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The INDEPENDENT, May 6, 2004
What is Rally?
Oregon Trail Rally results
Performance Rally is an
increasingly popular motor-
sport run on rugged terrain,
with each car having a driver
and a co-driver.
Stages, which are closed
sections of road on which only
rally cars are allowed, are run
by cars that are street licensed
and registered. The stages
may be on unpaved roads in
deserts or mountains, and may
have surfaces of sand, gravel,
mud or snow. In each rally
there will be a number of differ-
ent stages. Stages are
reached via transit sections,
regular roads where the drivers
must obey all speed limits and
traffic laws.
The driver’s goal is to com-
plete each stage as fast as
possible. The co-driver is
responsible for instructing the
driver, from a route book pro-
vided just prior to the start, on
the mileages and directions for
turns, hazards, etc., on each of
the stages and transits.
There are also service peri-
ods when the cars are taken to
designated places for repairs,
the driver and co-driver may
get a rest at that time.
By Curtis Kitchen
Pat Richard showed Group
N’s Overall Championship
potential at Sno*Drift with his
win in January. April 24-25 at
Oregon Trail, in Round Two of
the 2004 SCCA ProRally
Championship, it appeared that
Richard would have to settle for
second, as Seamus Burke was
up by almost 90 seconds after
14 Special Stages and well on
his way to showing the Open
Class’ resolve to remain the top
class in the Championship.
But, then trouble showed itself.
With just two Special Stages
separating the Irish duo of
Burke and co-driver Charlie
Bradley from their first ProRally
win of the year, Burke’s 2003
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
blew a head gasket and ren-
dered the pair helpless as they
went from their first potential
win to their first DNF instead.
Carl Jardevall, with co-driver
Above, driver Mark Tabor,
West Linn, and co-driver
Kevin Poirier, Rainier, won
the Production class in their
2003 Acura RSX Type S.
Picture shows them on a
turn during stage 8.
PUBLIC MEETING ON INTEREST IN SPEEDWAY
DEVELOPMENT IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
There is an interest by International Speedway Corporation to locate a
speedway that would host NASCAR racing and other events in the
Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Sports Authority has been working with
International Speedway Corporation to identify and explore potential sites
around the Portland metropolitan area.
The Port of St.Helens would like to listen to the public on their interest in
developing a world class racing venue in Scappoose,on the location local-
ly known as the Meier property – should the site be determined to be a
viable location for a speedway.A description of a NASCAR Speedway will
be provided but,more importantly,Port,County,and City officials will be in
attendance to listen to your concerns and comments.
International Speedway Corporation (ISC),a publicly-traded company,is a
leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States. ISC cur-
rently owns and/or operates 12 major motorsports facilities, including
Daytona International Speedway in Florida (home of the Daytona 500);
Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama;Michigan International Speedway;
California Speedway; Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida; Phoenix
International Raceway; Richmond International Raceway in Virginia;
Darlington Raceway in South Carolina;North Carolina Speedway;Watkins
Glen International in New York; Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania and
Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Other track interests include an
indirect interest in Raceway Associates that owns the Route 66 Raceway
and developed Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet,Ill.,which opened in 2001.
Please find time to attend a Public Comment meeting;
Thursday, May 6th • 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Scappoose High School gymnasium
The Port of St. Helens, 503-397-2888.
Above, co-driver Claire Chizma of Seattle, Wash. and driver
Amy BeberVanzo of Petaluma, Calif. in the 1991 Mitsubishi
Galant VR4 that they drove to 13th place in the Club Rally
Production GT class. This picture was taken during their
stop for service at Washington Grade School.
Grumpy’s Towing
24 HOUR EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AUTOS • TRUCKS • BOATS
SEMI-TRUCKS • MOTOR HOMES
We Bill Most Insurance Companies
Prompt
Low
Service
Rates
53279 Columbia River Hwy • Scappoose, OR 97056
503-543-5533
Amity Trowbridge, who briefly
held the lead during the middle
stages of the event, wound up
second after Burke’s misfor-
tune
Sunday.
Lauchlin
O’Sullivan, with co-driver
Jimmy Brandt, finished third
despite problems with a third
gear on Stage 15 that nearly
crashed the 2001 Subaru
Impreza WRX he was testing
over the weekend for fellow
driver Doug Havir.
Richard came out firing early
and often Sunday as he ripped
off four fastest stage times out
of the five run on the last day.
“It was definitely an interest-
ing weekend,” Richard said.
“But we did get the win and we
have time to work on some
things like reading stage notes.
We’ll get those things worked
out and be ready in time for
Rim of the World.”
Stage notes would have
been a problem for Richard
and his new co-driver, sister,
Nathalie. It was the first time
the pair had been in the car
together in almost three years
(she had been in Australia as a
co-driver) and both admitted
communication was sometimes
difficult.
Jardevall rebounded after a
slow start Sunday morning and
after Burke’s bowing out late,
grabbed the second spot in his
1997
Mitsubishi
Lancer
Evolution IV.
In the other classes,
Stephen Verdier, with co-driver
Allan Walker, finished seventh
overall in Verdier’s 2002
Subaru WRX and put together
a solid run in Production GT,
winning the class almost four
minutes ahead of second PGT
finisher Jamie Thomas, with
co-driver
Matt
Gauger.
Thomas/ Gauger finished 12th
overall in Thomas’ 2003
Subaru WRX Wagon.
The bigger news may have
been out of Group 5, where
cagey veteran Doug Shepherd
wore down a multitude of tires
driving his 2004 Dodge SRT-4,
but found enough rubber over
the weekend to still finish over
two minutes ahead of the
Group 5 2001 Volkswagen Golf
driven by silver-finisher Chris
Havas, with co-driver Dave
Keane, and, more importantly,
one spot above the higher-
horsepower Verdier entry in the
overall standings.
In Group 2, Brooks Freehill,
Please see page 13