What’s your name? Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
I’m Jason Tuttle, but everyone calls me Jace. I’m 25 years old and live in a great area for rally up here in the Pacific Northwest, Salem Oregon. I work at a small, very accredited hospital for 4 years now as a cook. But don’t think of me as a ‘lunch lady,’ I volunteer for a couple local Search and Rescue organizations, and am working my associate’s degree in automotive and possibly marketing.

What got you interested in rally?
I use to see the WRC on TV when I was a teenager and was mesmerized. And of course at the same time, I’d find some video games that had rally-ish features. Any game that had me flying down roads between trees was the coolest. A few years later a buddy of mine who I was in an autocross club with mentioned something about going to spectate at Oregon Trail Rally that year. I had no idea that existed here in Oregon. I actually didn’t end up going to my first stage rally until a year after that, where it was Mt. Hood Rally. And for some reason I decided to not be a spectator, but volunteer as marshal. It my was first rally, and I had gone by myself so it was kind of intimidating actually. It was the most fun I’ve had watching cars race ever! My favorite thing about Mt. Hood Rally is not only was it the first rally I went to, It was also the first rally I was a Stage Captain for with the Oregon Rally Group, and it was the first stage rally I competed in!

Image: Jeff Hinds Photography

Tell us about your rally car/truck. How long have you had it?
The rallytruck is a 2wd 1992 Mitsubish Mighty Max. And let me just say that it is the most fun vehicle I’ve ever driven! The MM was taken off the showroom floor and turned into a Rally Truck right away from the hands of Dave Turner. I hear it performed pretty darn good back in its day. Heck, Dave driving and the PNW’s own Ben Bradely co-driving took home the last SCCA RallyTruck Class championship in 1995. It has a Toyota rear end with disc brakes, and some head work. Few random things from other cars here and there, but up front it’s damn near all stock.

My first ‘rally car’ was a free 1986 2wd Honda Civic Wagovan, which I managed 3rd place in class with for the 2009 rallycross season. Only after it caught on fire on course! Also came away with class champion for the 2009 Spring Enduro put on by Siskyou Sports Car Club in Medford, Oregon. It was taken to the wrecking yard in Januray 2010. Now, I’m working towards a new build.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause? What benefits did you realize as a result?
It was a purchase that was likely the greatest thing I’ve ever bought. I had my aspirations of building a Mazda 323 BG chassis as I’m really familiar with them and they just look pretty goofy and cool all together. After lots of research I came to the realization that buying an already prepped rally car was the way to go to start things off. I was drooling over the classifieds in forums for 2 years trying to find something that wasn’t a Frankenstein build or another VW/Subaru.

I noticed the truck for sale from the owner back then and thought it would be the coolest thing! Months had passed, and it was sold. I continued my search, saving my pennies for my Mazda build. The truck later showed back up on the classifieds from the ‘new’ owner and I again was pondering it for quite a while before I decided to sell everything Mazda I had to fund the truck. I was pretty bummed to not be building the Mazda, but glad I finally had a rally car. And it being the truck was the most badass thing!! It was quite a birthday present to myself with help from a friend. I felt like a little kid getting his favorite toy for Christmas. I just wanted to go drive it any chance I had.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed/crashed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
I developed a little reputation doing rallycross events through my first year of owning the truck, just learning to drive it. Being the first time I’ve ever driven a RWD vehicle, let alone something with no weight over the drive wheels, I was ALWAYS spinning. I’m sure I completed 2 or 3 full 360 spins per day. It was so fun!!

As Mt. Hood finally came in 2010, it being the first stage rally I’d compete in, I had my goals to just drive clean and controlled, and just finish. Coming to the finish of the 2nd stage I had gone into one of the last corners a little too quick for my ability and locked up the wheels, going straight into the bushes where the road dropped close to a foot down. I was nervous as I felt we were in a fairly bad spot and wouldn’t get out. Finally after a few cranks and what seemed like eternity sitting there, she fired up and we took off out of the ditch. I’m glad we were in a truck as the ditch felt a little steep and with that much brush, we weren’t sure if a car would have the clearance to get out.

The only other moment we had where I lost control was upsetting the back end coming around a corner going downhill. The momentum carried us around going down the slope sideways, and came to a stop blocking the road. Just threw it in gear and mashed the throttle going back down the right way!

Image: Travis Ogden, ShutterDriven

I did manage to catch my 1986 Honda Civic Wagovan on fire at a rallycross in 2009. Blew a hole in the oil pan after landing a ‘yump’ and the fluids ignited. I didn’t realize what the damage was at first. Only a big boom, and the lack of power felt a little worse than usual. I was already running on only 3 cylinders and about 40hp on a good day. I just floored it for about another minute to finish the course and as I came across the finish I caught a LOT of smoke out of the corner of my eye. As I thought, “Oh shit! is that from me, I see 4 guys running at me and yelling ‘fire!.’” Just then the smoke was coming into the cabin of the car and I shut it down. Turned out to be an expensive tow home.

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF. How did you press on regardless?
Sadly, starting only one stage rally, it resulted in a DNF after barely finishing the 3rd stage. It was the infamous Fir Mountain stage. Long, rough, and it was really quite a workout for me. 6 miles from the finish we had come through a rough section and suddenly I lost my power steering and warning lights came on. I felt like we had bent a wheel or gotten a flat as everything seemed to be working fine but my steering. And for that particular section, wheel damage made sense. So we carried on, just being a more careful.

Coming into the final 2 miles I noticed what looked like another car up ahead. As we slowly caught up, it turned out to be another car for sure. Being familiar with the road through the past few years of volunteering, I knew there was nowhere close to get around so we just cruised along behind the SAAB of Cliff Johannsen. Every time we came to a road marshal position I did my best to play a little and get it sideways. It was really exciting coming into the flying finish as I hit it flat out coming around the sweeping corner getting completely sideways, almost not making to the cattle guard where the stop control was. I hear it looked really cool, and that’s all that mattered!

As we were getting our timecard back, steam was pouring out the engine bay and the temp gauge was pegged. Hurried to get out of the control, popped the hood, and just stared… Nothing was broken or burst… Then it hit me… The belts were gone… Not having any spares in the truck, I decided to call it quits, not wanting to damage the motor anymore than I possibly was already. It really sucked to make that decision, being so soon in the rally and all I wanted to do was hit the final flying finish. The smart decision really sucks sometimes.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally? The most challenging?
Sitting behind the curtain and on the sidelines for a few years, the most rewarding thing was coming across the first flying finish of the first stage of my first rally. Knowing I had finally completed a stage was just amazing. I was SO excited. Pumping my fists while carrying a giant shit-eating grin. And as my co-driver Merrilee Gilley [and I] congratulated each other on a stage finish, it was so much more rewarding than just making the start.

I’d say the most challenging thing would be moving up in volunteer roles. I’ve started from the bottom, and with the ambition of wanting to do so much more and be more involved, I just haven’t had the time or room to put in the effort that I really want. There have been some great mentors helping me along the way. Simon Leavers, Gloria and Randy Hale, the Tabor Family, Mike Nagel, Rich Olmstead, and Ed and Pat Bodnar have all had a hand in teaching me everything there is on how to run a stage rally.

How many events did you enter last year? Is that trending up or down? Why?
I competed in all but 2 rallycross events for my area, did 2 autocrosses, and made the single only stage rally I had planned on. Even that was pushing my luck in the end. It all worked out well though as the reason for not entering more stage rallies was to spend the time in smaller scale events just learning to drive.

Image: Jeff Hinds Photography

How important are car classes? What class/region do you race in? How many competitors in your class at each event?
I’m all for 2 single classes. 2wd and 4wd. Maybe a 3rd for Historic, but that’s just for fun and if there were enough participants and they were complete replicas of their generation (aside from safety). I play with the Pacific Northwest folks, between northern California up into Canada. I have yet to attend Rally Idaho, although I really hope to show up and volunteer there this year. There were 18 2wd cars overall in the 28 car field at Mt. Hood Rally 2010.

When it comes to rallycross, I like where Oregon Rally Group has gone with car classification. They run 9 different classes total, which gives everyone a chance to take home some hardware at the end of the day. I think that’s really cool! It even let me come home with a 4th place overall trophy for Modified 2wd Rear this past year alongside a 3rd place Modified 2wd featuring FWD and RWD. Much better results than I had planned for within the first year driving the truck. Guess it helps bringing up the back of the field consistently!

