The 1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally, August 23-25, 1996 will be headquartered in Bemidji, Minnesota. The course will travel the scenic and challenging roads of the Paul Bunyan, Two Inlets, Smokey Hills, and White Earth State Forests. The roads vary from twisty, hard surfaces to flat and sandy surfaces. The course is designed to be compact with a comfortable schedule. We always run on time.
The national course is approximately 350 miles long with 150 stage miles, beginning on Friday and ending at approximately midnight on Saturday. The 10,000 Lakes Divisional will run on Friday as a coefficient 2 rally with 45 stage miles and approximately 150 total miles. Paul Bunyan's Divisional on Saturday will be a coefficient 3 rally with 90 stage miles in approximately 200 total miles. The National counts toward the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally championship and the North American Rally Championship.
The tentative schedule in Bemidji is:
Friday, August 23 0800-1600 Registration
0900-1700 Tech Inspection
1930 National Rally begins
10,000 Lakes Divisional begins
Saturday, August 24 0900-1200 Divisional Registration &
Tech Inspection
1200-1400 Parc Expose for United Way
1400 Rally leaves Bemidji
PBR begins
2400 Rally ends
Sunday, August 25 0100-0300 Rally Awards Buffet
The rally is headquartered at the Northland Inn. Reservations may be made by calling the Northland Inn at (218) 751-7700. Use the reservation code of OPR. Other motels in the area are the Comfort Inn at (218) 751-7700 (use the same reservation code); the Super 8 Motel at (218) 741-8481; and the Days Inn at (218) 751-0390. It is recommended that you call early for reservations.
If you need a co-driver for the event, or, if you will be attending the divisional school, please note this on your registration and call Kerry Freund.
If you would like more information about this event, please contact one of the following people:
Beryl Burton, Chairman
Bruce Weinman, Chairman
CompuServe: 73220,611
bweinman@piper.hamline.edu
Kerry Freund, Registrar
CompuServe 73510,3722
Sarah Lenz, Press
sbl1949@aol.com
MEDIA_ALERT
Event: Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Round #7 of the 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally series. Race cars from around the world will compete at high
speeds through the White Earth State Forest and Paul Bunyan State
Forest between Bemidji and Park Rapids, in northern Minnesota.
When: Friday - Sunday, August 23 - 25, 1996
Schedule_-_Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Registration - Northern Inn, Bemidji
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Tech inspection - Chalet Car Wash,
703 Paul Bunyan Dr., Bemidji
1:30 PM - Media briefing - press room; Northern Inn, Bemidji
2:00 PM - Michelin fire safety training demonstration - parking
Northern Inn, Bemidji
7:00 PM - First car starts - Leg #1 of Ojibwe Forests Rally; also
10,000 Lakes Divisional PRO Rally;
Northern Inn, Bemidji
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Divisional Registration, Northern Inn
Schedule_-_Saturday
12:15 AM - First car finishes Friday section - Northern Inn,
Bemidji.
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Divisional Registration - Northern Inn,
Bemidji
noon - 2:00 PM - Parc Expose - Display of cars/activities to
benefit the Bemidji Area United Way,
Paul Bunyan Mall parking lot, Bemidji
2:00 PM - First car starts Leg #2 of Ojibwe Forests Rally and
Paul Bunyan's Ride divisional event - Paul Bunyan Mall,
Bemidji
11:45 PM - First car finishes Ojibwe Forests Rally -
Northern Inn, Bemidji.
Where: Rally headquarters will be at the Northern Inn, Highway #2,
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 (218) 751-9500.
Duration: 155 stage miles, 365 total miles, 22 stages
Rank: Full National Rally, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America,
administered by the SCCA PRO Rally Board, and sponsored nationally
by Michelin Tire Company. Presented by the Land O'Lakes Region of
the Sports Car Club of America.
Interviews: Drivers will be available by contacting the press room at the
Northern Inn starting August 22th. Series spokes-people are
also available through the press room including team owner
John Buffum, former 11-time national Champion, event organizer
Beryl Ann Burton, and defending champion Paul Choiniere.
Expected Top Entries: Paul Choiniere - defending overall five-time national
and 4-time Ojibwe champion - in his '96 Hyundai Elantra; Carl
Merrill - defending Ojibwe champion - in his 400 hp Ford Escort
Cosworth; Henry Joy - second at Rim of the World earlier this year -
in a right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer; Selcuk Karamanoglu, in a
Production GT Eagle Talon, third overall in points; Cal Landau, 1990
Production champion and defending Production GT titleholder, in a
Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse; Sam Bryan, in a new factory Group 5
Saab 900 turbo, trying to finish his first rally in that new car;
Ralph Kosmides, in a factory Group 5 Toyota Supra, currently the
class leader; Mike Whitman, in the country's fastest Datsun 510,
leading Group 2; Lon Peterson, from Victorville, Calif., currently
leading Production class, in a Kia Sephia; Jim Anderson, from Mebane,
NC, second in Production in a Honda Prelude VTEC.
Visuals: There will be escorts to take photographers and
video crews onto the course during the daylight part
of the rally on Friday and Saturday. Anyone requiring
supplied photos or video should contact Andy Schupack in the
press room starting August 22. Rally cars going through mud,
over yumps and rough terrain, and sliding at high speed through
tight turns provide exciting visuals.
Media Info: We will provide phone-ins on event information,
driver interviews, and results. We will fax
stories and agate Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We have B-roll available for TV. The press room will be
located in the Northern Inn, Bemidji.
Contact: Andy Schupack - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
media liaison:
(218) 751-9500 ext. 320 (direct line -
August 22 - 25)
(401) 739-5677 (before August 22; after
August 25)
# # #
1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Entry List
Round #7 - 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Start order/entry List as of 8/18/96
*running divisional events as well
Car National
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Henry Joy IV Christopher Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Sherman Oaks, CA Michelin
