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Round #2 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship May 14-15, 1993
Press Notes by Andy Schupack |
Round #2 - 1993 Subaru PRO Rally Championship - Rim of the World PRO Rally
Entry List (5/13/93 - 3:00 PM)
Start Car Driver/ Co-Driver/ Make/Model/Class/
Pos. No. Hometown Hometown Division
----- ---- ------------------ ----------------- -------------------
1 1 Paul Choiniere Jeff Becker Audi Quattro S-2/Open
Burlington, VT Great Neck, NY National
2 4 Chad DiMarco Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy/Gp. A
Huntington Bch, CA Napa, CA National
3 6 Carl Merrill J. Jon Wickens Ford Escort Cosworth/Open
Ogunquit, ME Birmingham, MI National
4 11 Jeff Zwart Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4/Open
Aspen, CO Newport Beach, CA National
5 3 Dick Corley Martin Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse/Open
Burlington, VT Calgary, ALBERTA National
6 9 Peter Cunningham Joe Andreini Acura Integra/Production
Whitefish Bay, WI Grosse Point, MI National
7 21 B. J. Beal Bob Davenport Mazda 323GTX/Open
Denver, CO Midland, TX National
8 94 Lon Peterson Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Victorville, CA Ontario, CA National
9 10 Vincente Frontinan Francisco Arruda Mitsubishi Galant/GT
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI National
10 27 Frank Cunningham Charles Bradley Mitsubishi Galant/GT
Boston, MA Ardmore, PA Nat/Div.
11 23 Gary Gooch Judi Gooch Mitsubishi Pickup/Truck
Union City, CA Union City, CA National
12 7 Roger Hull Rob Cherry Mitsubishi Pick-up/Truck
Prescott, AZ Prescott, AZ National
13 24 Guy Light Dave White GMC Sonoma Pickup/Truck
Carson City, NV Benicia, CA National
14 12 Henry Joy Jimmy Brandt Mitsuibshi Eclipse/Open
Wilmette, IL Lake Odessa. MI National
15 32 Jeff Griffin Chris Griffin Volvo 142/Open
Tujunga, CA Burbank, CA Nat/Div.
16 33 Erik Thompson Cam Jackson Volvo 142E/Open
Portland, OR Portland, OR Nat/Div.
17 34 Jeff Hendricks Noble Jones Jeep Comanche/Truck
Prescott, AZ Prescott, AZ Nat/Div.
18 35 Goran Ostlund Ben Bradley Saab 99/Open
San Salvador Portland, OR Nat/Div
19 36 Mike Whitman Kevin Linville Datsun 510/Open
Farmington, NM Durango, CA Nat/Div.
20 41 Rui Brasil Frank Nunes Audi Quattro/Open
San Jose, CA San Jose, CA Nat/Div.
21 42 Makio Yamanaka Akira Nishizawa Mazda 323GTX/GT
Tokyo, Japan Kanagawa, Japan National
22 43 Kyoichi Takaori Fumiaki Yamazaki Mitsubishi Galant VR4/GT
Kyoto, Japan Tokyo, Japan National
23 45 Gerry Valentini Mike Neff Subaru Hatchback/Open
Sacramento, CA Sacramento, CA National
24 46 Antonio Menendez Juan Goya Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Mexico City, Mexico Queretaro, Mexico National
25 48 Kazushi Kita Shinya Ishikawa Nissan March/Open
Osaka, Japan Tokyo, Japan National
26 17 Chad Dykes Pat Hanson Mitsubishi Pickup/Truck
Escondido, CA Escondido, CA National
27 84 Norberto Gomez Jorge Facio Toyota Corolla/Prod
Canoga Park, CA Winnetka, CA Nat/Div.
28 49 Sam Bryan Mark Simons Saab 900/Open
Kent, WA Buckley, WA Nat/Div
29 93 Tony Shumaker Liz Shumaker Mitsubishi Eclipse/Prod.
Mission Viejo, CA Mission Viejo, CA Nat/Div.