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
I like the idea of recce as it gives the team an idea of what they’re getting into. Pacenotes; well I don’t have experience with them. We ran a route book at Mt. Hood, and only made a few notes on instructions where I need to slow down. As much as I wanted to be like the WRC guys and have instructions hollered out to me with all the numbers and stuff, it was completely unnecessary for a noob. If I were more confident in my driving and was going for a win, it be a regular practice. As far as a blind rally goes, well where does the co-driver come into play at? Drive as you see it is fun, but I feel times would be better and the cars could look cooler for spectators as they prepare themselves for the corners with speed and angle. Regardless, I don’t have really any experience with any of them. Yet!

Spectators: How would you like to see them addressed?
We need more, period, but I feel the average person doesn’t want to sit in the woods waiting for usually 1 car to pass them at a time, and only catch them for a few seconds. Special Stages in an arena type setting would bring more out I’m sure. I’d personally like to work towards some great promotion for events to get spectators interested more. Bring rally cars out to car meets, autocross, drag strips, and just show them off. Tell folks about them. As a competitor, I drove my rally truck to work about 20 miles once a week, along with just cruising around town occasionally. All to get people to see what it is, and quite often ask about what the truck is, and what rally is. It was a lot of fun.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
Aside from driving the rallycar around town and letting people see it in person, I had some posters made at a print shop for less about a dollar a piece and handed them out to automotive shops, the colleges, super markets. Go hang out at the grassroots events and just strike up a conversation about how we all enjoy driving spiritedly on regular roads, and then inform them that rally does just that! I was very pleased to know that I had almost 10 brand new people who I have never met until a particular time come out to volunteer at stage rallies last year. Just by telling them and acting out my lack of driving technique!

What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone looking to get into rally?
Bring a pillow and a sleeping bag, ride with me up to a stage rally and hang out for the weekend. I’ll provide the food, tent, fuel, and introduce you to some of the greatest people around, and you won’t go home disappointed. You’ll come back next time with a friend or two. 100% guaranteed.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
It’s always a topic on the online rally forums. Myself, it’s cost, but that pretty much includes everything you can imagine. Anyone can bring a beater car out and trash it. Now you just have to think about safety equipment. That’s the most costly thing involved in a car for me, but I’m not game for taking shortcuts. I’d like to live and tell the story about that awesome crash. Entry fees tend to stack up compared to track days along with having to take care of towing, where you’ll sleep, helping out your friends as they crew for you. It’s just so much. I really feel like I’m way down on the bottom of the folks wanting to rally. I live mostly paycheck by paycheck so saving up just to enter a rally with a $500 entry fee took me quite a few months, and after the event I was still in the hole.

How would I address that… I wouldn’t know where to start. Shoot everyone a text one night and tell them tomorrow night we’re going to have folks with FRS radios out in the sticks and we’ll be racing from one of the mountain to the other. Ya, sure it’s completely illegal and not the safest, but isn’t that how this all got started? No, that’s not how I’d actually go about solving it, but like I said, I wouldn’t know where to start. Rally organizers aren’t making profit so to speak, so it’s really out of their hands. I’ll just keep saving my pennies and hitting the coin return button on all the vending machines I pass by hoping something falls out.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I do absolutely anything I can to help out the organizers. I was offered more and more responsibility last year as each event came and those are the people the sport needs to keep it alive. I pass down my knowledge as a volunteer to the next person and teach them how do keep things going smoothly. I’ve always wanted to help out a friend in service, but there are regularly some positions that need filling out on the stage or in the shadows and that’s where I’d feel more beneficial.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be? Why?
I would take any single one of them. I don’t have a favorite. I’d love to drive on the snow, but I’m sure I would suck horribly. Personally, I’d give my left nut to drive the Dakar.

Your favorite Group B car?
Ford RS200, or the Stratos. I have a thing for little cars that my 6’2” body can barely fit in. And they’re loud, fast, and breathe fire! C’mon, they’re epic! Than again, if Group B had lasted longer, rumor is Mazda would have released the Familia Sport-4. I love the Mazda 323, and with Mazda having the 4wd turbo charged version in the WRC, they made a concept of an even more wicked version of the GTR into a widebody! It just looks awesome.

We’ve all got a rally hero. Who’s yours?
My modern hero would be Petter Solberg. He is a great driver, had to deal the running/owning his own WRC program, and his character is great. He carries himself as a fun guy who means business. I love how the guy shows so much emotion. His excitement is contagious, his frustration is livid, his humor is… well remember when he fell off his car showing off? =)

Do you have a local rally club? Tell us about it! (If not, why not?)
We have a couple in the area. Oregon Rally Group is our big organizing group. They put together some of our stage rallies, coordinate the rally cross events, and have a hand with TSD’s. Cascade Sports Car Club is another who deals quite a bit with the TSD rallies, and recently Charles Buren has formed a new club aimed towards stage rally. They’re all full of some of the greatest motor sport people in the Pacific North West.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
Sadly, not nearly as much as I’d like. Although that is one of my ‘new years resolutions’ =)

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
Merrilee Gilley as my co-driver for Mt. Hood along with Patrick, Joel, Dana, Coy, Mike and Lara for working out the service crew. Todd for giving a hand in so many ways. Tiffany for all the incredible support through the last few years. All those folks who yelled constructive criticism at me while behind the wheel. Our sponsors; Sharky’s Pool and Brew and Capital City Appliance, both from Salem, Oregon.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
All the volunteers who showed up at Mt. Hood so we can go throw ourselves around for the 3 stages. Without them there wouldn’t be a chance to do that. The Tabor family, and the Hales are a huge part of our volunteer friends. They rock!!

What’s a helpful trick you’ve picked up since you started rallying?
Tire Pressure!!! I was oblivious to just how much it changes things. Thanks Mike!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Just keep an open mind and listen to what others have to say. Every tip and trick are worth trying out.

Is there anything else rally-related you’d like to talk about, but hasn’t been asked?
Well yes, there indeed is. As a matter of fact, it will likely be what makes my first rally stand out from my others more than anything.

After finishing the 3 stages of Mt. Hood, and waiting around for our crew to tow us back to service, all I wanted to do was pack up and head home. I was truly frustrated. Now though, we had another job, and that would be service for Todd as the combo car. Many more hours had gone by, the rally has finished and we’re finally able to pack up and head out. Part of me wanted to hang out for the awards ceremony, but again I just wanted to get home and unpack. Our awesome service crew had packed up and left as they all had different places to be.

After it was dark, I was on my way heading to I-84 with friend and crew worker behind me for our trip back to Portland. So it’s dark, the rain is pouring down and we’re cruising along, than I hear this crazy howling. It’s a tire getting ready to blow on the tow rig. I’m looking for a fair place to pull off on the highway, but the particular section we were in was around a long bend with no shoulder. Too late anyway, about 15 seconds later the front passenger side tire blows apart and is shredding. I got pretty nervous as I wasn’t sure how the truck with trailer would handle in the current conditions.

I finally came to a spot a couple hundred feet further. I was calling Joel, to inform him what had happened. And Merrilee and Todd as they were part of our crew and hanging out at the awards, and then my cell phone dies. Joel and I had a frustrating time in the pouring rain and wind fighting to keep the truck jacked up after it had slipped off the jack already.

Fellow competitor, Michael Colangelo noticed our triangles on the highway, recognized our trucks and stopped to offer assistance. With little he could do to help, aside from brightening my particular grim mood, he continued his trek back to Seattle. Todd and Merrilee showed up to our rescue about an hour or so later and we were finally able to get a spare put on the truck. Again, there was still quite a bit of fighting to accomplish this task. Thanks to the county sheriff who also stopped by for our assistance.

Now with a full rally service crew we were taken care of and on our way back down the highway. Well, along the way, we stopped to help a rally volunteer out who’s vehicle broke down only miles from us. He hopped in with me, and our rally team convoy was heading back to Vancouver. Or so we thought…

Just outside of Troutdale, Oregon in the midst of some horrible rain and winds still, there was something that looked odd up ahead. Dustin (the volunteer) asked if that was a car in the ditch. Squinting through the rain we were trying to make out what actually was a car on it’s side in the grass on the side of the highway. Our convoy stopped to offer aid along with another car of good folks. Turns out a married couple and their young (6-10yrs old) grandchild on their way home from an anniversary had found a puddle of standing water, hydroplaned, losing control and crashing into the ditch, coming to rest on the passenger side down. We helped the them all climb out through the drivers door.

