| Maine Forest Rally
December 4-5, 1992
Rumford, ME
I had hoped to have a turbo motor in the Omni in time for this event,
but that project has been dragging on, so Ted Mendham agreed to let me
codrive for him in his Saab 99. His Michelin dirt tires showed a lot of
wear, but he had a bunch of Hakkapeliittas with good tread, so we were
doing a snow dance every morning the week before the race.
We left early Friday morning, and as we drove up we were looking for
signs of snow, but the ground was bare all the way into Rumford. At
registration they provided a brief description of road conditions for
each special stage. A few of them had some thin snow cover, and others
mentioned icy conditions. With snow forecast for that evening, we
decided to put on the relatively fragile Hakkas and risk damaging them
because the gravel tires are so bad on snow and ice.
The rally started at 6PM Friday, and the first stage was all frozen
dirt, with no ice at all and very bumpy. The skid plate was getting a
lot of use, and I was worried the tires wouldn't hold up, but they made
it through without getting any major bubbles in the sidewalls.
The second stage we saw a lot more ice, most of it under a thin layer of
sand. The Hakkas were in their element now, and we were tenth fastest
on this stage out of 44 cars. At the service after the first stage,
many teams had decided that their dirt tires were working well and chose
to keep them, and now they would have to run with them for several more
stages.
The third stage was 25 miles long, the longest stage to be run in the
United States in the last 5 year, and it was a real adventure. It was
icy too, and we were seeing a lot of cars stuck in ditches. At one
point we saw a warning triangle set on a crest, and as we came over, we
could see a Mitsubishi Gallant had missed a sharp right and gone off
into some frozen goo. Ted slowed sharply, but it was not enough to make
the corner, and we hit the ditch a little ways past the Gallant.
Being stuck in a ditch when the clock is running is never much fun, and
each time another car passes you you feel worse. When I couldn't push
the Saab out, I thought we were finished right there. But the codriver
for the Gallant came running over saying, if I help push you out, will
you help us? It sounded like a bargain, so I quickly accepted, and with
just a few pushes, Ted got backed out onto the road. The Gallant was
way off, so I yelled for Ted to back his car over to pull with it, but
the two codrivers were able to able to get it out just by pulling on the
tow rope, with a lot of help from the Mitsu's 4 wheel drive power.
Back on the road, we scrambled to get our harnesses back on while Ted
drove, trying to catch up to some of the cars that passed us. We had
caught and passed two of them when we saw another triangle, and a guy in
a firesuit out motioning us to slow down. When we rounded the bend we
could see why. Their Mitsubishi Eclipse had slid off a narrow wooden
bridge and was nose down in the stream, with the tail end sticking up,
blocking half the bridge. There was just enough room to squeak by.
Amazingly, no other cars clobbered it either. A little further down the
road we saw someone we know just off on the left in a swampy area. The
driver was out holding his tow rope and giving us that desperate look,
so we stopped to help. We gave him a couple tugs, but he was having
trouble getting the rope to hook right, so we finally bid him good luck
and took off after a car that had passed us while we were helping. We
caught up to them in short order, but with just a few miles left to go,
Ted decided just to hang back rather than pass again and risk going off
trying to put some distance on them. Our little two car caravan passed
by the same Gallant we'd helped earlier, but this time, with the car
sitting on top of a big rock, there was no point in stopping.
After the fourth stage there was another service, so presumably many
teams switched over to snow tires, but it was on the fifth stage that we
set our best time. On a twisty six mile stage with an inch or so of
loose snow but no ice underneath, Ted let fly with a time of 8.12
minutes, 8th fastest of 33 still running, and fastest 2-wheel-drive
entry.
That was all for Friday night, so we put the car in Parc Ferme for the
night and got back to the hotel a little after midnight to dream of snow.
Saturday morning we got up early so we could work on the car a little
before before the 9AM start. Turned out there was not much to do, we
rotated the tires, took the light bar off, and checked the oil. We were
18th overall so far, first in our seed group, and fastest Saab by more
than six minutes, so it looked like some award money could be coming our
way if we could keep it on the road.