30 51 Peter Lahm Mike Traubert Datsun 510/Open
Phoenix, AZ Tempe, AZ National
31 52 Ken White Adrian Crane Mitsubishi Pick-up/Truck
Modesto, CA Modesto, CA Nat/Div
32 18 Tony Chavez Jose Soria Datsun 510/Open
Santa FeSprings,CA Pico Rivera, CA Nat/Div.
33 60 Todd Bawden Cal Coatsworth Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Costa Mesa, CA Corona del Mar, CA National
Divisional/CRS Only Entries
Start Car Driver/
Pos. No. Co-driver Hometown Make of Car
----- --- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------------
34 178 Mitch McCullough Laguna Niguel, CA Mazda 323GTX
Scott Webb Hermosa Beach, CA
35 114 Carl Jardevall Santa Monica, CA Saab 99
TBA
36 113 Ron Wood Anaheim, CA VW Scirocco
Kelly Walsh Anaheim, CA
37 121 Tony Tavares Gustine, CA Toyota Corolla
Carlos Tavares San Jose, CA
38 103 Harris Done Santa Monica, CA Mazda RX-7
Larry Scott Escondido, CA
39 187 Gary English Irvine, CA Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce
Randall Higa Los Angeles, CA
40 112 Bill Malik Burbank, CA Volvo 240
Roine Andersson N. Hollywood, CA
41 162 George Tavares San Jose, CA Toyota MR-2
Elza Tavares San Jose, CA
42 106 Dan Hook Hesperia, CA Toyota Celica
John Elkin Lytle Creek, CA
43 191 Rod Koch Norco, CA VW Fastback
Todd Bane Norco, CA
44 133 Sam Moore Cucamonga, CA Plymouth Arrow
Jennifer Peterson Victorville, CA
45 129 Ricky DeLaCuesta Los Angeles, CA Dodge Colt
James Recto North Hollywood, CA
46 185 Peter Wilbur Penryn, CA Saab 99EMS
Lance Schall Boulder, CO
47 198 Scott Fuller Eugene, OR VW Rabbit
Sean Wade Eugene, OR
48 139 Tony DelaCuesta Simi Valley, CA Toyota Corolla
Tino Alcances Northridge, CA
49 165 Marcus Clark Claremont, CA Mazda RX-2
Stephen Scott Montrose, CA
50 185 Chito Solomon North Hills, CA Toyota Corolla
Carlos Rodriguez Mission Hills, CA
51 136 Paul Furusho Cupertino, CA Mazda RX-3
Paul Skjerven Los Gatos, CA
52 134 Jeff Bruett Sacramento, CA Dodge Charger
Deb Pearson Vacaville, CA
53 195 Dennis Chizma Simi Valley, CA VW Rabbit
TBA
54 177 Bob Scott Sun Valley, CA Toyota Celica
Chris Smith Palmdale, CA
55 156 Joe Vondracek Brisbane, CA Dodge Charger
TBA
56 192 Cres Andongo Van Nuys, CA Mazda RX-7
Rowel Acharon Van Nuys, CA
57 186 Arturo Cardenas Garden Grove, CA Datsun 510
Alvaro Cardenas Garden Grove, CA
58 190 Jake Dekovic Las Vegas, NV Mitsubishi Starion
Robert Tulino Norwalk, CA
59 182 Jay Parcon Burbank, CA Toyota Corolla
Dierre Navarette
60 157 Edmundo Villegas Lakeview Terrace, CA Toyota Corolla
David Lanza Los Angeles, CA
61 164 Harry Manku Van Nuys, CA VW Scirocco
Ravi Nyotta
62 188 Joe McMurray Quartz Hill, CA Chevrolet Pick-up
Gary Burgess Lancaster, CA
63 189 Benedikte Webb Piedmont, CA Datsun 510
TBA
Press Notes #1
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 14, 1993 - 4:00 PM (PDT)
1. After a very successful Press Stage earlier today (14
cars, 21 media people including two TV people and a
Subaru of America-sponsored lunch), registration and tech
inspection are well underway for the 10th annual Rim of
the World PRO Rally. The rally will start tonight
at 7:00 PM at the Ramada Inn in Palmdale, CA, and run
four stages before ending at midnight, and will resume
tomorrow at 1:00 PM from the Antelope Valley Mall,
Palmdale. The rally will end at the Ramada Inn at 11:30
PM on Saturday night.