Aside from the women being very shaken up, they all amazingly seemed to be quite alright physically. Merrilee was taking care of the child most of the time who’m looked like she was just so scared, she didn’t know what was going on. Our convoy waited with the family for over 2 hours in the miserable weather for emergency personnel. We kept them warm inside of cars, with our jackets and some food and eventually some of their family members showed up in 2 minivans before the county sheriff finally made it to us.

Image: Joel Newman

With the scene finally being tended to, we packed up our triangles, collected our jackets (not before giving the family some un-used parkas, as they were still there) and were on our way home, again. The entire family was very grateful we stopped and offered help. They all seemed very cool now and in much better spirits. On our way home, I mentioned something that seemed to has stuck with me. ‘I can’t complain about my day anymore’. It was right around 1 in the morning the day after running Mt. Hood Rally. Almost 14 full hrs after I had expected to be home the first time from my DNF, we were in Vancouver, Washington where we all just walked in, took a deep breath with a nice sigh of relief, and called it a night.

Heck, when we woke up later in the afternoon, we threw new belts on the rally truck, picked up and replaced the tension belt pulley on the volunteers vehicle, and off I was driving back to Salem. I pulled into my driveway driving the RallyTruck darn near 32 hrs after all I wanted was to be home. Off to bed I went, and thus ended my Mt. Hood Rally 2010 experience. My first stage rally as a competitor.

That’s an epic night on the road. Thank you for sharing your story with the world rally community, Jace. Press on regardless.

What’s your name? Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
Keith Jackson, Vista, CA, Project manager for Skanska USA Civil.

What got you interested in rally?
Always been an off roader, but seeing a Subaru fly thru rally roads got me hooked.

Tell us about your rally car/truck. How long have you had it?
2005 Subaru STi Open AWD. Bought off the lot in 2004 and built in 2008.

Image: Patrick James for Dirty Impreza

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause? What benefits did you realize as a result?
The car was built by my brother and I at JacksonRally in the summer of 2008. Total build time was about 6 weeks from street car to open class. The biggest challenge was that this build was our first rally car, even though we’ve been building off road vehicles for over 10 years, building a rally car was new to us. We had a lot of help from Scotty of PlaCar. Building the car ourselves helped gain a vast amount of knowledge about the car and that has proved to be a huge benefit.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
One off that stays in memory was at the Gorman Ridge Rally in 2009. We were seeded first on the road and had the job of sweeping the road against us and the first stage jitters. The stage was going very fast and about a mile from the finish we were coming downhill into a L4- way to fast, swung the passenger rear out wide, and tagged the bank. This nearly ripped off the rear bumper and bent the rear lateral link like a taco. After managing to finish the stage we replaced the link on transit and continued on, now 7 minutes late to the next ATC. This resulted in a little over 1min in road points. What makes this stuff so memorable is that we fought our way back and placed top honors at the event, 1st overall.

Image: Eli Gilbert

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF. How did you press on regardless?
In 2009, we ventured out of our typical schedule to compete with the big dogs in Rally America’s National Event Rally Colorado (COG). This was the teams first experience at the national level and we couldn’t have been more excited. The weekend continued on with no issue until the rain came in and saturated the mountain roads creating very slippy conditions.

As usual, we were running a very tight budget and only had 1 set of tires, which were not grooved for the rain. Despite the rain we pressed on regardless through the stages and at one point we over shot a L3 long by nearly 100 yards into the brush! We narrowly escaped a ditch on the right and continued back on the stage with no further issue, very fortunate to not hit anything else. We managed to place 6th OA (including TP!!) and 1st in class in both regionals.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally? The most challenging?
The biggest reward is the smile of our faces. Rally is the most exciting thing I have ever done. The most challenging is being a nearly 100% self funded team competing in OpenAWD class.

How many events did you enter last year? Is that trending up or down? Why?
2008 – 2 events, first year competing
2009 – 6 events, including International Rally New York (USRC championship event)
2010 – 4 events

The trend is up and down, as stated above rally is quite the expensive hobby and the time needed to commit puts a strain on work and personal life.

Image: Andrew Pascarela for Dirty Impreza

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
I think, without going overboard, that a cash prize at least equal to the entry fee for the event would gather more entries and faster times.

How important are car classes? What class/region do you race in? How many competitors in your class at each event?
Car classes provide honest competition throughout most budgets and that is very important. Its not easy to compete against the top dogs but you shouldn’t have to sell any internal organs to enjoy the simplest of classes.

I currently run the OpenAWD class in the Southwest region (SoCal). The class participation for OpenAWD tends to be only at each extreme, either nearly all or nearly none.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
I’m a fan of recce and have run recce with my own notes and organizer provided notes. I have yet to run solely based on routebook.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare? Why?
I like seeing spectators out there enjoying the action and I hope organizers continue thru the headaches to get them out there. Spectators are a very important asset to the sport; you must have people be able to see what it is or it will never grow. It’s embarrassing how many people have no clue what rally is.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
Rallycross is the gateway to stage rally. That’s where I got my start. It’s cheap, local, minimal car prep/tech, minimal (if any) damage to your vehicle.

Image: Jamie Stapp

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
Collaboration between sanctions/series. It’s hard enough to make the minimum entries on most events so why not have fewer high quality events. It would be nice to see a higher quality event get enough entries to bring the cost down to a small event price.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I try to make it to any local rally that I am not racing. I have volunteered for timing and course closing thus far. Local rallycrosses usually are a good place to help out. Newcomers to the scene love to see a real rally car up close and it helps get them psyched about the sport.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be? Why?
WRC Finland. It’s my favorite rally and insanely fast with many jumps! In 2010, I spectated WRC Finland and it was amazing!

Your favorite Group B car?
Audi Quattro.

We’ve all got a rally hero. Who’s yours?
Petter Solberg. His positive attitude and pure love for the sport inspires me… and he used to drive a Subaru!

Do you have a local rally club? Tell us about it! (If not, why not?)
DirtyImpreza is my local club, from rallycross to stage rally to meets to a day in the dirt, DI is all about rally enthusiasts.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
Every chance I get, mostly with my brother, Kyle, at our shop JacksonRally in Temecula, CA.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
First and foremost is my brother, Kyle. He is the mastermind behind the build of the rallycar.

Scott George of PlaCar and Chris Tusow (OP). Scott has built many rally car and helped provide vast amount of expertise as we tackled my car. OP is a good friend and master Subaru mechanic and keeps an eye on us to make sure we don’t screw anything up motor/drivetrain wise.

Aaron Ekinaka of Dirtyimpreza brings us all together for pure love of the sport and continues to do so thru DI.com

Image: Patrick James for Dirty Impreza

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
Huge thanks to every and all volunteers for every stage rally, rallycross, TSD, or any other form of racing, without you we wouldn’t be racing.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
To finish first, first you must finish.

Press on regardless, Keith! Thanks you for letting us share your story!

What about you?

[Featured image: Juliet Ekinaka for Dirty Impreza]

What’s your name?  Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
My name is Bill Holmes. I live in Malibu, California. I have lived at the same location since I was 6 years old and I’m 47 now. It is a horse ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area. I really enjoy the ranch life here in the mountains. Located on the ranch are 2 large barns with 28 stalls, 3 houses, race shop, 12 pastures, 3 horse arenas, 1 full motocross track, 1 short course RZR/Trophy Kart track, and 5 motorcycle trials courses. I raise horses, cows, pigs and chickens.

For a living, I own a company that does testing of drinking water systems, from 50 million gallon reservoirs to water transmission pipeline, across California, Arizona and Nevada. I have been doing this type of work for 31 years and owned Southwest Chlorination, Inc. for 24 years.

I’m married to my wife Jennifer and I have 4 boys from 2 – 9 years old.

What got you interested in rally?
I became interested in rally when I was reading a story in Dusty Times newspaper about a rally event. I was racing the SCORE events in Baja and Arizona and thought rally would be really good experience for the starts and stops for the different stages that are common in rally. Also, I had a chase guy that crewed for us, Jim Rogers, in Baja. He owned the old 1980 Baja 1000 2nd place winning stock truck and he told me he couldn’t drive it very well, but, if I wanted to, I could use his truck for RallyX and Rally Sprint. We did that for 2 years, then I persuaded him to be my co-driver for the next few years in stage rally. I almost forgot, we won our first rally overall, rookie driver and rookie co-driver, winning overall at the “East of Indio “ rally back in 1986.

