RALLY: ProRally: Susquehannock Trail fast facts

SCCA ProRally Championship - Susquehannock Trail

Fifth round (of ten) for the 2001 season. An 90 car field of SCCA and FIA Performance Rally cars, the event's largest ever, from across North America and Europe will compete on the fast and smooth dirt and gravel roads near the famous 'Grand Canyon of the East" in north central Pennsylvania. This 25th anniversary running of "STPR" is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

When & Where: June 02, 2001; Wellsboro, PA; approximately 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of Williamsport PA, 45 miles (75 kilometers) southwest of Elmira, NY.

Event (Friday): St. Paul's Episcopal Church - On the Green, Wellsboro

<pre> Schedule: (subject to change) Friday, June 01, 2001 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM 5:00PM - 7:00 PM Media registration at St Paul's Episcopal Church. (Parish Hall) 1:00PM - 5:00PM; 6:30PM - 9:30 PM Scrutineering at the Fairgrounds, Rt 6, east of Wellsboro 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Practice Stage 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM Welcome Party - Fireman's Annex, Main St.

Saturday, June 02, 2001 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM Late Press Registration - Penn-Wells Hotel - Green Room 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Parc Expose - on the Green - Main Street 8:45 AM - 1:30 PM Press Room closed for start of rally & water crossing stage 10:30 AM sharp Official Start of Leg 1 Susquehannock Trail Rally 2:20 PM - 4:30 PM 2nd Parc Expose - on the Green - Main Street 4:30 PM sharp Official Start Leg 2 Susquehannock Trail ProRally

Sunday, June 03, 2001 1:00 AM (approx) First car finishes Susquehannock Trail ProRally at Fireman's Annex 1:20 AM Post event party - Fireman's Annex, Main Street 4:00 AM (approx) Press Room closed 8:00 AM Provisional results posted - Arcadia Theatre Lobby 8:45 AM Awards and prize giving - Arcadia Theatre

</pre> Selected entries (driver/co-driver):

2000 Gr N Drivers Champion, and current Gr N points leader Karl Scheible, with Brian Maxwell, 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX.

2000 Overall Manufacturer, Driver & Co-Driver Champions Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker; Open Class 2000 Hyundai Tiburon

2001 Overall Driver and Co-Driver, Manufacturers Points leaders Mark Lovell and Steve Turvey, 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX

4-time 2001 podium finishers Seamus Burke and Frank Cunningham, 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI

Canadian Performance Rally stars Frank and Dan Sprongl, 1992 Audi quattro S2

UK National Group N rally star Jeremy Easson with Mark Williams, 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV

Additional news interest:

The overall victory of Mark Lovell's all new 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX at Rim of the World over the heavily favored Hyundai Tiburons dropped Hyundai to 2nd place in the Manufacturers Championship for the first time in that company's five-year SCCA ProRally Championship legacy. Mitsubishi is a very close 3rd place, but is attacking this event with only one front-runner - but a good one - in Seamus Burke. Both Richard Tuthill and Rhys Millen are sitting this event out, but are expected at July's Maine Forest.

Dust will, as is virtually always the case at STPR, be a huge factor in the outcome of the event, particularly in the events opening two stages.

Historically, the top finisher of those two stages goes on to win the event.

The famous and spectator friendly Water Crossing and the end of Special Stage 1 has also played a role in determining a number of rallyist's fortunes at this event.

While the STPR event is geologically different in every way from last months Rim of the World, with fast, smooth and well-groomed roads, the event does, non-the-less, also have a history of high attrition. With the Manufacturers and Drivers overall points competition the most fierce in over a decade, expect absolutely flat-out driving throughout this entire event.

Event Rank: This rally is a full points SCCA ProRally Championship event. Drivers earn points towards the national championship, and supporting manufacturers (Hyundai, Subaru and Mitsubishi) earn points towards overall and class MFG Championships.

-SCCA/SCCA ProRacing/ProRally-