Rally New York (USA) - 04-05 Apr 08

Full Results and Times

Posted: April 7, 2008 10:27 PM

• Full Results and Times in Word Format

Block/Gelsomino Wrap Up Rally New York USA '08

Posted: April 6, 2008 11:23 PM

It was all smiles among Subaru Rally Team USA, as their team of Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) took first overall at Rally New York USA. At the end of nearly 400 miles of motoring, and 100 miles of high-speed special stages, the two Californians were over three minutes ahead of the NC Rally Team car of Otis Dimiters/Dominik Jozwiak (Subaru Impreza WRX). Martin Donnelly/Stephen Duffy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) completed the top three.

For Block/Gelsomino, it was a smooth performance -- the only glitch was a flat tire in the middle of the day today. On the other hand, the car of Dimiters/Jozwiak suffered from various minor problems, ranging from a loose intercooler hose to a lack of fuel pressure.

Several of the top competitors were sidelined by mechanical problems, particularly on the first day. Seamus Burke/Ole Holter (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) went out when the car's transmission stuck in fifth gear. Celsus Donnelly/Barry Smith (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) suffered a broken front differential. Enda McCormack/Bernard Farrell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) broke the rear output shaft in their car's four-wheel-drive system.

In the two-wheel-drive category, Bruce Davis/Jimmy Brandt (Dodge Neon SRT-4) were clear winners. Hampton Bridwell/Josh Katinger (Ford Focus SVT) were second, three and three-quarter minutes back, and were the best-placed Production 2WD entry. Mark Lawrence/Robert Maciejski (Volkswagen Golf) had been expected to be among the top finishers, but withdrew after an off-course excursion today.

The route of this event was entirely paved; rare for a performance-type auto rally in North America. The roads were wet on the first day from moderate rains, but drying on the second day due to partly-sunny skies. It was the opening round of the United States Rally Championship.

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Full Results:
Rally New York (USA)

Rally New York USA Flagged Off

Posted: April 4, 2008 8:50 AM

Competitors in Rally New York USA took the starting flag this evening on Main Street, Napanoch, New York. Seamus Burke (2006-7 United States Rally Champion driver in the all-wheel-drive category) and co-driver Ole Holter led the field to the flag. Celsus Donnelly (defending winner in this event) and Barry Smith had the second starting spot. Both are competing in Mitsubishi Lancers.

Tomorrow (Friday) morning competitors will begin two days of special stages (speed tests) which will add up to approximately 100 miles, and a total of 386 miles of motoring -- all of it on the minor roads of the Catskill Mountains. All of this will be on pavement, which is unusual for a rally in North America.

What Rally Instructors Do on Their Days Off

Posted: April 4, 2008 8:48 AM

Fresh from a fourth overall and first in class at the Sandblast regional rally in South Carolina, the team of Ivor Wigham/Jeff Hagan come to Rally New York USA (April 4-5) as part of a campaign for the United States Rally Championship.

Wigham started competing in the 1980s in his native North Yorkshire, England, where “I lived eight miles from some of the best forest stages in Europe.” In a 14-year career, he competed in 124 events in 16 countries, including rounds of the World, European, West Euro, British, Dutch and Spanish championships. After a win in the 2002 Mount Washington Hillclimb, he decided to take time off from rallies to concentrate on business. But even then he was never far from the wheel; Wigham’s business is the European Rally School in Starke, Florida, one of the few schools in North America devoted to rally driving.

Two months ago, Wigham decided to take the starting flag again, and entered the South Carolina event. For the important job of co-driver, he selected Jeff Hagan, a surveyor/engineer from Ontario, Canada who had previously navigated for one of his customers. Using a Mitsubishi Lancer, the pair finished first in the Group N (production) class, which led Wigham to quip “Not bad for an old guy (55) and a first time event for the car and crew.” This result led them to enter the 2008 United States Rally Championship, which begins with Rally New York USA.