Image: Motorsport Memories

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
My present rally racing truck is a 2008 Ford F-150. The cage work was done by Spirit Racing in El Cajon, California. The fab guys were Steve and Jeremy Spirkoff. All of the super-custom little stuff throughout the vehicle was fabricated by W. Jeff Heitman, with help from Jarred Sullada and myself. I have owned 4 F-150 rally trucks, though not really owning some of them, I was just driving prepping for the owners. We are currently slowly building a Ford Ranger for rally, but the economy has slowed that project.

My present co-driver is Sean Gallagher. We have been racing together since August of 2008. We work well as a team, and the more events we do, the more refined we are. He knows what I expect and the way I like to hear it, and he is confident with my driving, as not to be nervous or scared.

Image: Motorsport Memories

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
The one event that has been a car crasher was the Press On Regardless Rally in Michigan. I have raced the event 3 times and did not finish 3 times. I crashed 2 times and blew the motor on a transit. I think one of the more funny offs was in Washington. I slid off the road in the mud. There must have been 100 spectators there and, after the last car came through, they all gathered around the truck to push, but the truck was too heavy, so I put out my tow strap and we were able to get enough spectators pulling on the tow strap to get out of the ditch. I was able to continue with the rally and did not get time barred. I placed 2nd in the event, and by placing second in the event, I was able to win the 1989 SCCA Pro Rally Open Class Championship. I like spectators, as they are my fans, friends, and sometimes my tow company.

Image: Motorsport Memories

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
I’m from the old school of rally when there was no recce and no pace notes. You just drive by reading the road. I think recce is not safer, as you push it harder because you think you know the road, and pace notes is the trust that the co-driver is not lost in the notes. Recce also adds more cost to run the event. If I was paid to do rally I think recce would be good.

Your favorite Group B car?
My favorite Group B rally car is the Ford RS 200.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
I don’t have a favorite rally driver, American or European, etc.. I guess I just have favorite cars, though I do have a lot of respect for Rod Millen, as he was a big help in the late 1980’s.

Image: Motorsport Memories

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
I feel one of the big problems with rally is the lack of spectator access to the stages. More spectators at an event means more future entries and a better chance for sponsors of rally to get noticed. Many times I have spectators asking where or how they can watch the event, and some events, there is no spectator area, making it hard to explain to the spectator. I feel the organizers need to address this more and provide safe areas to watch the events and provide a simple map with info for the spectators to get there.

Thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us, Bill!

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First of all, how did you do in Prescott?
We did better than I could have possibly hoped. I really only had 3 goals for this race. 1) Be safe – don’t kill the car. 2) Finish the race – don’t do anything stupid that’s going to make it so that you can’t cross that finish line, and 3) Have fun – which we had loads of fun. The fact that we finished was awesome, sure we made some newbie mistakes and got a bunch of road points, but I really wasn’t too concerned about things like that. They were learning opportunities. We ran our own race, and unfortunately the other teams in our class had various problems that allowed us to come in first. We moved up from being seeded dead last in 22nd position up to 10th overall by the end of day two. When Michael Taylor asked me to back my car up to where the other winners were, I couldn’t believe it. Spraying champagne at my first rally? There had to have been some mistake… but it was legit.

Did you run into any “situations” in the 48 hours prior to the start? What will you try doing different next time out?
There were a lot of things that needed to come together before the rally, and like most people find out, some things can’t get done until right before the car is supposed to be loaded onto a trailer to go to the event.

I took the car down to Jackson Rally several weeks before the rally. I made Kyle Jackson had a laundry list of things to do on my car. Fortunately, he was able to get to all the critical things that needed to be done (massive front skid plate, battery relocation, front tow hook, etc) but not everything because the list was so long. Its kind of a good thing though because I needed money for some other things too.

OP (from the Gravel Crew) looked over my car and found several things that needed to be addressed before we left. One of which was a noise coming from inside the transmission. We decided to swap in my spare gearbox before the event, and deal with this noise at a later time. One of my LCA bushings was totally shot too.

The other major hurdle was getting a new insert for one of my coil overs. I had bent one practicing before the rally and just never got around to replacing it. The replacement I got just days before the rally was not the right size. I have to tip my hat to Barrett Dash at All Wheels Driven for sending another insert via overnight first AM delivery to the hotel in Prescott. My amazing crew took care of assembling the strut as I was out doing recce in Albert’s car. It was a well orchestrated last minute fix. I still can’t believe we pulled it off.

What would I do differently next time? Pretend the rally is starting 2 weeks earlier than it really is. Maybe that will save me a couple all nighters working on the car.

How nervous were you about passing tech? Were there any surprises at tech? Any compliments or comments? Will you try doing anything different at the next rally?
I was nervous about tech. I knew Kyle had a very strong understanding of the rules, and we had been over everything already, but there’s always that “what if” feeling in your gut as the car rolls into tech inspection. The car passed with flying colors though. We were in and out of the tech bay in no time. One of the inspectors did actually comment that he was surprised that my parking brake was actually functional and could hold the car in place. I had to laugh about that, I never use the parking brake to turn the car… Now if I had a turning brake, that would be another story!

How did registration go? You had a lot of family, friends, and crew on-hand. (You might be the first team to out-do the Marciniak’s “Red Shirt Army” back in the day.) We know you were already exhausted from the final push to Prescott. How did you deal with the stress?
Registration was a breeze, it was kind of a question of “Well… what do we do now?” since we were the last car out of Parc Expose. We had what felt like hours to kill before we could suit up and go out. I think it was during the novice orientation where I first started noticing how not well I felt. I had probably a total of 4 hours sleep in 3 days thrashing just to get the car where I thought it would be acceptable, not only for the tech inspection, but for me to race in. It was almost like a catch-22: 1) I could stay up and make sure the car was ready to run from a technical stand point, and be exhausted, or 2) have the car not ready to pass tech and be rested. The only thing I could do was push myself to get everything dialed as quickly as possible, all this while holding down a full time job.

Family and friends were extremely supportive before we set off to race. My wife Juliet was taking care of random odds and ends, so that I could just take a break in the air conditioned truck to get a power nap in before we strapped in for the first transit. She really was awesome throughout the entire weekend; Making sandwiches for everyone and taking photos all over the place. It was the first rally that my Mom and Dad had ever been to too, and I think they had a great time being right in the middle of all the action. My friends/crew were just amazing, from towing my car all the way out, to working on the car even if I wasn’t around. I can’t thank them enough. I don’t think they understand how truly grateful I am for all their hard work.

Who helped with what before, during, and after the rally? (48hrs before to 48hrs after)
Literally countless people helped me before during and after. I would have to list so many people its ridiculous. Everyone pitched in to help in one way or another. Whether it be physical work on the car, monetary support, or letting me borrow parts/safety equipment.

What was going through your mind as you pulled up to the start of the first stage? Were you worried about anything? Nervous? Blindly confident? What was the one thing you wished you had done differently at this point?
As we rolled up to the start I was actually really calm. I was pretty tired, but excited at the same time. The funny thing is that I was more worried about what I would do if I had to puke and I had my full face helmet on. What a mess that would have been. I wasn’t really nervous about crashing or anything because I was in the mindset of running my own race. No one was going to catch me (I was in the back of the pack), I was very familiar with the handling characteristics of this car, having practiced many times in the desert on similar terrain. The brand new rally tires were somewhat of an x-factor, as I had not driven on new directionals before… only used ones. I felt confident, but was anxious to get going.

Tell us what you were thinking as you took off down the first stage of your first rally. Did you notice your perceptions/concerns change as you progressed through the event?
Taking off at the start was not really what I had expected. I still wasn’t feeling well as we set off on the first stage. I just kept reminding myself that I wasn’t there to impress anyone and that I wasn’t going to win the rally on the first stage. Smooth and clean was the plan, and I really needed to feel out the car before I could add any more speed. I did make a rookie mistake and jumped the gun by a full minute on the starting clock, resulting in a ton of road points right off the bat. Not exactly a confidence inspiring start in my opinion.