2. The big news in the PRO Rally world continues to be the
status of Paul Choiniere's expectant wife Lori.
According to team owner and step-father John Buffum,
Choiniere is now the proud father a 6 lbs, 6 oz. boy (as
of late Tuesday night). Baby Tanner (name is tentative,
according to Buffum) and mother Lori are fine, and father
Paul has arrived in Los Angeles in the last few hours to
drive his Audi Quattro S-2 at Rim. As you may remember,
Lori's labor prevented him from attending the season
opener at Olympia, Wash., and Buffum jumped in the car
and scorched the field by more than three minutes.
3. At the press stage this morning, both Vermont Sports Car
entries - Dick Corley/Martin Headland in their Open class
Mitsubishi Eclipse and Antonio Menendez/Juan Goya
Production GT Mitsubishi Eclipse - went too fast over one
of Rim's famous water bars, breaking oil lines. Corley
was able to shut his down his engine before causing any
damage, but Menendez was not so fortunate. He blew his
motor, and the Vermont Sports Car crew is busily
installing a backup for the start of the rally.
4. The Subaru Legacy of Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge is making
its season debut after missing the opener in Olympia due
to a delay in sponsorship arrangements. DiMarco has made
major adjustments to his car since its debut last August,
and hopes to improve his recent finishing results at Rim
DNF in '91 and 11th overall in '92). It will also be
interesting to see how fast his Group A car is against
the new Porsche of Jeff Zwart, the Ford Escort Cosworth
of Carl Merrill, and the S-2 of Paul Choiniere.
Press Notes #2
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 14, 1993 - 7:00 PM (PDT)
5. While returning from the press stage, the Lon
Peterson/Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse GT car started
making funny noise, and the Dave Wolin Team Mitsubishi
crew determined that the engine needed changing. As it
turned out, oil was not getting to the head properly, and
the engine change certainly prevented a DNF. However,
they took the engine out of the Mitsubishi street
show car which is used for the team's Starlight Make-a-
Wish Foundation. The street engine has less boost than
the race motor, so Lon will be down on horsepower. The
team will try to fix the race engine and swap back for
tomorrow's restart.
6. An update on the Menendez/Goya Mitsubishi (note #3) is
that the team broke motor mounts after their water bar
flight, and the Lance Smith-led crew replaced all the
bearings in the engine. The motor still makes some
undesirable "noises," but the team hopes to finish
tonight and make more adjustments for tomorrow.
Corley/Headland also broke their motor mounts, but, as
reported before, shut the engine down before any
damage was done.
7. 65 cars - 33 national and 32 divisional entries - started
what could be the most incredible U.S. PRO Rally in a
long time. Conditions are typical Southern California
high desert - hot, windy, dusty and dry. Temperatures
tonight will get down to the high 40's, but tomorrow
should reach the 90's. With still air in the canyons,
and the tight, twisty course working on brakes and
cooling systems, expect many cars to overheat engines and
brakes.
8. Besides the overall contenders in their 300 - 400
horsepower cars, there are five other classes running for
honors this weekend: Group A, Production GT, Production,
Rally Truck and Divisional. We'll follow all classes as
the rally weekend develops, and all classes have strong
entries for the '93 Rim of the World event.
9. In Production GT, the four favorites are the four top
finishers in the first rally in Olympia: the Mitsubishi
Galants of Frank Cunningham/Charles Bradley and Vinnie
Frontinan/Frank Arruda, and the Mitsubishi Eclipses of
Washington winner Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzmann and Antonio
Menendez/Juan Goya.
Press Notes #3
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 14, 1993 - 10:00 PM (PDT)
10. Bad news from some of the front-runners as we begin to
get reports from the first two stages:
--The Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens,
which has been running in the "red" (engine temp.)
since the beginning of the rally, has overheated at
the end of stage two. The Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi
Galant towed the Ford to the service area after #2
where the Libra Racing crew tried to keep the car in
the rally. The engine was gone, however, and they
are out of the rally.
