SCCA ProRally - MEDIA ALERT - Susquehannock Trail Rally
24 May 2002 DENVER, Colorado Fifth round (of ten) for the 2002 season. A highly competitive 90 car field of SCCA and FIA Performance Rally cars from across North America and the World will compete on the wickedly fast, smooth, dirt and gravel roads near the famous 'Grand Canyon of the East" in North central Pennsylvania. This 26th anniversary running of "STPR" is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The SCCA ProRally Championship series is presented by Hyundai Motor America, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, and Subaru of America. When & Where: June 01, 2002; Wellsboro, PA; approximately 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of Williamsport PA, 45 miles (75 kilometers) southwest of Elmira, NY. Headquarters Hotel - Saturday Press Room; Penn-Wells Hotel, 62 Main St, Wellsboro, PA 16901 Front desk: 570.724.2111 or 800.545.2446 Press operations will be in the "Green Room" with access through the lobby at the front of the hotel. Event and Media registration (Friday): St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Walnut Street, Wellsboro. Schedule: (subject to change) Friday, May 31, 2002 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM; 4:00PM - 7:00 PM Media/competitor/VIP registration at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Wellsboro. 9:00AM - 3:00PM; 5:00PM - 6:00 PM Scrutineering at the Fairgrounds, Rt. 6, East of Wellsboro. 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM Practice Stage - See below for details. 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM Welcome Party - Fireman's Annex, Main St. Credentialed press welcome. Saturday, June 01, 2002 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Late Press Registration at Press Room - Penn-Wells Hotel - Green Room. 8:45 AM - 1:30 PM Press Room closed for start of rally & water crossing stage. 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Parc Expose - on The Green - Main Street, Wellsboro. 10:31 AM Sharp Official Start - Leg 1 of Susquehannock Trail Rally - on the Green 10:56 AM Sharp Start of Special Stage 1 - Water crossing spectator stage. 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Press Room open - Penn-Wells Hotel - Green Room. 2:45 PM - 5:00 PM 2nd Parc Expose - on the Green - Main Street, Wellsboro. 5:01 PM Sharp Official Re-start - Leg 2 of Susquehannock Trail Rally - on the Green 7:00 PM - 8:50 PM Germania Area Service #1. 10:59 PM - 11:57 PM Germania Area Service #2. Sunday, June 02, 2002 1:20 AM (approx) First car finishes Susquehannock Trail ProRally at Fireman's Annex. 7:30 AM Provisional results posted - Arcadia Theatre Lobby. 8:30 AM Awards and prize giving - Arcadia Theatre. 9:30 AM Brunch at Penn-Wells Hotel Dining Room. Tickets available at registration. Event Rank: This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event. Drivers earn points towards the National Championship, while Hyundai, Subaru and Mitsubishi earn points towards Overall and class MFG Championships and Mazda and Mitsubishi earn points towards the Group 2 Championship. Friday Practice Stage Details Friday's practice stage provides an informal setting for interviews and photo opportunities for members of the working press to meet the stars of SCCA ProRally. A press caravan will depart from the Episcopal Church at 12:30 PM Sharp for the press stage location. All attending Press & VIPs must be credentialed prior to leaving for the stage. Please understand that this is not a closed "press" stage, but rather a working shakedown stage for the entrants. Rides for the press are not guaranteed, and will be handled purely on a request basis with drivers that have completed testing. Selected entries (driver/co-driver): · Current Overall Drivers Championship points leader David Higgins (67 points), 2002 Subaru WRX. · Current Manufacturer points leaders (55 MFG points) Mark Higgins and Michael Gibson in #5 car, former SCCA champions Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker in #6 car, 2003 Hyundai Tiburons. · 2001 Overall Driver and Manufacturer Champion Mark Lovell with Steve Turvey, 2002 Subaru WRX. · 2001 Overall Driver's Championship runner up, Seamus Burke, returns for his first event since this year's Cherokee Trails Rally in March. · Rhys Millen with Garry Cowan, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII - Millen has had a season full of highs and lows - now with a new car - expect to see the Pikes Peak champion turn up the heat. Additional news interest: · Dust will, as is nearly always the case at STPR, be a huge factor in the outcome of the event, particularly in the events opening two stages, where, historically, the top finisher of those two stages goes on to win. Mother Nature, however, can also create major difficulties for teams in other ways: Last year's rainstorm that began at the second service completely changed much of the finishing order throughout the entire field with muddy roads that became slick as ice. · The famous spectator-friendly but car-cruel Water Crossing at the end of SS1 often determines a number of rallyist's fortunes, with as much as 10% of the field retiring, sometimes in the creek! · While Susquehannock Trail is geologically different in every way from last months Rim of the World, with its fast, smooth and well-groomed roads, the event does, none-the-less, also have a history of high attrition because of the narrow roads closely lined with big trees. · With the Hyundai well in front of the Manufacturers Championship race, and independent David Higgins tearing up the Overall Driver's competition, expect absolutely flat-out driving and intense service area action as other teams, particularly Subaru/Prodrive and Mitsubishi, fight to close the gap.