After a few stages in the car, the adrenaline really curbed any sick feelings I had. Albert later admitted that he wasn’t exactly feeling 100% at the start either. We slowly gained some confidence, not only in the car, but in each other too. He was on the notes almost all of the time. The first day’s stages were mostly in the dark, so I pushed as hard as I felt was safe. Saturday was a different story. In the day, we already had a good feel for the road having done recce, and run them in the dark. By mid-day I was trying to focus more on car position on the road, braking points, and not lifting on some of the more open turns.

How did you like working with a co-driver? Was it easy for you to meld what you saw with what you heard in the notes?
Albert and I had practiced recce in a few different scenarios. We both attended John Dillon’s Widget Co-driving seminar in the hills outside Los Angeles last year, and even more recently, we practiced writing our own notes on some of the dirt roads where we practice driving out in the desert. This really paid off when it was time to actually do recce for the race. Having organizer supplied notes was a huge help, as there were really only a few things we needed to change. For example, I decided to remove all the pluses from the notes, and some of the really hairy stuff was marked a whole number lower than what it really was. My co-driver was very good about repeating notes too when I asked him to. Overall, the atmosphere in the car was really lighthearted and we were joking around and having a great time the whole rally.

Have any OH SHIT moments?
We actually didn’t hit anything very hard. So the only oh shit moments were when we finished stage 2 and smoke was pouring out of the hood scoop. I knew something was up, but hoped it was only a torn CV burning grease or something. It turned out that one of the power steering lines came loose and fluid was burning off on the exhaust manifold. Sketchy, because it could have started a fire, but we were able to get back to service and the problem was fixed. There were a couple of tight turns on the FirstView stage that I managed to find some big rocks on the inside apex. We ran them over without any damage though. Those kinds of things really make your butt tense up.

How about OMFG THAT WAS AWESOME moments?
There as a section that was truly amazing during day 1. It was actually right before the finish on stage 2 when we had the problem with power steering. The end of the stage was a long uphill straight where we were going absolutely as fast as we could with all our rally lights blazing into the dark, motor screaming at redline, and on the horizon right in front of us, several bolts of lightning were hitting the ground from the passing thunderstorm. It was so insane.

How did the car hold up during the event? Any major repairs?
The car held up great. Other than the power steering issue that was repaired during service, there were no other major issues. I even ran the same set of tires on the second day that were on the car on the first. I think this was a result of good prep work. I’ve seen a trend with some of the top guys, and teams that rarely DNF, most of them seem to go over every aspect of the car before an event. If necessary they tear things down and rebuild whatever might be a weak point or potential failure piece before they ever load the car up on the trailer. Checklists are a great tool for not forgetting what needs to be addressed before racing and during service.

What was the mood in the car like on transit back to the final control behind the Prescottonian?
The mood was mostly relief, but at the same time lots of joking and laughing. I made sure to let Albert know he did a great job on the notes. We were extra careful to follow the exact route of the transit back to the MTC. We were both exhausted.

How does stage rally compare to the Dirty Meets organized by DirtyImpreza.com? How well do you think the Dirty Meets helped prepare you for rally? Did you learn anything in your first rally that you’d like to apply to Dirty Meets in the future?
To be honest, they don’t really compare at all. The previous DirtyMeets were loosely organized and was mostly newer guys going out and just trying out getting sideways in the dirt. The more of those that took place, the more I realized that its a big risk to have all these inexperienced drivers out in the same area at once.

What we found out is that going out on our own in small groups is where you can really learn a thing about car control [is a better idea]. We even setup a mock stage on some dirt roads, practiced recce, and ran them at speed to get our feet wet. I was glad we did this in the dark too, so we knew what to expect on the night stages in Prescott. The practice really helped, its just a shame that here in southern California you have to make a significant time investment to go practice. It’s not like other places in the country where guys can literally drive down the street to some amazing gravel roads.

Tell us about something you thought was critical before the rally that wasn’t as important as you thought.
When you’re getting ready for tech, it seems like EVERYTHING is critical. However, I think that one thing I over-compensated for was wheels and tires. If you’re not driving out of control and hitting things left and right, you can probably get away with 1 set of tires and 2 spares for a whole event. I had 4 brand new LASSA’s on the car, with a whole set of spare Hankooks already mounted and 2 more spares. We didn’t need the Hankooks at all. All those wheels and tires cost a ton of money too.

Tell us about something you hadn’t thought was critical (or thought about at all) prior to the rally that ended up being super-important.
Knowing exactly how transits and time controls work. We learned a lot about this stuff by actually doing it, but even in the classroom, or reading things online doesn’t really prepare you for how you need to be quick to get where you’re going for every time control. We stopped to check out the car when it was smoking, and didn’t stay long, but still ended up getting some road points for being late to time control. It wasn’t the end of the world though.

What’s the most important lesson you learned this first time out?
To always run your own race and not get caught up with the times, and who’s beating who, or worry about how far back you are from the next person, etc. This all clouds your head and will affect your driving style. There were sometimes where I could tell I was giving into the adrenaline and started pushing harder and harder, but I would catch myself and pulled back a bit if I saw it getting too crazy. You don’t want to let this get you in over your head, and outside of your ability level.

The other thing I learned, and this seems so stupidly simple, is to rest. You absolutely need to have enough rest before even going to a rally. You can’t function at your full potential if you’re exhausted or falling asleep during transits. We found this out the hard way.

What will be your next rally?
I’m not entirely sure, but for 2010 we’re done. It took a lot of resources to get to Prescott and it was definitely worth it, but now I need to focus on getting my finances back in order, etc. I’d like to do maybe a couple select events next year. Possibly High Desert Trails in April 2011, just to stay sharp and also because its close to home. It would be awesome to go to Idaho, but that’s another very big project. We’ll see though… it would be lots of fun to go back to Prescott again. I guess you could say I have a soft spot for that event now.

We arrived in Prescott, Arizona, USA, for the 23rd running of the Prescott Rally under bright, sunny skies. The air was filled with the familiar staccato of Subarus, the undulating growl of Mitsubishis, the sophisticated thrum of Mazda rotaries, snarling, naturally aspirated fours and sixes, and the roar of one very angry Ford truck. We made our rounds, admiring the hard work of many a dedicated rallyista, meeting new friends, and catching up with old ones.

Media passes and yellow wristbands hanging round our necks from spanking new Subaru lanyards, we patiently waited our turn at the grill, where burgers and hot dogs were sizzling under the roof of one of Tim’s Subaru’s new service drives. There was a crack of thunder and it began to rain; a light sprinkle giving way to the sort of “big ol’ fat rain drops” Forrest Gump once talked about. While some took shelter in the service drive, others continued about their business as if nothing had changed.

The afternoon shower soon passed. An army of “left coast” Dirty Impreza members marched past the Asfir (AOTechUSA.com) 4X4 display. One by one, rally cars were filling the slots in Parc Expose, 18 cars, four trucks, and two motorcycles. Drivers, co-drivers, and service crew milled about, trying to hide the boiling anticipation of firing their engines and heading to the first control of the rally.

Friends Michael Rodarte and Mike Foster joined me this year as Gearbox Magazine sought a different kind of story on the “home” event. With all the competitors tied up in Parc Expose, we got checked into our hotel (the Prescottonian, Rally HQ for several years, now), and made our way out to the stages.

Our plan was to transit Perkinsville Road and set up our cameras somewhere along Witty Tom. Sadly, we spent so much time farting along behind a local on a cell phone on Perkinsville, we arrived at the control after the stage was declared “hot” and had to observe from there.

One by one, the teams began to arrive. Brian Scott appeared to be stuck in third gear, struggling to get the car moving, and even letting others go by before starting down the stage himself. Each machine had a solo in the symphony that is stage rally, and we enjoyed each of them, as they made their way through the first narrow hairpins of Witty Tom and over the ridge.

The most interesting Toyota Celica on the planet rolled by, green light flashing on the roof and we knew it was safe to make our way onto Witty Tom ourselves, marveling at the skill of such a diverse group of drivers, who made conquering these bumpy, washboard-riddled, blind, uphill hairpins look easy. We threaded my old Galant VR4 through the twisties at a brisk 15mph or so (wink) and staked out a spot along the stage while the competitors were at service. Soon they would be coming back through.

The problem with trying to find a “good spot” to watch rally is that, just about every corner is a good spot. You think to yourself, “This would be perfect,” but you have to keep going, because maybe there will be something better just around the bend. We did not have time to drive the stage back and forth a couple times and so settled on the outside of a nicely-cambered L3.