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin
1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Great Neck, NY Michelin
33 Tom Ottey Pam McGarvey Hyundai Elantra Open
Columbus, OH Columbus, OH Michelin
13 Selcuk Karamanoglu Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon PGT
Bath, ME Plain City, OH Michelin
7 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
4 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
14 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT
Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin
10 Mike Hurst Lynn Dillion Porsche 911 Group 5
Pendleton, IN Evansville, INN Michelin
16 Ralph Kosmides Joe Noyes Toyota Supra Group 5
Newport Beach, CA Bothell, WA Michelin
15* Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Turbo Group 5
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin
18 Vinnie Frontinan Frank Cunningham VW Corrado Group 5
Somerville, MA Boston, MA Michelin
39 Mike Whitman Paula Gibeault Datsun 510 Group 2
Farmington, NM Ridgecrest, CA Michelin
19 Lon Peterson Bill Gutzmann Kia Sephia Prod.
Victorville, CA Ontario, CA
29 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin
20* Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
12 George Plsek TBD Saab 99 Group 5
Del Mar, CA
22 Al Kaumeheiwa Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Group 5
Brighton, MI Marquette, MI
23 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby Charger Group 5
Blaine, MN Spring Lake Park, MN Bridgestone
# # #
1996 10,000 Lakes Divisional Entry - Friday night
15 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow O2
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
20 Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
31 Chris Czyzio Eric Carlson Plymouth Arrow O2
Flushing, MI Hermantown, MI Pirelli
32 Robert Nielsen Doug Dill VW GTI U2
St. Paul, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
34 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo O2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
35 Bill Bjorklund Al Kintigh Dodge Omni O2
Minneapolis, MN Brooklyn Park, MN
36 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
37 Douglas Davenport Brent Cary VW GTI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Bridgestone
38 Eric Schroeder Jennie Mynhier VW Jetta GLI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Peerless
39 Jeffrey Harty Dave Bruce Toyota MR2 U2
Garrett, IN South Point, OH Michelin
40 Jason Anderson Jared Kemp Dodge Omni U2
Crystal City, MN Hubbel, MN
41 Jason Lajon John Adleman Dodge Omni GLH O2
Minneapolis, MN Crystal, MN Michelin
42 Art Burmeister Eric Burmesiter VW GTI O2
Sterling, MI Holland, MI Michelin
43 Eric Seppanen Adam Payeur Dodge Omni GLH O2
St. Louis Park, MN Anoka, MN Michelin
44 Paul Moormann TBD Saab Sonett II 02
Minneapolis, MN Michelin
45 Daniel Neath Mark Neath Toyota Pickup U2
Olathe, KS Kansas City, KS BFGoodrich
46 Aaron Hatz Brendan Higgins VW Rabbit U2
Minnetonka, MN Minnetonka, MN Michelin
47 Joe Huttle Todd Erickson Ford Fiesta U2
Coon Rapids, MN Brooklyn Park, MN Pirelli
1996 Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional Entry - Saturday
15 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow O2
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
20 Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AK Cooper
32 Robert Nielsen Doug Dill VW GTI U2
St. Paul, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
34 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo O2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
35 Bill Bjorklund Al Kintigh Dodge Omni O2
Minneapolis, MN Brooklyn Park, MN
36 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
37 Douglas Davenport Brent Cary VW GTI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Bridgestone
38 Eric Schroeder Jennie Mynhier VW Jetta GLI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Peerless
39 Jeffrey Harty Dave Bruce Toyota MR2 U2
Garrett, IN South Point, OH Michelin
40 Jason Anderson Jared Kemp Dodge Omni U2
Crystal City, MN Hubbel, MN
41 John Adleman Jason Lejon Dodge Omni GLH O2
Crystal, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
42 Art Burmeister Eric Burmesiter VW GTI O2
Sterling, MI Holland, MI Michelin
43 Eric Seppanen Adam Payeur Dodge Omni GLH O2
St. Louis Park, MN Anoka, MN Michelin
44 Paul Moormann TBD Saab Sonett II 02
Minneapolis, MN Michelin
45 Daniel Neath Mark Neath Toyota Pickup U2
Olathe, KS Kansas City, KS BFGoodrich
46 Aaron Hatz Brendan Higgins VW Rabbit U2
Minnetonka, MN Minnetonka, MN Michelin
47 Todd Erickson Joe Huttle Ford Fiesta U2
Brooklyn Park, MN Coon Rapids, MN Pirelli
# # #
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack
(401) 739-5677
'96 SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES STARTS HOME STRETCH AS RACERS
RUMBLE INTO BEMIDJI FOR OJIBWE FORESTS PRO RALLY AUGUST 23 - 25
BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Aug. 18 -- More than 400 race drivers, crew, workers
and officials will descend on Bemidji this weekend as round #7 of the
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series - the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - will roar
through the Paul Bunyan and White Earth State Forests August 23 - 25.
Paul Choiniere, from Shelburne, Vermont, along with co-driver Jeff Becker,
have dominated the series in the recent past, winning the overall national
title five of the last six years, including the last four in a row. Last
year, however, Choiniere and Becker stumbled at the Ojibwe event, losing
time due to an ignition problem and finishing well back in the pack in
their all-wheel-drive, turbocharged Hyundai Elantra. So far this year,
the pair has won four events and again sit atop the point standings going
in the Minnesota event.
On the other hand, Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine along with co-
driver John Bellefleur - winners of the '95 Ojibwe Forests event - have
been chasing Choiniere this year, grabbing a win at Olympia, Wash., and
top three finishes almost everywhere else. Merrill's 400-hp Ford Escort
Cosworth has undergone extensive repairs after a heavy crash during a
Canadian event in May. In fact, at a recent event in Pennsylvania,
Merrill had to borrow an ex-Choiniere car to compete in the rally.
The other car which will challenge Choiniere and Merrill in the overall
class is the right-hand-drive, 350 hp Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Henry
Joy, from Atlanta, Mich., with co-driver Chris Griffin. Joy, who
contested the series championship a year ago, finishing second overall to
Choiniere, is running a limited schedule for 1996.
The final racer in the Open class is the Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey husband
and wife team, from Columbus, Ohio, in their Hyundai Elantra. Ottey, a
former national champion, has the skill to keep up with the leaders, but
mechanical woes with the car have prevented a run for the title in '96.
Local activities and schedule
Activities get underway on Friday, August 23, with the tech inspection for
all the race cars at the Chalet Center Car Wash, 703 Paul Bunyan Drive, in
Bemidji from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. On Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM, there
will be a fire safety demonstration in the parking lot of the Northern Inn
to show competitors and officials how to put out a race car fire using
the cars' on board safety equipment. The public is invited to see this
on-going safety training demonstration. All PRO Rally cars have safety
equipment including aircraft-style safety harnesses, roll cages, and fire
extinguishers.
The cars then leave the Northern Inn in Bemidji at one-minute intervals at
7:10 PM to start the first night of racing.
On Saturday, the cars will be on display from noon to 2:00 PM at the
Paul Bunyan Mall , with all activities to benefit the Bemidji Area United
Way. Live radio remotes, autographs, free racing posters, a raffle for a
free set of Michelin tires, a vote for the public's favorite car, and
other prizes will be part of the festivities. The rally then leaves the
Paul Bunyan Mall at 2:00 PM - again at one-minute intervals.
Directions for viewing areas for the racing in the forest will be
available at the Northern Inn starting Thursday, August 22, or by calling
the Northern Inn at (218) 751-9500, ext. 320 starting Thursday morning.
Admission to all activities is free.
Other competitors
Besides the fastest, overall competitors, there are less exotic cars
running in different classes which allow less modifications. The cars
mentioned above are all four-wheel-drive, turbocharged, highly-modified
racers, while various Production classes allow very few changes to the
stock vehicles driven on the street.
A popular new class in the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series for 1996 is the
Group 5 class, and the competition has already been fierce after six
events. The Group 5 class is for two-wheel-drive cars, but allows the
Open-class-style rules for free engine, brakes, transmission and
suspension modifications.
The stars of this new class at Ojibwe should be a powerful Toyota Supra, a
converted 4WD Toyota Celica, the country's fastest Saab 900, a Dodge
Shadow, a new VW Corrado and a vintage Porsche 911.