Stages 7 and 8 were a 15 mile dead-end stage, where the cars drive in
and then wait for the last car to arrive before the first car can begin
its return run. This stage was also very icy, and there had been some
warm weather the previous week before the ground refroze, so the logging
equipment had gouged some tremendous ruts in the road that made driving
it fast a very hairy experience. Some of them were deeper than our
ground clearance, so the skid plate took a pounding when we fell into
one. The ruts were not our undoing, though. Thirteen miles in, we
plowed straight off an icy and acute uphill left-hander, and got stuck
in another ditch. I couldn't push us out, so Ted hooked up the tow rope
and we waited for a benefactor. Fortunately, the third car to come upon
us were our friends Greg Healy and John Macleod in a Dodge Ram pickup
(2-wheel-drive), and they stopped and yanked us out on the first try.
But by the time we'd picked up our triangle and gotten going again, we
had lost about four minutes. On the way out for Stage 8, we took it
easy and stayed out of trouble.
After Stage 8 there was a 30 minute service, and we had agreed to meet
our service crew near the end of the stage road. We met them and
checked the tires, worked on a loose hood pin, and grabbed a bite to
eat. Only after we'd been there for 25 minutes did I think to check our
time in to the next control. Yikes! We were due in to a control 16
miles away in 2 minutes! I grabbed Ted in the middle of his lunch, and
with his ham sandwich in hand, we set out on a high speed cross-country
assault which I probably shouldn't talk about, except to say we finally
checked in 10 minutes late. This is where our 30 minute service was, at
the other end of the stupid transit! Our chance for some prize money,
even of a decent finish, seemed dashed. Ted was fuming mad, but since
teams must finish with their original crews, he couldn't kill me or
leave me stranded until after the final control. Unfortunately, the
finish was almost forty miles from our hotel, so I was counting on his
having cooled down by then.
Back on the road again, we agreed that we would stop for anyone who
looked like they needed a hand, since we didn't have anything to lose.
The last two stages were just as icy as the others before, but I guess
all the yahoos had crashed out, and those who were left were in survival
mode, because we didn't see any more triangles. Ted didn't seem to be
having much fun any more. I tried to get him to relax a little and
enjoy the beautiful scenery, but I think he just wanted to be finished.
I was getting kinda worn down myself, but we had many miles to ride
before we could sleep.
We checked in to the final control by 4:30PM, and joined a long convoy
of rally and service vehicles back to the hotel, where we made
significant inroads into a case of Budweiser before we left for the
awards banquet, though we made sure to save some extras for the friends
who had helped us out of various ditches along the way.
When the final results came out, we were 22nd overall, second in our
seed group, and 7th in Open class. We were also astounded to find that
we were still the top-finishing Saab! Despite our 10 minutes of road
points, we had eked out a 38 second win over Keith Kreisler and Chris
Erney in their first finish in a Saab 900 Turbo, and come in ahead of 2
other Saab 99s as well. This should be good for $200 contingency money
from Saab.
Special thanks are due to Ted's wife Darryn and her sister Maria, who
met us at the service areas with the van, enduring hours of waiting in
the cold Maine woods to provide us with the tools, supplies, snacks, and
moral support we needed.
Now to see if I can talk Ted out of any of that contingency money.
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| Article 25170 of rec.autos.sport:
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From: bradley@reed.edu (Ben Bradley)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Maine Forest Pro Rally/Final Subaru Standings
Message-ID: <1992Dec16.042634.19383@reed.edu>
Date: 16 Dec 92 04:26:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Dec16.042634.19383
Distribution: na
Organization: Reed College, Portland OR
Lines: 250
Please excuse the all-caps in the following. That's the
way I received it. Reprinted with permission.
