Laughlin International Rally (Nevada) - 11-12 Nov 06

Posted: November 24, 2006 1:52 PM

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Donegal Man Seamus Burke is the 2006 United States Rally Championship
Despite many rally victories to his name, up until this point a national title had eluded Seamus Burke. With victories at the two previous rounds in the 2006 USRC, at Tennessee and Prescott, Seamus Burke came into the final round, the Laughlin International Rally, with only a five point lead over his nearest rival, Austrian Wolfgang Hoeck. Formally run as the Ramada Express Rally, this year’s event would track the same stages as 2005, taking teams over some of the fastest and most scenic rally stages in the USA.

Day One
To further develop the spectator vantage points at the rally, SS1-SuperStage, would be the first of four runs of the weekend around the man-made stage. From there cars were then loaded on trailers and hauled forty-five miles to SS2-Yellow Pine Ranch.

Burke would start strong on day one in his open class Mitsubishi Evo 8, setting the pace early and taking full advantage of running first on the road. Normally running first on the road over such loose marble type gravel stages would be seen as a disadvantage, but in Nevada it’s a better bet than trying to see your way through the incredible dust that lingers behind the cars.

Crews are allowed two full days of recce at Laughlin. On Thursday Burke commented that he was not looking forward to SS2&5, “It’s a tricky stage, very changeable surface, you need to be on top of the notes all the time! And there is that big cliff face on the way back.”

Despite his concern, Burke and co-driver Chrissy Beavis would set the fastest time by some 25 seconds over Todd and Raymond Moberly in an Open class Subaru Impreza STI.

With a short service stop in the Indian village of Wickiup it was on to SS3- 17 Mile Road west, which was run as a turn around stage that would also make up SS-4. After the some 25 cars had run the stage Kevin Welker, with Drew Brashler on the notes, would roll their Subaru Impreza. Drew, complaining of a sore back, had to be airlifted by helicopter to an area hospital. Fortunately, the outcome was not serious. After having an X-Ray and CAT scan he was released as the hospital found no damage, but the same could not be said for the team's Subaru Impreza. Burke would take the stage win by 7 seconds.

On the return out on SS4-17 Mile Road East Burke’s Mitsubishi would start to suffer fuel starvation problems dramatically slowing his pace. Mike Whitman, in the Escort Cosworth, would take the stage win over Wyeth Gubelmann by 9 seconds.

With only a short service before the last stage on day one, Burke’s service crew could not get to the bottom of the fuel issue. As he entered the staging area for SS5 major drama would unfold as the car died and would not re-fire. It was all hands on deck as everyone got behind Burke’s Evo and pushed her until she fired up.

With flames flying out of the Evo, lighting up the Arizona night sky, Burke launched onto SS5-Cane Springs barely lifting throughout the stage in case the car would die again. Despite Burke’s early concerns about SS 2–5 it did not show in competition. In the dark Seamus and co-driver Beavis would be 50 seconds faster than their nearest rival, Gubelmann, in second. After the stage Seamus said, “I though we would not make it out of that stage. The dash was flashing low battery and [it was] running hot. It was touch and go all the way.”

After some lengthy investigation it was determined that fuel had separated and had clogged the filters. With some fresh racing fuel and a few Wal*Mart filters things seemed to be back on track for Burke.

Day Two
Heading into day two with over a minute lead over the field Burke had still the rally victory within his grasp. However, new problems would slow the progress of the Shamrock Building Systems sponsored car on SS6-Black Canyon North. A large stone worked its way between the wheel and the break caliper, shearing the bolts and dislodging the caliper. Somehow he still managed to eek out a fastest time.

Some handy work with Zip-ties by Burke would secure the helpless caliper out of the way. He would have to drive the next stage with limited brakes, a daunting task considering the deadly drop into the canyon if he missed his mark.

SS6 would also be the last we would see of Mike Whitman/Bill Westrick in the beautifully prepared Ford Escort Cosworth. The Escort had developed turbo problems on day one. Despite every effort by Mike and his crew, working in the wee hours of Saturday morning, the repairs did not hold. The car did not last the stage and was forced to retire.

Heading into the only service on Saturday, Seamus Burke still had the lead over George Plsek in second and Wyeth Gubelmann, who had know dropped back to third.

With only a 45-minute service Burke’s crew opted to spend their time on getting the brakes sorted. With just two stages remaining on day two, SS8-Diamond Creek Down and SS9-Diamond Creek Up, we would see crews charge down the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and back out.

Just as the first of the lead cars arrived to the start of SS8 word came over the rally radio that one of the sweep crews had rolled and the event came to a grinding halt. Once again the big bird was sent for to airlift the injured worker to a Las Vegas hospital. He was later released the same day with a broken collarbone and a few bruises.

The original rally schedule would have seen everyone out of the canyon before darkness but, because of the delay, service crews were allowed to install their lights at the start line. When things finally got moving Burke was again on the attack from the start line. But the Grand Canyon would prove to be sting in the tail for Burke. With only four miles of the 16.4-mile rocky canyon stage complete and Murphy’s Law in full swing for the Irish man, the exhaust would break resulting in a total loss of turbo power.

With a plume of white dust rising behind Burke’s Evo he would still manage to eek out the quickest time on the down hill charge into the canyon. Kristopher Marciniak and Christine Wittish, in their Dodge Neon, would have a big moment over a high-speed jump heading down into the Canyon. Kristopher would some how manage to keep the car straight as it landed very hard, puncturing three wheels and taking the wind from him.

It was on the way out of the Canyon on SS9 that Burke would finally hand the lead of the rally to Todd and Raymond Moberly. With no turbo and returning fuel problems Seamus did all he could to keep a steady pace. At the end of the stage he had dropped to fifth place.

Laughlin International Rally allows an unlimited amount of service overnight to help insure that if a car can be kept going the crews have every chance to make it happen. Burke’s service crew again worked late into the night and got the car back in order for the last day.

With all hopes of the outright rally victory left in the Grand Canyon, Burke and co-driver Beavis would turn their full focus to the championship. The last day would consist of three runs around a manmade SuperStage stage. With Wolfgang Hoeck now one place ahead of Burke, Seamus had merely to hold position for the championship.

With no real drama on Sunday, Burke set two of the fastest times to maintain position and finish fifth in the Laughlin Rally. More importantly he would secured the 2006 USRC title. After clinching the championship Seamus said, “I have never worked so hard to keep a car going with so many problems. This was a hard fought rally.”

In the end, an elated Todd Moberly, with his father Raymond as co-driver, would take the Laughlin International rally victory “I came to the Laughlin event several years ago as a spectator and volunteer, and I knew that this rally, with its stunning views of the Grand Canyon and its twisty roads and steep inclines, was the one I would aspire to win some day. This is my Le Mans, my Indy 500, my Daytona 500. Andy having my dad in the co-driver’s seat made it that much more special,” said Moberly. This was Moberly’s first rally win.

Wyeth Gubelmann, in the Impreza, would claim second and George Plsek in his Mitsubishi rounded out the top three.

2005 was the inaugural running of the USRC. Tom Lawless from Co Louth took top honors and now will hand the reigns over to his good friend Seamus Burke. The official presentation to Burke will be made at the 2006 USAC Night of Champions held in Indianapolis in January 2007.

Ábhus An Seo (Neil McDaid - USA)

Laughlin International Rally

• 2006 UNITED STATES RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP