Rally America Heads Northeast To Maine for Round Five

Williston, VT (July 10, 2013) -- The fifth round of the Rally America National Championship resumes at the New England Forest Rally on July 26-27th in Newry, Maine with 57 national and international teams - one of the largest entry fields since 2010 - slated to tackle some of the smoothest, fastest competition roads on the calendar.

The New England Forest Rally (NEFR) has been hard at work the past year improving road conditions and gaining permission from land owners to expand the race for a better fan experience and a less punishing race for the competitors. The event promises more spectator viewing options allowing fans to choose to drive to free viewing areas, purchase a Sunday River Resort shuttle pass ($10 per person on Friday and $15 per person on Saturday) to more viewing areas or take an all-inclusive catered VIP Bus to private locations.

For more information please see www.newenglandforestrally.com or download a spectator guide at www.rally-america.com. Urgency is quickly setting in with only three more rounds left in the Rally America National Championship to score valuable points.

The two-time defending Rally America Champions, David Higgins and Craig Drew from the Subaru Rally Team USA, maintain a familiar position leading the overall points standings ahead Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, who are currently in second place. Despite a 27 points buffer Higgins and Drew are under attack by Block and Gelsomino, who still have a mathematical chance at overtaking the Subaru team.
Block needs to outright win the remaining three rounds for any chance of winning his first American title and he took a giant first step when he took his first 2013 overall win at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally on May 31-June 1.
 

However, repeating three-time New England Forest Rally overall winners Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard are expected back at their favorite event after suffering a dramatic Oregon Trail Rally crash in early May that nearly ended their season.
The Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team pushed hard in a newly acquired 2005 WRC Mitsubishi Lancer but a costly mistake caused the team to fall down a steep embankment. The team has feverishly worked hard to acquire a new rally car to complete the Rally America National Championship. Details have not been released yet on which vehicle they will use to defend their New England Forest rally win streak.

In the Super Production (SP) Class the top three contenders in the points standings are only separated by an 8 point spread, with David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski assuming the lead at the previous Rally America round from Evan Cline and Jake Blattner. Sterckx and Jankowski have won the last two events while overcoming potentially significant mechanical problems to take the top spot and will need another win at NEFR to cement their position.


Also climbing the SP Class points ladder is Rally America's youngest driver Mason Moyle supported by veteran co-driver John Hall. The duo jumped into second place in the SP Class standings by a single point over Cline and will have a chance at overtaking Sterckx at the NEFR Rally if he can make up the 7 point difference. But last year's SP Class Champions, Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Scott Putnam are back after skipping the last Rally America round to attempt to defend their title. O'Sullivan needs to win the class at all remaining rounds for any chance of overtaking Sterckx and Moyle.

  The Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) category battle heats up once again as Scion Racing Rally xD's Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey fight to preserve their class lead from new arrivals Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth in their 2012 Ford Fiesta R2. Comrie-Picard has battled through a multitude of mechanical difficulties to win the first two events of the season and finish on the podium all year.

All the while Reeves and Smyth won the first two 2WD events they entered this year at the Oregon Trail Rally and STPR Rally. Reeves also threatens fellow Ford Fiesta drivers, Dillon Van Way and co-driver Andrew Edwards, who currently holds second place in the 2WD standings by only 5 points over Reeves. Van Way has improved his performance this season to finish on three of four podiums and is expected to fight hard to hold his position.

  The 2WD Class becomes even more unpredictable with the entry of Australia's Will Orders and Toni Feaver in a 2013 Toyota GT86. Orders and Feaver won the 2WD category at the 2012 NEFR Rally and is an instant contender in the only rally prepared Toyota GT86 known to exist. Fans are welcome to attend the New England Forest Rally's Parc Expose at the Sunday River Resort to visit with teams before heading to their viewing locations. Friday's Parc Expose begins at 9:00am and Saturday at 7:30am. Following each competition day the Sunday River Resort will host a Rally Village BBQ and awards party on Friday at 6:30pm and Saturday at 7:30pm.

  Download a New England Forest Rally free spectator guide at www.rally-america.com for viewing locations, schedules and maps.

