Rally New York is the third of five events in the 2005 Eastern States Rally
Championship, sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). The story of
the season so far is as follows:

SandBlast Rally, Cheraw, South Carolina, January 22 - The season opener
took place in the Cooper Black State Forest (also known as the home of the Southern Dog
Trials). The Georgia-based Irish team of Seamus Burke/Charles Bradley (Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo) took an early lead and motored to a win of nearly 4-1/2 minutes. Patrick
Lilly/Bernard Farrell of Yonkers, New York (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) finished second,
and the North Carolina/California duo of Matthew Johnson/Wendy Nakamoto (Subaru
Impreza WRX) placed third.

Cherokee Trails Rally, Chattanooga, Tennessee, March 19 - Tom
Lawless/Jason Gillespie, of Yonkers and Maspeth, N.Y., respectively (Mitsubishi Lancer
Evo) were clear winners from the Canadian/Californian team of Peter Workum/Christine
Beavis (Subaru Impreza WRX). California's Matt Iorio/Ole Holter (Subaru Impreza
WRX) got the final spot on the podium.

Two of the pre-event favorites were the Libra Racing team Hyundai Tiburons.
One car was crewed by John Buffum/Mark Williams (Vermont's semi-retired U.S. and
North American champion, and Maryland's veteran international navigator) and the other
by Ireland's Seamus Burke/Eddie Fries. But both went out early; Buffum's car broke its
suspension on the third special stage, and Burke rolled his on the fifth.

The remaning rounds of the Eastern States series are:
Rally New York, Monticello, New York, April 16.
Rally Tennessee, Dickson, Tennessee, September 3-4.
International Rally New York, Monticello, New York, Sept. 30-Oct. 1.