2009_OFPR_2009_Ojibwe Forests Rally Spectator

Photo By Lars Gange
OFFICIAL SPECTATOR GUIDE
• MAPS AND DIRECTIONS TO ALL SPECTATOR LOCATIONS
• EVENT SCHEDULE AND INFORMATION
• DRIVER BIOS AND RALLY GUIDE
Welcome to the 2009 Rally America National Championship! The series runs from Oregon to Maine, from bitter
cold to sweltering heat, from glare ice gravel, mud and dust. Rally teams race day and night in all weather conditions. Rally is the most extreme motor sport. The conditions change with every event!
Get the latest stories, results, and event live updates at rally-america.com! It is your source for rally videos,
stage results, contests and the best rally photos.
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2009 RALLY AMERICA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sno*Drift Rally
January 30 - 31, 2009
Atlanta, Michigan
www.sno-drift.org
New England Forest Rally
July 17 - 18, 2009
Bethel, Maine
www.newenglandforestrally.com
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
February 27 - 28, 2009
Salem, Missouri
www.100aw.org
X Games 15
August 2, 2009
Los Angeles, CA
www.expn.com
Olympus Rally
April 18 - 19, 2009
Olympia, Washington
www.olympusrally.com
Ojibwe Forests Rally
August 28 - 29, 2009
Bemidji, Minnesota
www.ojibweforestrally.com
Oregon Trail Rally
May 15 - 17, 2009
Hillsboro, Oregon
www.oregontrailrally.com
Rally Colorado
September 19 - 20, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
www.rallycolorado.org
Susquehannock Trail Rally
June 5 - 6, 2009
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
www.stpr.org
Lake Superior Rally
October 16 - 17, 2009
Houghton, Michigan
www.lsprorally.com
RALLY EXPLAINED
RALLYING: A SPORT LIKE NO OTHER!
There are no ovals, pace cars or rain delays. Rally racing features real cars racing against the clock on closed-off
sections of real roads that are usually unpaved and unforgiving. Events can last several days and cover hundreds
of miles through rain, snow, day or night. This extreme test of skill, speed and endurance is what makes rally racing the world’s premiere and most exciting motor sport, and one that is quickly growing in North America.
DRIVERS
Insiders and even casual fans consider rally drivers to be the best all around drivers on the planet. They must
master every road surface and every weather condition while possessing the endurance and stamina needed to
make it through long hours and hundreds of miles. As the old saying goes, “Circuit racers see 10 turns 1000 times
while rally drivers see 1000 turns 1 time!”
CO-DRIVERS
The key to a rally driver’s success is their co-driver. Rally drivers cannot practice the course and must rely on
their navigator (or co-driver) to survive. The co-driver uses a computerized odometer along with a supplied route
book to communicate to the driver what lies ahead on the road. The route book describes in detail the road
ahead and includes warnings for hazards such as cliffs, trees and junctions. Rally drivers determine what speed
and angle to enter each turn or crest in the road by listening to their co-driver’s constant instructions.
EVENTS
Gravel logging roads, mountain passes, well groomed forest roads - these are what make up the tracks for rally
drivers. They are temporarily closed public roads on which rally drivers can go flat out. With eight events held
across the country, the Rally America Championship has a mix of everything from ice and snow in Michigan to
super fast, smooth gravel in Pennsylvania. A typical Rally America Championship event will last two days and
feature over 250 miles of roads split up into competitive stages and transit sections. The competitive stages, or
“special stages” are where the action lies; these are timed sprints on roads that vary from 5 to 30 miles in length.
The lowest cumulative time wins.
THE CARS
A rally car is the ultimate real world sports car; one that is capable of high speeds and incredible handling on any
road surface and in every weather condition. Fast yet strong, they must survive hundreds of miles and several
days of torture. As an additional challenge, all rally cars must be street legal, since they must traverse public
roads with traffic between the competitive timed sections. The Rally America Championship features a lineup
of cars that the average fan could buy from their local dealer, including Subaru WRX STis, Mitsubishi Evos, Ford
Focuses and VW Golfs!
FANS
Watching rally on TV is a spectacle, but seeing it in person is an awe inspiring experience. Fans get to line the
road, mere feet from the sliding, jumping and gravel spraying action. Fans can also freely check out the service
areas where drivers and their teams repair the cars. Meeting your favorite driver and touching your favorite rally
car are guaranteed. Tickets? Most rally events are totally free!