GLOBAL RALLYCROSS ROARS INTO THE MAGIC MILE

Tune in to Global Rallycross at New Hampshire Motor Speedway! Supercars return to Loudon, while GRC Lites make their debut Global Rallycross will stage the first United States-based event of its 2013 season on Thursday, July 11, when the series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Coming off of a popular and successful doubleheader event at X Games Munich, New Hampshire will represent the first of six Global Rallycross events in the United States this season. New Hampshire will also feature the debut of the GRC Lites class, a series of identical cars designed to produce the next great rallycross superstar. The New Hampshire entry list includes Toomas Heikkinen, the current Global Rallycross points leader; Tanner Foust, two-time defending Global Rallycross champion and host of "Top Gear"; Travis Pastrana, the defending Global Rallycross at New Hampshire race winner; and former Formula 1 drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. and Scott Speed. Global Rallycross at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com on Thursday, July 11, at 5:30 PM ET. The race will also be shown on ESPN on Saturday, July 13, at 7:30 PM ET. Tune in information for Global Rallycross at NHMS Thursday July 11 – 5:30pm ET ESPN3 (Live) Saturday July 13 – 7:30pm ET ESPN (Tape Delay) Keep up with all the latest happenings in Global Rallycross by visiting the series website at http://www.global-rallycross.com; by liking the series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/globalrallycross; by subscribing to our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/globalrallycross; and by following on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @globalrallyx.   13 drivers, all of whom have made starts in Global Rallycross this season, will compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Thursday's event. Click here or click the photo to download a PDF version of the entry list.   Nine drivers will race in the first event of the GRC Lites season. GRC Lites will compete in each of the six remaining United States-based rounds of the 2013 Global Rallycross season.

Buy Global Rallycross Tickets Click the following links to buy tickets for future Global Rallycross races.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Thursday, July 11 Click HERE   X Games Los Angeles Sunday, August 4 Click HERE   Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday, September 22 Click HERE Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, July 20 Click HERE   Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday, August 10 Click HERE

GRC Lites To Debut At New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 14, 2013) – Global Rallycross is pleased to announce the inaugural season of GRC Lites, with a six race schedule that will see the new series visit some of the greatest race tracks in America. GRC Lites, the companion series to Global Rallycross’s Supercar class, has been designed to be the ideal class for drivers to gain rallycross experience.

The inaugural season of GRC Lites schedule will take place from July through November. The six race dates are as follows:

July 11: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
July 20: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
August 4: X Games Los Angeles, Irwindale, CA
August 10: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
September 22: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
November 7: Las Vegas, NV

“With the huge interest in rallycross, we talk to several types of drivers—from rally to open wheel, to stock car and dirt sports and nearly everything in between,” said Chip Pankow, Founder of Global Rallycross. “The GRC Lites car is the perfect platform for them to transition into the sport—they are safe, fast and challenging to drive. We look forward to seeing the next wave of star drivers hone their skills in the class.”

The class features tightly-controlled spec vehicles, each built by OlsbergsMSE. The cars produce 310 horsepower from naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engines and feature all-wheel drive, sequential gearboxes and rally handbrake. Deliveries of the new cars have begun and drivers are testing in preparation for the first race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 11^th, 2013.

“I’m really pleased that we are starting this new series with the OlsbergsMSE Lites car,” commented OlsbergsMSE CEO Andreas Eriksson. “We have worked for over two years to create a racecar that is fast, nimble and fun to drive while being able to fly like the Supercars, but an equal goal for us was to make it affordable to run for talented drivers and drivers that want to experience rallycross on both higher performance and technical levels. I am sure that the drivers that race these cars will be the stars in Supercar in the future.”

GRC Lites will feature some of the most talented young drivers in all of motorsport. Drivers include Mitchell DeJong, a multiple champion in both the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series and TORC; Geoff Sykes, a three-time national and regional champion in BMW CCA Racing; and Joni Wiman, protege of 2011 GRC Supercars runner-up Marcus Gronholm.

“I think it’s a fantastic new car, I have tested it and it feels really good—a good step for young drivers like Joni,” said two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm.

Having won nine championships in six years, Mitchell DeJong has driven a wide variety of vehicles. “They're all different and all fun, but now that I've had the chance to drive a rallycross lites car, I can honestly say it is the most fun vehicle I've ever driven,” he said. “I'm so stoked to be racing in the Global Rallycross series USA events this season. Looking forward, I'm hoping to have the opportunity to race the full GRC season in 2014. Andreas Eriksson has built the most amazing rallycross lites car! I've always loved spec class racing because it challenges me to be my best!"

Geoff Sykes, multiple national and regional BMW CCA champion, said the following in anticipation of the season: "I can't wait to get started! It's going to be a really challenging series, based solely on driver skill. The GRC Lites were specifically designed to be racecars. The engine placement and suspension makes it handle like a go-kart that can fly."

GRC Lites will compete alongside GRC Supercars at every United States-based event for the remainder of the 2013 season, including at X Games Los Angeles. Racing with GRC Supercars provides GRC Lites drivers great exposure and sees them competing on the same track layouts as the Supercar drivers.

“We're delighted to be the sanctioning organization for GRC's new Lites program,” commented Tom Campbell, President of SCCA Pro Racing. “The combination of reduced cost and identically prepared durable vehicles competing in the proven GRC Supercar format is a terrific formula that will open the sport to a broad population of enthusiasts.”

For more information, please check out www.global-rallycross.com.