Maine Forest National Pro Rally Results
CONTACT: ANDY SCHUPACK (207) 369-0000
CANADIAN RALLY BROTHERS WIN FINAL SUBARU RALLY
RUMFORD, MAINE -- THE 1992 MAINE FOREST RALLY - THE FINAL
ROUND OF THE SUBARU PRO RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP - IS HISTORY, AND
THE FINAL RESULTS PROVE THAT ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN MOTOR
RACING.
WITH LESS THAN TWO STAGES TO GO, PAUL CHOINIERE, OF
BURLINGTON, VT, WHO LEAD THE ENTIRE RALLY WITH LEADS OF ONE
TO TWO MINUTES, LOST HIS ENGINE IN HIS AUDI QUATTRO AND WAS
FORCED TO RETIRE.
CHOINIERE, WHO HAD ALREADY CLINCHED THE 1992 SUBARU PRO RALLY
CHAMPIONSHIP, WAS ONE MINUTE AHEAD OF AUDI QUATTRO TEAM OF
FRANK AND DAN SPRONGL WHEN PAUL HIT A ROCK, PUNCTURING THE
OIL PAN AND CAUSING HIM TO DNF ON THE LAST STAGE.
SO THE VICTORY GOES TO THE SPRONGLS, FROM WOODBRIDGE, ONT.
WHO HAVE RUN VERY STRONGLY ALL YEAR IN CANADA, AND WERE
LEADING A RALLY IN MINNESOTA IN AUGUST WHEN THEY CRASHED.
ALTHOUGH THIS IS THEIR FIRST U.S. VICTORY IN PRO RALLY
COMPETITION, FRANK SET A NEW RECORD FOR THE FAMOUS
MT. WASHINGTON CLIMB TO THE CLOUDS HILLCLIMB WHILE WINNING
THAT EVENT THIS PAST JUNE.
SECOND OVERALL WAS THE OGUNQUIT TEAM OF CARL MERRILL AND JON
WICKENS - THEIR BEST FINISH EVER IN A NATIONAL PRO RALLY - IN
A MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE.
TIM O'NEIL AND TOM BURGESS FINISHED A STRONG SECOND HALF OF
THE SEASON BY FINISHING THIRD OVERALL IN HIS MITSUBISHI
GALANT AND GRABBING SECOND PLACE OVERALL IN THE FINAL POINT
STANDINGS AND FIRST IN PRODUCTION GT.
BRUNO KREIBICH AND JEFF BECKER, FROM QUEENS, NY, IN AN AUDI
QUATTRO, SECOND PLACE FINISHERS A YEAR AGO, WERE FOURTH THIS
YEAR.
CANADIAN PRODUCTION GT CHAMPIONS TOM MCGEER AND TRISH SPARROW
FROM BRAMPTON, ONT, FINISHED A FINE FIFTH OVERALL AND SECOND
IN PRODUCTION GT, WITH THE MAZDA 323GTX OF RUSS HUGHES AND
JOHN MACARTHUR SIXTH.
OTHER CLASS WINNERS INCLUDED CHAD DIMARCO AND ERICK HAUGE
(SEVENTH OVERALL - FIRST IN GROUP A - AND FIRST IN GROUP A
FOR THE YEAR END POINTS); BOB ELLIOTT AND THIERRY MENEGOZ IN
A VW GTI (WINNERS OF THE PRODUCTION CLASS); AND GARY AND JUDI
GOOCH WON THE RALLY TRUCK CLASS IN THEIR TOYOTA PICKUP.
IN ALL, 28 CARS FINISHED THE RALLY, WHICH RAN IN VERY
SLIPPERY CONDITIONS DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF HEAVY SNOW.