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Photo By Kyle Funsten
Rally Time Machine: Target Destination 2008
by Bill Lockwood
Just the first event of the 2008 Rally America season had enough memorable events to make an epic season,
and teams were pumped as the first six races of the year were used as ESPN X Games qualifiers. The Sno*Drift
Rally set the stage and created themes that we’d see all year. Canadians Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie
Richard took the Sno*Drift win, something that they’d do each time they finished a race in the US. Andrew
Comrie-Picard turned up the heat late in the game, letting others make mistakes and getting himself into
the Championship lead after four races and an invitation to the most exciting X Games rally ever. Once at
X Games 14 in Los Angeles, ACP demonstrated their front flip just a day after Jim DeChamp’s front flip Moto
X Best Trick debut knocked him out of the co-driver spot in Pastrana’s car and into the hospital.
Subaru Rally Team USA’s Ken Block flexed his muscle creating fear in every competitor and medical crew at
the rally – win or crash, his speed was untouchable. At Sno*Drift, BMX Athlete Dave Mirra arrived on the
scene starting his journey to “Rookie of the Year.” And, Travis Pastrana crushed a deer on the last stage of the
rally, ending their hope for the win and beginning Pastrana’s season of perfect drives with enough bad luck
mixed in to keep him from winning every event – he still took the Overall Championship for the third time in
a row, and his 2008 co-driver Derek Ringer took the Co-driver’s Championship.
The Rockstar Team made a big entrance at the start of 2008, but struggled with mechanical problems
throughout the year. Their struggle was not futile, however, Tanner Foust took 2nd at X Games, while Andy
Pinker took podium spots at New England Forest while looking for the X Games wildcard an the Ojibwe
Forests Rally.
Youth spat in the face of experience as Kyle Sarasin took 3rd and began a season’s worth of podium finishes
that would ultimately have him narrowly edged out of the 2nd spot in the Overall Championship by Ken Block.
Another young driver, Chris Duplessis, the 20 year old rally driving instructor from Team O’Neil Rally School
took home the overall 2 wheel drive Championship driving his Group 2 VW Golf.
Production GT saw Pat Moro and Stephen Verdier begin a fierce battle that lasted until they rolled at Oregon
Trail, ending their season and X Games hopes. Amy BeberVanzo took her first PGT win at the New England
Forest Rally, but Moro went on to X Games and won the last PGT Championship as that class makes way for
the highly anticipated Super Production class in this year’s 2009 Rally America Championship.
Verdier wasn’t the only team that crashed at Oregon Trail Rally which proved to have the highest attrition
rate of the year both on and off stage. Matthew Johnson broke his consistent top five finishing streak and
added themselves to the list of over 20 non-finishers before teaming up with Andy Pinker and Kenny Bartram
to set the standard for fun at rallies. They found the party in Portland that made us all casualties the next day
and was responsible for enough missed flights to bailout the airline industry.
HOW TO WATCH
HOW TO SPECTATE
In a Performance Rally the rally cars are started at one-minute
intervals with the fastest cars first and the slowest cars last. (The
top several cars usually start with a 2-minute interval.) To insure
that you see the top drivers in action, you should make sure you
arrive at your spectating spot early and give yourself plenty of time
to park and walk to the viewing location.
Want to find out who is fastest? You can time the cars to your location; Pick a place where you can time each car as it passed, and
read the seconds off your watch. Remember that all cars leave at
the top of the minute, so if the first car arrives at 21 seconds, the
next at 28 seconds and the next at 25. The first car is 4 seconds
faster than the third and 7 seconds faster than the second.
A word of warning to you when you are spectating – STAY BEHIND
THE YELLOW BANNER TAPE. The yellow banner tape is has been
placed by the rally organizers and reviewed by safety officials. Behind the yellow banner is as safe as you can get to spectate. DO
NOT POSITION YOURSELF BEHIND RED BANNER TAPE. Those areas are extremely dangerous.
Photo By Lorne Trezise
HOW TO SPECTATE SAFELY
Safety at the forest spectator points is all-important, especially with the large crowds expected this year. It really is just a matter of
common sense, but for those who have never watched a Performance/Stage rally before, here are a few helpful tips.
• Remember that the cars are at their limit. A mechanical or driver error may cause it to go out of control.
• Please follow the Spectator Marshals’ directions at each spectator point. While Spectating is free, we do have
control over these areas. Please stay behind the yellow banner tape.
• DO NOT spectate at a location that does not have a Spectator Marshal and Yellow tape banners. You should be in
sight of a marshal while cars are on course. Spectators in unauthorized areas WILL cause the rally to shut down.