Sam Bryan, from Kent, Washington, and his co-driver Rob Walden, will be
entering a sophisticated Group 5 Saab 900 turbo, with 12" brakes, 300
horsepower, and electronic engine controls. The driver is no slouch,
either, as Sam won the Group 2 title with a small-engined Saab last
year.
The Toyota contingent will be led by the Toyota Supra of Ruby's Diner
partner Ralph Kosmides, from Newport Beach, Calif., and his co-driver Joe
Noyes. Kosmides' car is more stock that Bryan's, but still puts out more
than 235 horsepower and will have plenty of speed for the Paul Bunyan and
White Earth Forest stage roads. Last year's Group A Champion Bruce Newey,
with co-driver Matt Chester, will be running last year's car, a Toyota
Celica, converted to Group 5 from the now-defunct Group A class.
They will be challenged by a Dodge which become very competitive under the
new Group 5 rules. The Dodge Shadow of Henry and Cindy Krolikowski, which
won Group 5 at the season opener in South Carolina, and the most recent
events in Pennsylvania and Maine, will challenge the new model entries.
All the Group 5 cars were forced to run against the 4WD cars in Open class
before the advent of Group 5.
One unknown quantity in Group 5 will be the new VW Corrado of Vinnie
Frontinan/Frank Cunningham, although the car will be using many proven
rally components already being used in the VW GTI racers. Vinnie crashed
in Pennsylvania last month after only two stages at the car's debut, and
finished well back in Maine after losing a wheel. Another unknown is the
Porsche 911 of Mike Hurst, which ran just two stages before it broke
earlier this year in South Carolina, but came back to finish second behind
the Krolikowskis in Maine despite numerous electrical problems.
In Production GT - the class for stock production cars with 4WD and
turbocharged engines, Selcuk Karamanoglu - a resident of Maine after
coming to the U.S. from his native Turkey - will try to continue his great
run, having won his class each time he has entered in his Eagle Talon as
well as finishing first overall in one of the rallies in Washington State.
He will be challenged by last year's class champion Cal Landau in a
Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Minneapolis-area resident Steve Gingras (formerly
from Duluth) - also in an Eclipse.
In the Production class, class leader Lon Peterson and his Kia Sephia
are making the trip to Minnesota to battle the Honda Prelude VTEC of Jim
Anderson - currently right behind Lon in the points.
The Group 2 battle has had several winners already this year, with the top
point leader trying to expand his margin in Bemidji. Class leader Mike
Whitman with his Datsun 510 (winner at the California, Pennsylvania and
Maine events) should put on quite a show, with a victory putting him in
line for his first SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally title.
The 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series consists of eleven events, and is
sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, and sanctioned by the Sports Car
Club of America. The 1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally is presented by
the SCCA's Land 'O Lakes Region.
# # #
1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - Entry List
Round #7 - 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Final Start Order/Entry List
*running divisional events as well
Car National
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin
1 Paul Choiniere John Buffum Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Colchester, VT Michelin
2 Henry Joy IV Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Kingston, Jamaica Michelin
13 Selcuk Karamanoglu Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon PGT
Bath, ME Plain City, OH Michelin
7 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin
4 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin
14 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT
Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin
10 Mike Hurst Lynn Dillion Porsche 911 Group 5
Pendleton, IN Evansville, INN Michelin
16 Ralph Kosmides Joe Noyes Toyota Supra Group 5
Newport Beach, CA Bothell, WA Michelin
15* Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Turbo Group 5
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin
39 Mike Whitman Paula Gibeault Datsun 510 Group 2
Farmington, NM Ridgecrest, CA Michelin
19 Lon Peterson Bill Gutzmann Kia Sephia Prod.
Victorville, CA Ontario, CA
29 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin
20* Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
21 George Plsek Renn Phillips Saab 99 Group 5
Del Mar, CA Del Mar, CA
22 Al Kaumeheiwa Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Prod.
Brighton, MI Marquette, MI
23 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby Charger Group 5
Blaine, MN Spring Lake Park, MN Bridgestone
# # #
1996 10,000 Lakes Divisional Entry - Friday night
15 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow O2
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
20 Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC O2
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AR Cooper
31 Chris Czyzio Eric Carlson Plymouth Arrow O2
Flushing, MI Hermantown, MI Pirelli
32 Robert Nielsen Doug Dill VW GTI U2
St. Paul, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
34 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo O2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
35 Bill Bjorklund Al Kintigh Dodge Omni O2
Minneapolis, MN Brooklyn Park, MN
36 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
37 Douglas Davenport Brent Cary VW GTI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Bridgestone
38 Eric Schroeder Jennie Mynhier VW Jetta GLI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Peerless
48 Jeffrey Harty Dave Bruce Toyota MR2 U2
Garrett, IN South Point, OH Michelin
40 Jason Anderson Jared Kemp Dodge Omni U2
Crystal City, MN Hubbel, MN
41 Jason Lajon John Adleman Dodge Omni GLH O2
Minneapolis, MN Crystal, MN Michelin
42 Art Burmeister Eric Burmeister VW GTI O2
Sterling, MI Holland, MI Michelin
43 Eric Seppanen Adam Payeur Dodge Omni GLH O2
St. Louis Park, MN Anoka, MN Michelin
44 Paul Moormann Suzanne Wootton Saab Sonett II 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN. Michelin
45 Daniel Neath Elmer Rinehart Toyota Pickup U2
Olathe, KS Marquette, MI. BFGoodrich
46 Aaron Hatz Brendan Higgins VW Rabbit U2
Minnetonka, MN Minnetonka, MN Michelin
47 Joe Huttle Todd Erickson Ford Fiesta U2
Coon Rapids, MN Brooklyn Park, MN Pirelli
49 Dave Konetski William Konetski Toyota Celica U2
Andover, MN St. Louis Park, MN Conway
# # #
1996 Paul Bunyan's Ride Divisional Rally - Saturday
15 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow O2
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin
20 Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC O2
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin
117 Ken Stewart Floyd "Doc" Shrader Chevy S-10 Pickup O4
Grove, OK West Memphis, AR Cooper
32 Robert Nielsen Doug Dill VW GTI U2
St. Paul, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
34 Mark Utecht Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH-Turbo O2
St. Paul, MN Coon Rapids, MN Michelin
35 Bill Bjorklund Al Kintigh Dodge Omni O2
Minneapolis, MN Brooklyn Park, MN
36 Sylvester Stepniewski Adam Pelc VW Scirocco U2
Keansburg, NJ Brooklyn, NY Michelin
37 Douglas Davenport Brent Cary VW GTI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Bridgestone
38 Eric Schroeder Jennie Mynhier VW Jetta GLI U2
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Peerless
48 Jeffrey Harty Dave Bruce Toyota MR2 U2
Garrett, IN South Point, OH Michelin
40 Jason Anderson Jared Kemp Dodge Omni U2
Crystal City, MN Hubbel, MN
41 John Adleman Jason Lejon Dodge Omni GLH O2
Crystal, MN Minneapolis, MN Michelin
42 Art Burmeister Eric Burmeister VW GTI O2
Sterling, MI Holland, MI Michelin
43 Eric Seppanen Adam Payeur Dodge Omni GLH O2
St. Louis Park, MN Anoka, MN Michelin
44 Paul Moormann Suzanne Wootton Saab Sonett II 02
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN. Michelin
45 Daniel Neath Elmer Rinehart Toyota Pickup U2
Olathe, KS Marquette, MI. BFGoodrich
46 Aaron Hatz Brendan Higgins VW Rabbit U2
Minnetonka, MN Minnetonka, MN Michelin
47 Joe Huttle Todd Erickson Ford Fiesta U2
Coon Rapids, MN Brooklyn Park, MN Pirelli
49 Dave Konetski William Konetski Toyota Celica U2
Andover, MN St. Louis Park, MN Conway
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #1
August 23, 1996 - 11:00 am
1. Welcome to Bemidji, Maine, site of the 11th annual Ojibwe
Forests PRO Rally, round #7 of the 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally series. This is actually the 14th PRO rally
running through the Paul Bunyan and White Earth State
Forest, with the 1982 - 85 event running as a divisional
PRO Rally. The roads are in much better shape than a
year ago, when tornados ravaged the area, and the dry
summer has left the forests relatively bug-free. The 38
car entry (prior to the opening of registration) is up
substantially from last year, continuing the upswing
started this year at STPR.
