ProRally: Oregon Trail: Pre-event news and late notes

Hillsboro, Ore. (July 11, 2003) - Perhaps the biggest newsmaker coming out of the field hours before the start of the Oregon Trail Rally is that there was no big news. Every car that practiced made it with no mechanical issues to speak of which means a field of 80 cars are ready to attack the Coastal Ranges of northwestern Oregon.

There is a slight chance of rain late on Saturday night, however, chances are small enough that forecasters aren't willing to put a percentage with them. Dust will more than likely play some sort of a role in the outcome of the fifth round of the 2003 SCCA ProRally Championship. Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid to upper 70's with almost no wind. Subsequently, rally organizers have decided to implement a two-minute dust window between every car in the field.

The popular Northern Pacific based rally team of driver Carl Jardevall, of Half Moon Bay, Calif., and Amity Trowbridge, of Olympia, Wash., will start fourth in between Subaru Rally Team USA's Ramana Lagemann/Micheal Orr and David Higgins/Daniel Barritt of Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America. The seeded draw is the first ever for Jardevall, who is the top independent entry in the start order.

The largest class size of the rally goes to two-wheel drive Group 2 with 21. This, along with the rest of the 2WD classes (Groups 2, 5 and Production) is a contrast to every other rally this year, where all-wheel drive cars have dominated the start grid. Names to watch in this part of the field are Group 2 point leaders Eric Burmeister (Mazda), Christopher Whiteman (Dodge) and Group 5 points leader Doug Shepherd, who had an impressive showing at Pikes Peak.