• Pick your vantage point carefully. High on a hill or behind the tree line is best. Rally Drivers are at the limits of
control and they make creative use of the whole road. Leave yourself an escape route if one is needed. Again listen
to the marshals. They know the safe locations. You must remain behind the yellow banner tape at all times.
• Be wary and alert at all times, particularly at the daylight spectator points. Be ready to move if a car is out of
control, don’t sit down. DO NOT turn your back to rally traffic unless you have a buddy spotting for you. Also,
some cars will catch others on stage and their sound will be masked by the car in front of them.
•
Please follow the marshals directions when parking your car at the spectator areas. We must keep a clear access
on one side of these narrow roads for emergency vehicles. All cars should park on the same side of the road and
be heading in the proper direction to leave the area. If you follow the next rule you shouldn’t have to walk too far.
When you get to the end of the line of parked cars, PARK. You won’t be able to park or turn around to drive back out.
welcome to the
ojibwe forests rally
The Ojibwe Forests Rally is one of the more picturesque rally events of the Rally America Championship Series.
Set in the heart of vacation country and surrounded by a multitude of state forests, such as Paul Bunyan, White
Earth and Two Inlets, this rally’s location is nothing short of spectacular.
The heavily wooded forests and numerous lakes are key features of the area providing scenic views for rally
teams and spectators. The roads are fast and smooth, marked by soft, sandy spots, which can slow a rally team
down and make it difficult to make up lost time. This means that co-drivers need to be especially accurate with
their instructions, as many top podium spots have been lost to the sand. Although the roads are demanding,
they are also extremely fun to navigate and drivers often cite this rally as one of their favorite races.
Summer time usually means fantastic weather for the rally and ideal for fans watching the race unfold.
Occasional thunderstorms frequent the area wetting the roads to help keep dust down, and temperatures tend
to be moderate.
Many rally teams will be using the Ojibwe Forests Rally as a late season chance to up their points within the
Championship Series and push for a top standing. Two more rounds exist after the Ojibwe Forests Rally and
teams will be pushing hard to establish a good position to end the season.
Past ojibwe forests rally wiNNers
Year
Driver Name
Co-Driver
rallY
all Car
allY
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
Travis Pastrana
Travis Pastrana
Travis Pastrana
Stig Blomqvist
Lauchlin O’Sullivan
David Higgins
Mark Higgins
Mark Lovell
Paul Choinere
Noel Lawler
John Buffum
Paul Choinere
Henry Joy
Carl Merrill
Paul Choinere
Paul Choinere
Paul Choinere
Bruno Kreibich
Doug Sheperd
Ron Millen
Paul Choinere
John Buffum
John Buffum
Ray Hoeper
Mark Bowers
Derek Ringer
Christian Edstrom
Christian Edstrom
Ana Goni
Scott Putnam
Daniel Barritt
Claire Mole
Steve Turvey
Jeff Becker
Charles Bradley
Doug Shepherd
Jeff Becker
Michael Fennel
John Bellefleur
Jeff Becker
Jeff Becker
Jeff Becker
Jeff Becker
Peter Gladysz
Tony Sircombe
Scott Weinheimer
Tom Grimshaw
Tom Grimshaw
Tom Grimshaw
John Bell
Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Subaru Impreza
Mitsubishi Evolution
Hyundai Tiburon
Subaru Impreza
Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Tiburon
Mitsubishi Lancer
Ford Cosworth Escort
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
Dodge Shadow
Mazda 323 GTX
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
Audi Quattro
Datsun 510
Opel Ascona
DriVer bios
travis Pastrana #199
Davidsonville, MD
Co-Driver: Christian Edstrom
Subaru Rally Team USA
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Open Class
Subaru Rally Team USA driver, Travis Pastrana, has dominated rallying in the
USA since switching his focus away from Freestyle Motocross. In 2006, at only
21 years old, he became the youngest ever American Rally Champion,
eventually winning the Championship three times in a row! Over his rally
career he has been on the podium 27 times, with 15 wins, while winning two
Gold and one Silver Medal and one Bronze medal at the past four X Games rally
events.
Pastrana garnered world fame for his death defying motorcycle stunts
establishing himself as Freestyle Motocross’ brightest star. He has won the gold
in Freestyle MotoX a record six times at the X Games, and landed the first-ever
double backflip in competition. As a dedicated adrenaline junkie, Pastrana
continually pushes the limits of his stunts. He has jumped out of an airplane
without a parachute and launched himself into the Grand Canyon on his
motorcycle.
Ken block #43
Encinitas, CA
Co-Driver: Alex Gelsomino
Subaru Rally Team USA
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti
Open Class
In 2005, Block’s first year of rallying, he was aptly named “Rally America’s
Rookie of the Year.” Block was signed by the Subaru Rally Team USA in
2006 and from there he went on to take two bronzes and a silver medal at
the last four X Games. His rally success includes 2nd overall Rally America
National Championship finishes in 2006 and 2008, and finished 3rd overall
in 2007. In just five years Block has amassed 20 podiums and 10 overall
victories.
Ken Block has gained worldwide notoriety for his exploits outside rally
competition, having successfully jumped his rally car 171 ft for Discovery
Channel’s popular “Stunt Junkies” show in 2006. Using his car jumping
expertise, Block has advised other drivers how to tackle the difficult X
Games jump. Recently, Block has been the star of the widely popular
“Gymkhana” practice online videos amassing over 22 million hits!
Kenny bartram #690
Stillwater, OK
Co-Driver: Dennis Hotson
2001 Subaru Impreza L Coupe
Open Class
In his 1st year of rallying, “Cowboy” Kenny Bartram won both the Production
Championship as well as the Overall 2-Wheel Drive Championship and
secured “Rookie of the Year” Honors. In 2007, Kenny moved up to the
Production GT class, where he battled with mechanical issues. Midway
through the season, a jump to the Open class would take place for Kenny,
and by the end of the year he had one top 5 Overall finish on his resume!
Kenny comes to rally car racing from a motocross background. Kenny is the
winningest rider in freestyle motocross with over 70 major event wins. 10
time X Games and Gravity Games Medalist, and a 6 time World Champion.
Kenny is credited for pioneering the first ever backflip-to-heel clicker FMX
trick.
DriVer bios
Dave mirra #40
Greenville, NC
Co-Driver: Derek Ringer
Subaru Rally Team USA
2008 Subaru WRX STi
Super Production
Dave Mirra is the most decorated BMX rider in X Games history and one of the
most recognizable names in action sports. Featured in video games and on
countless television programs, Mirra has proven himself to be the master of
the vert ramp and park course. Now Mirra is expanding his portfolio to
include rally racing!
At the beginning of the 2008 Rally America season, Mirra joined Vermont
Sports Car to try his hand at rally. Mirra instantly adapted to rally securing
“Rookie of the Year” accolades and surprising his peers with a bronze medal
win at X Games 14 when he beat rally veterans, Antoine L’Estage and Andrew
Comrie-Picard. Mirra recently took his first overall win at the Team O’Neil Rally
this year and has joined the Subaru Rally Team USA as the third driver.
Piotr wiktorczyk #61
Chicago, IL
Co-Driver: Grzegorz Dorman
PPD Motorsport
2007 Subaru WRX STi
Super Production Class
After seeing Mark Lovell drive for the Subaru Rally Team USA in 2002 at the Lake
Superior Pro Rally, Piotr immediately entered the very next US rally in a
borrowed car. He took 4th overall in the club rally and has never looked back
since.
Piotr is one of the more exciting drivers in the Series since he always pushes hard
and is not afraid of crashing. He gave fans quite a show with a spectacular
rollover In the 2008 LSPR Rally which became well documented on the internet.
Recently, Piotr’s early 2009 success earned him an invitation to showcase his
talents to a wide audience at X Games 15. Now returning to the Super
Production battle, Piotr sits 20 points over Jimmy Keeney, another X Games 15
competitor, after 6 events.
bob olson #93
Eden Prairie, MN
Co-Driver: Conrad Ketelsen
1999 Subaru Impreza
Open Class
Growing up in Northern Minnesota, Bob and his friends would drive fast
on the gravel roads for fun. Who knew that those youthful days of driving
would be all the motivation he needed to enter the Ojibwe Forests Rally in
2001? He quickly assembled a Porsche 911 rally car with Conrad Ketelsen
and finished the regional event in 4th place!
Olson continued to improve and quickly stepped up as a national driver in
2001. A year later at the same event with the same car, Olson was the
fastest 2 wheel drive car in a strong field of competitors. His best result
was 5th overall in an Open Class car at the 2006 COG Rally.
Olson loves the adrenaline rush from piloting a well prepared car down
gravel roads and being in control of fate. Random aspects of the sport will
suddenly occur and the team’s preparedness and tenacity will pull through
any situation. “The weekend becomes sort of an epic adventure, and
sometimes it’s very gratifying just to finish,” says Olson.