--The Frank Cunningham/Charles Bradley Mitsubishi Galant
has called for a tow to get the car back on the road
on stage #1. Apparent problem is a blown head gasket.
--The Lon Peterson/Bill Gutzmann Mitsubishi Eclipse,
using a replacement motor that was installed at the
last minute before the start of the rally, had an
engine fire during stage #1 after the team had stopped
to change a tire. The team is out of the rally.
--Peterson's teammate - the Production class Eclipse of
Tony and Liz Shumaker, had a flat tire on stage #2,
but were able to continue.
--The Open class Mazda 323GTX of B.J. and Stuart Beal
also suffered a flat tire on stage #2 (with four miles
left in the stage), but also continued.
--Divisional entries Clark/Scott Mazda RX-2 (alternator)
and Fortaleza/Toyota Corolla (fuel pump) are both
DNFs.
11. Many teams are experiencing hot brakes, including rally
leaders Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker, who claimed they
had no brakes at the end of stage #2.
Press Notes #4
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 14, 1993 - 11:30 PM (PDT)
12. As the leaders begin to come back to the Ramada Inn for
the completion of day #1 of the Rim of the World PRO
Rally, we have these unofficial times:
After four stages:
Driver/co-driver Car Class Time
1/100-min
Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 Open 53:98
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 Open 56:78
DiMarco/Hauge Subaru Legacy GpA 56:92
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse Open 58:11
Joy/Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse Open 59:28
Griffin/Griffin Volvo 142 Open 59:48
Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant GT 59:95
Beal/Beal Mazda 323GTX Open 60:08
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra Prod 60:47
Note: It will be a while before all times are in and a
reseed is completed, so these are more miscellaneous
times than standings.
Rim of the World PRO Rally - Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
Results after Four Stages - National Class - May 14, 1993
PLACE
CAR IN
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SCORE CLASS CLASS
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Quattro S2 0:53:58 1 Open
4 Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge Legacy 0:55:55 1 Group A
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 0:56:46 2 Open
3 Dick Corley/M Headland Eclipse 0:58:06 3 Open
44 K Takaori/F Yamazaki Mitsubishi 0:58:49 4 Group A
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 0:59:15 5 Open
32 Jeff Griffin/C Griffin Volvo 142 0:59:28 6 Open
60 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 0:59:30 1 GT
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 0:59:43 7 Open
10 V Frontinan/F Arruda Galant VR4 0:59:57 2 GT
21 BJ Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323 1:00:04 8 Open
9 P Cunningham/J Andreini Acura 1:00:28 1 Production
24 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 1:01:17 1 Rally Truck
34 Jeff Hendricks/N Jones Jeep PU 1:01:36 2 Rally Truck
33 Erik Thompson/Cam Jackson Volvo 142E 1:02:01 9 Open
48 Kazushi Kita/S Ishikawa Nissan S/T 1:02:39 10 Open
46 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 1:02:54 3 GT
7 Roger Hull/Rob Cherry Mitsub PU 1:02:55 3 Rally Truck
17 Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsub PU 1:03:38 4 Rally Truck
42 M Yamanaka/A Nishizawa Mazda 323 1:03:42 11 Group A
23 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 1:04:01 5 Rally Truck
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 1:04:46 2 Production
