hoping to finish as
the fastest 2WD and win their Group 5 class. They knew that they needed to
finish in order to win their class, additionally they were hopeful, at their
home rally, to finish inside the top 10 overall.
Unfortunately, that was not to be. They are being reported as off on SS12; it
appears that they have hit a rock which broke their fuel pump and will be unable
to continue and thus, dashing their hopes for the weekend.
From a strategic perspective, Car 473 Wolfe/Secor had the most to gain from the
problems suffered by Car 26; Wolfe and Secor knew the possibility existed that
the leaders would have problems, and chose to run a clean rally and wait. Their
strategy, thus far, has been brilliant and they are currently sitting 2nd in
class and 13th overall.
More DNF's
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
After failing to finish the rally yesterday due to mechanical issues, Car 122,
Martin / DeMotte has been reported off again with a mechanical problem on SS11.
Car 67, Pepp / Stang, also suffered more mechanical issues today and retired on
SS9.
Car 444, Moyle / Yarroch, has rolled on SS10. The team is OK, but the red cross
was thrown by a following competitor; the stage was transited by the rest of the
field. More recent reports are that the car has continued under their own power,
at least to the finish of 10.
2-3 Rally Team USA looking for a finish
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 473 Wolfe/Secor, 2-3 Rally Team USA, completed day one and driver Lars
Wolfe's first night stages ever. Never having done any night stages, Wolfe was
understandably nervous; however, after the first stage, he found the stages
exhilarating!
Last evening, the team's goal was to finish the day running their own rally, not
worrying about the other teams. "We are running a conservative rally, trying to
learn what the roads are like, so that later, we may attack harder" stated
veteran co-driver Jeff Secor at last night's service.
The strategy seems to have worked and currently, the team is sitting in third
position in their class, Group 5, and set to podium in their class, if all goes
well. "We are just trying to run a clean rally, and will run the rest of the
event keeping an eye on the front runners and be ready to exploit any mistakes
that may be made by those teams," stated Wolfe.
This event is a long trip from California for the team, but Wolfe has not been
disappointed, "I have never been here before, but a lot of drivers have been
telling me that we needed to come out here to Ojibwe - that I would love the
roads - this event is spectacular and the roads phenomenal - it is everything I
had hoped for."
Wolfe would like to thank his sponsors for making this event a reality for him
and for their continued support; they are: Ponder Research Group, All Points
Petroleum, and Fast Signs. He would also like to thank: O34 Motorsports,
Absolute Chiropractic, and their crew (Gabe Johnston and the legendary Jimmy
Brandt) for their help and support.
Car 93 Olson/Ketelson bad luck continues
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
At this morning's parc expose, Car 93 driver Bob Olson was hopeful that the bad
luck that has plagued him this weekend would be replaced with good luck - "we
hope we have gotten the bad luck out of the way" he stated; unfortunately, that
was not to be.
Parts the team ordered on Wednesday and had overnighted did not arrive until
3:30 PM on Friday and despite a valiant effort, the crew could not get the car
ready prior to yesterday's start. This morning, they found a broken hydraulic
line, but this time a valiant effort by the crew prevailed and the team made it
to the parc expose. In transmissions by net control, it appears the car is now
sidelined (for unknown reasons) on the transit between stages 8 and 9.
Osage service
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
The cars are expected to arrive in Osage, MN for their one hour service break
around 5:00pm. The field of 38 cars left the Parc Expose, held at the NW
Technical College in Bemidji, at 1:00pm and headed out to run the first four
stages of the day. Once the teams complete their service, they will run the
final three stages of the rally before finishing at the headquarters hotel in
Bemidji.
Hoche-Mong DNF a learning lesson for Duplessis?
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 70 Duplessis/Headland could stand to gain a sizable lead in the Group 2
National Championship this weekend as result of Car 31 Hoche-Mong/Parekh's DNF.
This is not a given, however, because if Duplessis doesn't finish, he would
still remain one point behind Hoche-Mong. On top of that, Duplessis is the only
Group 2 car left in the Ojibwe Forest Rally. So, what does a team do in a
competition, well, when there is no competition...