DriVer bios
lauchlin o’sullivan #90
San Francisco, CA
Co-Driver: Karen Wagner
2003 Dodge SRT-4
Group 5 Class
Lauchlin O’Sullivan has been a rally driver for 10+ years and accumulated a list
of accomplishments too numerous to list to become one of the more
recognizable names and faces in US rally. In 2002 and 2003 he was a
professional driver for Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America, and the top
American driver in the Rally America Championship. Lauchlin participated in
the inaugural Rally Car Racing event at X Games 12 and was the top nonfactory finisher at 4th place.
Lauchlin has developed a strong reputation as a consistent finisher and a top
level threat for a podium spot in any car he drives. In 2004 Lauchlin won the
Ojibwe Forest Rally.
chris Duplessis #70
Mason Township, ME
Co-Driver: Catherine Woods
1990 Volkswagen GTi
Group 2 Class
As New England’s top local driver, Chris Duplessis grew up in Bethel, Maine
and is considered to be the most underrated rally driver in the country. His
driving style mimics the flat out style of Ken Block and can be seen going
full throttle through every stage corner with minute adjustments. Chris has
been known to beat more powerful cars when his 115hp GTi through pure
tenacity and grit.
At just 22 years old, Chris is a two-wheel drive ace having won the 2007
Group 2 Rally America National Championship and the Overall Eastern
Regional Championship. He successfully defended his 2007 two-wheel
drive championship the very next year.
When he is not racing Chris is an instructor at the Team O’Neil Rally School
in New Hampshire or taking care of the family pet Wallaby named Roo.
Dillon Van way #600
Carencro, LA
Co-Driver: Benjamin Slocum
2002 Ford Focus
Group 2
Dillon Van Way is the latest motocross athlete to make his way into the world
of rally, but what makes him different from other “crossover” athletes is that
he’s only 16 years old! As soon as he received his drivers license, Van Way was
driving a newly purchased rally car at the Sno*Drift Rally earlier this year.
Van Way is used to being the youngest in his sports but his resume reads like
a pro. He has a career high 9th place national SuperMoto finish and was
invited to X Games 14’s SuperMoto competition where he crashed in
qualifying.
Rally has always been on his mind ever since his family got a Subaru RC car.
Naturally, he discovered rally soon after, bought a rally car and now leads the
national 2-wheel drive class after 2 events. Keep an eye on Dillon as this
promising driver continues to develop!
2009 rally america
seasoN recaP
After completing 6 rounds of the 2009 Rally America Championship Series and X Games 15
competition, top rally teams will be seeking to increase their lead at the Ojibwe Forests Rally
before heading into the last two rounds of the Series. The competition this year has been fierce
and relentless providing an interesting backdrop to this weekend’s event. This is what happened
earlier in the Series:
oVerall chamPioNshiP:
In the overall Championship, Subaru Rally Team USA is still king! Either Travis Pastrana or Ken
Block have won every event in 2009, but the outcome of the points couldn’t be any different.
Heading into the Ojibwe Forests Rally, Travis Pastrana, showing driving maturity and patience,
will be preserving a significant point advantage to secure his fourth overall Rally America
Championship.
Travis has been aided by Ken Block’s string of bad luck that has extended from last season.
Despite winning the 100 Acre Wood Rally (four times in a row!) and STPR, Block’s DNFs have
impacted his standing. Barring any significant surprises Block is looking at another second place
overall finish.
Andrew Comrie-Picard and Tanner Foust took early points leads over Subaru Rally Team USA
due to consistent 2nd and 3rd place finishes, but tough finishes at the Oregon Trail Rally and
STPR proved costly. Comrie-Picard and Foust are within striking distance for 2nd place and they
are expected to make strategic decisions to enter and win the next three rounds.
sUPer ProDUctioN class:
In its first year, the Super Production has met expectations by being the most hotly contested
class to watch. At the end of 6 Rounds, Piotr Wiktorczyk maintains a 20 point lead over Colorado
native, Jimmy Kenney. Both drivers were invited to X Games 15 due to their strong standings in
the Rally America Championship.
Dave Mirra, Subaru Rally Team USA’s only Super Production driver, has had a difficult season.
Despite showing much improved driving ability, Mirra has suffered from mechanical failures at
Olympus, STPR and NEFR, which puts him in 5th place in class.
2-wheel DriVe class:
The always entertaining 2WD category saw the entry of young Dillon Van Way who began
competition at the national level as soon as he received his license and has proven to be an
extremely talented driver. Dillon stood on the podium following his first 4 rallies, but DNF’d
during his last two events. He still holds a sizable lead over his rivals and looks to extend it at
Ojibwe.
staNDiNgs
Championship Standings after round 6
overall standings
Pos.