Photo credit: Mixtape Media Co

Global Rallycross Confirms 2013 Schedule Featuring International Expansion

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 11, 2013) Global Rallycross (GRC) confirms its 2013 schedule will total nine rounds including races on three different continents in conjunction with Global X Games events in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain) and Munich (Germany). As one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport, rallycross combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. The series is made up of four Global X Games events and five GRC events to total nine rounds that will culminate in the crowning of both a driver’s champion and manufacturer’s champion. The 2013 championship features live broadcasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 available in over 198 countries. With more than 15 hours of primetime live content on major networks, the telecast package comprises the most expansive television coverage that the sport of rallycross has ever seen. The series’ star drivers include Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Scott Speed and 2011 and 2012 GRC Champion Tanner Foust. The 2013 Global Rallycross schedule: April 21: GRC at X Games: Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil May 19: GRC at X Games: Barcelona, Spain June 29 & 30: GRC at X Games: Munich, Germany* July 11: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon NH July 20: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol TN August 04: GRC at X Games: Irwindale Speedway, CA August 10: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Atlanta, GA September 22: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC November 07: Las Vegas, NV *Barcelona rainout makeup race on June 29 For more information: http://www.global-rallycross.com/news/press-releases/global-rallycross-confirms-2013-schedule-featuring-international-expansion/

Second Rallycross Race Added to X Games Munich A second medal race has been added to the X Games Munich competition schedule on June 29th. The race will serve as Round 2 of the Global Rallycross (GRC) season, replacing last month’s rain cancelled event in Barcelona. Round 3 will be contested on the same circuit on June 30th and each event will feature its own practice and qualifying sessions. Both events will count for full points in the GRC standings and X Games will award medals for both rounds. The weekend schedule will be as follows: SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013 2:00 - 3:00 Practice & Seeding 3:00 - 3:30 Track prep 3:30 - 5:00 Heats, LCQ, Finals SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2013 2:20 - 3:00 Practice 3:00 - 3:15 Track prep 3:15 - 4:00 Seeding 4:00 - 5:00 Track prep 5:00 - 7:00 Heats, LCQ, Finals Please tune in to ESPN and www.global-rallycross.com for full coverage and broadcast times.

STPR® to host fundraiser to benefit Oklahoma tornado victims

 

Wellsboro, Pa. (May 28)— With the sport of performance rally being such a family sport, the participants and fans in the 37^th Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally®, presented by Citizens and Northern Bank, taking place this weekend in Wellsboro, Pa., will be banding together to help the victims of a tornado in Oklahoma that killed 24 people, 10 of them children, injuring hundreds and leaving thousands with nothing.

 

Spearheaded by competitor Amanda Skelly, from Rochester Hills, Mich., of Noble Star Rally Racing, and with the support of the organizing committee of STPR, the rally will be accepting donations in an effort to raise funds, which will be channeled through the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army to aid the displaced families and victims.

“It was one of the most devastating tornadoes in over half a century, similar to one in 1953 that occurred just miles from where NSR headquarters is located here in Michigan,” Skelly said. “After seeing the damage and the devastated survivors on the news that night, my heart ached deeply for their losses.  I felt the need to somehow contribute and since we cannot donate items, supporting the cause financially is our next best option.”

People should look for the donation cans in the main building at the Tioga County Fairgrounds and at the ticket booths at the Super Special on Friday and Saturday evenings at the fairgrounds.  Donations of cash or check will be accepted; checks can be made out to either the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army, with “OK Disaster Relief” in the memo field.

There will also be a 50/50 Raffle at the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Guest can donate $1, plus their ticket stub and half will go to the lucky winner and other half toward the relief fund donation.

“This is a fund that is dear to my heart,” said STPR chair Meridith Croucher. “My cousin and his son rode out the storm in their safe room in Moore.”

Although Croucher’s family was not directly in the path, they are witnesses to the extensive damage and devastation suffered by friends and neighbors.

“There is great need to help the families rebuild their lives. My thanks, in advance, to those who donate,” she added.

The sirens began to wail in Moore, Okla, at 2:40 p.m. on Monday, May 20, giving the residents only about 30 minutes warning to seek shelter before an EF-5 tornado carved a 17-mile swath of destruction, including the suburbs of Oklahoma City. The bedroom community of Moore has a population just under 50,000.

With sustained winds over 200 mph, the 1.3-mile-wide tornado was on the ground for more than 40 minutes, chewing up and spitting out everything in its path. It leveled two elementary schools, killing seven students when a wall collapsed, and severally damaged a hospital. Entire blocks of homes were flattened, with debris scattered for miles as the tornado ravaged the area. Overall, insurance claims related to last week's storm will probably top $2 billion, Kelly Collins from the Oklahoma Insurance Department told CNN.

However, insurance won’t cover it all, so any financial donation will be greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small.

 

http://www.stpr.org/