International Rally New York - 6-8 Sep 07

Posted: September 9, 2007 12:04 PM

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Burke/Fries Win International Rally New York
Reigning U.S. national champion driver Seamus Burke and co-driver Eddie Fries (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) have taken the overall win in International Rally New York, after two days of competition in the Catskill Mountains. The team took first place on the first special stage, and never gave it up. This was accomplished despite the fact that the car’s transmission lacked fourth gear (of five) since the afternoon of the first day.

The rally included one day of very fast paved special stages and one day of dusty dirt/gravel. Total distance was approximately 400 miles, with about 100 miles of special stages.

Cyril KearneyDominik Jozwiak (Subaru Impreza) claimed second overall late in the rally, out-racing some of their competitors and out-lasting others. Arkadiusz Gruszka/Michal Chodan (Subaru Impreza N11) placed third.

In the two-wheel-drive category, Rafal Listopad/Amy Feisel (Volkswagen Golf) were also commanding winners. Their only concern was a failure of the car’s front motor mount, but a strap was substituted by their service crew so that the car could finish. Hampton Bridwell/Josh Katinger (Ford Focus SVT in the Production 2WD class) were second.

Note: These results are subject to official confirmation.

Full Results:
Rally New York (USA)

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Catskills Host International Rally New York 2007
• Ten to Watch
• What You Will See, and Behind the Scenes
• International Rally New York Announces A New Home and Opens Entry

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03/09/07
Catskills Host International Rally New York 2007
The Catskill Mountain region of New York State has everything that auto rally competitors are seeking: challenging country roads, hotel and restaurant accommodations, and beautiful scenery to serve as a backdrop for the sport. And on September 6-8, the teams and cars of the U.S. Rally Championship will be there to enjoy the area’s roads and hospitality in International Rally New York.

The rally will be based in Ellenville for the first time this year, and the village will also host the official start on Canal Street on the evening of Thursday, September 6. “It couldn’t be a more picturesque spot with the mountains in the background,” says Village Manager Elliott Auebach. “We’re excited to be hosting the start in the village. We see this as a boon to the economic development in our downtown area and a boon to tourism. We look forward to this being an annual event.”

On the morning of Friday the 7th, competitors will begin driving the Catskill roads. The day will feature special stages (races against the clock) on smooth, paved roads near Ellenville, Wawarsing and Monticello, all of which are new to this event. Event chairman Ivan Orisek describes these as “mostly tight, with occasional fast sections.” (Note: Special stages are closed to non-rally traffic while in use by competitors. On the roads linking these sections, called transit zones, rally drivers must obey all traffic regulations.)

For those who want to watch, the rally organizers will set up spectator points on Friday afternoon in Wawarsing, and on Friday evening at the Concord Resort and Golf Club in Monticello. (Consult the event web site, www.rallynewyork.com , for directions, times and prices.) Viewing at the Concord Resort should be a highlight of the rally, as the resort owners and rally organizing team will set up what they describe as “a spectacular amphitheater-like spectator area, where you can sit on the side of the hill and watch rally cars passing over a long section of the special stage in both directions.” Fans will also be able to watch the teams service their cars nearby. (Note: For safety, fans will not be allowed to watch the rally outside of designated spectator points.)

On Saturday the 8th, rally competitors will tour the roads of Ulster and Sullivan Counties. The special stages will be on dirt and gravel roads near Narrowsburg and Wawarsing. The Narrowsburg sections, are generally winding, one-lane roads, many of which have been re-graded in time for this event. Those in Wawarsing are winding, smooth-surfaced roads, and are being used in the rally for the first time.

A spectator point will be set up on Saturday on the grounds of the Ten Mile River Reservation in Narrowsburg, and once again the service park will be nearby.

The ceremonial finish will be back in scenic Ellenville on Saturday evening.

If you are a car fan, a sports fan, or a Catskill fan, this will be an event to attend.