2. Two of the top three competitors have different co-
drivers for this event. Paul Choiniere's regular
navigator, Jeff Becker, has been home from work ever
since the Maine Forest rally last month with a herniated
disk in his back, and was unable to make the trip to
Minnesota for the event. Car owner and 11-time PRO Rally
champion John Buffum will co-drive for Choiniere in the
points-leading Hyundai Elantra.
In the right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer, driver Henry
Joy has tapped Jamaican veteran Michale Fennell to sit in
the navigator's seat to replace Chris Griffin, who had an
accident at work and was unable to make the trip from
Southern California. Fennell, Peter Moodie's regular co-
driver, was available as Moodie has been road racing in
South America this year, ran parts of the U.S. rally
series in 1994 and 1995.
3. The Tom Ottey/Pam McGarvey Hyundai Elantra will not be
here this weekend as mechanical gremlins continue to
plague their car. After solving an overheating problem
in their Columbus, Ohio shop, they encountered an oil
pressure problem they couldn't fix in time. This is the
third event that they have entered that they could not
run because of mechanical problems.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #2
August 23, 1996 - 6:00 pm
4. Series manager Tom Grimshaw has put the Carl Merrill/John
Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth first on the road since
chief rival Paul Choiniere was first at the last event in
Maine. At the seeded draw in early August, Henry Joy had
secured the #1 slot, but Grimshaw determined that Merrill
deserved the slot as Joy had only run one other event
this year. Normally, competitors start in the order
dictated by the seeded draw, but the FIA seeded drivers
have informally agreed to rotate positions over the last
several years. Today's move now begs the question - if
Joy runs any more events this year - where everyone will
start. The first-on-the-road position could be
significant over the 52 stage miles tonight as the forest
roads are likely to be dusty.
5. The Vinnie Frontinan/Frank Arruda VW Corrado, which ran
well in its first full rally in Maine last month, is a
DNS in the Group 5 class as Vinnie did not make it to the
event.
6. Other driver/co-driver combinations that are a little
different this weekend include Anne Thomas, Leslie
Suddard's regular co-driver, replacing Martin Dapot in
Jim Anderson's Honda Prelude; Lynn Dillion replacing Rob
Bohn in Mike Hurst's Porsche 911; and Renn Phillips
replacing Mark Ratham in George Plsek's Saab 99.
7. Bruce Newey, driver of the Metro Rallye Sport Toyota
Celica Group 5 car, was on CNN-FN's "The Most Toys" show
live on Friday, August 16. Newey discussed the sport of
PRO Rally with the host for five minutes, and took calls
from the viewers.
8. 39 cars (19 national and 20 divisional entries) took the
countdown to start the 14th Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally.
The weather was almost perfect, with mid-70's
temperatures, low humidity, and a slight wind.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #3
August 23, 1996 - 10:00 pm
9. As the season shows only five more events on the schedule
(four national rallies and one 60 percent event), the
points chases are taking definitive shape, although only
the best six finishes count, so anything can still
happen.
--In the overall battle, Paul Choiniere in his Hyundai
Elantra has a scant 16 point lead over Carl Merrill's
Ford Escort Cosworth, with Selcuk Karamanoglu -the
Production GT leader, on two points behind Carl in
third place overall with his Eagle Talon. Choiniere
has won the past three events, including a thriller
last month in Maine where he passed Merrill on the last
stage after Merrill has passed him on the stage before.
Selcuk has won an event outright this year - the first
Production GT car to do so since 1992 - and has
finished second overall while running undefeated in
class. The Mitsubishi Lancer of Henry Joy is far back
in the standings with its abbreviated schedule, having
run just one rally so far this year (a second place at
Rim of the World). Merrill won at Olympia, Washington;
Selcuk at the 60 percent event in Olympia, and
Choiniere at Rim, STPR, Maine and the 60 percent event
in South Carolina.
--In the Group 5 class for two-wheel-drive cars with
adjusted displacements of over 2.4 liters, another
great field has been assembled for the Ojibwe event.
Points leader Ralph Kosmides compiled an early-season
lead in his Toyota Supra with three class wins, but
Henry Krolikowski has earned three wins of his own in a
Dodge Shadow to climb into contention for the points
lead. The new factory Saab 900 driven by Sam Bryan is
looking to break into the win column here after a
successful week at the Saab national owners convention.
The only glitch was the team popped a CV joint during
the convention, but co-driver and prime car prepared
Rob Walden fixed that yesterday. George Plsek has
brought his Saab 99 from Southern California, while
Mike Hurst has his Porsche 911 and Bruce Newey his
Toyota Celica - both cars trying to live up to pre-
season expectations. Mark Larson's Dodge Shelby
Charger rounds out the Group 5 class.
--In Group 2 (same configuration as Group 5 for under 2.4
liters), the Mike Whitman Datsun 510 can virtually
clinch the national championship in his class this
weekend with a win. That's because Dave Peterson, in
second place with his VW GTI, has decided not to run
the rest of the events due to his busy non-rally
schedule. Pete Lahm, the only other Group 2 driver
entered this weekend, has a chance to move up to as
high as third place in the standings with a good
showing in his Datsun 510.
--By starting the rally earlier this evening and earning
the two starting points, Selcuk Karamonoglu is the
first driver to clinch an SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally
championship for 1996. Selcuk, who won the title in
1994, has had a remarkable season in class, and is
still in contention for the overall championship.
'95 champion Cal Landau has had some decent runs in his
Mitsubishi Eclipse, but has been unable to keep up with
Karamanoglu (pronounced ka-raa-maan-o-lu, the "g" is
silent). For this event, former PGT contender Steve
Gingras is joining the fray in his Mitsubishi Eclipse,
which ran the Headwaters divisional event earlier this
year, but has not run a national event since the Lake
Superior PRO Rally last year.