So the first rule of rally spectating is “You do not spectate from the outside of corners.” This is similar to the second rule of rally spectating, which is “You do not spectate from the outside of corners.” Time was running out before 00 would be coming through, so we pulled well off the road, behind some trees, and hoped for the best. (Still bugs me that we did this, for the record.)

The sun set and we found ourselves surrounded by inky darkness, our pupils opened nearly as wide as our ears, which were filled with the sound of Cicadas. The storm from earlier had cleared to the north, flickering with lightning on the horizon. A river of stars made its way overhead, and we spotted more than a couple shooting stars.

Our wishes soon came true. The crackle and pop of anti-lag echoing off the distant hills combined with high intensity discharge pencil beams reaching towards the sky as mechanical monsters made their way towards us. Would our decision to spectate from this location be problematic? I wasn’t sure yet.

The bang-bang got louder, the HIDs brighter, until, finally, the brilliant blue-white beams were upon us! We stood there, motionless, as Lawless rounded the corner, clean, smooth, and fast. Gravel bounced on the ground all around us and, as the cloud of dust rolled over our position, we turned to the south to watch him turn the high beams back on and roar up the straight, lighting even the tops of the trees until he crested the ridge and began his descent to the twisty finish.

One by one, the competitors passed us. There were sparks from the skidplate as the black Ford Focus rounded the bend, and Aaron Ekinaka, in his first stage rally, seemed to slide ‘round the bend for days. Each vehicle would pass and we would watch them climb up the straight and out of the valley through the dust and green streaks their pencil beams left etched into our retinas.

Green streaks gave way to blinding green flashes of sweep, as once again, the most interesting Celica on the planet rolled past, then stopped and backed up to be sure there weren’t time cards to collect. We made our way back down Witty Tom to Perkinsville, passing a dazed rally team standing at the edge of an exposure, holding their “OK” sign.

Oh shit. They stuffed it right before the end of the stage, some 50 feet down into the canyon. Nose dive. Game over. Though, their standing alongside the road was indeed a sign of sportsmanship, as they made sure their fellow competitors would not start the next stage worried about them.

Back at the Prescottonian, we wandered out back to see what was going on. McCormack’s rally was obviously done, his red Lancer Evolution lashed to the trailer with a rather unique door ding. That had to sting a bit, as reaching through the hole to see if the door/sill bars were affected, I couldn’t find any.

Mustafa had lost oil pressure shortly after starting Witty Tom south and now had a small army of professionals huddled over his engine bay. He would return Saturday morning. Also hopeful for the morning was Brian Scott, who was jumping into a truck at 11pm to make the 2+ hour drive down to Mesa for a transmission part, bring it back, and have what appeared to be his one-man service crew re-install the transmission.

Saturday morning, we followed the Marciniaks out to Perkinsville Road and, as the stage was hot, marched a quarter-mile in to get some pictures and video. (Sadly, the video camera spent Friday night at the hotel, while the Nikon refused to take pictures when it couldn’t focus on anything in the pitch black.) We got an excellent spot, this time properly up and off the side of a straight away, just before the flying finish.

Rather than go on and on, making this post even longer than it already is, I’m going to shift gears and share a couple more pictures before a huge gallery of shots taken on Perkinsville Saturday afternoon.

The all-important champagne spray and victory celebration.

This has to be the most interesting way I’ve ever seen a race car loaded for transport (I hear Lawless has a loading dock back in New York).

Finally, as there’s no party like a CRS party, introducing John Rood, Mustafa “Moose” Samli, and El Blendero Evolution II (dos).

For a complete listing of stage times and final results, please visit RallyData.com. Below is a gallery of all the pictures I managed to get on Perkinsville, just before the flying finish. If you’d like a larger version of any shot(s), please contact me and I’ll make it happen for you.

Note: It seems some of the thumbnails are missing. The pictures are still there. These were uploaded completely unedited and using an experimental image viewer plugin.

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Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
I live in Prescott, Arizona and am an architect.

What got you interested in organizing rally events?
When I started having kids I couldn’t afford to race so helping out and then organizing kept me involved.

What event(s) do you organize?  How long have you been running it/them?
I only organize the Prescott Rally but also have been involved in events such as Gorman Ridge, Rim of the World and Rally New York as steward or worker.  I have been involved with Prescott since 1992 and was on the organizing team by 1993.

Share a bit of trivia about your event? Something interesting not everyone would know?
Prescott was a National event during the SCCA days and had TV coverage on ESPN 2 during that time.  Regulars here included Paul Choiniere, Henry Joy, Carl Merrill with guest appearances by Mark Lovell and Jason Priestly.  Mark Lovell commented to me at the Crown King service (around 2000) that he loved the texture of the roads in Prescott (we used to run some much rougher roads) because a championship with only smooth gravel roads was not a meaningful championship.

Why do people go rally? Why do they stop?
Rally is an addictive form of motorsports that, once people get in to, is hard to get out of their system.  Just look at all the long time rallyists that still come to events to help or compete.  Rally is also made up of great people who will compete fiercely on stage but will lend any assistance off stage.  With this type of motorsport we rely heavily on each other as things happen out on stage and our fellow competitors may be our only assistance.  It bonds us all together.  As for why people stop rallying, I think the reasons are pretty typical; money, kids, jobs.  Rally is not an easy sport for a family to support and can be tough for competitors to continue without that support.

What’s the most challenging part of being a rally organizer?  The most rewarding?
The absolute hardest part of organizing a rally is feeling personally responsible for each competitor, volunteer and spectator’s safety.  Sometimes organizers are misunderstood, but when you put yourself in their shoes and feel what they feel when someone is hurt at their event you begin to understand.  The most rewarding part is having my organizing team work so well together and to let them hear the kudos at the end of a great event.

Tell us about a time something went wrong during the rally and how you resolved the issue.
Organizing a rally is all about flexibility.  When you are closing miles of public roads and trying to control the public something always goes wrong.  I use the duck analogy a lot, the one where the duck looks calm and happy on the surface of the water but when you look below the surface it is paddling for all it’s worth.  That is the life of an organizer.

Problems that we typically encounter are workers that don’t show up, members of the public that don’t want to be inconvenienced, inclement weather and such.  One problem we had at Prescott one year was when we decided to run the 22 mile Perkinsview stage.  We realized that if I led up the stage in the ‘0’ car I couldn’t lead back out on the Firstview stage quick enough to not hold up the event.  The solution was to sweep Perkinsview in reverse while the ‘00’ car came the opposite direction.  We were in constant radio communication and pulled it off.  The event went off smoothly and the competitors never knew we had a problem.  A successful resolution of a problem is one where the competitors never know about it.

How many entries did your event have last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
We had 22 entries last year.  ’08 was 29, ’07 was 22, ’06 was 26 and ’05 was 32 so I’m not really sure what the trend might be.  We are hoping for 30 this year.

How might a change of +/-5 entries affect your event? What about +/-10 entries?
Most organizers have a break even point.  A minimum number of cars that then need to cover the basic expenses.  A entries rise above that it allows more amenities to be added to the event.  A rise of 5 entries may allow us to pay for some expenses that are out of pocket and have a nicer awards banquet.  An increase of 10 or more might allow prize money or an entry rebate.

Should rallies be run as for-profit corporations? How much money should an organizer make?
I don’t think rally in the US is to a point where rallies can be “for profit”.  I think organizers should make what the market will bear and right now that is next to nothing.

Aside from entry fees, do you have any other means of funding the event? (Merchandising, advertising, etc.)
Our only other funding sources are our great sponsors such as our event sponsor, Scott Roofing of Phoenix, Arizona.  In addition, BikeBandit.com, Albins Off Road Gears, MSI and others offer help.  We do sell t-shirts at the event but they aren’t really a profit center.

How important are [vehicle] classes?
Separating cars into performance potential classes is crucial to the success of any racing series.  Not everyone wants to compete at the same level.

How does recce affect your event?
We have offered two-pass recce at Prescott for several years and it has been a terrific addition.  Not only have the teams been safer having seen the roads ahead of time, but it is an opportunity for them to take team members onto the stages and see the roads they will race on as well as the natural beauty of this area.

You create your own pacenotes.  Why?
Prescott created our own notes a couple of years ago to help reduce costs for competitors who were having to pay $150 or more for prepared notes.

What are your thoughts on spectators?
Love ‘em/hate ‘em.  Spectators bring a great a great energy to an event and spread a rally awareness when they go home but having them on stage adds a significant amount of work for the organizing team.

