MEDIA ALERT - SCCA ProRally - Round 7 - Maine Forest
The press release text included below is also available in a formatted Word97-Word2000 document. If you would prefer to receive our press releases in that format, or if you wish to opt out of these distributions, please send your request to: sccaprorally@aol.com. For immediate release 19 July 2002 MEDIA ALERT: SCCA® ProRallysm Championship Round 7 - Maine Forest DENVER, Colorado Seventh round (of ten) for the 2002 season. A highly competitive 96 car field of SCCA and FIA Performance Rally cars from across North America and the World will compete on the fast but often rocky dirt and gravel lumber roads of the Mead-Westvaco Paper Company, International Paper Company and Seven Islands Land Company in Western Maine, near the New Hampshire border. This event is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The SCCA ProRally Championship is presented by Hyundai Motor America, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, and Subaru of America. When & Where: July 27-28, 2000; Rumford, ME; approximately 75 miles (115 kilometers) Northeast of Portland, ME. Headquarters Hotel - Friday & Saturday Press Room, media registration; Linnell Motel, 986 Prospect Ave (Just off US Route 2 West), Rumford, ME 04276 Hotel main phone: 207.364.4511. Additional Hotel information: www.linnellmotel.com Press registration will be in the Pavilion, adjacent to the hotel property, behind the main hotel building. Schedule: (Subject to change) Thursday, July 25, 2002 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM Shakedown stage (tentative). 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Early registration at Sunday River Ski Resort. 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM Early Scrutineering at Rumford Highway Garage. Friday, July 26, 2002 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Registration - "Pavilion" at Linnell Motel, Rumford. 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Scrutineering at Rumford Highway Garage. 1:00 PM Parc Expose - Downtown Rumford. 2:00 PM Official Start of Maine Forest Rally - Downtown Rumford. 9:00 PM (apx.) Finish Leg 1 of Maine Forest Rally - Rumford. 9:00 PM(apx.) Pizza/Informational Scores - "Pavilion" at Linnell Motel. Saturday, July 27, 2002 9:00 AM Start Leg 2 of Maine Forest Rally - Newry. 12:00 PM (apx.) Lunch Break/Service - Oquossoc. 4:30 PM (apx.) Finish of Maine Forest Rally - Oquossoc. 7:30 PM Cocktails - Sunday River Ski Resort. 8:00 PM Buffet - Sunday River Ski Resort. 9:00 PM Provisional Results Posted - Sunday River Ski Resort. 10:00 PM Awards - Sunday River Ski Resort Selected entries (Driver/co-driver): · Current Overall Drivers Championship points leader David Higgins (89 points), with Daniel Barritt, 2002 Subaru WRX. · Hyundai Rally Team USA: Current Manufacturers Points leaders (76 MFG points) with Mark Higgins and Michael Gibson (#5 car), Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker (#6 car), 2003 Hyundai Tiburons. · Subaru Rally Team USA: Mark Lovell with Steve Turvey (#1 car), winners of the inaugural SCCA Open Class division at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, 2002 Subaru WRX. Also for the Subaru Team, Ramana Lagemann and Michael Kidd, 2002 Subaru WRX. · 2001 Overall Driver's Championship runner up, Seamus Burke (#25) with Rory Kennedy, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII. · Jonny Milner, current leader of the 2002 Pirelli British Rally Championship, will be trying out American Rally for the very first time, using a 2002 Subaru WRX from Prodrive. · Mitsubishi Rally Team USA: Rhys Millen, with Garry Cowan, 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII. · A huge 19 car Group 2 field is headlined by two works teams, featuring Eric Burmeister, with Cindy Krolikowski, 01 Mazda Protégé MP3, and Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Matt Chester, 02 Mitsubishi Lancer RMR. Keeping them on their toes in this highly competitive class will be the impressively quick Matthew Johnson (VW Golf), and James Robinson (Honda Civic) · Other notables: Frank and Dan Sprongl, winners of the 2002 Sno*Drift Rally in January, 1993 Ford Escort Cosworth; Tom McGeer and Mark Williams, 2002 Subaru Impreza; rising star Mark Nelson and Charles Bradley, 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI; and west coast veterans Carl Jardevall with Amity Trowbridge, 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV. Additional news interest: · The Maine Forest ProRally is substantially revised this year, using a number of roads new to the rally, and no 'out and back' stages, which should improve the flow of cars considerably. The wildly popular Mexico Recreational Park spectator stage, which is approximately 3 miles north of Rumford on Rt. 17, will take place again immediately following the Parc Expose. · The SCCA ProRally Overall Drivers Championship points battle tightened considerably with Subaru's win at Pikes Peak, but the Hyundais, which appear to have a horsepower edge over the Subarus, are always a major factor at this rally, which historically has favored faster cars. To quote one driver that survived last years event: 'Maine Forest is too fast to drive slow, but its too rough to drive fast." Event Rank: This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event. Drivers earn points towards the national championship, and supporting manufacturers (Hyundai, Subaru, Mitsubishi, and Mazda) earn points towards overall and class Manufacturers' Championships. Press & VIP Credentials: Event Press/Photo and VIP credentials will be available at registration on Thursday evening at the Sunday River Ski Resort and Friday morning at the "Pavilion" behind the Linnell Motel only (see above for times). Access to press-only photo areas will require a Press Pass. Credentials are available only to members of the working press. Identification and/or proper work orders are required. Minors are not eligible for Press or VIP credentials. Visuals, Interviews & Media information: During the event, action photography and video will be possible from spectator and press-only viewing areas along the rally course. Drivers, co-drivers and crew will be accessible throughout the event, including the Friday afternoon Parc Expose. Due to the very large geographic footprint of this event, Media Relations will only be able to provide event results and other information via e-mail. The press room phone number will be available on event day. Contact: Kurt Spitzner - SCCA ProRally Championship Director Pre-event: 303.967.9660; 303.694.3654 Fax (USA Country Code: 1) Direct inquiry e-mail: sccaprorally@aol.com Time zone at event: Eastern Daylight Time (GMT - 5 hours) · SCCA ProRally: http://www.sccaprorally.org/ · SCCA Maine Forest Rally: http://www.maineforestrally.org 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, Mitsubishi and Subaru, and is televised in North America on SpeedChannel. Time and date listing information available at www.speedtv.com