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Travis Pastrana
Ken Block
Andrew Comrie-Picard
Tanner Foust
Andi Mancin
City, State
Davidsonville, MD
Rancho Sante Fe, CA
Toronto, Ontario
Capistrano Beach, CA
Bielsko-Biala, Poland
Points
106
64
63
62
61
City, State
Chicago, IL
Colorado Springs, CO
Littleton, NH
Dublin, OH
Greenville, NC
Points
76
56
45
43
37
City, State
Carencro, LA
Monument, CO
Cincinnati, OH
Points
77
48
44
Super Production Standings
Pos.
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Piotr Wiktorczyk
Jimmy Keeney
Travis Hanson
Patrick Moro
Dave Mirra
2 wheel Drive standings
Pos.
1
2
3
Name
Dillon Van Way
John Conley
Chris Greenhouse
PoiNt wiNNiNgs
1st Place = 20
2nd Place= 15
3rd Place = 12
All competitors will get 1 point for starting and 1 point
for finishing the rally
Photo By Lorne Trezise
stage scheDUle/
sPectator scheDUle
friday, august 28th (stage schedule)
stage
Number
stage Name
first car
starts
stage
length
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Bemidji Speedway
Spur 2
Steamboat
Blue Trail
The Paul Bunyan
Kabekona
Parkway
4:33pm
6:10pm
6:35pm
7:11pm
9:12pm
10:04pm
10:37pm
1.0
6.09
12.78
11.47
22.43
5.25
8.27
saturday, august 29th (stage schedule)
stage
Number
stage Name
first car
starts
stage
length
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Otterkill
Walde Trail
McKenzie Lake
Indian Creek
Duck Lake
Basswood Lake
Little Rock
Sugar Bush
2:04pm
2:24pm
2:44pm
3:53pm
5:26pm
6:17pm
6:54pm
7:38pm
3.09
2.44
17.54
9.49
9.51
6.88
13.37
6.74
friDay, aUgUst 28th (spectator schedule)
spectator area
stage Name
Parc Exposé in Bemidji
Spectator A
Spectator B
Spectator D
Service Area in Akeley (40 min service)
Spectator C
Spectator D
Bemidji Speedway
Bemidji Speedway
Spur 1
Steamboat
City of Akeley
Refuge
Steamboat
special stage #
1
3
4
5
7
first car starts
3:30pm - 4:30pm
4:33pm
6:35pm
7:11pm
7:49pm
9:12pm
10:37pm
satUrDay, aUgUst 29th (spectator schedule)
spectator area
stage Name
special stage #
Northwest Technical College
Parc Exposé in Bemidji
Spectator E
Spectator F
Service Area in Osage (40 min service)
Spectator E
Spectator F
Victory Celebration in Bemidji
first car starts
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Height O’ Land
County 135
10
11
County 135
Height O’ Land
Bemidji Curling Club
12
14
2:24pm
3:50pm
4:26pm
5:26pm
6:54pm
8:56pm
sUggesteD sPectator
area itiNeraries
Friday, August 28th
The Ojibwe Forests Rally begins at the Bemidji Speedway and fans have a choice of
picking the following viewing schedules:
schedule 1: (A more relaxing schedule with minimal travel)
• Bemidji Speedway Parc Exposé
3:30pm
• Spectator A: Bemidji Speedway
4:33pm
• Spectator D: Steamboat
7:11pm & 10:37pm
schedule 2:
• Bemidji Speedway Parc Exposé
• Spectator B: Spur 1
• Akeley Service
• Spectator C: Refuge
3:30pm
6:35pm (leave early to go to Service)
7:40pm (May need to leave early for next stage)
9:12pm (or visit Spec D at 10:37pm)
schedule 3: (More traveling and more viewing areas)
• Bemidji Speedway Parc Exposé
3:30pm
• Spectator A: Bemidji Speedway
4:33pm (leave Spec A early to go to Spec B)
• Spectator B: Spur 1
6:35pm
• Akeley Service
7:40pm (May need to leave early for next stage)
• Spectator C: Refuge
9:12pm (leave Spec C early to go to Spec D)
• Spectator D: Steamboat
10:37pm
Saturday, August 29th
On Saturday, the day begins at Northwest Technical College for a Parc Exposé and ends at
the Bemidji Curling Club for a victory celebration.