Does your event provide for organized spectating? Why/Why not?
Prescott has organized spectating at the Super Stage at our fairgrounds.  We have not been able to provide adequate access and facilities for spectators out on stage though.

How do you involve the local community with your event?
We utilize local businesses whenever we can.  This includes printing, shirts, trophies, signs, EMT’s, lodging, banquet and others.  We also advertise the event locally and utilize the local HAM radio club.

How do you involve the global rally community online?
Our event’s results go live on the internet within minutes of each car completing a stage.  Press releases and information is sent to a global array of media outlets, many who are internet based.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
Declining entries is one of the biggest issues rally faces right now.

How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
Prescott has condensed our schedule and as mentioned above created our own notes to help keep our event affordable for as many competitors as we can.  I think keeping rally affordable and keeping interesting stage roads available is crucial.

What kind of help would you need?
Rally needs young, enthusiastic people who want to be involved in more than just the competition aspect of the sport.

How do you mitigate environmental concerns about land use for rallies at your events?
We involve all authorities having jurisdiction.  We show year after year that our type of event has no negative impact on the roads, and in fact, have shown the roads to be in better condition following the event than before it.

How do you build/maintain a relationship with local land use authorities (city/state/national)?
It takes years.  You have to be consistent and accurate in all you do.  You have to treat these relationships as professionally as any relationship you may develop at work.

How do you participate in the greater rally community the rest the year?
Lately not very much.  I was a competitor for years but have sidelined that for economic reasons.  I do try to get to nearby events when I can to help out.

Which WRC event is most like your rally?
Years ago people would have said Acropolis.  Based on what I know about the current WRC events I’d have to say Turkey.

Your favorite Group B car?
S1 Evolution 2 Audi, were there others?

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
My rally hero’s include Mark Lovell and Carl Merrill, true gentlemen who are no longer with us.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
The California Rally Series is our “local” club.  They support all events in the southwest and have been around forever.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
Cable Rhodes, who at 19 offered to let a 30 year old newbie navigator into his right seat.  My kids, Steven and Ashley who have supported me and this sport since they were very young.  Steven navigated for me for a couple of years culminating in a P-Stock championship in 2005 in the CRS, a true dream came true moment.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
The organizing team for the Prescott Rally.  They are a fantastic group of individuals who have kept this event on track for years without complaint.  The competitors almost never see them but this event would not happen without them.  They deserve more thanks than I could ever give them.

Who are your sponsors and how have they helped rally in your region?
Scott Roofing, Albins Off Road Gears, MSI, BikeBandit.com.  Their support has allowed events like Prescott to continue to offer a great event at an affordable cost.  Without these sponsors competitors would have to shoulder all the costs through their entry fees only.

What’s your favorite memory, looking back at the time you’ve spent organizing this event?
Favorite moments for me are the stories that come from the competitors.  It may be the winner or from a dnf, the stories are what make the event fun to organize.  I love it when my rally family shows up in my town each year too, its like we’re hosting a big party!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Too many lessons to remember them all.  One caveat of the CRS is “you put on a rally for me and I’ll put one on for you”.  I’ve carried that torch for 18 years and it has paid dividends back to me that I will be forever grateful for.

Special thanks to Michael Taylor for taking the time to do this interview less than a month before the Prescott Rally. This is our “home” event, here at Gearbox Magazine – we never miss it. We’ll be prowling the stages, service park, and more the weekend of October 1-2, 2010. See you there!

Also, special thanks to Lorne Trezise of FrozenMotionPhotos.com for providing the majority of the images used for this story. Take a moment to visit his site and check out his work. Excellent stuff!

What’s your name?  Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
Eric Wages. Currently living in Goose Creek, SC (in the Charleston, SC metropolitan area). I’m the Operations Manager of a Google datacenter in Moncks Corner, SC where I’m responsible for overseeing the team of folks that deploy and fix all of the hardware that makes stuff like Google and YouTube work.

What got you interested in rally?
Growing up, I wasn’t really interested in cars. I did some of the usual stuff with my dad in the garage like changing the oil and air filter in his burnt-orange Ford Fiesta, but that was about the extent of it. In 1989, my father’s job was transferred to the UK, so the family packed up and went with him.

Now, as a relatively spoiled American child, I was used to cable TV that had about 50 channels at the time. Upon arriving in England, I discovered only 4 channels; BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel4. So, while mindlessly flipping through the 4 (!!!) channels, I stumbled upon this crazy program called rally. I had no idea what exactly was going on, but I knew it was extremely intense and incredibly cool. Moving back to the US in 1991, however, moved rally off my radar and I forgot about it. 10 years later Subaru announced that the Impreza WRX was being released in the US, and I remembered how incredibly cool the motorsport was. I couldn’t help it – I bought one of the first ones!

Image: Angela Cosner

In 2002, I was laid off from my job in Virginia and ended up moving back to work at my Alma mater, The University of Maine. While in Maine I met John Cassidy who, at the time, was just getting his rally program off of the ground. At that time he had only attended maybe 3 or 4 rallies and he needed an extra set of hands in the garage. It was convenient for him as I only lived 5 miles away and was a willing victim! Over the next few years I did a whole variety of jobs with him, from wrenching to ECU wiring and tuning, and crew chief to team manager. I think I did pretty much every job at one point or another, short of sitting in the seat at an actual event. I’ve had my hands in nearly every car that John’s had for the last 10 years: Fireball, the Group2 Honda; Steel Tulip (now being driven by Jason Smith/Jared Lantzy), Tulip 2 (untimely death at Maine Forest some years back) and now Tulip 4. (Tulip 3 was skipped. Ask John!) Over the years with Last Ditch Racing, I think I attended something on the order of 20-30 rallies, mostly in Canada.

As the job market shifted, I moved on to take a new job down in the South. I was still bitten by the rally bug, I had to stay involved. I had met Anders Green one year at Maine Forest Rally and we hit it off. As a fellow Mainer and UMaine alum from the same department I attended, we had a lot in common. He knew I was highly involved with LDR up in Maine and was willing to let me help out at the events. Things started slow. One year a HAM radio operator at Rally Tennessee, the next a volunteer and HAM organizer. For the last few years, though, I have pretty much cemented myself as the Chief of Controls, driving the 0 car, because my experience gave me a good perspective on rally operations, safety, HAM radio setup, scoring, etc.

Last year I was wanted to step into competition, so I finished prepping my car and finally went hot for the first time at Rally Tennessee this year with Chris Von Denes in the right seat.

Image: Jud Bartlett

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
I’ve had my Subaru WRX since April of 2002. We struck a deal with the local Subaru dealership when I bought the WRX and my wife (then girlfriend) bought a 2001 Forester. That Forester has been to nearly as many rallies as I have!

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
The plan was to always build the car, or in my words to my wife – “I’m going to drive this car into the ground.” After helping Cassidy build all of his cars, where each one was a better revision than before, I’ve (generally) learned the best practices of rally car building. I’ve seen a lot of cars, helped people at the events, and had to work on other professionally-built cars. None of them really worked for me, so I knew that I wanted to make my car my own.

What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
I had always planned on a very long build cycle. My logic was that, as I was replacing bits and pieces, I would simply get a strengthened or upgraded bit that was more compatible with the harshness of rally. When I converted the car from an automatic (yes, it started life as an auto!) I picked up a Version 7 STi Prodrive transmission. When the radiator went, I bought a multi-bar aluminum unit. And so on.

I now know the car inside and out. It’s nearly all my own work (and mistakes). I’ve only had to outsource two pieces of the build: the rollcage and the new engine. The current engine is essentially the 3rd one in the car. 1st one wore out. 2nd one I built and destroyed in 200 miles due to a blocked oil passage. I now have learned to leave engine assembly to the pros.

Image: Jud Bartlett

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
At Tennessee this year, I stuffed the car off the road on a R5->R4 at the flying finish of SS3. A lot of things went wrong: a bit too much speed, a slight bump in the middle of initial corner, and the corner actually looking like a R4->R3. We went about 50′ off through a bunch of dense brush with 1″ thick trees right in front of the StoleTheShot.com photographers. Amazingly enough, we were able to drive the car out after wasting a lot of time watching the other cars go by. We were able to make it to the start of the next stage without ANY problems to the car other than some cracked paint on the bumper!

