SCCA: Former World Champion Stig Blomqvist Wins Maine Forest ProRally
3 August 1999
RUMFORD, Maine — Former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist was
the man who made it happen, but the remarkable record of the 1999
Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship is still intact – six events and
six different winners. Driving an exotic Ford Escort Cosworth,
Blomqvist started first in the July 30-31 Maine Forest ProRally and
never was headed, despite strong challenges from top North American
teams, including several national champions.
Blomqvist’s job was made a bit easier when both defending US
champion David Summerbell and the seven-time US champion Paul
Choiniere were sidelined by mechanical problems and illness,
respectively, before the event started. However, there still was
plenty of talent intent on spoiling his US rally debut. Canadian
champions Frank and Dan Sprongl were on hand with their Audi quattro
S2. Current ProRally points leaders Noel Lawler and Charlie Bradley
brought their factory-backed Hyundai Tiburon. Rim of the World winners
Garen and Doc Shrader brought their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV; and
Jamaican hotshoe Dean Panton and defending US co-driver champion Mike
Fennell had a potent Hyundai Elantra.
Despite the strong competition, Blomqvist still relentlessly
edged ahead of the field, finishing two and a half minutes clear of
the Sprongls, and another two ahead of Lawler and Bradley. Fourth
overall went to the Shraders.
Perhaps the surprise drive of the event was that of Group 2
winners Bill Malik and Christian Edstrom. They brought their flying
Volvo 240 through the field to finish a truly
remarkable sixth overall in the 70-car field. They finished nearly
four minutes ahead of class Gerald Sweet and Stuart Spark, in a SAAB
99EMS.
Right behind Malik and Edstrom, seventh overall, were Group 5
winners Henry and Cindy Krolikowski, in a Dodge Shadow. They, too,
carvedtheir way through the field. En route, they built about a
two-minute cushion over Mike Hurst and Rob Bohn, in a Mazda Rx-7.
The closest battle of the rally was in the Production GT class.
Greg Healey and John Macleod brought out a newly completed Subaru
Impreza, hoping for a good maiden run. They went home with the class
win. After a hard-fought two days, they emerged just seven seconds
ahead of the Mitsubishi Eclipse of Chris Czyzio and Eric Carlson.
The battle for the Production Class victory was only a couple of
ticks less tight. Evan Moen and Tom Young, in a Plymouth Neon ACR, had
a furious struggle with the factory-backed Daewoo Nubira of Peter
Malaszuk and Darek Szerejko. In the end, Moen and Young had the
advantage by a mere nine seconds.
Blomqvist’s appearance in the event was part of a tribute to the
late Carl Merrill, the beloved Maine businessman and long-time series
front-runner who passed away late last year from heart failure.
Merrill’s former crewchief, WeeGee Smith, bought the car he had
maintained for Merrill, brought it up to current specs and invited
Blomqvist to drive it. Blomqvist obliged with the clear victory that
completed Smith’s tribute to his late friend.
The next round of the Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship will be
the Ojibwe Forests ProRally, which will take place in Bemidji,
Minnesota, the weekend of August 27-28.
— WRG —
MF-0002
8199
Maine Forest ProRally
Round 6
Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship
Rumford, Maine
July 30-31, 1999
Final Results
OA Class Driver Car
Pos.Pos. Class Car Navigator Hometown Tires Time
1 1 Open 5 Stig Blomqvist Sweden Escort Cosworth
Lance Smith Hinesburg, VT Michelin 1:39:58
2 2 Open 141 Frank Sprongl Mississauga, Ont Audi quattro
Dan Sprongl Mississauga, Ont Yokohama 1:42:34
3 3 Open 2 Noel Lawler Manchester Vil., VT Hyundai Tiburon
Charlie Bradley Ardmore, PA Pirelli 1:44:43
4 4 Open 14 Garen Schrader Memphis, TN Mitsubishi Evo
Doc Schrader Memphis, TN Michelin 1:50:15
5 5 Open 80 Jon Kemp Attico, NY Audi quattro
Rod Hendickson Clinton, NJ Michelin 1:51:59
6 1 Gr 2 10 Bill Malik Burbank, CA Volvo 240
Christian Edstrom Valencia, CA Michelin 1:54:16
7 1 Gr 5 44 Henry Krolikowski Wyandotte, MI Dodge Shadow
Cindy Krolikowski Wyandotte, MI Michelin 1:54:27
8 2 Gr 2 108 Gerald Sweet Oakridge, NJ Saab 99 EMS
Stuart Spark Woodcliff Lake, NJ Michelin 1:55:46
9 6 Open 175 Alex Erisoty New York, NY Audi 90
Ben Greisler Holland, PA Michelin 1:55:48
10 2 Gr 5 82 Mike Hurst Indianapolis, IN Mazda RX-7
Rob Bohn Noblesville, IN Michelin 1:56:40
11 3 Gr 5 121 Mark Bowers Afton, VA Mitsubishi Starion
Duffy Bowers Afton, VA Michelin 1:56:41
12 1 PGT 27 Greg Healey Saugerties, NY Subaru Impreza
John Macleod So Easton, MA Michelin 1:57:15
13 2 PGT 21 Chris Czyzio Flushing, MI Mitsubishi Eclipse
Eric Carlson Oregon, WI Michelin 1:57:22
14 3 Gr 2 71 Bryan Hourt Hilliard, OH Honda Civic
Peter Cardimen Dublin, OH Michelin 1:57:25
15 7 Open 64 Sylvester Stepniewski Keansburg, NJ Audi quattro
Adam Pelc Middle Village, NY Michelin 1:57:37
16 8 Open 106 Malachy Crawford Garden City, NY Mitsubishi Evo
Finian Hannigan Dublin, Ireland Michelin 1:57:59
17 4 Gr 2 116 Thomas Lawless Maspeth, NY Volkswagen Golf GTI
Sean Divine Maspeth, NY Michelin 1:58:20
18 1 Prod 36 Evan Moen Clarkston, MI Plymouth Neon
Tom Young Lapees, MI Michelin 1:58:56
19 2 Prod 119 Peter Malaszuk Stamford, CT Daewoo Nubira
Darek Szerejko Ryebrook, NY Michelin 1:59:05
20 9 Open 126 Arthur Wojcik Middle Village, NY Mitsubishi Gal
Charles Cox Cambridge, MA Michelin 1:59:17
21 3 PGT 168 Celsus Donnelly New York, NY Eagle Talon Tsi
Kevin Mullin New York, NY Michelin 2:02:17
22 5 Gr 2 146 Walt Kammer Williamsille, NY Datsun 510
Jackie Adams North Collins, NY Yokohama 2:03:02
23 4 Gr 5 555 Colin McCleery Zeeland, MI Merkur XR 4ti
Jeff Secor Hudsonville, MI Michelin 2:03:21
24 3 Prod 61 Karl Scheible Spencerport, NY VW New Beetle
Gail McGuire Avon, NY Michelin 2:04:07
25 10 Open 59 John Rek Chicago, Il Audi S-2
C. Mantopoulos Si, NY Michelin 2:04:47
26 4 PGT 97 Paul Dubinsky Fort Mill, SC Eagle Talon
Yvon Dubinsky Fort Mill, SC Michelin 2:05:56
27 4 Prod 73 Nicholas Robinson Plain City, OH Honda Civic
Carl Lindquist Zanesfield, Ohio Michelin 2:07:35
28 5 PGT 70 Kendall Russell Knoxville, TN Dodge Shadow
John Dillon Thousand Oaks, CA Michelin 2:07:35
29 6 Gr 2 173 Patrick Lilly Yonkers, NY Volkswagen Golf GTi
Mark McAllister New York, NY Michelin 2:07:38
30 11 Open 159 Michael Zamikhovsky Watchung, NJ Toyota Celica
Ron Norton Solebury, PA Michelin 2:07:55
31 7 Gr 2 15 Brad Hawkins Wilmington, DE Volkswagen Jetta
Adrian Wintle Newmarket, Ont Michelin 2:08:05
32 8 Gr 2 129 Scott Kreisler Boyerstown, PA Nissan 200SX
John Bonasera Collegeville, PA Michelin 2:08:08
33 6 P.GT 19 Rod Dean Holly, MI Plymouth Laser
Nichole Dean Holly, MI Michelin 2:08:21
34 9 Gr 2 199 Mike White Keene, NH Saab 99 Gli
Mike Ronan Dover, NH Michelin 2:08:24