schedule 1:
• NTC Parc Exposé
• Spectator E: Height O’ Land
• Osage Service
• Spectator F: County 135
• Bemidji Curling Club Victory
12:00pm
2:45pm
4:20pm
5:40pm
8:49pm
schedule 2:
• NTC Parc Exposé
12:00pm
• Spectator F: County 135
3:50pm
At this point you have a choice to go to Spec F at 5:40pm or Spec E at 6:50pm
• Bemidji Curling Club Victory
8:49pm
oVerView maP
spec a: bemidji speedway
victory Celebration
Bemidji Curling Club
Saturday, August 29th at 8:56pm
Friday, August 28th
Parc Expose from 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Stage 1, first car out at 4:33pm
+47° 26’ 38.46”, -94° 46’ 40.42”
spec e: height o’ land
Saturday, August 29th
Stage 10, first car out at 2:24pm
+47° 16’ 50.34”, -95° 29’ 30.18”
spec c: refuge
Friday, August 28th
Stage 5, first car out at 9:12pm
+47° 7’ 13.54”, -94° 51’ 55.72”
spec e: height o’ land
Saturday, August 29th
Stage 14, first car out at 6:54pm
+47° 10’ 41.16”, -95° 29’ 38.75”
spec D: steamboat
Friday, August 28th
Stage 4, first car out at 7:11pm
Stage 7, first car out at 10:37pm
+47° 4’ 44.31”, -94° 42’ 33.27”
spec f: county 135
Saturday, August 29th
Stage 12, first car out at 5:26pm
+47° 1’ 4.25”, -95° 15’ 20.07”
spec f: county 135
Saturday, August 29th
Stage 11, first car out at 3:50pm
+47° 1’ 14.67”, -95° 15’ 14.53”
spec b: spur 1
Friday, August 28th
Stage 3, first car out at 6:35pm
+47° 4’ 40.53”, -94° 50’ 18.59”
osage service
akeley service
Saturday, August 29th
Service at 4:26pm
Friday, August 28th
Service at 7:49pm
Photo By Lorne Trezise
Photo By Lorne Trezise
Parc exPosé & serVice area
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Photo By Kyle Funsten
by Bill Lockwood
As EXPN’s head Rally writer, I’m equal parts BMX, Moto X and Snowboard. But whenever I utter the R-word, I always get the same
reaction: “Huh?” Rally might be confusing, but that doesn’t mean a normal person can’t race. I met two such cats at 100 Acre Wood
in Missouri: Adam and Jared, a couple of average Joes looking to obtain cars and become rallyists. We discussed the idea one night
over several stiff Old Fashioneds, and afterward I decided to write about it. As then-Rally-newcomer Dave Mirra observed, “This
sport is amazing no matter what kind of car you’re in. The cool thing is that you don’t need to win to have a great time—finishing is
winning because of all the elements you endure during a race.”
1) There’s an online rulebook for Rally. Read the damn thing from
start to finish. Pay particularly close attention to the safety regulations: two fire extinguishers per vehicle, a roll cage that meets
Rally America specifications, a five-point harness system—show up
without any one of these things and you’ll be fixing your car in the
Home Depot parking lot. Also study up on the provisional licensing section, which explains why you won’t be able to challenge big
dogs like Pastrana and Block without first completing some frontwheel drive races.
2) Park your computer, get to a Rally event and start volunteering.
Working on a stage crew will allow you to see the inner-workings
of a race. “You’ll learn so much more than just being a spectator,”
said Chrissie Beavis, who was a stage captain by 16 and an X Games
Gold Medalist co-driver by 27. If you can wield a wrench, you might
even be able to volunteer on the service side of things. If you can
barely swap the bindings on your shred-stick, keep to the logistical
and tactical aspects.
3) Put your irritating backseat driving skills to use and co-drive for
someone. This will allow you to actually run an event. You’ll see the
stages, make love to the route book, pick up on stage notes, learn
time controls, get a feel for emergency procedures (though hopefully not), and be involved in the team’s event coordination. “You’ll
experience what can and cannot be done with these cars,” explains
Chrissie. “You will learn firsthand what it feels like to go fast on dirt
without spending the cash up front to buy and prep a car.” Translation? Maximum thrills and spills, minimum bills.
4) Create a budget for your burgeoning Rally habit and stick to it like
naked thighs on hot vinyl seat. Nobody said getting into Rally would
be cheap—hell, you’ll spend a grand on your fire suit, helmet, and
head/neck restraint alone. Add the costs travel—fuel, race fuel,
hotels, food, tires, $1000 entry fees—and you’re looking at a potentially lifestyle-changing hobby (and you don’t even have the car
yet). “Rallying at the top level is expensive,” says Andrew ComriePicard (also known as ACP). “You’ve got to hate your money and be
willing to walk away from a smoking ball of metal in the woods.”