"This could be a learning lesson" states co-driver Martin Headland, "Chris
needs to drive for a championship (as opposed to "pushing it" trying to catch
the competition); he needs to finish. I am not telling him to back off, because
sometimes that results in concentration being backed off as well. He needs to be
consistent and safe and run a clean rally."
Despite having no in class competition, Duplessis and Headland are pacing
themselves to another up and coming young driver, Kyle Sarasin. Currently, Car
55 Sarasin/Johansson are sitting in 8th overall, 2 spots above
Duplessis/Headland but with only an 11 second advantage.
More details from Day 1
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 122 Martin/DeMotte was previously reported as off on SS2. In fact, he was
out due to a mechanical issue. The team was running well when the car started
cutting out - the culprit was a collapsed fuel line. The team was in good
spirits, despite their DNF and hoped they would be able to continue for fun on
Day 2.
Car 19 Penasack/Putnam carried too much speed into a right 5 corner on SS2, lost
grip, and went off on the outside. The tried valiantly to get the car to come
out, but were unable to continue. The car appears to be fine; the team is
unsure if they will continue today.
Car 523 Hanson/Hanson had problems about 8 miles into SS5. They slid wide and
found a boulder on the outside of a corner, dashing their hopes of a podium PGT
position. They were unable to continue and got pulled by sweep, an automatic
DNF here. Upon first look, the car appears to have little damage except to the
front right; the team knows they at least must replace a control arm and a tire.
They are currently working on the car and have not yet decided if they will
continue.
Day 2 Starts
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Day 2 of the Ojibwe Forests Rally, as well as the 10,000 Lakes Regional Rally
(which runs concurrently), will begin at 12 PM local time. The day will begin
with a parc expose at NW Technical College in Bemidji, Minnesota. Bemidji is in
the heart of Northern MinnesotaÕs lake and vacation country, surrounded by a
multitude of state forests such as Paul Bunyan, Smokey Hills, and Two Inlets,
this rallyÕs location is nothing short of spectacular.
Heavily wooded forests and lakes are key features of this area, adding to the
rallyÕs appeal and making the race all that more enjoyable to watch; smooth,
fast roads, and fantastic weather make it enjoyable to drive.
There will be seven stages today totalling more than 76 stage miles. After the
parc expose, teams will run four stages before stopping for a long dinner
service in Osage; they will then go back out to run the final three stages
before finishing up back in Bemidji at approximately 9:30 PM.
Final day of action ahead
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
The Ojibwe Forests Rally will resume tomorrow with a Parc Expose at noon before
the cars head to the woods for the final stages. Please make sure to check back
throughout the day for all the latest news and the final results of the rally.
Pastrana leads
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom, have taken a commanding lead after eight stages of
competition at the Ojibwe Forests Rally. Pastrana leads his closest competitor
by more than 40 seconds. Despite being the first car on the stages after the
service break, the team still encountered dust, possibly still hanging in the
air from the course opening car. "I had an awesome stages five and six, but I
fell apart on seven and eight" said Travis at the final check in of the night,
"but we're having fun." There are seven stages remaining in the rally; with the
Championship in their sights, don't expect Pastrana and Edstrom to be taking it
easy anytime soon.
More DNF
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
It was reported that Car 580, Bodnar / Sheaks suffered a blown engine near the
spectator area on SS4.
Car 684, Markut / Nordlie is out of the rally about eight miles into SS5. The
crew is OK, but the car is on its roof and will need a tow truck.
Foust second
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 34, Foust / Beavis, are enjoying the Minnesota roads, but not necessarily
the dust. Early in the day the car was using a lot of water, Foust speculated
that it was due to the sandy roads and being in the throttle so much. Foust
smiled when describing SS3, "there was a section where turn after turn was
linked together, it was almost like drifting." Despite missing a junction (one
that apparently each of the top four missed) and having their intercom fail on
the last set of stages, the team sits in second place at the end of the first
day of the Ojibwe Forests Rally.