41 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 1:05:00 12 Open
49 Sam Bryan/Mark Simmons Saab 900 1:05:41 13 Open
45 Gerry Valentini/Mike Neff Subaru 4x4 1:09:51 14 Open
52 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 2:14:39 6 Rally Truck
18 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Datsun 510 DNF
94 Lon Peterson/B Gutzmann Eclipse DNF
6 Carl Merrill/Jon Wickens Escort RS DNF
35 Goran Ostlund/Ben Bradley Saab 99 DNF
27 F Cunningham/C Bradley Galant DNF
51 Pete Lahm/Keith Roper Datsun 510 DNF
Rim of the World PRO Rally - Results after Four Stages
Divisional Class - May 14, 1993
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR SEED SCORE PLACE/CLASS
32 Jeff Griffin/C Griffin Volvo 142 2 0:59:28 1 Two WD Open
60 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 2 0:59:30 1 Four WD Open
114 Carl Jardevall/A Karleson Saab 99 2 0:59:34 2 Two WD Open
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 2 0:59:43 3 Two WD Open
113 Ron Wood/Kelly Walsh Scirocco 2 1:00:17 4 Two WD Open
184 Norberto Gomez/J Facio Corolla 2 1:01:27 1 Stock
34 Jeff Hendricks/N Jones Jeep PU 2 1:01:36 2 Stock
112 Bill Malik/Roine Anderson Volvo 240 3 1:01:56 5 Two WD Open
33 Erik Thompson/Cam Jackson Volvo 142E 2 1:02:01 6 Two WD Open
106 Dan Hook/Pat Fealy Celica 3 1:02:57 7 Two WD Open
187 Gary English/Randall Higa Alfa Romeo 3 1:04:01 8 Two WD Open
93 Tony Shumaker/L Shumaker Eclipse 3 1:04:46 3 Stock
178 Mitch McCullough Mazda 323 2 1:04:57 2 Four WD Open
41 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 2 1:05:00 3 Four WD Open
49 Sam Bryan/Mark Simmons Saab 900 2 1:05:41 9 Two WD Open
133 Sam Moore/J Peterson Arrow 3 1:05:43 4 Stock
190 Jake Dekovic/R Tulino Starion 4 1:08:02 10 Two WD Open
198 Scott Fuller/Sean Wade VW Rabbit 3 1:08:15 11 Two WD Open
191 Rod Koch/Todd Bane VW Type 3 3 1:08:31 12 Two WD Open
121 Tony Tavares/C Tavares FX-16 4x4 2 1:08:34 4 Four WD Open
188 Joe McMurray/Gary Burgess Chevy PU 6 1:09:15 13 Two WD Open
195 Dennis Chizma/Robert Kalb VW Rabbit 4 1:09:36 5 Stock
157 Edmundo Villegas/D Lanza Corolla 4 1:09:57 14 Two WD Open
199 Jeff Bruett/Deb Pearson Charger 3 1:10:30 6 Stock
177 Bob Scott/Chris Smith Celica 4 1:11:17 7 Stock
189 Benedikte Webb Datsun 510 6 1:24:39 8 Stock
125 J Fortaleza/R Concepcion Corolla 3 1:26:21 15 Two WD Open
192 Cres Andongo/R Acharon Mazda RX-7 4 1:33:15 9 Stock
162 G Tavares/E Bettencourt Toyota MR2 3 1:54:38 10 Stock
52 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 3 2:14:39 11 Stock
103 Harris Done/Larry Scott Mazda RX-7 2 2:33:54 12 Stock
18 Tony Chavez/Jose Soria Datsun 510 3 DNF
129 Ricky DelaCuesta/J Recto Dodge Colt 3 DNF
185 Peter Wilbur/Lance Schall Saab 99 3 DNF
139 T DelaCuesta/T Alcances Corolla 4 DNF
165 Marcus Clark/S Scott Mazda RX-2 4 DNF
164 Harry Manku/Ravi NNyotta Scirocco 5 DNF
35 Goran Ostlund/Ben Bradley Saab 99 2 DNF
27 F Cunningham/C Bradley Galant 2 DNF
186 A Cardenas/A Cardenas Datsun 510 4 DNF
183 Chito Solomon/C Rodriguez Corolla 4 DNF
136 Paul Furusho/P Skjerven Mazda RX-3 4 DNF
156 Joe Vondracek/E Quigley Charger 4 DNF
182 Jay Parcon/D Navarette Corolla 4 DNF
Press Notes #4
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 15, 1993 - Noon (PDT)
12. The Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy overcame a
plugged fuel filter - a problem caught during the press
stage - and a miss at 6,000 RPM to finish in second
place Friday night, two minutes behind Choiniere. The
team replace ignition parts and some engine control
chips this morning, and Chad looks to set his own pace
today and be there if the competition breaks.