--In the Production class, Jim Anderson's Honda Prelude
VTEC has been chipping away at the early-season lead
built up by the Lon Peterson Kia Sephia, but Peterson
has made the trip from Southern California to defend
his first-place position. An interesting entry in the
Production class is the Dodge Neon of Al Kaumeheiwa, a
Chrysler employee, who debuted the car in Michigan last
year. Although the car did not finish that event, Al
hopes to challenge the two experienced Production class
entries at this rally.
10. First reports from the field indicate that the Cal
Landau/Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT car is the
first racer out of the event as the pair is off the road
on stage #2 with a broken transmission.
11. The rally is beginning to run behind schedule as the
heavy dust has forced the organizer to go to two-minute
intervals.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #4
August 23, 1996 - 11:40 pm
12. Standings after five stages for the national event:
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE Class
(min.1/100)
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Escort 25.96 Open
2 Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsu. Lancer 26.39 Open
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai 27.35 Open
13 S Karamanoglu/Y Bitner Eagle Talon 28.42 GT
10 Mike Hurst/Lynn Dillion Porsche 911s 28.60 Group 5
4 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 28.76 Group 5
15 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge Shadow 29.12 Group 5
14 Steve Gingras/B. Westrick Mitsu. Eclips 29.53 GT
22 Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault Datsun 510 29.85 Group 2
16 Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes Toyota Supra 30.00 Group 5
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica 30.42 Group 5
31 Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas Honda Prelude 30.47 Prod.
19 Lon Peterson/B. Gutzmann Kia Sephia 31.06 Prod.
29 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 31.13 Group 2
22 Al Kaumeheiwa/ C. Sobczak Dodge Neon 31.38 Prod.
21 George Plsek/R. Phillips Saab 99 31.42 Group 5
23 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Charger 31.76 Group 5
DNF
7 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse Electrical SS1
13. The dust has proven to be a factor for the cars up front, as
Merrill has been able to put 27 seconds between him and Joy,
with Choiniere a minute behind Henry after five stages. With
17 stages to go, however, it is still early in the event.
14. Cal Landau and Eric Marcus have returned to rally
headquarters and confirmed their Mitsubishi Eclipse was a
DNF, but it was an electrical problem on stage #1 that
finished them for the evening. Marcus, who sprained his
ankle running back to the car after putting out the triangle,
reported that they were running in excess on 90 mph on the
stage when the car quit. They replaced fuses several times,
and the car would start up again, but then quit down the
road. Finally, Landau traced the problem to the relay which
controls the fuel injection, but there was a short circuit
which could not be fixed to prevent the DNF.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #5
August 24, 1996 - 2:00 AM
15. Standings after Friday night for the national event
(10 stages):
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE Class
(min.1/100)
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Escort 46.10 Open
2 Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsu. Lancer 47.22 Open
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Hyundai 47.70 Open
13 S Karamanoglu/Y Bitner Eagle Talon 49.66 GT
4 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 50.68 Group 5
10 Mike Hurst/Lynn Dillion Porsche 911s 50.77 Group 5
15 Krolikowski/Krolikowski Dodge Shadow 51.25 Group 5
14 Steve Gingras/B. Westrick Mitsu. Eclips 52.44 GT
16 Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes Toyota Supra 53.02 Group 5
22 Mike Whitman/Paula Gibeault Datsun 510 53.56 Group 2
20 Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas Honda Prelude 53.98 Prod.
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Toyota Celica 54.59 Group 5
22 Al Kaumeheiwa/ C. Sobczak Dodge Neon 55.14 Prod.
29 Pete Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 56.20 Group 2
23 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Charger 56.57 Group 5
19 Lon Peterson/B. Gutzmann Kia Sephia 58.17* Prod.
21 George Plsek/R. Phillips Saab 99 104.46 Group 5
*includes 3 minutes of road points
DNF
7 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse Electrical SS1
# # #
FRIDAY NIGHT STAGE TIMES
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5
P.Choi 600 C.Merr 508 H.Joy 546 C.Merr 435 C.Merr 435
C.Merr 600 H.Joy 524 C.Merr 550 H.Joy 457 H.Joy 457
H.Joy 601 P.Choi 529 K.Stew 555 M.Hurs 487 M.Hurs 487
S.Kara 644 S.Brya 563 C.Czyz 561 P.Choi 490 P.Choi 490
S.Brya 663 S.Kara 567 B.Niel 572 S.Kara 496 S.Kara 496
S.Grin 663 M.Hurs 567 P.Choi 574 H.Krol 496 H.Krol 496
M.Hurs 668 H.Krol 576 S.Kara 595 S.Brya 503 S.Brya 503
M.Whit 674 R.Kosm 590 M.Hurs 605 S.Grin 518 S.Grin 518
H.Krol 681 S.Grin 590 H.Krol 610 B.Newe 518 B.Newe 518
R.Kosm 687 M.Whit 594 S.Brya 612 R.Kosm 520 R.Kosm 520
J.Ande 699 J.Ande 609 M.Whit 621 M.Whit 530 M.Whit 530
B.Newe 701 M.Utec 611 S.Grin 625 J.Ande 531 J.Ande 531
M.Utec 708 A.Kaum 613 M.Utec 626 L.Pete 535 L.Pete 535
P.Lahm 717 K.Stew 614 B.Newe 629 M.Utec 537 M.Utec 537
K.Stew 735 L.Pete 616 J.Ande 629 P.Lahm 539 P.Lahm 539
L.Pete 739 G.Plse 620 R.Kosm 630 G.Plse 541 G.Plse 541
M.Lars 742 B.Newe 625 P.Lahm 634 A.Kaum 545 A.Kaum 545
G.Plse 746 M.Lars 626 A.Kaum 639 K.Stew 545 K.Stew 545
C.Czyz 753 C.Czyz 632 L.Pete 644 S.Step 546 S.Step 546
J.Ande 754 P.Lahm 635 J.Ande 646 C.Czyz 550 C.Czyz 550
B.Niel 756 B.Niel 635 M.Lars 647 B.Niel 553 B.Niel 553
D.Kone 757 J.Ande 639 P.Moor 650 E.Schr 554 E.Schr 554
P.Moor 760 S.Step 643 G.Plse 651 M.Lars 560 M.Lars 560
S.Step 761 E.Schr 651 S.Step 654 B.Bjor 560 B.Bjor 560
A.Kaum 762 B.Bjor 657 B.Bjor 669 D.Dave 560 D.Dave 560
B.Bjor 772 D.Dave 658 E.Schr 672 J.Ande 563 J.Ande 563
E.Schr 787 D.Neat 659 D.Dave 683 J.Lajo 580 J.Lajo 580
D.Dave 792 P.Moor 676 D.Neat 691 D.Neat 582 D.Neat 582
D.Neat 794 J.Hart 678 J.Lajo 697 A.Burm 590 A.Burm 590
J.Lajo 804 J.Lajo 691 A.Burm 723 J.Hart 607 J.Hart 607
J.Hart 810 A.Burm 694 J.Hart 725 A.Hatz 721 A.Hatz 721