Verdier leads PGT
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
The team of Car 429, Verdier / Crouch, need to finish well and gain as many
Championship as possible this weekend. Current PGT leaders, Moro and Rossi, are
not here this weekend, so Verdier has the opportunity to capitalize on his
absence. Their day started out with a blown intercooler pipe on SS1; they were
able to coast to the finish and fixed the problem once in service. There is lots
of dust on the stages, so conditions were difficult, especially after dark. The
team finish the night leading PGT, and fifth overall. They are looking forward
to tomorrow and hope to have a strong finish.
Bartram out
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
Car 690, Bartram / Hotson is reported off 0.3 miles into SS8. The team is OK,
but the car was on its side and against a stump. The crew has set out to get
them out of the stage, hopefully we will get more information later.
Block 3rd at end of day one
- Saturday, August 25, 2007
But their rally has not been uneventful. The crew was busy at the service
changing a gearbox for precautionary reasons; the box didn't feel quite right
and Block missed a couple of shifts because of it. The team also felt like they
were down on power early on; but the crew was able to resolve all of the issues
and sent them out with a top notch car. The team started the second half of the
day behind after losing time when they missed a junction on SS4. They needed to
turn it up for the second half of the night, but they would be driving in their
least favorite conditions, dark and dusty. "It's a long rally, the longest in
the series" said Gelsomino, we just have to see what happens." With the season
winding down, they are running out of events and the opportunity to gain
Championship points. "We need to push, but we need to finish. The Championship
is our goal."
At the end of day one Car 43, Block / Gelsomino, are just over a minute behind
the leader in third place.
First Ojibwe for #5
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Not only is this the team's first time it at Ojibwe, they were the first car on
the road today. "First on the road is not the best place to be here" said
Durant, "we went as quick as we could given the grip." Given the fact that dust
is a big factor, and even a bigger factor at night, they are not sure that being
re-seeded was good for them. "Being first on the road tonight, after the roads
have already be run once, will probably be the best place" said Durant. At the
end of day one, Pinker sits in fourth place, nearly a minute and a half behind
leaders Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom.
#690, running Open
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Cowboy Kenny Bartram is once again in an Open class car after a good performance
at the New England Rally. Hotson said that they are keeping it straight and that
Kenny is driving "pretty tidy" on the stages. Considering how much fun they are
having and the fact that Kenny really likes the dog box transmission, I expect
to see the team in Open class again. The team is currently fifth in Open class
and sixth overall in the National rally.
#26, lead Group 5
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Despite the car getting a hot while on stage, Car 26, Kendall / Friberg, were
able to maintain the Group 5 lead and eighth overall. Friberg had to keep his
finger on the intercooler spray almost the entire time while on stage just to
keep the engine cool. "We were just on the throttle so much that it was getting
really hot" said Friberg.
Update from #533
- Friday, August 24, 2007
"The roads are great and the dust will be tricky tonight, but overall Dad is
driving great!" said Ritchie. They would also like to say "Hi" to Mom and Heidi
who are watching at home. The team is running 10th in the Paul Bunyan's Ride
Regional Rally and hope to finish strong tonight.
The Rally America crew is packing up...
- Friday, August 24, 2007
and heading to the final MTC in Bemidji. An extra minute between competitors has
been added due to the dust on the stages; therefore we expect to see the first
cars arriving to the finish shortly after midnight.
Pastrana leads after SS4
- Friday, August 24, 2007
After starting the day fourth on the road, Car 199, Pastrana / Edstrom, have
taken the rally lead. The teams were reseeded at the first service, therefore
they will finish day one as the first car on the road. Being fourth on the road
had some benefits and some drawbacks; they did have tracks to follow, but they
had to follow the tracks or risk driving in the piled sand just outside them.
They did have quite a bit of dust to contend with fourth out that they will now
be able to avoid starting first.
This rally has been the most frustrating and the most rewarding for Pastrana,
"Two years ago, this was my most frustrating rally ever; the faster I tried to
go the slower I went. But, last year I won here, it was my first Rally America
win." The team plans to continue running a consistent rally and try and gain as
many Championship points as possible.
Competition in multiple classes stays close
- Friday, August 24, 2007
The battle for the top Overall, Open, and PGT remain close and are sure to be
nail-biters if the same continues throughout the event.
The Overall and Open battle is the closest at three seconds between the top two
and only 30 seconds separates the top 4. Pastrana/Edstrom lead the pack.
