MEDIA ALERT: SUSQUEHANNOCK TRAIL PRORALLY 2003 SCHEDULE CHANGES
Hello, There are several changes that have been made to the schedule that was part of the original media advisory. Please check this new schedule. It is the correct one. For updates between now and Thursday, please check the STPR event schedule at www.stpr.org/schedule.html. Thank you, Curt K. _______________ Curtis Kitchen Public Relations Manager Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Inc. ckitchen@scca.com 800-770-2055 Championship News & Information For immediate release 02 June 2003 MEDIA ALERT: SCCA(r) ProRallysm Championship Round 3 Susquehannock Trail WELLSBORO, Penn. - The third round (of nine) for the 2003 season. A highly competitive 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 27th anniversary running of "STPR" is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The SCCA ProRally Championship series is presented by Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, and Subaru of America. When & Where: June 6-7, 2003; 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) Thursday, 05 June, 2003 7:00 PM - 9:)00 PM Competitor/Media/VIP Registration at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Wellsboro Friday, 06 June, 2003 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM; 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Competitor/Media/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 - 5:00 PM Practice Stage (SEE SPECIFIC INFORMATION BELOW) 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM; 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM Registration for Tioga Red Cross TSD Rally. Tioga Red Cross TSD Rally 9:00 PM to 11 PM Wellsboro Welcome Party - Fire Dept. Annex. Saturday, 07 June, 2003 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 of Daylight Section - Leg 1 of Susquehannock Trail Rally - on the Green 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Press Room open - Penn-Wells Hotel - Green Room. 2:45 PM Second Parc Expose around The Green. 3:15 PM (approx.) First car reaches MTC IN at The Green. 5:01 PM Sharp Official Re-start Evening Section - 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, 08 June, 203 7:45 AM Posting of Provisional Scores at the Arcadia Theater Lobby 8:15 AM Deadline for filing Scoring Inquiries and Claims 8:45 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, Subaru and Mitsubishi earn points towards Overall and class MFG Championships and Mazda and Dodge 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. 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. Also, only HARD CARDED Press members will be allowed on-stage. All other "event-only" press will be allowed only to spectator areas. See full Credential Policy Change Information below. Selected entries (driver/co-driver): * 2002 John Woolf Cup winner David Higgins and co-driver Daniel Barritt go for consecutive win number three in 2003 after sweeping Sno*Drift and Rim of the World in the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. * Driver Paul Choiniere, who is second all-time in career Rally victories, will make his 2003 Open Class debut at STPR. He will team up with Jeff Becker in the only Hyundai entered for competition. * 2001 Overall Driver and Manufacturer Champion Mark Lovell and 2002 Grant Whitaker Cup (top overall co-driver) Steve Turvey are looking for their first win of 2003 after placing second at Rim of the World in the No. 4 2004 Subaru Impreza. * Currently second in the John Woolf Cup standings behind teammate Higgins, 2002 2-WD Champion Lauchlin O'Sullivan, with co-driver Christian Edstrom, is a strong candidate to pick up his first win in Open Class action in his 2003 Lancer Evo. * The tightest current point battle in all classes belongs to Group N where Mark Utecht and Jeff Secor look to continue their hot start to the 2003 season in the No. 83 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX. The pair are in a deadlock with Shane Mitchell and Paul Donnelly. After Utecht and Secor beat them at Sno*Drift, Mitchell and Donnelly returned the favor at Rim of the World. Mitchell and Donnelly are in the No. 45 Subaru Impreza. Additional news interest: * Any number of weather conditions could affect the outcome of the race. Historically, STPR has been clouded in dust. However, Mother Nature can also create major difficulties for teams in other ways. In 2001, a rainstorm that began at the second service completely changed much of the finishing order throughout the entire field with muddy roads that became as slick as ice. * While Susquehannock Trail is geologically different in every way from last month's 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. The famous spectator-friendly but car-cruel Water Crossing at the end of SS1 often determines a number of rallyists' fortunes, with as much as 10% of the field retiring, sometimes in the creek! But last year, machines ruled the land because not one car was lost in the creek, a first in the 26-year history of the Rally. * Team Subaru is still looking for its first victory of the 2003 campaign after two DNF's at Sno*Drift and a second-place finish by Lovell. Lovell's teammate, Ramana Lagemann, who had the other DNF, has yet to place higher than fifth this year. * After the blistering pace set in the Open Class by Mitsubishi drivers through the first two events this season, expect absolute, flat-out driving and intense service area action as Team Subaru attempts to climb back into the points battle and win its first ProRally of the season. Press & VIP Credentials; Visuals, Interviews & Media information: IMPORTANT NOTE: SCCA PRORALLY CHAMPIONSHIP VIP/PRESS CREDENTIAL POLICY CHANGE: The SCCA no longer will be issuing at-event VIP Credentials, or at-event, all-access Press Credentials. VIP's who are associated with a team, must use the credentialing system offered by the organizer, and must do so through the team the VIP is associated with. Access to restricted access areas by members of the working press will require an SCCA ProRally Hard Card Photo ID Press Credential. Photo ID Hard Cards must be requested before the actual event and ARE NOT available at event. At-event Press Credentials, assigned on-site, will not grant access to any restricted areas. There will be a set number of Press Credentials for this event, available only to members of the working press; identification and/or proper work orders are required to obtain one. Minors are not eligible for Press credentials. Hard Card and event specific Press/Photo credentials will be available at registration on Friday afternoon and for a very short period on Saturday morning only. Remember that Hard Card Credentials will not be issued on-site without pre-event, off-site registration. To register for credentials, please contact Sue Robinson at 785-357-7222 ext. 360, or Curtis Kitchen, ext. 354. For more information about restricted areas, please go to: http://www.scca.com/news/tech/prorally/PROB051903-zoneaccess.pdf Photo Pool: For members of the local press that are not able to attend or access the stages, a photographer pool has been established to furnish event images. Action photography and video will be possible ONLY from spectator and press-only viewing areas along the rally course. Drivers, co-drivers and crew are accessible throughout the event, including the practice stage, the Friday evening welcome party, Parc Exposes and Services. The press room phone number at the Penn-Wells Hotel will be available on event day. Contact: Curtis Kitchen - Public Relations Manager SCCA, Inc. Pre-event: 785.357.7222 ext. 354; 785.633.7977 (cell); 785.232.7228 (Fax); email: ckitchen@scca.com Time zone at event: Eastern Daylight Time (GMT - 5 hours) * SCCA ProRally: http://www.scca.com <http://www.scca.com/> * SCCA Susquehannock Trail ProRally: http://www.stpr.org <http://www.stpr.org/> -30-