Wintish Road Special Stages Renamed After Sgt. Eddie Ryan

Posted: March 26, 2008 9:34 PM

Ellenville, New York (March 26, 2008) Rally New York organization received permission from Ryan family to rename the Wintish Road special stages on the 2008 Rally New York USA after Sgt. Eddie Ryan, a true American hero and a resident of Wintish Road in Ellenville, New York. Sgt. Eddie Ryan is at home on Wintish Road recovering from severe, life threatening injuries he suffered in Ramadi, Iraq. He was shot twice in the head and the miracle marine survived the ordeal. Sgt. Ryan served in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines from 2002 to 2005.

We are proud to honor this American hero who likes to watch rally cars going by his home. Many drivers and co-drivers have made plans to stop in and visit Eddie and his family during their stay in Ellenville. More about Sgt. Eddie Ryan story can be found at
http://www.hbo.com/aliveday/bios/ryan.html

List of Unseeded Entries

Posted: March 25, 2008 5:50 PM

Rally New York (USA)

• 2008 United States Rally Championship

Rally New York USA ’07 Winner Donnelly Seeks Two in a Row

Posted: March 25, 2008 5:02 PM

Celsus “Charlie” Donnelly, winner of Rally New York USA 2007, will be back this year seeking a second victory in a row. The Irish rally veteran is looking forward to the all-pavement format this year – no surprise as rally competitors from the Emerald Isle have a great deal of experience competing on asphalt.

Donnelly’s car will be the same Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 which carried him to victory last year. The only major change will be a coat of white paint to replace the silver and red of last year (made necessary by some body damage at another event). He views the use of a familiar machine as an advantage. “I know the car and I know what the car will do.”

Donnelly’s co-driver during the successful ’07 season, Noel Gallagher, is not available this year, so he will bring Barry Smith along to handle navigation. (Smith is, like himself, an Irishman from the Bronx.)

Asked about his intended pace, the defending winner replies that he will “Just take it one stage at a time and see how it goes.”

Ford Teams Focus on Rally New York USA

Posted: March 25, 2008 5:02 PM

At last fall’s International Rally New York, the Ford Focuses of Hampton Bridwell/Josh Katinger and the father/son team of Simon and Kieran Wright finished first and second in the Production class, and 2-3 in the two-wheel-drive division. It’s not surprising that both teams have entered Rally New York USA (April 4-5, 2008) for another shot at the roads of the Catskill Mountains.

Production class cars are small-engine compact sedans; no turbochargers or four-wheel-drive allowed. They must run in showroom specifications, apart from the required safety equipment and some heavy-duty springs and shocks. As Bridwell notes, “You can get a used Focus for several thousand dollars, upgrade the engine and [suspension] struts and hit the road with a very reliable and competitive rally car.” A typical rally Focus is a 2800-pound car with 175 horsepower, which can sprint from the start line to 60 miles per hour in just under eight seconds. “It’s a fun car to drive,” says Simon Wright. In Rally New York USA the Wrights are returning with their car’s engine modified to move up into the Open 2WD, seeking a higher finish in the two-wheel-drive division, while Bridwell/Katinger will again contest Production. The Richard Spaulding/Niall Johnson Focus will be in Production as well. Competition among the two-wheel-drive runners could be stiff, but Bridwell is optimistic. “If we keep to our strategy of being consistently quick with an aim towards the finish, I believe that we can get into the top dozen and maybe a podium [finish] for 2WD.”

USRC Champion Burke Begins Title Defense

Posted: March 18, 2008 10:38 PM

Seamus Burke, 2006 and ‘07 United States Rally Championship winner in the 4-Wheel-Drive category, begins his defense of the title at Rally New York USA (April 4-5, 2008). The Powder Springs, Georgia building contractor will be back in the same Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 that he used to win last year’s series. But there will also be some changes to the team: Eddie Fries, who worked as his co-driver last year, has retired from the sport. Burke has secured the services of California’s rally veteran Ole Holter, who will work with him for the first time in this event.

Burke began rallying in his native Ireland about 30 years ago, and continued in the sport after moving to the U.S. In recent years he has risen into the top ranks among American rally drivers, and has shown skill in both gravel and pavement events. He has been a standout in Rally New York USA and the fall International Rally New York, including winning the latter event on the way to his 2007 championship. He credits part of his success there to the brisk nature of the courses through the Catskill Mountains, noting that “I like the faster events.”

