MEDIA ALERT - SCCA ProRally - Rim of the
World
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For immediate release 26 April 2002
MEDIA ALERT
SCCA ProRally Championship - Rim of the World
DENVER, CO Fourth round (of ten) for the 2002 season. SCCA Performance
Rally cars from across North America will compete on demanding ridgetop dirt
and gravel fire control roads tracing the line of the infamous San Andreas
Fault in the Angeles National Forest in southern California. Regarded as the
toughest rally in the USA, it is often compared to the Acropolis Rally in
Greece for its relentless, car-pounding roads. This event is sanctioned by
the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
When & Where:
May 3-4, 2001; Palmdale, CA; approximately 50 miles (70 kilometers) north of
Los Angeles.
Headquarters Hotel & Friday/Saturday Press Room;
Event and Media registration (Friday afternoon):
Holiday Inn - Palmdale, 38630 5th Street West, Palmdale, CA 93551,
661.947.8055 main, press room direct: 661.947.4072
Hotel located at junction of Hwy 14 and Palmdale Blvd
(press registration will be in the main entrant registration area near
the rear of the hotel.)
Schedule:
Friday, May 03, 2002
8:30 AM - 12:00 Noon Media press event. See details below
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Registration at Holiday Inn
1:00 PM - 5:30 PM Scrutineering - America's Tire Company, Hwy 14 & Avenue
J, Lancaster
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Parade Lap - lot adjacent to Holiday Inn, Palmdale
7:00 PM sharp Official Rally Start with Spectator Stage - lot adjacent to
Holiday Inn
11:55 PM approx First car finishes Day One of rally - Holiday Inn, Palmdale
Saturday, May 04, 2002
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Fund raising RallySprint event for local charity ($20US
donation for rides) Parc Expose runs concurrently with this activity
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Autograph session, featuring WRC Subaru driver Petter
Solberg
12:00 Noon sharp Official day two Rally Start - Holiday Inn - includes
Spectator Stage
3:10 PM approx Short Service break - Lake Hughes Community Club
5:30 PM approx Service and dinner break, re-seeding - Lake Hughes Community
Club
8:00 PM sharp Restart day two of rally - night stages - Lake Hughes
Community Club
10:00 PM approx First car finishes day two of Rim of the World ProRally -
Holiday Inn
12:00 PM approx Provisional ProRally scoring posted - Holiday Inn
2:00 AM approx Press room closed
Sunday, May 05, 2002
8:00 - 10:00 AM Awards Breakfast - Holiday Inn - no press activity scheduled
Friday Media Event Details
An excellent opportunity for members of the working press to meet and ride
with the stars of the SCCA ProRally Championship. Lunch is provided,
courtesy of Subaru of America. Credential requests for this specific
function are handled exclusively by the event organizer. Contact Paula
Gibeault at 760.375.8704 (voice) 760.384.2640 (fax) or via email at:
gibeault@ridgecrest.ca.us
Selected entries (driver/co-driver):
· Current Overall Drivers Championship points leader David Higgins, 2002
Subaru WRX
· Current Manufacturers Points leaders Mark Higgins and Michael Gibson,
Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker, 2003 Hyundai Tiburons
· 2001 Overall Driver and Manufacturer Champion Mark Lovell with Steve
Turvey, 2002 Subaru WRX
· Rhys Millen with Garry Cowan will debut their works backed 2002
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
· Rising SCCA ProRally star Mark Nelson with Charles Bradley, 2000
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI
Additional news interest:
· Former SCCA ProRally Driver's Champion Rod Millen returns to the
Championship after a 10-year absence, this time joining with Mitsubishi and
son Rhys Millen, forming the first three-car works team in recent USA
rallying history. Rod has done well here in the past, winning the event most
recently in 1991, with a 3 and a half minute margin of victory.
· Subaru World Rally Championship driver Petter Solberg will be driving the
course-opening car, capping off a big weekend for the Japanese manufacturer,
celebrating its first, and highly successful, year of North American sales of
their streetable rally car, the WRX.
· Making their first appearances in the championship for 2002, UK based
Richard Tuthill and John Bennie will be flying in, driving their US bodied
Open Class Mitsubishi Mirage with Lancer Evo underpinnings. Also debuting
for the 2002 season is 2001 Gr N Champion Karl Schieble, with SCCA ProRally
veteran Wayne Schieble co-driving. They will be in an Open Class 2002 Subaru
WRX.
Event Rank:
This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event, and has long
been a fixture of the championship, the 2001 event marks its 19th running.
Drivers at this event earn points towards the national championship, and
supporting manufacturers (Hyundai, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Mazda) earn points
towards overall and class MFG Championships.
Media information; Credentials, Visuals & Interviews:
Event Press/Photo credentials will be available at registration on Friday
afternoon and Saturday morning. During the event, credentialed press will be
able to shoot action photography from restricted areas along the rally
course. Credentials are available only to properly identified members of the
working press.
Per California National Forest regulations, an 'Adventure Pass' is required
to gain access to certain areas. The organizer will have a limited supply
available for a nominal ($5.00 US) fee. Be aware that the fire danger in
this part of California is exceptionally high, and some areas that have been
accessible in previous years running of this Event may not be this year.
Please abide by all National Forestry directives, and use caution and common
sense when parking cars or smoking.
Drivers, co-drivers and crew will be accessible throughout the event,
including the Friday morning press event, Friday afternoon's Parade Lap, and
Saturday morning's charity event and Parc Expose.
Media relations will be able to provide driver and co-driver interviews,
event results and other information via telephone and Email.
Contact: Kurt Spitzner - SCCA Pro Rally Championship Director
Pre-event: 303.967.9660; 303.694-3654 Fax (USA Country
Code: 1)
Mobile: 303.204.0375
direct inquiry Email: sccaprorally@aol.com
Time zone at event: Pacific Time (GMT - 8 hours)
· SCCA ProRally: http://www.sccaprorally.org/
· SCCA Rim of the World ProRally: http://www.rimoftheworldrally.com
The SCCA ProRally Championship is presented by Hyundai, Mitsubishi and
Subaru, and is televised in North America on SpeedChannel. Time and date
listing information available at www.speedtv.com