Rally New York (USA)

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28/08/07
Ten to Watch
With the majority of the entries filed for International Rally New York, we know many of the stars and cars who will appear in the starting line in Ellenville, New York on the evening of Thursday, September 6. We can’t predict the winner, but the following are entries to watch:

Hampton Bridwell/ Josh Katinger, Ford Focus – Second in the Production 2WD class in the spring Rally New York USA. Won the Stock Focus class in Rally Tennessee in May.

Seamus Burke/Eddie Fries, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 – Burke was the 2006 U.S. Rally Champion in the all wheel drive category. This season he has already won Rally Tennessee and Rally West Virginia.

Celsus “Charlie” Donnelly/Noel Gallagher, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 – Midseason leaders of the U.S. Rally Championship after wins in February’s Sandblast Rally (in South Carolina) and March’s Rally New York USA.

Gerard Coffey/Dave Dooley, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 – Fifth overall in Rally New York USA 2007.

Larry Duane/Eamonn Sweeney, Toyota Corolla – Placed third in the two wheel drive (2WD) category in Rally New York USA 2007.

Michael Hall/Dave Stockdill, Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup – This team is a favorite among those who like trucks, and always one of the best-placed two-wheel-drive vehicles. They won the M1 (modified) class in the Eastern States championship segment of International Rally New York ’05.

Rafal Listopad/Grzegorz Dorman, Volkswagen Golf GT – Third in the two wheel drive category in the Sandblast Rally and second in Rally Tennessee.

Enda McCormack/Bernard Farrell, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 – Placed third overall in the Sandblast Rally in South Carolina, and then second in Rally New York USA.

Maciej Przybysz/Constantine Mantopoulos, Subaru Impreza –. Przybysz finished seventh in International Rally New York 2005. Mantopoulos is a former North American champion co-driver in his class, who also placed second overall in the Northeast series as a driver in ‘96.

And last but not least, let’s not forget the local team of Jay Menzo/Dave Florina – Mazda 323, who competed in their first rally last spring at Rally New York USA. In the second of the two regional championship events (run within the main event), they were a respectable 16th overall. Expect them to gain speed as they gain experience.

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24/08/07
What You Will See, and Behind the Scenes
There is always much to see at a sporting event, and even more that goes on behind the scenes. The following is a preview of International Rally New York, September 6 to 9, 2007.

Thursday evening, Sept. 6 – Ceremonial Start at Canal Street in Ellenville, New York. The cars and crews will gather in a display area by 6:30 p.m., and the teams will be flagged off at one minute intervals beginning at 7:15. The display area is a good place to talk to the competitors, who care noted for their willingness to discuss their sport with fans.

By 9 p.m., all cars must be in an impound area (“parc ferme” in rally slang) at the Nevele Grand Resort in Ellenville. Impounding will help assure that the teams get rest, rather than working on the cars.

Friday, Sept. 7 – Leg 1 of the rally begins at the Nevele Grand Resort at 8:30 a.m., with competitors restarting at one minute intervals.

Leg 1 features special stages on pavement in the towns of Ellenville, Wawarsing and Monticello. These sections are new to this rally, and credit for “discovering” them must go to chief of communications Rich Otis. These roads are generally smooth-surfaced, and for the most part twisty, with occasional faster sections.

If you go to the special stages, you will be able to watch as competitors race against the clock, at speeds which may be faster than you had considered possible on the roads. (For safety, please watch the special stages only at designated spectator areas. These are listed in the spectator guide, which is available at the rally web site,

(Note: International Rally New York is run both on tarmac and gravel, and it is the only rally in the U.S. conducted under the international rules and with full reconnaissance and pace notes.)

You probably won’t notice, but there is an army of workers, toiling behind the scenes, to make this competition possible. Squads of officials are stationed at checkpoints along the route to time the cars. (A driver’s score is the amount of time that he/she spends on the special stages, plus penalties for being ahead of/behind schedule on the public road sections – the lowest score wins.) Emergency workers are stationed at points along the route as well, ready to give assistance if required. And radio operators work with all of them to maintain the vital link between the checkpoints, emergency workers and rally headquarters.

At points during the day, competitors will stop in the service area at the Nevele Grand Resort, for refueling, tire changes and possibly auto repair. The service area is another place where fans can watch the action and talk with competitors. (For safety, please stand well back when refueling, tire changes or repairs are in progress.)

By approximately 9:15 p.m., all cars should once again be in the impound area at the Nevele Grand Resort.

Saturday, Sept. 8 – Leg 2 of the rally begins at 7:30 a.m. with the restart at the Nevele Grand Resort.

Leg 2 features special stages on dirt and gravel roads in the towns of Narrowsburg and Wawarsing. The familiar Narrowsburg sections are generally winding, one-lane roads, many of which have been re-graded in time for this event. Those in Wawarsing are new to the rally, and are winding, smooth-surfaced gravel roads. (Once again, refer to the web site for spectator locations.)

Service areas will be at the Nevele Grand Resort and at Lander’s Camp Ground in Narrowsburg.

The rally will conclude at about 9:15 p.m. with the ceremonial finish at Canal Street in Ellenville.

Rallycross, August 26!

For those who are preparing to compete in International Rally New York, or who want to get in a little extra rally-watching, the organizers are holding a rallycross on Sunday, August 26. A rallycross consists of several runs against the clock, over a single road or loose-surfaced course. This event will be held on a dirt and gravel road on property owned by the Concord Resort in Monticello, New York. Check the event web site for details.

Rally New York (USA)

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07/08/07
International Rally New York Announces A New Home and Opens Entry
The Rally New York Organization is pleased to announce the opening of the entry for the International Rally New York (www.RallyNewYork.com ) scheduled for September 6 – 8, 2007. The entry will open on August 3. The International Rally New York is a round of the United States Rally Championship (www.usrallychampionship.com ). Each of the two days of the Rally is a separate round of the New York Rally Championship (www.RallyNewYork.com ).

We are expanding and moving closer to New York City into an entirely new headquarters town – Ellenville, New York. Ellenville is located just north of New York Route 17 – Quickway only 80 expressway miles from New York City. The Rally will be headquartered in a new community that is welcoming our event and will be rolling out the red carpet for competitors, service crews, staff, spectators and fans. This is an area with past racing history where the historic Mount Cathalia Hillclimb race took place for several decades. They are anxious to hear the sound of racecars in their town again!

The Rally will be based at a new single headquarters hotel location at Nevele Grande Resort that features breathtaking views of Shawangunk Mountains range! This hotel has 432 rooms and together with Fallsview Resort next door with additional 250 rooms is large enough to accommodate everyone with Central Service Park, indoor Scrutineering and indoor Parc Ferme just a short walk from your affordably priced room.

We are sure everyone will enjoy the friendly welcome atmosphere this town has to offer. Nevele Grande Resort boasts indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sauna, exercise room, lake, golf, indoor and outdoor tennis, horseback riding, babysitting service and if you come in the winter an indoor skating rink and its own ski hill. This region of New York has a lot to offer to every visitor before and after the Rally with historic Hudson River Valley, magnificent Catskill Mountains and exciting New York City nearby.

The Rally will be 450 miles long with 100 miles of special stages divided between tarmac and gravel. We will have a full day of tarmac in Ellenville, Wawarsing and Monticello on Friday and a full day of gravel rallying in Narrowsburg and Wawarsing on Saturday. Full Reconnaissance will take place all day on Thursday followed by Ceremonial Start in the center of the town in the evening. Ceremonial Finish in town is scheduled for Saturday night. The Rally will end with awards at Nevele Grande on Sunday morning.

The International Rally New York and its sister event Rally New York USA are the only two events in the United States that are conducted according to the international rules with FIA-style full Reconnaissance of the route and pace notes for increased safety.

Rally New York (USA)