A.Burm 820 D.Kone 722 A.Hatz 735
A.Hatz 894 A.Hatz 741
STAGE 6 STAGE 7 STAGE 8 STAGE 9
C.Merr 501 C.Merr 529 P.Choi 507 H.Joy 447
P.Choi 528 P.Choi 542 H.Joy 507 P.Choi 458
S.Kara 528 H.Joy 547 S.Brya 515 C.Merr 464
H.Joy 582 H.Krol 557 C.Merr 520 S.Brya 483
S.Brya 605 S.Kara 572 M.Hurs 529 S.Kara 488
S.Grin 613 M.Hurs 581 S.Kara 536 M.Hurs 490
M.Hurs 617 S.Grin 583 H.Krol 537 H.Krol 493
H.Krol 626 S.Brya 589 M.Utec 539 R.Kosm 504
M.Whit 627 R.Kosm 608 R.Kosm 557 B.Newe 513
R.Kosm 633 M.Utec 609 J.Ande 563 M.Utec 518
M.Utec 639 L.Pete 613 B.Newe 567 J.Ande 520
G.Plse 643 B.Newe 619 A.Kaum 569 S.Grin 523
J.Ande 648 J.Ande 620 S.Grin 572 A.Kaum 535
A.Kaum 652 A.Kaum 620 M.Whit 575 K.Stew 536
S.Step 665 M.Whit 624 K.Stew 577 C.Czyz 536
C.Czyz 668 C.Czyz 635 C.Czyz 577 M.Whit 545
P.Lahm 669 B.Niel 635 L.Pete 583 L.Pete 545
L.Pete 670 K.Stew 640 J.Ande 584 B.Niel 560
M.Lars 676 E.Schr 645 B.Niel 585 S.Step 566
K.Stew 680 P.Lahm 647 M.Lars 590 M.Lars 568
B.Bjor 690 M.Lars 647 E.Schr 591 B.Bjor 573
B.Niel 693 S.Step 650 B.Bjor 593 J.Ande 573
D.Neat 693 J.Ande 650 P.Lahm 597 D.Neat 575
J.Ande 697 B.Bjor 677 S.Step 597 E.Schr 578
E.Schr 712 J.Hart 677 J.Lajo 603 J.Lajo 579
J.Lajo 713 D.Neat 681 D.Neat 609 A.Burm 581
B.Newe 718 J.Lajo 684 J.Hart 612 J.Hart 585
J.Hart 720 A.Burm 686 A.Burm 618 P.Lahm 594
A.Burm 728 A.Hatz 751 A.Hatz 623 A.Hatz 600
A.Hatz 941 G.Plse 4690 G.Plse 654 G.Plse 617
Note: Stage #10 was cancelled.
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #6
August 24, 1996 - 2:00 pm
16. The top three cars are within a minute and a half of
each other, but not everyone is satisfied with their
performance. Carl Merrill leads the field by a little
more than a minute even though he ran most of stage #8
on a flat tire, and then nudged a burm on stage #9. His
Ford Escort Cosworth is running well, however, as he won
stages 2,4,5,6,7.
17. The Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer won
stages #3 and #9, and the car is running well, while the
Paul Choiniere/John Buffum Hyundai Elantra is third,
1:36 behind the leader. Buffum said the co-driver
miscalculations plus dust slowed down Paul's progress,
and Paul said he was driving conservatively because of
the visibility. The Libra Racing crew has also been
working on an overheating problem in the car.
18. Selcuk Karamanoglu/Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon is fourth
overall and three minutes ahead of a similar Mitsubishi
Eclipse being run by Steve Gingras/Bill Westrick in
Production GT. Gingras had clutch problems that plagued
the car on the last two stages, but they have been
repaired and the team is ready to go for Saturday.
19. The Group 2 class, down to two cars at this event, finds
points leader Mike Whitman and co-driver Paula Gibeault
with a 2:40 lead in their Datsun 510 over the Pete
Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510.
20. In the Group 5 battle, the Saab 900 turbo of Sam
Bryan/Rob Walden has a slim lead over the Mike
Hurst/Lynn Dillion Porsche 911 (six seconds), with the
Henry Krolikowski/Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow another
30 seconds behind. Class points leaders Ralph
Kosmides/Joe Noyes is running fourth, another 1:45
back, in their Toyota Supra. The Bruce Newey/Matt
Chester Toyota Celica was running well until it broke a
brake caliper, and is another 1:30 behind Ralph. George
Plsek/Renn Phillips lost gob of time (almost an hour on
the field) as their lighting relay and adjacent wiring
went awry, causing them to get stuck on stage 7. They
were able to continue, but are far back in the field.
21. The Production class stage times are close, but the
final scores are not due to road points acculumated by
the Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzmann Kia Sephia. Gutzmann
became ill during a transit, and the team was 3 minutes
late to a checkpoint, so three minutes has been added to
their time. The Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas Honda Prelude
has a 2:50 lead over the Dodge Neon of Al
Kaumeheiwa/Craig Sobszak, with Peterson's new time being
2 seconds behind Al.
22. Late news from the series manager is that - for future
events - there will be a special seeded draw for the FIA
competitors the Thursday before the event.
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally media liaison Andy Schupack and
series manager Tom Ottey will put the FIA seeded
drivers' names in a hat, and draw names at random for
starting positions. Merrill, Choiniere, and Joy all
agreed that it was time to break the informal rotating
agreement that goes back to the days of Rod Millen and
John Buffum in the '80s.
23. 34 cars (18 national and 16 divisional only) started day
two of the event at 2:00 PM CST from the Paul Bunyan
Mall in Bemidji after participating in a fund-raising
event for the United Way of Greater Bemidji. The
weather is almost perfect (80s with low humidity), but
dust will again be a problems through the woods of
Northern Minnesota.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #7
August 24, 1996 - 7:00 pm
24. Reports from the first service at Park Rapids (after
three stages) spell bad news for some of the leaders.
--The overall leaders Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur have
rolled their Ford Escort Cosworth on stage #3,
damaging the driver's side and shattering the
windshield of the car. Merrill made it into service,
and the crew is working to fix the car so they can
continue.
--We don't have stage times yet, but the Paul
Choiniere/John Buffum Hyundai Elantra continues to run
at less than top speed. We'll check with Libra
Racing to see if the cooling problems from yesterday
are continuing to plague to team. With Choiniere and
Merrill struggling, there may be an opportunity for
Henry Joy/Michael Fennell's Mitsubishi Lancer to jump
into the lead.
--The Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 is out of the event,
having gone off the course hard on stage #2 and at
such an angle that sweep could not pull them back on
the course. Bryan said they carried too much speed
into a turn which tightened up quicker then they
thought it would, and they went off the road. He
thinks the damage is mainly cosmetic, although they
are anxious to pull the racer out carefully as not to
cause damage during the rescue - hopefully with a tow
truck that has a crane-like boom.
