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Rim of the World Rally - Results




Folks:

Paul Timmerman wrote that he didn't have the Rim results in a previous 
posting.  I just received the results from the rally list server this 
afternoon...(note to Paul and other Quattro rally enthusiasts at the 
bottom...)
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Here are the results of the 1996 Rim of the World PRO Rally held this last 
weekend in the hills above Palmdale, CA.  Courtesy of Andy Schupack, 
SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series:

               Round #4 - 1996 SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series
              Rim of the World PRO Rally - Palmdale, California
                     Final Results - National Event

 Fin.   Car  Driver/             Co-Driver/        Make/Model/Class/
 Pos.   No.  Hometown            Hometown          Time (hrs:min:sec)
 -----   ---- ------------------  ----------------- -------------------

   1      1   Paul Choiniere      Jeff Becker       Hyundai Elantra/Open
              Shelburne, VT       Great Neck, NY    2:34:35

   2      2   Henry Joy           Chris Griffin     Mitsubishi Lancer/Open
              Atlanta, MI         Sherman Oaks, CA  2:35:52

   3      3   Carl Merrill        John Bellefleur   Ford Escort 
Cosworth/Open
              Ogunquit, ME        Thornhill, ONT    2:37:37

   4     14   Selcuk Karamanoglu  Yorgi Bittner     Eagle Talon/PGT
              Bath, ME            Plain City, OH    2:47:10

   5     31   Rui Brasil          Carlos Tavares    Audi Quattro/Open
              San Jose, CA        San Jose, CA      2:50:43

   6     39   Mike Whitman        Ben Bradley       Datsun 510/Group 2
              Farmington, NM      Portland, OR      2:52:53

   7     18   David Peterson      Greg Chaloupka    VW GTI/Group 2
              Aspen, CO           Aspen, CO         2:52:58

   8     65   Dennis Chizma       John Forespring   Mitsubishi 3000GT 
VR4/PGT
              Simi Valley, CA     Olympia, WA       2:54:33

   9     20   Pete Lahm           Jimmy Brandt      Datsun PL 510/Group 2
              Phoenix, AZ         Lake Odessa, MI   2:57:13

  10     16   Ralph Kosmides      Joe Noyes         Toyota Supra/Group 5
              Newport Beach, CA   Bothell, WA       3:02:03

  11     12   George Plsek        Mark Rathsam      Saab 99/Group 5
              Del Mar, CA         Del Mar, CA       3:11:20

  12     53   Gerry Valentini     Lee Sorenson      Mazda RX-7/Group 5
              Sacramento, CA      FairOaks, CA      3:13:31

Did_Not_Finish

         33   Tom Ottey           Pam McGarvey      Hyundai Elantra/Open
              Columbus, OH        Columbus, OH      National

          4   Sam Bryan           Rob Walden        Saab 900 Turbo/Group 5
              Kent, WA            Seattle, WA       Nat./Div.

         17   Janice Damitio      Amity Trowbridge  Toyota Celica GTS/PGT
              Montesano, WA       Seattle, WA       Nat./Div.

         21   Lon Peterson        Bill Gutzmann     Kia Sephia/Production
              Victorville, CA     Ontario, CA       Nat./Div.

         11   John Pizzagalli     Eric Hauge        Mitsubishi Galant/PGT
              S. Burlington, VT   Napa, CA          National

         47   Kurosh Jahromi      Erik Thompson     Audi Quattro/Open
              Corona, CA          Portland, OR      Nat./Div.

         25   Bill Malik          Renn Phillips     Volvo 240/Group 2
              Burbank, CA         Del Mar, CA       Nat./Div.

         42   Douglas Shrenk      Sean Tennis       Saab 900/Group 2
              Edmonds, WA         Seattle, WA       Nat./Div.

         15   Tony Chavez          John Elkin       Mitsubishi Eclipse/Gp.5
              Santa Fe Springs, CA Lytle Creek, CA  Nat./Div.