# # #
Round #9 - Subaru PRO Rally Championship - Maine Forest Rally
Rumford, Maine - December 4 - 5, 1992
Final Results
3Car3Driver/ Co-Driver/ Make-Model/Class/
Pos.3No.3Hometown Hometown Division/Time
1 7 Frank Sprongl Dan Sprongl Audi Quattro/Open
Woodbridge, ONT Woodbridge, ONT National/2:18:89
2 4 Carl Merrill Jon Wickens Mitsubishi Eclipse/Open
Ogunquit, ME Birmingham, MI National/2:22:07
3 11 Tim O'Neil Tom Burgess Mitsubishi Galant VR4/GT
Franconia, NH Vancouver, BC National/2:22:76
4 3 Bruno Kreibich Jeff Becker Audi Quattro/Open
Ridgewood, NY Great Neck, NY National/2:24:26
5 37 Tom McGeer Trish Sparrow Subaru Legacy/GT
Brampton, ONT Toronto, ONT National/2:24:54
6 33 Russ Hughes John McArthur Mazda 323 GTX/GT
Avon, NY Honeoye Falls, NY National/2:28:34
7 1 Chad DiMarco Erick Hauge Subaru Legacy/Group A
Huntington Beach, CA Napa, CA National/2:30:15
8 31 Frank Cunningham Charles Bradley VW GTI/Group A
Boston, MA Ardmore, PA National/2:31:66
9 32 Bob Elliott Thierry Menegoz Volkswagen GTI/Production
Rutland, VT Montreal, QUE National/2:32:97
10 40 Ivan Orisek Olga Orisek Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
White Plains, NY White Plains, NY National/2:34:95
11 43 Mike Sourlis Henry Noga Mitsubishi Eclipse/GT
Jackson Heights, NY Glen Head, NY National/2:42:26
12 24 Lesley Suddard Anne Thomas Dodge Omni GLH/Prod
Wilmington DE Nashua, NH National/Divisional/2:43:18
13 17 Gary Gooch Judi Gooch Toyota Pickup/Truck
Union City, CA Union City, CA National/2:46:19
14 21 Greg Healy John McLeod Dodge Ram 50 Pickup/Truck
Hartsville, SC S. Easton, MA National/2:47:69
15 18 Henry Joy Jimmy Brandt Mazda 323 GTX/GT
Wilmette, IL Lake Odessa. MI National 2:47:83
16 14 Vincente Frontinan Francisco Arruda Toyota Celica GT4/GT
Somerville, MA Johnston, RI National/2:48:07
17 26 Dean Fry Don Kennedy Subaru Hatchback/Open
Mohnton, PA Shillington, PA National/Divisional/2:55:69
18 41 Dick Casey Martin Dapot VW GTI/Production
Fairfax Station,VA Reston, VA National/Divisional/2:57:63
19 36 Ted Mendham Carl Fisher Saab 99/Open
Lyndeboro, NH Lyndeboro, NH National/Divisional/3:00:78
20 29 Keith Kreisler Chris Ernez Saab 900 Turbo/Open
Collegeville, PA Wellsboro, PA National/Divisional/3:01:42
21 23 Ken Beard Jim Miner Dodge Omni/Open
Stewartown, PA Anapolis, MD National/3:01:67
22 30 Gerald Sweet Stuart Spark Saab 99/Open
Oakridge, NJ Woodcliffe Lake, NJ National/3:05:65
23 27 Scott Kreisler John Bonasera Saab 99/Open
Collegeville, PA Amberville, PA National/3:18:16
24 34 Gerry Brinkman Debbie Sweet Subaru DL 4WD/Open
Freehold, NJ Oakridge, NJ National/3:26:77
# # #
Subaru PRO Rally Championship - 1992 Final Point Standings