Bryan said the car, which had been redesigned with a
simpler, more stock turbo configuration after some of
the initial problems they encountered earlier in the
season, was running well until the "off," maintaining
the class lead over the Porsche 911 of Mike Hurst/Lynn
Dillion.
25. Divisional competitors Jeff Harty/Dave Bruce lost the
engine in their Toyota MR2 on stage #1, and are out of
the event.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #8
August 24, 1996 - 11:00 pm
26. Here are the television coverage times for the Ojibwe
Forests PRO Rally (all times Eastern - check local
listings):
TNN RACEDAY - The Nashville Network - Sunday,
September 1, noon
ON TRACK - Speedvision Network - Thursday,
August 29 - 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM
RPM TONIGHT - ESPN2 - show runs daily at 7:30 PM;
rally coverage usually runs Tuesday, Wednesday.
27. Some divisional DNFs:
--Dave Konetski/William Konetski Toyota Celica U2 -
rolled the car twice on stage #3.
--John Adleman/Jason Lejon Dodge Omni O2 - carbuerator
--Mark Utecht/Paul Schwerin Dodge Omni GLH O2 -
electrical
28. Starting with stage #4, the rally has gone to two-minute
intervals for the rest of the event for the national
cars; the divisionals will stay at one minute for the
rest of their event, which ends after stage #9.
29. More on the Merrill roll. The rear deck lid was crushed
and detached itself from the car, and windows were
shattered. The car also broke an alternator belt. The
Norseman Racing Team fixed all the ills at service,
however, replacing the glass and putting a tarp over the
rear deck, and Merrill retained a 25-second lead over
Henry Joy going into stage #4.
30. The Mark Larson/Heather Cox Dodge Shelby Charger Group 5
car ran off the road on stage #3.
# # #
Ojibwe National Standing through Sat., Stage #9
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Escort 0 2:03:02 1 Open
1 Paul Choiniere/J Buffum Hyundai 0 2:03:21 2 Open
2 Henry Joy/M Fennell Lancer 0 2:03:25 3 Open
13 S Karamanoglu/Y Bittner Talon 1 2:07:22 1 GT
15 H Krolikowski/C KrolikowskiShadow 2 2:13:06 2 Group 5
10 Mike Hurst/Lynn Dillion Porsche 2 2:13:21 3 Group 5
14 Steve Gringras/B Westrick Eclipse 2 2:13:28 2 GT
16 Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes Supra 2 2:15:27 4 Group 5
39 Mike Whitman/P Gibeault Datsun 510 2 2:17:00 1 Group 2
20 Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas Prelude 3 2:19:50 1 Production
29 Peter Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 3 2:22:07 2 Group 2
19 Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzman Kia Sephia 2 2:23:35 2 Production
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Celica 2 2:35:09 5 Group 5
21 George Plsek/R Phillips Saab 99T 4 3:16:40 6 Group 5
CAR DRIVER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 TOTAL
3 C Merril 1248 1178 594 600 492 798 1019 573 1192 123.04
1 P Choini 1231 1169 550 568 503 805 989 578 1173 123.36
2 H Joy 1252 1192 552 572 490 830 1002 551 1180 123.43
13 S Karama 1291 1218 572 544 513 816 1030 565 1222 127.37
15 H Krolik 1360 1294 586 613 533 849 1090 602 1259 133.11
10 M Hurst 1346 1282 595 629 545 865 1114 618 1265 133.36
14 S Gringr 1324 1274 586 607 523 840 1074 604 1272 133.48
16 R Kosmid 1339 1300 599 632 541 873 1093 615 1251 135.45
39 M Whitma 1376 1309 601 633 538 881 1111 607 1288 137.00
20 J Anders 1408 1375 602 631 553 903 1140 640 1334 139.84
29 P Lahm 1391 1323 594 629 551 896 1165 700 1344 142.13
19 L Peters 1403 1354 617 639 562 890 1146 640 1291 143.59
96 B Newey 1389 1332 586 638 562 888 2740 626 1295 155.15
21 G Plsek 1436 1447 669 657 575 934 1280 668 1556 196.68
22 A Kaumeh 1426 1344 620 0 0 0 0 0 0 89.04
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Bemidji, Minnesota
Round #7 - SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Press Notes #9
August 25, 1996 - 1:00 pm
22. The 14th running of the Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally is now
history, and we have the closest top three finish in
SCCA PRO Rally history.
Going into stage #12 - the last stage of the evening -
the Paul Choiniere/John Buffum Hyundai Elantra and the
Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer were in a
flat-footed tie for the lead, with the Carl Merrill/John
Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth only 1.8 seconds behind.
Choiniere had been experiencing clutch problems causing
him to need a push start before every stage, while Joy
had to wire his turbo to keep it from falling off, and
Merrill had a broken wheel bearing to add to his lack of
fifth gear. But all the combatants were poised and
ready to give it their all for the final stage, and it
was quite a battle.
Henry Joy ran the stage 10.86, Merrill 10:91, and
Choiniere 11,04, so Henry Joy wins the event by five
seconds over Merrill, with Choiniere third another six
seconds behind.
In the other classes, Selcuk Karamanoglu/Yorgi Bittner
swept to victory in Production GT in their Eagle Talon;
Henry and Cindy Krolikowski were victorious in Group 5
in their Dodge Shadow; Mike Whitman and Paula Gibeault
won Group 2 in their Datsun 510; and Jim Anderson/Anne
Thomas won Production in their Honda Prelude VTEC.