                                    # # #

CHOINIERE REGAINS SCCA/MICHELIN PRO RALLY SERIES LEAD; HE AND BECKER WIN
FIFTH STRAIGHT RIM OF THE WORLD PRO RALLY IN THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST

PALMDALE, Calif. -- May 5 -- Paul Choiniere, from Shelburne, Vermont, and
co-driver Jeff Becker, have regained the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series
points lead in their Hyundai Elantra with a one minute, 17-second win at
the Rim of the World PRO Rally.

Choiniere nearly fell behind the Henry Joy/Chris Griffin Mitsubishi Lancer
earlier in the day when the Hyundai experienced an electrical problem, but
Paul put another one minute on the field in the next couple of stages to
secure the win.  The Ford Escort Cosworth of Carl Merrill/John Bellefleur
was third, three minutes back.

"It's like sprinting in deep sand," said Choiniere, describing the rim
roads in the Angeles National Forest.  "Our brakes are hot, our engine is
hot, our bodies are hot, and our arms are tired from trying to push 2500
pounds of metal with 350 horsepower as fast as we can in 100 degree heat
over roads designed for 15 miles-per-hour."

In the classes, the Selcuk Karamanoglu/Yorgi Bittner Eagle Talon won the
the Production GT class for the third time this season; the Mike Whitman/
Ben Bradley Datsun 510 scored a 5-second win in Group 2; and the Ralph
Kosmides/Joe Noyes Toyota Supra won Group 5.

Merrill lost his chance to contend for the win when he broke an alternator
bracket, and had to run the final stage on Friday night with almost no
lights - losing almost two minutes to the field.  Joy had no brakes for
much of Friday night as the hard, downhill braking caused his brake fluid
to boil.

In a PRO Rally, each team consists of a driver and a co-driver (or
navigator), and the exact course is kept secret until just before the
event - different from World Rally, where practice is allowed.  At Rim,
the cars start at two-minute intervals and race against the clock over
12 stages which range in length from four to 10 miles.  The teams
achieving the fast combined times wins.

Only 19 of the original 40 starters finished the event.

After four events in the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series, Choiniere now has
46 points, Merrill 45 points, and Karamanoglu 41 points.

The much-anticipated debut of the factory Saab 900 turbo did not have a
fairy-tale ending as the Sam Bryan/Rob Walden car rolled at the end of
stage #8, breaking the windshield and damaging most of the car's body
panels.  Bryan's earlier turbo problems had put him back in the pack
before the rolled caused the DNF.

The next SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally Series event is the 20th annual
Susquehanna Trail PRO Rally in Wellsboro, Penn., June 1 - 2.
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Paul (and others)

I recommend that some of your club members get together and volunteer to 
work the '97 Rim...it is a lot more fun than just spectating.  I've been 
fortunate enough to have worked the '95 Rim, timed at the  '95 Gorman Ridge, 
and again at this year's Rim, I was the ATC (Arrival Time Control) for Stage 
5 (Little Rock Canyon), and also got to work the Stage 9 spectator area. 
 It's a real kick to meet the drivers up close, and get invited to the post 
race events (like the Raybestos sponsored Chili party on Friday night). 
 Plus you get the much coveted worker t-shirt as a bonus....

Your contacts for working the '97 Rim are Mike and Paula Gibeault 
(gibeault@ridgecrest.ca.us).  They can also get you the details on working 
the other SCCA/CRS (California Rally Series) races scheduled for the rest of 
the year (i.e.: Reno, NV and Gorman, CA...)  I am planning to work the 
forthcoming Reno rally to be held on July 4th.

HTH!

Brad
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Bradford W. Denham
Manager   - SAP Practice Office/VM: (408) 947-5695
Ernst & Young LLP        EYComm:  4423364
South/West MC       E-Mail:  denham_brad@eywest.com
San Jose, CA                             E&Y Home Page: 
 http://www.ey.com/US/
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SCCA & CRS member
'68 GTO, '71 Buick GS-350; '83 Turbo Regal; '91 Tracer LTS Rally
...and soon: '97 A4QT5V!!!
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