The Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) ClubRally National Championships (CRNC) returns to the Ozark foothills on February 21 and 22, 2003. Two individual performance stage rallies, Trespassers Wil and the 100 Acre Wood, make up the CRNC.
"The competition here will be keen. You have the divisional champions from each of SCCA's eight divisions all across the country coming here to east central Missouri to decide who's the champ," stated Kim DeMotte, the event chairman from Webster Groves, MO. He added, "This is exciting!"
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These two rallies will cover the five Missouri counties of Crawford, Dent, Iron, Reynolds, and Washington. Friday's event, Trespassers Wil, will begin and end in Ellington, MO. The pit area and parc expose will open at 1 p.m., with the first car leaving at 3 p.m. The cars arrive back in Ellington for a service break around 4 p.m., and then begin leaving for the second section around 6 p.m. They will arrive back in Ellington at 7 p.m., and the evening concludes with award presentations around 9 p.m.
The 100 Acre Wood begins in Salem, heads to Viburnum and Potosi before concluding back in Salem. The pit area and parc expose will open on 4th Street at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The first car leaves at 11 a.m., the cars head toward Viburnum, have a service break, run a "Super Special" stage beginning around 1:30 p.m., have a second service break in Viburnum, then head to Potosi for a "Super Special" stage and service break at around 4 p.m. The cars restart in Potosi for their return to Salem with the first car expected to arrive around 8:30 p.m. that evening. The awards presentation will begin around 10 p.m.
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Last year the CRNC weekend consisted only of the 100 Acre Wood. A portion of the event ran through the town of Ellington. The town was so enthusiastic afterwards they asked for their own event this year, and Trespassers Wil was born. DeMotte noted, "The cities of Ellington, Salem, Viburnum and Potosi have opened their arms to the rally concept. You'll see lots more of this on these fine, challenging roads. We've developed quite a family of counties prepared to accept and enjoy this new type of motorsports."
The CRNC events are performance rallies. This form of rallying consists of "transit zones" (where competitors are on the local roads with the public using the rules of the road) and "special stages" (closed roads for competitor use only for a limited time, where they are allowed to travel as fast as they can). Teams consist of the driver, a navigator (or co-driver) and their mobile pit crew. Their cars are street legal, licensed, and fully insured with standard safety modifications (roll cage, window nets, skid plates, additional high power driving lights, etc.). The teams are generally unfamiliar with the roads and no practicing is allowed. This is a test of men and machine against the clock and the roads, and wheel-to-wheel competition is not meant to happen.
Teams are entered in five classes (Open, Production or Prod, Production GT (PGT), Group 2, and Group 5). Several cars will also run in a separate Historic designation in addition to their class. Entries include last year's CRNC Open Class winner John Drislane of Carmel, NY in a 1999 Mitsubishi Evo IV, Group 5 champ Mike Hurst of Indianapolis, IN driving a 1988 Ford Mustang, Group 2 winner Randy Bailey of Soddy Daisy, TN behind the wheel of a 1988 Isuzu Impulse, Production champ "Mad Mike" Halley of Sand Springs, OK in a 1999 VW Beetle, and the Historic winner Phil Smith of Upper Sandusky, OH competing in a 1968 MG BGT.
Joining Smith in the Historic class are a 1972 T-top Corvette being built by St. Louisan Doug Jenkins, and a 1966 Austin Mini driven by reigning SCCA Club Racing Formula Ford national champion Justin Pritchard, of Granville, OH.
Jenkins only purchased his 1972 T-top Corvette on February 1 and has had to completely prep the car for competition from the ground up including the roll cage, engine, and even the paint. He'll be co-driving with his wife Kerry. Who he describes as "the ultimate racer's wife. Now we'll see if she can hold on, read directions, be alert to hazards and not barf." Originally from Anchorage, Alaska he's competed in rallies, autocrosses, dirt track stock cars, and a World of Outlaws sprint car.
Seamus Burke, from Powder Springs, GA, a FIA (Federation de International Automobile) seeded hot shoe is coming to run just for fun. He's expected to set the fast time on each of the "special stages".
All of these events (both rallies, the pit area/parc expose, and the spectator points) are free. Those wishing to attend should pick up a copy of the event program book, either in Salem or Ellington, for $2. The program book includes a schedule, directions to five spectator points (one for Trespassers Wil which will be used twice, and four for the 100 Acre Wood), an entry list, and selected team bios. Proceeds from the sale of the program books will benefit the local communities. The 100 Acre Wood Committee only asks that you consider safety first (follow the spectator guidelines and the spectator marshals requests), dress appropriately for the weather, bring along the basic necessities (flashlight, food, drink, camera, trash bag, etc.), properly dispose of your trash, and have a great time! Additional information is available at www.100aw.org.
The 100 Acre Wood was previously held from 1977 to 1983. Resurrected last year, this is the second year the CRNC has found a home of its own (not tied to or part of a SCCA ProRally) and it will continue to return to east central Missouri through 2005.
Contact: Eileen Waters 314-741-0508 or
Kim DeMotte, Chairman 314-963-1112
"The competition here will be keen. You have the divisional champions from each of SCCA's eight divisions all across the country coming here to east central Missouri to decide who's the champ," stated Kim DeMotte, the event chairman from Webster Groves, MO. He added, "This is exciting!"