# # #
Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally - PROVISIONAL RESULTS
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE
2 Henry Joy/Michael Fennell Lancer 0 2:36:28 1 Open
3 Carl Merrill/J Bellefleur Escort 0 2:36:33 2 Open
1 Paul Choiniere/J Buffum Hyundai 0 2:36:39 3 Open
13 S Karamanoglu/Y Bittner Talon 1 2:43:16 1 GT
15 H Krolikowski/C KrolikowskiShadow 2 2:49:27 1 Group 5
16 Ralph Kosmides/Joe Noyes Supra 2 2:52:51 2 Group 5
14 Steve Gringras/B Westrick Eclipse 2 2:53:06 2 GT
20 Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas Prelude 3 2:56:40 1 Production
39 Mike Whitman/P Gibeault Datsun 510 2 2:58:53 1 Group 2
19 Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzman Kia Sephia 2 3:00:20 2 Production
29 Peter Lahm/Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 3 3:00:35 2 Group 2
96 Bruce Newey/Matt Chester Celica 2 3:17:52 3 Group 5
10 Mike Hurst/Lynn Dillion Porsche 2 3:17:53 4 Group 5
21 George Plsek/R Phillips Saab 99T 4 4:04:15 5 Group 5
4 Sam Bryan/Rob Walden Saab 900 1 DNF
7 Cal Landau/Eric Marcus Eclipse 1 DNF
23 Mark Larson/Heather Cox Shelby 6 DNF
CAR DRIVER 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 H Joy 1252 1192 552 572 490 830
3 C Merril 1248 1178 594 600 492 798
1 P Choini 1231 1169 550 568 503 805
13 S Karama 1291 1218 572 544 513 816
15 H Krolik 1360 1294 586 613 533 849
16 R Kosmid 1339 1300 599 632 541 873
14 S Gringr 1324 1274 586 607 523 840
20 J Anders 1408 1375 602 631 553 903
39 M Whitma 1376 1309 601 633 538 881
19 L Peters 1403 1354 617 639 562 890
29 P Lahm 1391 1323 594 629 551 896
96 B Newey 1389 1332 586 638 562 888
10 M Hurst 1346 1282 595 629 545 865
21 G Plsek 1436 1447 669 657 575 934
Sat
CAR DRIVER 7 8 9 10 11 12 RP Total TOTAL
2 H Joy 1002 551 1180 1818 401 1086 0 4722 156.48
3 C Merril 1019 573 1192 1852 409 1091 0 4610 156.56
1 P Choini 989 578 1173 1826 400 1104 0 4770 156.66
13 S Karama 1030 565 1222 1912 419 1260 0 4966 163.28
15 H Krolik 1090 602 1259 1979 434 1221 0 5125 169.45
16 R Kosmid 1093 615 1251 1943 446 1351 0 5302 172.85
14 S Gringr 1074 604 1272 1926 476 1560 0 5244 173.10
20 J Anders 1140 640 1334 2045 431 1208 0 5398 176.68
39 M Whitma 1111 607 1288 2504 461 1224 0 5356 178.89
19 L Peters 1146 640 1291 2012 449 1214 0 5817 180.34
29 P Lahm 1165 700 1344 2109 459 1278 0 5620 180.59
96 B Newey 2740 626 1295 2003 443 1226 600 5459 197.87
10 M Hurst 1114 618 1265 4856 422 1175 0 5077 197.89
21 G Plsek 1280 668 1556 2594 634 1530 0 10446 244.26
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack
(218 751-9500/ext 320
until 8/25 - 3 PM;
then
(401) 739-5677
CLOSEST SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY FINISH EVER TIGHTENS UP SERIES POINTS
AS JOY UPSETS CHOINIERE AND MERRILL FOR OJIBWE FORESTS WIN
BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Aug. 25 -- Looking more like a NASCAR last-lap shootout
or the finals of a drag race than an SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally event, the
350-horsepower right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer of Henry Joy and co-
driver Michael Fennell broke away from the PRO Rally pack on the very last
stage to steal a five-second win at the Ojibwe Forest PRO Rally here.
Joy, from Atlanta, Michigan, captured his second overall PRO Rally
win after entering the last stage in a flat-footed tie with the defending
national champion entry of Paul Choiniere/John Buffum in a Hyundai Elantra
and only one second ahead of the Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill/John
Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth.
"The turbo had come loose on an earlier stage, and we had re-attached the
housing with baling wire, but I knew that if I didn't run the best stage
of my life, I wouldn't have a chance to beat two fastest rally cars in
America," said Joy, whose other win came last year at the Lake Superior
PRO Rally in Houghton, Michigan.
Merrill and Choiniere ran terrific last stages - good enough to have the
second and third fastest times on the stage - but Joy beat them both
(Merrill by three seconds and Choiniere by 11 seconds) to clinch the win.
It was the closest top-three finish in the 24-year history of the series.
All three drivers had relied on their service crews to keep their cars
running to be in position for the last stage shootout. Besides Joy's
turbo problems, Choiniere had been experiencing clutch difficulties
causing him to need a push start before every stage, while Merrill had a
broken wheel bearing as a result a roll earlier in the event. In the
overall points, Choiniere now has 104, while Merrill has 91 and Selcuk
Karamanogly 84.
In the other classes, Selcuk Karamanoglu/Yorgi Bittner swept to
victory in Production GT in their Eagle Talon, with Selcuk's victory
enabling him to be the first driver to clinch a 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO
Rally national class championship; Henry and Cindy Krolikowski were
victorious in Group 5 in their Dodge Shadow for the third event in a row;
Mike Whitman and Paula Gibeault won Group 2 in their Datsun 510, with
Whitman closing in on a national title; and Jim Anderson/Anne Thomas won
Production in their Honda Prelude VTEC.
The 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series consists of eleven events, and is
sponsored by Michelin Tire Corporation, and sanctioned by the Sports Car
Club of America. The 1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally was presented by
the SCCA's Land 'O Lakes Region. The next event will be the Sunriser 400
PRO Rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, September 27 - 29.
# # #
1996 Ojibwe Forests PRO Rally
Round #7 - 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
Final Results - National Event
Car Class/
Num. Driver/Home Town Navigator/Home Town Vehicle/Tires Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Henry Joy IV Michael Fennell Mitsubishi Lancer E-2 Open
Atlanta, MI Kingston, Jamaica Michelin 2:36.28
3 Carl Merrill John Bellefleur Ford Escort Cosworth Open
Ogunquit, ME Thornhill, ONT Michelin 2:36.33
1 Paul Choiniere John Buffum Hyundai Elantra Open
Shelburne, VT Colchester, VT Michelin 2:36.29
13 Selcuk Karamanoglu Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon PGT
Bath, ME Plain City, OH Michelin 2:43.16
15 Henry Krolikowski Cindy Krolikowski Dodge Shadow Group 5
Wyandotte, MI Wyandotte, MI Michelin 2:49.27
16 Ralph Kosmides Joe Noyes Toyota Supra Group 5
Newport Beach, CA Bothell, WA Michelin 2:52.51
14 Steve Gingras Bill Westrick Mitsubishi Eclipse PGT
Elk River, MN Orion, MI Michelin 2:53.06
20 Jim Anderson Anne Thomas Honda Prelude VTEC Prod.
Mebane, NC Nashua, NH Michelin 2:56.40
39 Mike Whitman Paula Gibeault Datsun 510 Group 2
Farmington, NM Ridgecrest, CA Michelin 2:58.53
19 Lon Peterson Bill Gutzmann Kia Sephia Prod.
Victorville, CA Ontario, CA 3:00.20
29 Pete Lahm Jimmy Brandt Datsun 510 Group 2
Phoenix, AZ Lake Odessa, MI Michelin 3:00.25
96 Bruce Newey Matt Chester Toyota Celica Turbo Group 5
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA Michelin 3:17.52
10 Mike Hurst Lynn Dillion Porsche 911 Group 5
Pendleton, IN Evansville, INN Michelin 3:17.53
21 George Plsek Renn Phillips Saab 99 Group 5
Del Mar, CA Del Mar, CA 4:04.15
# # #
Did_Not_Finish Reason
7 Cal Landau Eric Marcus Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX PGT
Coraopolis, PA Dayton, OH Michelin Electrical
4 Sam Bryan Robinson Walden Saab 900 Turbo Group 5
Kent, WA Seattle, WA Michelin Crash
22 Al Kaumeheiwa Craig Sobczak Dodge Neon Prod.
Brighton, MI Marquette, MI Throttle Sensor
23 Mark Larson Heather Cox Dodge Shelby Charger Group 5
Blaine, MN Spring Lake Park, MN Bridgestone Crash
# # #