ProRally: Colorado Cog: Todd Moberly home state rally preview

Home Cookin': Colorado Springs' Moberly Has High Home Cookin': Colorado Springs' Moberly Has High Hopes For Home State ProRally

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 24, 2004) -- Todd Moberly and his co-driving father, Ray, were out at the Colorado Cog ProRally practice stage Thursday afternoon, along with several other competitors. But instead of running, they were busy surveying the damage done to their 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX after Todd had left the road.

Another co-driver, Alex Gelsomino walked by and without breaking stride dismissed any fears the Moberlys might have had about a premature end to their rally weekend.

"He walked by, waved his hand and said, 'Eh, it's cosmetic,'" Todd said. "He wasn't impressed by the damage and after we looked at it, I think we'll be fine for this weekend."

That's very good news for the local hill climber, who started dabbling in rally a few years ago, is now beginning to dive into the sport full-on (evidenced by the sponsorship his team scored from Marzolf Subaru in Pueblo, Colo. just before Pikes Peak) and wants to use a good showing at Colorado Cog, Round Eight of the SCCA ProRally Championship Presented by Hot Wheels®, as a springboard on to the national scene.

The younger Moberly, of Colorado Springs, Colo., has his goals set high for this weekend and beyond. One of the short-term goals he has set for himself and his father are putting their Production GT Subaru on the podium, something no one has been able to accomplish that feat this season.

"We've attended every hill climb since Rim this year so we could put ourselves in a position to really come out and attack this rally," Moberly said. "This is my third event at Steamboat, one as a co-driver, one as a driver and now this one. So I've got a good feel for the roads and our plan is to come out driving 100 percent."

Even though Moberly is a relative unknown in the SCCA ProRally ranks, he has been successful with a handful of top 10 finishes (including winning this year's PGT Championship at the SCCA ClubRally National Championships last February in Missouri) even though he's only been in a couple of events in each of the past two years, he has over a decade of experience in hill climbing and other related automotive dirt sports.

Between knowing the roads and having that many years of experience, Moberly said he would try to jump out early on some of the other ProRally competitors who are competing at Cog for the first time.

"Nobody really still thinks we're a player I don't think," Moberly said. "If we can get toward the top by going out 100 percent on some of the early stages while some of the other guys are still feeling their way around, maybe we'll give them something to think about.

"No matter how it goes, I'd like to thank everybody who supports our program, including Marzolf Subaru, and especially my family and everybody else who helps us do what we're doing."

For daily updates from Colorado Cog, visit www.scca.com.

-scca pro rally-