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Battle in Subaru Rally Championship moves to Alberta
Bighorn has always been a pivotal rally in the
battle for top spot. But this year, as the third event in the 1999 Subaru
Canadian Rally Championship, it's going to be crucial. The Hinton, Alberta rally
was the exclusive playground for the Sprongl brothers in their Audi Quattro S2,
the McGeer couple in their Subaru Impreza WRX, and the late Carl Merrill in his
world rally Ford Escort Cosworth.
There's a new competitor to fill the void Merrill has left: Sylvain Vincent. And
if the sponsorship offers are any indication, Vincent and his co-driver
Dominique Cyr (both of La Plaine, Que.) are well on their way to an outstanding
and competitive year in the Championship.
For the two western events, the team's Eagle
Talon will be shod with Yokohama tires, a deal announced recently. Subaru has
also upped the ante by promising the team a full rally prepped Subaru 2.5 RS
after the western events are complete. Vincent and Cyr, up until now, have
worked without major sponsorship and have fought hard to earn their second place
in the standings. The generosity of both Yokohama and Subaru prove that rally is
one of the best supported sports in Canada; both companies have rewarded hard
work and hard driving which are crucial elements of any success of rally team.
19 stages of changing conditions Bighorn competition may not be match for the
weather this year. The forecast calls for rain, meaning normally dry, dusty
roads will be turned into slippery paths of mud. The rally course is made up of
19
special stages and 185 kilometers of speed sections for a total of 590. Rally
organizer Dave Sharp, says it's not abnormal to see dust in the first stages,
mud in the middle sections, and snow by the end of the rally. Changeable
conditions are typical for this event.
A whole host of competitors from Alberta, British Columbia, and even Nova Scotia
promise to shake up the regulars from Ontario and Quebec. Barry and Sandra
Latreille (Cornwall, Ont.) in their Eagle Talon, Eric Tremblay (Sillery, Que.)
in his Subaru RS, and Jean Marc Alcaraz (Levis, Que.) in his Mazda, are just
some of the old rally hands registered to run. At Bighorn, they're going to have
to deal with the likes of John Paynter (Halifax) in his Subaru Legacy, Gord
Olsen (Edmonton) in his Golf GTI Janusz Komorowski (Calgary) in his Mazda 323,
and Paul Westwick (Vancouver) in his Toyota Celica.
The Subaru Canadian Rally Championship is presented eight times in 1999, between
February and November. It is sanctioned by the Canadian Association of
RallySport and supported by Subaru Canada and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc.
Additional information is available from the CARS website at www3.sympatico.ca/rally.cars.
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