Stephan Verdier and Scott Crouch are impressively holding the 5th overall
position as well as the PGT lead; on his tail, however, is Car 523
Hanson/Hanson, only 29 seconds back.
A total of less than 3 minutes separates the top 10 positions and it is still
anyone's rally.
Leaderboard after Four Stages
- Friday, August 24, 2007
The cars have started arriving into Akeley for the first service break of the
rally. The teams will have an hour to complete any repairs they may need and
prepare the cars for the final four stages of the night.
The top 10 cars after SS4 is as follows:
Car 199 Pastrana/Edstrom 29:26
Car 34 Foust/Beavis 29:29
Car 5 Pinker/Durant 29:43
Car 43 Block/Gelsomino 29:57
Car 429 Verdier/Crouch 32:03
Car 690 Bartram/Hotson 32:16
Car 523 Hanson/Hanson 32:32
Car 26 Kendall/Friberg 32:51
Car 614 Wiktorczyk/Brady 32:56
Car 67 Pepp/Stang 33:20
First 4 stages not being kind to teams
- Friday, August 24, 2007
The 3/4 mile super special stage that started the Ojibwe Forest Rally was not
kind to several competitors. Car 31 Hoche-Mong/Parekh, and Car 312 Babkock/Parps
did not finish SS1 due to various problems. Additionally, Car 93 Olson/Ketelson
and 770 Bothee/Johnson are being listed as DNS's and Car 811 Sozanski/Slocum
incurred a 2 minute penalty for having the driver's window down on stage.
The DNF is particularly heartbreaking for Hoche-Mong/Parekh, as they are
currently leading the Group 2 National Championship by only one point over Car
70 Duplessis/Headland. At this point, if Duplessis finishes the rally,
Hoche-Mong will be down many points and his hopes for a championship dashed.
Special Stage 2 has not been any better to competitors either as Car 46
Johnson/Wimpey have been reported as having rolled, Car 122 Martin/DeMotte, Car
19 Penasack/ Putnam, and Car 570 Payeur/Payeur are all being reported as off.
There is some speculation that these teams may continue on.
Throughout special stages 2 and 3, Car 207 Hintz/Dillon drove with a turbo
problem; this problem cost the team at least 2 minutes. On SS3, Car 44
Krowlikowski/Krowlikowski had a front flat tire, and needed to change it on
stage; this cost the team about 5 minutes. Car 580 Bodnar/Sheaks and Car 669 are
being reported as out and as of yet, no further details are available.
Ojibwe Forests Rally - Fun for Competitors and Spectators Alike
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Smooth, fast roads, fantastic weather, and nighttime stages make this event one
of the best for spectators. It is also a late season chance for drivers to up
their points within the Championship Series and push for a top standing at the
end of the season.
The roads at Ojibwe are a driver's dream, and they often cite this rally as one
of their favorite races- although the roads are demanding, they are also
extremely fun to navigate.
Spectacular summer weather means that this rally is a favorite for spectators
too! However, Ojibwe’s roads are also marked by soft, sandy spots, which can
create trouble for rally teams, as sand can slow cars down and make it difficult
to make up for time lost. This means that co-drivers need to be especially
accurate with their instructions, as many a top podium spot has been lost to the
sand.
Ojibwe Forests Rally Begins
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Forty four Competitors have arrived in northern Minnesota to rally this weekend.
Twenty one teams have entered Ojibwe Forests Rally, the 9th round in the Rally
America National Championship. Both the Paul Bunyan's Ride Rally and the 10,000
Lakes Rally are part of the regional championship and will run concurrently
with the national event; nineteen teams have entered those events. Four teams
have chosen to enter both the national and regional events
After much ado about the impact of weather on Minnesota and many flights being
cancelled or delayed, all teams have arrived and are ready to start lining up to
run in reverse order for the first stage of the day, a super special at the
local dirt track; special stage 1 is scheduled to start at 4:20 PM local time.
After that, the teams will go into the woods for some great rally racing. They
will eventually run a total of 67 stage miles and are estimated to finish at
approximately midnight.
Welcome to Ojibwe Forests 2007
- Friday, August 24, 2007
Check back often for all the latest news and scores of the rally!
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