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ProRally: Lawler Ends the Streak, Becomes First Two-Time 1999 Winner at Ojibwe Forests

31 August 1999

BEMIDJI, Minnesota — There were no happier people on the planet
following the end of the Ojibwe Forest ProRally this weekend than Noel
Lawler and Charlie Bradley. After a hard-fought, two-day seesaw battle
with the Canadian National Champions – and a very large dash of drama
on the event’s final stage – they emerged victorious in round even of
the Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship. They also became the first
two-time winners this season.

    Despite the best efforts of Canadian champions Frank and Dan
Sprongl (Audi quattro S2); and their own teammates, seven-time US
champion Paul Choiniere and 11-time champion John Buffum (Hyundai
Tiburon); and Rim of the World winners Garen and Doc Shrader
(Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV), Lawler and Bradley would not be denied.
Not even a broken halfshaft at the start the final, 21-mile stage
could keep them from taking the win. The Sprongls finished second.
Choiniere and Buffum were third, and the Shraders were fourth overall.

    European veteran Lawler called it his greatest win. The victory
put both Lawler and Bradley into comfortable leads in the driver and
co-driver championship standings, respectively, with only two events
remaining. Even a so-so showing in either rally would give them the
titles.

    Sixth overall and the Group 5 win went to low-flying Henry and
Cindy Krolikowski, in their Dodge Shadow. Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes
were second in their Toyota Supra Turbo.

    Close behind the Krolikowskis were Group 2 winners Bryan Hourt and
Brian Shanfeld, in a Honda Civic. In a gesture of great sportsmanship,
Hourt and Shanfeld helped rivals Bill Malik and Christian Edstrom
repair the broken shifter in their Volvo 240 just before the start of
the rally’s final 21-mile stage. The two teams finished the event only
about 30 seconds apart.

     Brian Pepp and Jerry Stang pushed hard in their Eagle Talon to
get the Production GT win, a solid 11th overall. They were two minutes
ahead of the PGT runners-up, Lauchlin O’Sullivan and John Dillon, who
hadn’t even seen the car they competed in until the day before the
rally. It was nearly 2000 miles from the rally site on Monday, when
the rental was arranged.

    Karl Scheible and Gail McGuire clinched the driver and co-driver
championships, respectively, in the Production Class. The victory in
their Volkswagen New Beetle was their third class win in the car this
season, and came on top of a victory in a rented Volkswagen Golf GTi
at the beginning of the season. Despite having already secured their
class crowns, Scheible and McGuire have said that they will compete in
the year’s final two rallies.

    The next round of the Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship will be
the Prescott Forest ProRally, which will take place in Prescott,
Arizona, on the weekend of October 1-2.