13. Leaders Choiniere and Becker have no problems as they
await the restart this morning in their Audi Quattro
S-2. Choiniere said that the car has more torque and
horsepower than his previous mount - both features which
serve him well at Rim.
14. Peter Cunningham/Joe Andreini, whose Acura Integra has a
four minute lead in the Production class, wants to make
sure he paces himself today, but is known for his "push
to win, lift to lose" driving style.
15. Second place Production entry of Tony and Liz Shumaker
will start with a co-driver change as Liz Shumaker took
ill during yesterday's event. Liz, who borrowed what
she thought was a normal dosage Dramamine patch from
teammate Lon Peterson's co-driver Bill Gutzmann, was
unaware that Bill had a double-dosage perscription.
Although better this morning, Liz was not up for the
rough Rim stages, Bill will step in to co-drive with
Tony.
16. In the truck class, there is a terrific battle among all
the top five competitors, with the GMC Sonoma Pickup of
Guy Light/Dave White leading the Jeep Camanche Pickup of
Jeff Hendricks/Noble Jones by only 19 seconds. R&E
Racing in Lancaster built some suspension pieces for
Light last night on short order to keep the truck in the
rally. Roger Hull/Rob Cherry , whose truck is the only
automatic vehicle in the rally, are third in their
Mitsubishi Pickup, while Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson and Gary
Gooch/Judi Gooch are fourth and fifth respectively -
both in Mitsubishi Pick-ups.
17. In Production GT, the chase is suddenly wide open after
Frank Cunningham's car broke, with newcomer Todd Bawden
and veteran co-driver Cal Coatsworth leading the class
in their Mitsubishi Eclipse. Bawden started dead last in
the national, and has moved all the way up to eighth
overall. Vinnie Frontinan/Frank Arruda are second after
they received credit for their elongated time used when
they stopped to help Lon Peterson put out his car fire
on stage #1. Antonio Menendez/Jaun Goya are third and
their re-built engine seemed to be holding up well.
18. The Japanese teams of K. Takaori/Y.Yamazaki (Mitsubishi
Galant) and M. Yamanaka/A. Nishizawa (Mazda 323GTX) have
been moved by series manager Rusty Campbell from Open
class cars to Group A as they most nearly fit into that
class (they are Group N cars in Japan). Along with the
K. Kita/S. Ishikawa (Nissan March - Open class), the
three Japanese teams are running in the U.S. for the
first time. After yesterday's stages, Takaori's
Mitsubishi is second in class behind DiMarco and fifth
overall, while Yamanaka is third in Group A and 20th
overall and Kita is eighth in Open and 16th overall.
Takaori thinks his car is heavier than the top
competitors, but he is looking forward to a competitive
rally.
19. The Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse Open class
racer - the ex-Carl Merrill car which almost won this
event last year - is currently running sixth overall,
and co-driver Jimmy Brandt is overJOYed with Henry's
improvement in driving after only two rallies in the new
car. Joy/Brandt ran a Mazda 323GTX last year.
20. The Dick Corley/Martin Headlund Mitsubishi Eclipse, in
addition to their two flat tires last night, lost their
their rear brakes as well. But team manager Lance Smith
reports that the car shows no ill effects from the trama
of breaking their motor mounts during yesterday's press
stage.
21. The B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal Mazda 323GTX - the ex-Rod
Millen Asia Pacific car which won Rim in 1991 - has
removed the trick, 6-gear, push-botton shifter from the
car in favor a more conventional gearbox because the
Group A transmission was "confusing" to drive. Beal's
problem least night, however, revolved around a flat
tire on stage four which dropped the team down to 11th
place.
Press Notes #5
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 15, 1993 - 8:00 PM (PDT)
22. As the cars have finished eight stages, we have the
following "shorts" to report:
--Choiniere/Becker lost their power steering in the Audi
Quattro S-2, but the Libra Racing crew was working
hard to repair it at service. With the tight, twisty
course, this would be a major handicap if not fixed.
--The miss at 6,000 RPM is back in the DiMarco/Hauge
Subaru Legacy, so the team will turn the turbo boost
way down to just try and finish.