The soft-spoken Burke is aware that there will be serious competition from his USRC rivals between him and a third title. But he admits that “We’ll have a good chance at it.”

Subaru Rally Team USA Coming to New York

Posted: March 18, 2008 10:37 PM

Subaru Rally Team USA will make the race for the top prize in Rally New York USA just a little tougher with the entry of a car in the Catskill Mountains event. It will be driven by Ken Block and co-driven by Alex Gelsomino.

As a youngster in Southern California, Block’s first competitions were on motorcycles. In 1993 he co-founded DC Shoes, an athletic clothing manufacturer where he still works as Chief Brand Officer. A long-time rally fan, he took the opportunity in 2005 to attend a rally school and begin competing in national events. During that first season he began partnering with Gelsomino, a long-time co-driver who had gotten his first competition license in his native Italy at age 17, on the same day that he had earned his driver’s license. With Gelsomino navigating, Block earned his first national rally win in 2006, and soon became one of the country’s top-ranked competitors.

The car entered for Block and Gelsomino is a Subaru Impreza WRX STI. With Block and Gelsomino at the controls, the Impreza is a very potent package, which northeastern rally fans will be able to see in action on April 4 and 5.

Details / RALLY NEW YORK SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH NEVERSINK / Regulations available

Posted: February 26, 2008 7:13 PM

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26/02/08
Details
The competitors and cars of the U.S. Rally Championship will return to the Catskill Mountains of New York State on April 3-5, 2008 for Rally New York USA. The event will feature special stages (speed tests) on gravel and paved roads of approximately 100 miles, out of a total of 380 miles of motoring. There will be special stages run especially for spectators through the golf course of the Concord Resort in Monticello, with its natural amphitheater, on the evening of April 4. The “home base” for the rally will be the Nevele Resort in Ellenville.

As a result of a three-year agreement with the town governments of Wawarsing and Thompson, and an additional agreement with the Town of Neversink, the rally (and its autumn counterpart, International Rally New York) will be held there through 2010. The Catskills area, about 90 miles by car from New York City, is a renowned destination for sports and tourism.

For the latest information on schedules and how to watch the rally, refer to the event web site:

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Rally New York (USA)

• 2008 United States Rally Championship

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17/02/08
RALLY NEW YORK SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH NEVERSINK AND OPENS ENTRY FOR RALLY NEW YORK USA
Rally New York organization signed an agreement with the Town of Neversink in Sullivan County New York, which makes available new special stages within the Town of Neversink, and opened the entry for Rally New York USA to be held on April 4 – 5, 2008. The entries for Rally New York USA have already started coming in (www.RallyNewYork.com).

This development comes on the heels of the three-year contract Rally New York organization signed with the Town of Wawarsing for the roads in the Wawarsing/Ellenville area of Ulster County, New York with a new special stage in the area of the historic Mt. Cathalia hillclimb and with the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York that covers the spectacular special stage at the Concord Resort in Monticello.

In a related development, Ellenville Regional Hospital received a donation from Rally New York in appreciation of the community support for Rally New York events.

Rally New York USA on April 4 – 5 is the first round of the United States Rally Championship (www.usrallychampionship.com). It is an all-tarmac event. Tarmac rallies, which are popular elsewhere, are rather rare in the US. The United States Rally Championship Competitors have the opportunity to participate in two tarmac events in two successive months – Rally New York USA in April and Rally Tennessee in May – with the same tarmac equipment. These two rallies are the only all-tarmac events in the Nation. Competitors from the western part of the Unites States may be able to make one trip to the East to participate in both events. Rally New York would store their vehicles for the second event.

Rally New York organization also presents the International Rally New York on October 31 – November 1, 2008. It is a gravel event that is the final round of the United States Rally Championship. All Rally New York events are conducted according to the international rules with three-pass reconnaissance on Thursday and two days of racing on Friday and Saturday.

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Rally New York (USA)

• 2008 United States Rally Championship