Ojibwe
Forest Rally
August 27 - 28,
1999
MEDIA ALERT
Event: Ojibwe Forests ProRally; Round 7 of the 1999 Michelin SCCA Pro
Rally Championship. ProRally cars from across North America will race on the
demanding forest roads of northern Minnesota -- both in daylight and at night.
Ojibwe Forests ProRally is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
and also is part of the North American Rally Championship.
When & where:
August 26-28, 1999; Bemidji, Minnesota
Headquarters:
Northern Inn; Route 2; Bemidji, Minnesota; (218) 751-9500
Schedule:
Thursday, August 26
6:00-11:00 p.m. Triple Caution
Rallycross; Bemidji Speedway; Sunnyside Rd.
(County Road 407); Bemidji, Minn.
Friday, August 27
9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Registration; Northern Inn; Bemidji
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Scrutineering; Chalet Center Car
Wash; Bemidji
1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ClubRally school; Northern Inn
3:30 p.m.
Worker meeting; Northern Inn
5:30 p.m.
First car starts Ojibwe Forests ProRally; Bemidji;
First car starts Paul Bunyan's Ride ClubRall following last car in
ProRally
Saturday, August 28
12:30 a.m.-2:00 a.m. Pizza party for teams, workers, media By
appointment
Registration for 10,000 Lakes ClubRally;Northern Inn
Scrutineering; Chalet Center Car Wash
12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Parc Expose (rally cars on display);
Northern Inn
2:00 p.m.
First cars starts second day of Ojibwe Forests
ProRally; Bemidji; first car starts 10,000 Lakes
ClubRally following last car of ProRally
10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. Awards buffet; Northern Inn
Format:
Events in the Michelin SCCA ProRally Championship
consist of flat-out racing, in any weather, on challenging forest, mountain or
desert roads. No practice is allowed. Competitors generally see the course for
the first time as they race it. Racing takes place only on "stages,"
demanding roads closed by local authorities for the event. "Transits"
connect racing sections and are driven at normal highway speeds, with teams
fully subject to all traffic laws.
ProRally
vehicles are production-based cars (and some trucks) from manufacturers around
the world. They compete both for the overall victory and wins within a class
structure that groups together vehicles with similar performance. Each vehicle
carries a driver and a
co-driver/navigator. Using a detailed route book and a sophisticated rally
computer, the co-driver keeps the team on-course and advises the driver of any
hazards ahead. This role is as critical as the driver's skill, since the team is
traveling at full racing speeds over roads
they have never before seen, in any type of weather.
Selected entries (driver/co-driver):
* Seven-time US champion Paul Choiniere and multi-time co-driver champion Jeff
Becker; Susquehannock Trail winners in an Open Class Hyundai Tiburon
* Canadian national champions Frank and Dan Sprongl, in an Open Class
Audi quattro S2
* Overall points leaders and Wild West winners Noel Lawler and Charlie
Bradley, in another Open Class Hyundai Tiburon
* Rim of the World winners Garen and Doc Shrader, in an Open Class
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV World Rally Championship-type supercar
* Midwest hotshoes Steve Gingras and Bill Westrick, in an Open Class
Eagle Talon
* Group 5 points leaders Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes; class winners
at Rim of the World and Wild West in a Toyota Supra Turbo
* Sno*Drift, STPR and Maine Forest Group 5 winners Henry and Cindy
Krolikowski, in a Dodge Shadow
* Midwest Group 5 fliers Jim Anderson and Martin Dapot, in a Honda
Prelude
* Doo Wop and Wild West Production GT winners Gail Truess and Pattie
Hughes, in a Mazda 323 GTX
* Rim of the World Production GT winners Lee Shadbolt and Claire
Chizma, in a Subaru Impreza
* Maine Forest Group 2 winners Bill Malik and Christian Edstrom, in a
Volvo 240
* Sno*Drift, STPR and Wild West Production Class winners Karl Scheible
and Gail McGuire, in Volkswagen New Beetle
* Maine Forest Production Class winners Evan Moen and Tom Young, in a
Plymouth Neon ACR
* Production Class challengers Peter Malaszuk and Darek Szerejko, in a
factory-backed Daewoo Nubira
Additional news interest:
A 60-car rallycross will be held at Bemidji Speedway on the evening of Thursday,
August 26, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Many of the ProRally's top cars will
participate.
Event rank:
Ojibwe Forests is a full-points round of the Michelin SCCA ProRally
Championship.
Interviews:
Drivers, co-drivers and crewmembers will be accessible throughout the event,
including the 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening rallycross at Bemidji Speedway.
Visuals:
Prior to the event, media will have the opportunity for exciting video and
photographic action of rally cars at speed at the Thursday evening rallycross.
During the event, action photography and video will be possible from special
viewing areas set up along the rally course, as well as other sites.
Media rally car rides:
Media can experience the intense excitement of ProRally cars at speed during the
rallycross at Bemidji Speedway, 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening.
Media information:
Media relations will be able to provide driver and co-driver interviews, event
results and other information via telephone, fax and Email.
Contact: Ed Jacobs - Michelin SCCA Pro Rally
Championship
330.644.7774; 330.645.2045 Fax (USA Country Code: 1)
Press room in rally headquarters; Northern Inn (218) 751-9500
Email: windrivr@ix.netcom.com
Time zone: Central Daylight Time
Web sites:
SCCA ProRally: http://www.sccaprorally.org/
Ojibwe Forests ProRally: http://www.scca-lol.org/rally/ojibwe/