December 6, 1992
OVERALL
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
PAUL CHOINIERE 107.0 JEFF BECKER 102.0
TIM O'NEIL 59.0 TOM BURGESS 59.0
DICK CORLEY 58.6 LANCE SMITH 58.6
CHAD DIMARCO 44.0 ERICK HAUGE 44.0
BRUNO KREIBICH 37.0 JON WICKENS 28.2
CARL MERRILL 28.2 DOUG SHEPHERD 27.0
ROGER HULL 28.0 BOB PIERCE 26.6
W.G. GILES 26.6 FRANK ARRUDA 22.O
PETER CUNNINGHAM 24.0 ROB CHERRY 20.8
VINCENT FRONTINAN 22.0 BILL WESTRICK 20.0
STEVE GINGRAS 20.0 LYNNE LUND 18.0
FRANK SPRONGL 20.0 CINDY KROWLIKOWSKI 16.0
STEVE NOWICKI 18.0 DOUG NERBER 16.0
GREG LUND 16.0 STUART BEAL 15.2
B.J. BEAL 15.2 STEVE NOWICKI 15.0
OPEN CLASS
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
PAUL CHOINIERE 107.0 JEFF BECKER 104.0
DICK CORLEY 84.2 LANCE SMITH 84.2
BRUNO KREIBICH 40.0 JON WICKENS 34.0
CARL MERRILL 34.0 DOUG SHEPHERD 30.0
GREG LUND 27.0 LYNN LUND 27.0
B.J. BEAL 25.2 STUART BEAL 25.2
FRANK SPRONGL 20.0 DOUG NERBER 25.0
JAN JOLLES 18.0 JOHN ELKIN 20.0
LON PETERSON 15.0 DAN SPRONGL 20.0
PRODUCTION GT
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
TIM O'NEIL 80.0 TOM BURGESS 60.0
HENRY JOY 58.2 HENRY NOGA 52.0
STEVE GINGRAS 47.0 BILL WESTRICK 47.0
STEVE NOWICKI 35.0 JIMMY BRANDT 35.0
MIKE SOURLIS 29.0 DAVE PUTERBAUGH 27.0
DAVE WHITE 27.0 JAMES WILSON 24.0
JIM WILSON 24.0 JOHN MCARTHUR 24.0
RUSS HUGHES 24.0 SCOTT GILLMAN 23.2
NOEL LAWLER 20.0 CINDY KROLIKOWSKI 20.0
IVAN ORISEK 20.0 OLGA ORISEK 20.0
PRODUCTION
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
W.G. GILES 87.0 BOB PIERCE 87.0
PETER CUNNINGHAM 55.0 JOE ANDREINI 35.0
DICK CASEY 41.0 SANDY LATREILLE 32.0
BOB ELLIOTT 36.0 MARTIN DAPOT 26.0
BARRY LATREILLE 32.0 ANNE THOMAS 23.0
LESLEY SUDDARD 23.0 STEVE NOWICKI 20.0
A.K KAUMEHEIWA 15.0 BRAD HUNT 15.0
KARL SCHEIBLE 12.0 DOUG HENRY 15.0
MARK MOLNAR 10.0 MARK WILLIAMS 12.0
ROSS WOOD 12.0
GROUP A
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
CHAD DIMARCO 92.0 ERICK HAUGE 92.0
VINCENTE FRONTINAN 70.0 FRANK ARRUDA 70.0
RUI BRASIL 15.0 FRANK NUNES 15.0
FRANK CUNNINGHAM 15.0 CHARLES BRADLEY 15.0
RALLYTRUCK
DRIVER POINTS CO-DRIVER POINTS
GARY GOOCH 102.0 JUDI GOOCH 102.0
ROGER HULL 84.0 ROB CHERRY 72.0
GREG HEALEY 57.2 JOHN MACLEOD 50.0
JEFF HENDRICKS 33.0 NOBLE JONES 30.0
TONY SHUMAKER 16.0 LIZ SHUMAKER 16.0
MARK ALDERSON 10.0 EV HENDRICKS 15.0
GUY LIGHT 9.0 BILL BOGGS 10.0
KEN WHITE 4.8 JIMMY BRANDT 9.0
# # #
======================================================================
Ben Bradley If you think it has to have a stick and ball to
Reed College be a sport, get a life you scissor-billed geek.
Portland, OR --Gordon Scott
bradley@reed.edu Nov. 24, 1992; PitStop finale
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