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WCRA
website promoting Stage and TSD Rally Sport in
British Columbia |
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2005
Mt Trials Media Alert |
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| Specialty Subaru Mountain Trials Rally June 18, 2005 Merritt, BC, Canada |
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| Round 3 of the 2005 Western Canadian Rally Championship (WCRC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MEDIA ALERT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rallying returns to the hills of Merritt this weekend at the Specialty Subaru Mountain Trials Rally, round three of the 2005 Western Canadian Rally Championship (WCRC). Performance rally cars from around Western Canada and the Northwest United States will be racing on a tight, challenging gravel road course in the heart of BC's interior. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This event is sanctioned by the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS), and is part of the WCRC, and the Cascade Cup for 2wd cars in the Pacific Northwest Region. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When & where: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 18, 2005, Merritt, BC. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headquarters & Press Room: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Schedule (subject to change): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday June 17th 16:00-22:00 Registration (Best Western Nicola Inn) |
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| Saturday June 18th 06:30-07:30 Late Registration (Best Western Nicola Inn) 07:30-09:30 Scrutineering & Technical Inspection 10:30-11:30 Parc Exposé (cars on display at Active Mountain) 11:00-11:30 Mandatory meeting for all seed 5 & 6 teams 11:30-12:00 Drivers' meeting & introduction of officials 12:00 Start of First Leg (Active Mountain course) 20:00 Rally Finish & Podium 21:00 Dinner and Awards (Middlesboro Pub) |
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| Format: |
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| Performance rallies consist of roads designated as "special stages" and "transit sections". Special stages are run flat-out against the clock and are closed to public traffic. Transit sections are the routes linking together the special stages in which teams must obey all traffic laws. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance rally vehicles are production-based cars and 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 noted in the route book. This role is as critical as the driver's skill, since the team is traveling at full racing speeds over roads they have never seen before. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected entries: - Current 2005 WCRC leader, and Vancouver native, Scott Trinder in his Open Class all-wheel drive turbocharged Subaru WRX, with Bill Westhead co-driving. Trinder is a seasoned competitor and has been rallying for many years, yet he appeared to struggle during recent outings in his newest vehicle: a right-hand drive Subaru WRX-RA rally special edition. However, any doubts about Trinder's ability to find some speed in his new car were put to rest two weeks ago when he and Westhead won the second round of the WCRC, winning every stage in the process. |
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| - 2004 Mountain Trials rally third place finisher, and Washington native, Gary Cavett in his Open Class Subaru Impreza Turbo. Last year Cavett maintained a brisk pace and successfully fended off challenges from series regulars to earn a well-deserved podium finish. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - A trio of late entries from Washington includes a "who's who" of local speed merchants: Erik Lyden will be driving his very trick Subaru Legacy, with Jay Socha of California co-driving; Nat Stow, another past Mountain Trials rally competitor, will bring his front-wheel drive Mazda 323, with Canuck Ben Bradley of Oregon co-driving; and Cascade Autosport principle Peter Van Bogart is bringing his Mitsubishi EVO VII RS with Alan Perry co-driving. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - Also slated to appear at this year's Mountain Trails Rally is Western Canada's youngest competitor, and Deep Cove native, Chad Manley, with Warwick Patterson co-driving, in a two-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf. Manley moved up to this car last year, having spent 2003 thrashing an older rear-wheel drive Toyota Celica. After a series of early disappointments, Manley finished tenth overall here at the Mountain Trials Rally. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Of additional interest: - Thanks to additional support and participation from Active Mountain Resorts, the developers for the raceway and resort project in Merritt, the 2005 Mountain Trials event will feature a challenging spectator stage right near town. Details on the raceway and resort project can be found at www.amraceway.ca |
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| - As the third round of six in the 2005 WCRC, teams will arrive in Merritt having hit their stride in the race for the championship. Fans can expect to see a heated battle for overall honours as valuable points are at stake. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - New to the rally this year is the inclusion of the Cascade Cup Championship for two-wheel drive vehicles. This grass roots competition features entrants from around Alberta, BC, Washington and Oregon in their front and rear wheel drive machines. Close racing action and a wilder "drifting" style of driving are just some of the features in this group. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - PIAA Corporation has also come on board as a supporter of this year's event. PIAA is a global manufacturer of halogen lamp and lighting systems. Their professional quality lights are commonly used on performance rally cars, creating a natural fit with the event. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - Growing interest in BC rallies has been demonstrated by the number of outsiders making the trip to Merritt. Competitors and volunteers from Alberta, Manitoba and the US help round out a healthy group of local participants. The community of Merritt has also responded to this interest by extending a warm welcome to these visitors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 Western Canadian Performance Rally Championship: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Contact: Paul Westwick - Organizer Pre-event: (604) 682-3296; e-mail: paul@rallybc.com At event: (604) 617-4132 |
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| Ken Kwong, Event Spokesperson (604) 808-0536; e-mail: ken@rallybc.com |
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| Spectator Guide Will be available at registration, OR can be downloaded here (PDF file): http://www.rallybc.com/MtTrials/2005/MTR05_SpectatorInfo.pdf |
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| Additional Resources: Canadian Association of Rallysport http://209.250.151.132/CARSRally West Coast Rally Association http://www.rallybc.com Cascade Cup http://www.cascadeautosport.com/cascadecup Merritt Chamber of Commerce http://merritt-chamber.bc.ca/index2.html |
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| 2005 BC Rally Supporters: Specialty Subaru http://www.specialty.subarudealer.ca Rocket Rally http://www.rocketrally.com Driver's Edge Autosport http://www.driversedgeautosport.com Helius Rally Odometers http://www.heliusdesigns.com Wilkinson's Automobilia http://www.eautomobilia.com Western Driver http://www.westerndriver.com |
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| Bill Westhead |
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