MEDIA ALERT - SCCA ProRally - Round #9 -
Prescott Forest
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For immediate release 30 September, 2001
MEDIA ALERT
SCCA ProRally Championship Round #9 - Prescott Forest
DENVER, CO: Ninth round (of ten) for the 2001 season. This year's Prescott
Forest event features new roads that promise a less punishing and faster ride
for the drivers than in years past, but will still feature the spectacular
scenery in the high desert and mountains surrounding Prescott and historic
mining town of Jerome, AZ. This performance rally event is sanctioned by the
Sports Car Club of America.
When & Where:
5-6 October; Prescott, AZ; approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest
of Phoenix, Arizona
Headquarters Hotel - Friday/Saturday Press Room; Event and Media registration
Prescott Resort, 1500 Hwy 69, Prescott, AZ 86301
Hotel Main: 928.776.1666
Complete Event Schedule: (subject to change)
Friday, 05 October, 2001
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Entrant and Media registration, - Prescott Resort -
Prescott
Scrutineering - Mt. Vernon Motor Works - Prescott
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Parc Expose - Prescott Resort - Prescott *
4:30 PM Start of Prescott Forest SCCA ProRally Leg One - Prescott Resort
10:00 PM Press Room open - Prescott Resort
11:00 PM (approximate) First car arrival - Finish of Leg One - Prescott
Resort
1:00 AM (approximate) Press room closes
Saturday, 06 October, 2001
9:00 AM Parc Expose - Prescott Fairgrounds *
10:00 AM Start of Prescott Forest SCCA ProRally Leg Two - Fairgrounds -
SuperSpecial
8:00 PM Press Room open - Prescott Resort
6:00 PM (approximate) First car arrival - Finish of Leg Two - Prescott
Resort
1:00 AM Press Room closes
Sunday, 07 October, 2001
9:00 AM Awards Breakfast - Prescott Resort
* Recommended time and location for media interviews.
Event Rank:
This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event. Drivers earn
points towards the national championship, and supporting manufacturers
(Hyundai, Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi) earn points towards overall and
class Manufacturers' Championships.
Press Credentials:
Event Press/Photo credentials will be available at registration on Friday
only. Access to press-only photo areas, and to the post event awards
breakfast will require a press pass. Credentials are available only to
members of the working press. Identification and/or work assignment
required.
Visuals, Interviews & Media information:
During the event, action photography will be possible from spectator and
select press-only viewing areas along the rally course. Drivers, co-drivers
and crew will be accessible throughout the event, including the Friday
afternoon and Saturday morning Parc Expose. Media relations will be able to
provide driver and co-driver interviews, event results and other information
via telephone and Email.
Selected entries and Additional News (driver/co-driver):
· Prescott Forest is the traditional 'penultimate round' of the SCCA
ProRally Championship, and therefore is often the scene of decisive moments
that determine year-end class championships. 2001 may see several
championships decided here, including the overall drivers championship and
the coveted Woodner Cup for two wheel drive rallyists.
o Currently, Seamus Burke leads Mark Lovell by a mere 6 points* for the
overall, and Tad Ohtake leads David White by just two points* for the Woodner
Cup. In the resurgent Production class, Tony Chavez leads rookie Craig
Peeper by only 8 points*. For all of these drivers, a good weekend in
Prescott could hand them the year-end awards - but a bad weekend for any of
them will most certainly eliminate them from any chance at the season-ender
just two weeks away at the Lake Superior ProRally in Houghton, Michigan.
· 2000 season champions Choiniere and Becker have had a rocky road
defending their title, arriving at Prescott finds them in 5th place overall,
wrestling with a nearly 70 point deficit to Burke. While a shot at the
overall title is all but dashed; team boss John Buffum has considerable 'come
from behind' will power, and the Choiniere/Becker team knows this rally -
more than any of the top 10 entries, so there is a more than fair shot that
the team could be standing in the third place points position leaving
Prescott.
· To keep Choiniere's chances minimized, some shuffling of class entries
has occurred in the Subaru camp. With his Group N championship
mathematically sewn-up, Karl Scheible, and independent entry Ramana Lagemann;
have both converted their Imprezas to SCCA Open class specification. While
neither has any chance at an Open class title, their presence in the class is
intended to serve as a block to both Hyundai and Mitsubishi; setting the
stage for Prescott Forest to be the biggest manufacturer points brawl of the
season - perhaps in the history of the SCCA ProRally Championship.
· The Group 5 battle will be one to watch, as Andrew Havas old school RX-7
goes up head to head again with class points leader Tad Ohtake in his new
school supercharged Escort ZX-2. A similar battle of drivetrain
configuration will be witnessed in Group 2 - with David White's Golf GTi up
against the wild rock throwing Volvo of Bill Malik.
*These are 'un-adjusted numbers' - at the conclusion of the final round in
two weeks, SCCA Drivers Championship rules dictate that only the best 7
events of the season will count towards the 2001 championship award. For
drivers that entered more than 7 events, their points totals will be adjusted
down, by dropping their weakest finishes.
Contact: Kurt Spitzner - SCCA ProRally Championship Director
Pre-event: 303.967.9660 (country Code: 1)
direct inquiry Email: sccaprorally@aol.com
Press Room: 5-6 October only. Call the Hotel and ask for Press Room.
Time zone at event: Mountain Standard Time (GMT - 8 hours)
· SCCA ProRally: http://www.sccaprorally.org/
· SCCA Prescott Forest ProRally: http://www.prescottforestrally.com
The SCCA name and logo is a registered trademark of the Sports Car Club of
America, Inc.
ProRally, ClubRally and RallyCross are service marks of the SCCA.
The SCCA ProRally Championship is presented by Hyundai and Subaru, and is
televised on Speedvision