--The Dick Corley/Martin Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse has
lost their turbo, and is way down on power.
--The Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 lost
its skid plate "somewhere" on stage five or six, and
Millen Motorsports crew took a ramp from the race
trailer and welded part of it on as a temporary fix.
23. Here are some times (not at all complete, so don't take
these as official standings, but the top five are
probably correct) after eight stages:
Driver/Co-driver Car Class Time
Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 Open 1:49:48*
DiMarco/Hauge Subaru Legacy GpA 1:54:13*
Zwart/Sircombe Porsche Carrera 4 Open 1:56:42
Joy/Brandt Mitsubishi Eclipse Open 2:01:12
Takaori/Yamazaki Mitsubishi Galant GpA 2:01:43
Bawden/Coatsworth Mitsubishi Eclipse GT 2:02:30*
Corley/Headland Mitsubishi Eclipse Open 2:03:05
Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant GT 2:03:18
Griffin/Griffin Volvo 142 Open/Div. 2:03:43*
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra Prod 2:06:03*
Light/White GMC Sonoma Truck 2:07:39*
* indicated class leaders
24. More shorts:
--The Frontinan/Arruda Mitsubishi Galant GT car is
grinding badly in first gear.
--The Frank Cunningham/Charles Bradley Mitsubishi
Galant - a DNF yesterday with an electrical problems
(correction from a previous report of a blown head
gasket) - started the divisional rally today, but a
turbo fire did them in.
--Production GT leader Todd Bawden/Cal Coatsworth in
their Mitsubishi Eclipse lost their cooling fan, but
are affecting repairs.
--B.J. Beal/Stuart Beal, whose Mazda 323GTX had moved up
as high as seventh place after five stages, broke a
half shaft during stage five and were stranded at the
end of five. By the time the service crew could get
to the car and repair it, it was too late to continue.
--For second place in the Rally Truck class, the Roger
Hull/Rob Cherry Mitsubishi Pick-up is only 1/100th of
second ahead of the Chad Dykes/Pat Hanson Mitsubishi
Pickup.
25. Here are the results of the Budweiser Daylight Dash -
class awards for the fastest national competitors
today leading up to the Lake Hughes service break:
Driver/Co-driver Car Class
Choiniere/Becker Audi Quattro S-2 Open
DiMarco/Hauge Subaru Legacy GpA
Bawden/Coatsworth Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
Cunningham/Andreini Acura Integra Prod
Light/White GMC Sonoma Truck
Press Notes #6
Rim of the World PRO Rally
Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship
May 16, 1993 - 3:00 AM (PDT)
26. The 1993 Rim of the World PRO Rally is history, and Paul
Choiniere has won his second straight Rim win with co-
driver Jeff Becker. Driving the Libra Racing Audi
Quattro S-2 for the first time, Choiniere scored a
three-minute win over the Subaru Legacy of Chad
DiMarco/Erick Hauge despite losing his power steering
with four stages to go.
27. The DiMarco/Hauge second place overall and first in
Group A represents Chad's best finish at Rim in several
years. DiMarco won stages #9 and #10, and might have
come closer to an overall win if a persistent engine
miss at 6,000 RPM had not caused him to dramatically
lower the boost.