35 10 Gr 2 41 Art Burmeister Sterling, MI VW GTI
Jimmy Brandt Lake Odessa, MI Michelin 2:08:43
36 7 PGT 100 Donal P Mulleady Bayonne, NJ Mazda 323 GTX
John O Reilly Yonkers, NY Michelin 2:10:03
37 11 Gr 2 77 Robert Pao Branchburg, NJ Volkswagen Golf GTI
Bob Barrell Bethlehem, PA Michelin 2:11:14
38 12 Open 186 Jerry Cuffe Bronx, NY Audi 80
Barry Cuffe Bronx, NY Michelin 2:13:16
39 5 Prod 145 Bruno Laverdiere Laval, Quebec Toyota Corolla
Martin Duval Ste -Catherine, Que Yokohama 2:14:11
0 6 Prod 143 Ilana RosensheinWaterloo, Ont Suzuki Swift GT
Jennifer Cote Don Mills, Ont Yokohama 2:15:46
41 8 PGT 109 James R FrandsenMillerton, PA Audi 200
Todd Bourdette Millerton, PA Michelin 2:16:57
42 13 Open 901 Gerry Brinkman Farmingdale, NJ Audi quattro
Will Sekella Reading, PA Silverstone 2:24:41
43 12 Gr 2 42 Eric Burmeister Dearborn Hgts, MI Volkswagen Golf GTI
Mark Buskirk Kentwood, MI Michelin 2:32:07
44 14 Open 167 David Green Fairfax Station, VA Eagle TalonTsi
Mike Wilerson Arlington, VA Michelin 2:46:13
Open 3 David SummerbellJamaica Hyundai Tiburon
Jeff Becker Great Neck, NY Michelin DNF
Open 11 Ivan Orisek White Plains, NY Audi quattro
Olga Orisek White Plains, NY Michelin DNF
PGT 13 Cal Landau Coraopolis, PA Mitsubishi Eclipse
Eric Marcus Beavercreek, OH Michelin DNF
PGT 16 Gail Truess Brooklyn, MI Mazda 323 GTX
Pam McGarvey Ohio Michelin DNF
Open 20 George Plsek Del Mar, CA Audi quattro
Renn Phillips Solana Beach, CA Michelin DNF
Open 29 Dean Fry Temple, PA Subaru Legacy
Don Kennedy Shillington, PA Michelin DNF
Gr 5 38 Lesley Suddard Wilmington, DE Shelby Charger
Marc Goldfarb Atkinson, NH Michelin DNF
Open 43 Carlos Arrieta Sr Alexandria, VA Audi Quattro
Belen Arrieta Alexandria, VA Michelin DNF
Gr 2 47 Ken Kovach Cleveland, OH Ford Escort GT
Mark Rinkel Hinckley, OH Michelin DNF
Gr 2 58 Roland McIvor Rockford, IL Nissan Sentra
Richard AdelmannSussex, NJ Michelin DNF
Gr 2 60 John Rahill Montpelier, VT Volkswagen Golf GTi
Vladimir Hladky Essex Jct, VT Michelin DNF
Prod 74 Ramana Lagemann Cohasset, MA Volkswagen Golf GTi
Bill Washburn Wellesley, MA DNF
Prod 76 Ted Mendham Lyndeborough, NH Nissan Sentra
Lise Mendham Lyndeborough, NH Michelin DNF
Open 99 Sakis Hadjiminas Floral Park, NY VW Fox Kit Car
Brian Maxwell Port Hope, Ont Michelin DNF
Gr 5 111 Jim Anderson Dublin, OH Honda Prelude
Martin Dapot Reston, VA Michelin DNF
Gr 5 112 Jens Larsen Storrs, CT Mazda RX-7
Roger Sanderson Waterloo, Ont Silverstone DNF
PGT 115 Seamus Burke Powdersprings, GA Mitsubishi VR4
Mark Williams Michelin DNF
Gr 2 118 Tom Lawless Maspeth, NY Volkswagen Scirocco
Brendan Lawless Maspeth, NY Michelin DNF
Open 120 Dean Panton Jamaica Hyundai Elantra
Michael Fennel Jamaica Michelin DNF
Open 135 Bill Driegert Dallas, TX Subaru WRX
Claire Chizma Newhall, CA Michelin DNF
Gr 2 142 Jon Nichols Lachine, QU Volkswagen Golf GTi
Mike Koch Nepean, ON Michelin DNF
Open 152 Wojciech Hajducayk Linden, NJ Plymouth Laser
Cezary Fidler Brooklyn, NY Silverstone DNF
PGT 161 Thomas Brann Mahopac, NY Subaru Legacy
Brandon Bohan Hopewell Jct, NY Michelin DNF
Gr 5 169 Carlos Arrieta Jr Falls Church, VA Saab 900 Turbo
Dick Casey Fairfax Station, VA Michelin DNF
Prod 174 Anders Green Apex, NC Dodge Ram
Jeff Denton Apex, NC Michelin DNF
Open 179 Demetrios Andreou Thornhill, ON Audi Quattro
John Bellefleur Thornhill, Ont Michelin DNF
Gr 2 180 Chris Havas Richmond, VT Volkswagen Golf GTi
Eric Tremblay St Jean Chrysostome Michelin DNF