<table align="right" width="104" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" border="0" bgcolor="#606096"><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><img src="http://www.stlracing.net/pixs/TWLogoSmall.jpg" width="104" border="1" alt=""><br><font size="1" face="verdana,arial" color="#ffffff"></font></td></tr></table>
These two rallies will cover the five Missouri counties of Crawford, Dent, Iron, Reynolds, and Washington. Friday's event, Trespassers Wil, will begin and end in Ellington, MO. The pit area and parc expose will open at 1 p.m., with the first car leaving at 3 p.m. The cars arrive back in Ellington for a service break around 4 p.m., and then begin leaving for the second section around 6 p.m. They will arrive back in Ellington at 7 p.m., and the evening concludes with award presentations around 9 p.m.
The 100 Acre Wood begins in Salem, heads to Viburnum and Potosi before concluding back in Salem. The pit area and parc expose will open on 4th Street at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The first car leaves at 11 a.m., the cars head toward Viburnum, have a service break, run a "Super Special" stage beginning around 1:30 p.m., have a second service break in Viburnum, then head to Potosi for a "Super Special" stage and service break at around 4 p.m. The cars restart in Potosi for their return to Salem with the first car expected to arrive around 8:30 p.m. that evening. The awards presentation will begin around 10 p.m.
<table align="right" width="135" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" border="0" bgcolor="#606096"><tr><td align="left" valign="top"><img src="http://www.stlracing.net/pixs/100AWLogoSmall.jpg" width="135" border="1" alt=""><br><font size="1" face="verdana,arial" color="#ffffff"></font></td></tr></table>
Last year the CRNC weekend consisted only of the 100 Acre Wood. A portion of the event ran through the town of Ellington. The town was so enthusiastic afterwards they asked for their own event this year, and Trespassers Wil was born. DeMotte noted, "The cities of Ellington, Salem, Viburnum and Potosi have opened their arms to the rally concept. You'll see lots more of this on these fine, challenging roads. We've developed quite a family of counties prepared to accept and enjoy this new type of motorsports."
The CRNC events are performance rallies. This form of rallying consists of "transit zones" (where competitors are on the local roads with the public using the rules of the road) and "special stages" (closed roads for competitor use only for a limited time, where they are allowed to travel as fast as they can). Teams consist of the driver, a navigator (or co-driver) and their mobile pit crew. Their cars are street legal, licensed, and fully insured with standard safety modifications (roll cage, window nets, skid plates, additional high power driving lights, etc.). The teams are generally unfamiliar with the roads and no practicing is allowed. This is a test of men and machine against the clock and the roads, and wheel-to-wheel competition is not meant to happen.
Teams are entered in five classes (Open, Production or Prod, Production GT (PGT), Group 2, and Group 5). Several cars will also run in a separate Historic designation in addition to their class. Entries include last year's CRNC Open Class winner John Drislane of Carmel, NY in a 1999 Mitsubishi Evo IV, Group 5 champ Mike Hurst of Indianapolis, IN driving a 1988 Ford Mustang, Group 2 winner Randy Bailey of Soddy Daisy, TN behind the wheel of a 1988 Isuzu Impulse, Production champ "Mad Mike" Halley of Sand Springs, OK in a 1999 VW Beetle, and the Historic winner Phil Smith of Upper Sandusky, OH competing in a 1968 MG BGT.
Joining Smith in the Historic class are a 1972 T-top Corvette being built by St. Louisan Doug Jenkins, and a 1966 Austin Mini driven by reigning SCCA Club Racing Formula Ford national champion Justin Pritchard, of Granville, OH.
Jenkins only purchased his 1972 T-top Corvette on February 1 and has had to completely prep the car for competition from the ground up including the roll cage, engine, and even the paint. He'll be co-driving with his wife Kerry. Who he describes as "the ultimate racer's wife. Now we'll see if she can hold on, read directions, be alert to hazards and not barf." Originally from Anchorage, Alaska he's competed in rallies, autocrosses, dirt track stock cars, and a World of Outlaws sprint car.
Seamus Burke, from Powder Springs, GA, a FIA (Federation de International Automobile) seeded hot shoe is coming to run just for fun. He's expected to set the fast time on each of the "special stages".
All of these events (both rallies, the pit area/parc expose, and the spectator points) are free. Those wishing to attend should pick up a copy of the event program book, either in Salem or Ellington, for $2. The program book includes a schedule, directions to five spectator points (one for Trespassers Wil which will be used twice, and four for the 100 Acre Wood), an entry list, and selected team bios. Proceeds from the sale of the program books will benefit the local communities. The 100 Acre Wood Committee only asks that you consider safety first (follow the spectator guidelines and the spectator marshals requests), dress appropriately for the weather, bring along the basic necessities (flashlight, food, drink, camera, trash bag, etc.), properly dispose of your trash, and have a great time! Additional information is available at www.100aw.org.
The 100 Acre Wood was previously held from 1977 to 1983. Resurrected last year, this is the second year the CRNC has found a home of its own (not tied to or part of a SCCA ProRally) and it will continue to return to east central Missouri through 2005.
Contact: Eileen Waters 314-741-0508 or
Kim DeMotte, Chairman 314-963-1112