28. Here is the finishing order for the National Rim of the
World PRO Rally - Round #2 of the Subaru PRO Rally
Championship:
CAR
# (DRIVER/CO-DRIVER) CAR TIME CLASS
(hrs:min:sec)
1 Paul Choiniere/J Becker Quattro S2 2:50:24 Open
4 Chad DiMarco/Erick Hauge Legacy 2:53:55 Group A
11 Jeff Zwart/Tony Sircombe Porsche 2:58:07 Open
60 Todd Bawden/C Coatsworth Eclipse 3:02:49 GT
12 Henry Joy/Jimmy Brandt Eclipse 3:02:58 Open
10 V Frontinan/F Arruda Galant VR4 3:04:04 GT
3 Dick Corley/M Headland Eclipse 3:06:20 Open
32 Jeff Griffin/C Griffin Volvo 142 3:08:01 Open
9 P Cunningham/J Andreini Acura 3:09:36 Production
36 Mike Whitman/K Linville Datsun 510 3:10:03 Open
46 Antonio Menendez/J Goya Eclipse 3:12:15 GT
41 Rui Brasil/Frank Nunes Quattro 3:13:01 Open
24 Guy Light/David White GMC PU 3:16:13 Rally Truck
93 Tony Shumaker/B Gutzmann Eclipse 3:16:48 Production
42 M Yamanaka/A Nishizawa Mazda 323 3:17:13 Open
7 Roger Hull/Rob Cherry Mitsub PU 3:17:19 Rally Truck
33 Erik Thompson/Cam Jackson Volvo 142E 3:17:35 Open
23 Gary Gooch/Judi Gooch Mitsub PU 3:21:40 Rally Truck
45 Gerry Valentini/Mike Neff Subaru 4x4 3:40:58 Open
49 Sam Bryan/Mark Simmons Saab 900 3:46:20 Open
48 Kazushi Kita/S Ishikawa Nissan S/T 4:02:31 Open
52 Ken White/Adrian Crane Mitsub PU 4:52:01 Rally Truck
# # #
For Immediate Release Contact: Andy Schupack
Rally Headquarters Press Room
(805) 267-1725
(May 16 Only)
or
(401) 739-5677 after May 16
SERIES RIVALS MAKE SEASON DEBUT TO SWEEP RIM RALLY
PALMDALE -- May 16 -- In 1990, Burlington, VT's Paul Choiniere swept to
victory as the 1990 U. S. PRO Rally champion. In 1991, it was Huntington
Beach, CA's Chad DiMarco who reigned supreme in his Subaru Legacy. For
'92, it was Choiniere again.
This year, both drivers missed the opening event of the Subaru PRO Rally
championship event at Olympia, Washington, but the rivalry started again
for '93 as Choiniere and co-driver Jeff Becker bested DiMarco and co-
driver Erick Hauge by three-and-a-half minutes.
Choiniere was able to hold off DiMarco despite losing his power steering
with four stages to go in the twisty desert rally, while DiMarco kept his
second place position - including two stage wins - despite ignition
problems.
Jeff Zwart and Tony Sircombe from Newport Beach are third in the Porsche
Carrera 4, while rookie driver Todd Bawden, with veteran co-driver Cal
Coatsworth was a surprise fourth.
Choiniere, who missed the season-opening event in Olympia, Washington,
because his wife seemed to be in the final stages of labor (which turned
out to be false), was able to attend this event because he is now the
proud father of a new son - Tanner - born earlier this week.
Among the top rally cars that broke during the grueling two-day event was
the 400 horsepower Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill and Jon Wickens,
from Ogunquit, Maine - one of the pre-event favorites. The cooling fan
punctured Merrill's radiator, cuasing the car to lose water and overheat.
Local favorite Lon Peterson and Bill Gutzmann from Victorville, CA,
another pre-rally favorite, dropped out early due to an engine fire in
their Mitsubishi Galant.
Other class winners include Todd Bawden/Cal Coatsworth from Corona del
Mar, CA, in a Mitsubishi Eclipse (Production GT); Peter Cunningham/Joe
Andreini from Whitefish Bay, WI, in a Acura Integra (Production); Guy
Light/Dave White from Carson City, NV in a GMC Sonoma Pick-up (Rally
Truck), and Jeff Griffen/Chris Griffin from Tujunga, CA in a Volvo 142
(divisional, or local class).
In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event. The cars start at two-minute intervals and race against the clock
over 12 stages which range in length from four to 12 miles. Speeds of more
than 100 miles-per-hour could be reached on long straight-aways, with the
team achieving the fastest combined times winning the event.
The year's event, which covered 278 miles including 100 competitive stage
miles through the Angeles National Forest north of L.A., featured a
variety of roads from hard-packed to loose gravel to very rough surfaces
which can be tough to negotiate when dust and fog impairs night vision.
The next rally - Round #3 of the Subaru PRO Rally Championship, will be the
Susquehannock Trail PRO Rally in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania June 4 - 6.
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