The stakes aren’t quite as high at the lower levels, but you still have
to be willing to part with some paychecks.
Photo By Lorne Trezise
Photo By Lorne Trezise
Photo By Lorne Trezise
5) Buy—don’t build—your first Rally car. Building it yourself would be fun, but you can buy a fully prepared rally car with a rally logbook for pennies on the dollar compared to what it would take (plus, if you build the car yourself, the emotional attachment can keep
you from pushing it hard enough to be competitive). “Better to run a VW Golf that represents 20% of your total race budget than an
AWD Turbo that’s takes up 50% and you can’t afford to fix,” insists ACP. Make sure it has good parts availability, new and used. Many
prepped rally cars come with a spares package, and you can head to specialstage.com and rallyclassifieds.com for more.
6) Wander over to the junkyard to collect parts. Beware of dog. Control arms, tie rods, wheels, uprights [knuckles] and transmissions
are all spare items carried by rally teams. “In my opinion, you want to rally the ‘vanilla’ car, the one everyone else has or has owned
and can tell you the quick, cheap way to handle issues,” advises Matt Johnson. “At the end of the day, if your goal is to be the best rally
driver you can, you need to be investing in your skills and getting time behind the wheel.”
7) Find a co-driver and a crew. Rally is a team sport, and your co-driver (who keeps you from swerving into ravines) and crew (who move
the car around, set up service, fix/fuel the car and so on) are just as important as the man (shred, idiot, jerk) in the driver’s seat. Beer
is as good a payment as any in the beginning of your part-time Rally career, though you may have to trade up for champagne-quality
techs.
8) Take a deep breath and enter your first event. Your car prep (tires, fuel, food, tarp, tent, tools, suspension components, skid plates,
fluids) should be totally complete at least one week prior to your first Rally to allow enough time for review and double checks. Also
plan to arrive at the event early enough to participate in the “Rookie School,” something you will need to do before each race until you
graduate from novice class.
9) Go fast, but not too fast. Enough said, really… just be safe and finish the event with a working car and a happy co-driver.
10) You made it! Now get to work re-prepping and updating your car. Ask a more experienced team if you can make a copy of their reprep lists so you know where to start. Some of the changes might be superficial (like moving the intercom to make it easier to reach)
while others could be performance-based (modifying your skid plate for better coverage or upgrading those go-faster parts). The important thing is that you are now a real Rally car driver! If she wasn’t so concerned about the financial and physical risks involved in this
venture, your mother would be proud.
Special thanks to Travis Hanson of Team O’Neil Rally School for his help with these tips.
“The best modification is the driver.” - Anonymous
With practice comes
experience, and the ability
to move up to bigger and
more powerful cars.
Photo By Lorne Trezise
Remember to have fun!
Rally America hopes to
see you at the top levels
of the sport!
Photo By Lorne Trezise
RALLY GLOSSARY
Anti-lag (ALS anti-lag system): An engine management feature in which fuel is burnt
half in exhaust manifold instead of cylinder. This keeps the turbo-charger spinning during
non-acceleration (like gear-shifts or braking). When you hear a rally car pop and bang, this
is the ALS working.
Notes: The notes are essentially detailed code, and normally consist a way of measuring
distance (usually numbers like “5” for 50 meters), and measuring severity of the corner (“5”
for fast and “2” for slow). Notes also contain various words to caution, remind or control the
driver (like “Keep line,” or “Stone in,” or “Don’t cut.”)
Oversteer: Oversteer occurs when the rear wheels slide more than the front wheels, and the
car tries to “spin out”.
Parc Expose: A car show. An area where all competing cars are parked together and put on
display for fans to enjoy up close.
Recce (short for Reconnaissance): When a driver and co-driver pre-run the competitive
route at legal public speeds in a non-competition car, the term “recce” is used. The driver
and co-driver use the recce to create their stage notes.
Road Section: A section of public road where rally cars must travel at legal speeds and obey
all traffic laws. Road sections typically link the timed competitive sections and are also links
to and from service areas. They are also known as “transits.”
Special Stage: A timed competitive section of road. A Special Stage is always closed to public
traffic. Most rallies have between 10 and 20 Special Stages. Each stage can range from a few
miles to over 20 miles in length.
Super Special Stage: A stage that is run in a specially built arena or on a specially
constructed course.
Turbocharger (Turbo): An exhaust driven supercharger. A device which pumps air into
the engine’s cylinders to increase power.
Understeer: Understeer occurs when the front wheels slide more than the rear wheels,
and the car continues straight ahead even though the driver is trying to complete a turn.
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