Lesson learned: just because it LOOKS bad doesn’t mean anything! Try! Try! Try!

Image: Eric Wages

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF. How did you press on regardless?
Luckily, I haven’t had this problem yet. But a good one from my time as a crew member for John Cassidy at Maine Forest: He swung wide on one of the stages and smacked the rear of the car into a stone bank. It completely snapped the wheel and brake rotor clean off the car. He pulled into service with no functioning brakes other than the e-brake on one corner since all braking pressure was going to the one corner that was missing a rotor!

Since we didn’t have a spare rotor, we pulled out the one brake pad that was still stuck in the caliper on the broken corner, turned it 90-degrees between the piston and retention fingers on the other side of the caliper and tied it in with bailing wire. This allowed brake pressure to resume since the piston had something to push against – even if it was just the backing plate of the pad!

There’s a a great ongoing thread on SpecialStage.com titled “The Stupid Information Thread” that has a lot of valuable tips like that.

Image: Eric Wages

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Certainly the most rewarding part of rally is meeting the people. We have a really interesting mix of people, all of different background and from different parts of the country, getting together and doing something that’s arguably a little nuts. It’s comforting to know that there are people just as much off their rocker as me!

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
Last year, I attended just 2 events in an official capacity – Rally Tennessee and Sandblast Rally. This year, it looks like it’s going to be the same two events plus Tim O’Neil’s school in Dalton, NH since Rally West Virginia is a no-go this year. Realistically, I would like to compete or officiate 3-4 rallies next year since I will have a bit more vacation time.

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
A tow fund or other similar starting award structure would help me since I’m in the southeast with only one event within 5 hours tow. I’m not going to hold my breath though; I have a fairly solid understanding of the financial structure of a few rallies in the country and there isn’t a lot of wiggle room unless there is a significant event sponsor behind the scenes.

Image: Margaret Wages

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?  How many competitors in your class at each event?
Doesn’t every competitor want to compete against those who bring the same gear to the rally, give-or-take? In NASA, we’ve tried to limit the number of classes to make it easier for the competitors and the spectators, but it’s difficult. In our rule books, we have 9 current active classes and 2 new ones we’re currently working on. Generally speaking, the vast majority of entries at most (80+%) in the eastern region of NASA are lumped into one of four classes: Open AWD Heavy/Light or Open 2WD Heavy/Light.

My car is built to the Open AWD Heavy (OAH) class where the normal competition will be Evos and STis even though I’m driving an arguably wimpier 2.0L car versus the 2.5L of newer WRXes/STis. There are usually 5-10 fellow OAH competitors at any given rally. Add in my desire to keep costs down with running pump versus race gas and it makes driving skill even more important.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
I’m a big fan of recce + stage notes. I’ve had some experience driving blind when doing 0 or 00 duties since it really forced me to keep an eye out for everything – the road, the volunteers, the spectators. As time has progressed, I’ve gotten fairly good at reading the road and the notes are simply augmenting what my eyes are seeing.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
Rally in the US does not have a sustainable lifecycle without spectators. We haven’t done a really good job of keeping spectators informed at US-based events, so they don’t really feel connected to what’s unfolding in front of their eyes (or elsewhere in the woods). Only recently have we begun to deploy proven systems that allow spectators (and other interested parties) receive push-based updates from rallies via cell phone text messaging. We need to continue enhancing the experience – maybe color commentary at spectator areas, giveaway prizes, or something else – to keep keep them engaged at the event and afterward. This is the key transition from casual spectator to rabid fan. And we all love doing pendulum turns in front of the fans!

Once we have rabid fans, we need to have a solid and well-marketed conduit that allows people to transition to competitor and keep them competing. Our current marketing plan of getting people into RallyX isn’t generating a huge number of competitors for stage rally and we need to try something else.

Image: Dwight Wages

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
In Charleston, it’s difficult. Being in the Lowcountry, there aren’t many exciting places to drive so the typical RallyX folks aren’t there. Usually, I solicit assistance on the Subaru forums to join in my “reindeer games”, and I’ve had some moderate success. A very large portion of the local gearheads are active duty in the military, either at Charleston Air Force Base or at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station, so securing their time for events can be challenging.

Luckily, I have two fellow NASA competitors in Charleston – Tibor and Chris Von Denes. They are an invaluable resource!

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
The issue of car classes is an interesting problem for today’s competitor – each sanctioning body has classes that are similar but the bigger issue, in my opinion, is the licensing differences between the two primary sanctioning groups. I race in NASA where we have a structure that allows for any competitor to race any type of vehicle they choose starting with their first rally. We instill proper rally procedures by requiring new competitors to attend multiple Novice Competitor Orientations (NCOs) before you are released from the requirement to continue attending. In Rally America, the primary mechanism for ensuring a safe(r) environment for the new competitor is to limit what vehicles they can drive.

How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
This is tough. Sanctioning bodies need the funds associated with the licenses to help offset operating costs, so completely waiving license fees if you have another competition license isn’t scalable. Maybe all sanctioning bodies in North America should raise their rates by $25/yr and offer a per-event license for those licensed under other sanctioning bodies?

This doesn’t resolve the philosophical difference about people running open class cars under a NASA license in RA events which does impact me personally, but this is a smaller issue compared to the overall reciprocity between NASA/RA/CARS.

Image: Jud Bartlett

In your opinion, what is the role of the sanctioning body?
The sanctioning body exists to ensure a fun, safe environment for people to come out and have a good time whether they are a competitor, volunteer, or spectator.  In my opinion, rally in the US is not so much of a sport, but an adventure weekend; the actual racing is just a small part of the whole event. I think that for most people involved in rally here on this side of the pond, it’s a hobby since most of us can’t make a living participating in the sport. Rules should be framed to keep that experience in mind.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I will probably continue to perform Chief of Controls duties or Clerk of Controls if Anders needs a stand-in. I’m also working on cooking up another event in the Southeast which would be a very unique event. (Keep an eye out for more on this around the 1st of the year if it’s going to happen!)

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Monte Carlo. The Col De Tourini stage is pure rally nirvana.

Your favorite Group B car?
Lancia Delta S4. 1.8L of turbocharged and supercharged insanity!

Image: Dave Baxter

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
I’d really have to lean towards John Cassidy. I really enjoyed living vicariously through his experiences and was proud to be a large component of Last Ditch Racing‘s successes. He certainly proved that if you have enough brains and gusto, you can do things that the rest of the world see as crazy and incredible.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
No local club, unfortunately. I must be a horrible salesman for rally since all of the car folks that I’ve met aren’t really interested in getting together to sit down and watch WRC. I’ll keep trying!

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
Tibor, Chris and I probably see each other every 3 months or so, usually around Sandblast or Tennessee time. We need to increase that frequency, especially as I compete more events with Chris as my codriver.

Image: Dwight Wages

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
My lovely wife, Margaret, has been a wonderful supporter of my racing dreams and never asking why I was doing such a silly thing. She’s been been by my side at nearly every race that I’ve been involved with, either with LDR or our own rallies down south.

Mark and Laura Bench, Ryan Davis of TurboTime in Cary, NC. Ryan was the primary tech who rebuilt my motor from my horrible job and Mark and Laura provided on-the-ground service support for my first drive at Rally Tennessee. TurboTime has been a wonderful supporter of my racing and I hope to continue the relationship.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
I want to thank all of the volunteers who come stand in the pouring rain, baking heat, and freezing cold in order to close roads and handle timecards. There’s simply no way that these events can be put on without their support! In particular, I want to single out the Ball family in Linden, TN – they bring their WHOLE family out to the event to help marshal corners and run stage teams! Thanks!

Image: Angela Cosner

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Most competitors don’t know, or don’t care care to know, the difficulties associated with running an event. The product (from the ceremonial start to last MTC) is too opaque; the nitty-gritty is a big black box that most competitors think “just happens”. It would benefit the community if more people walked a mile in an organizer’s shoes to really understand what it takes to put an event together.

Thanks for taking the time, Eric. Rally is not a big, black box full of magic and it takes everyone working together to make it happen. We appreciate your participating in the Gearbox project and wish you luck on the stage roads!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How old are you, where do you live, what do you do for a living?
I am 31, still recently married and working as the IT guy for a sunglasses company in San Clemente, CA. I commute to work from Aliso Viejo, CA where DirtyImpreza Enterprises is headquartered. This is my second full time job – keeping the website up, current, and always striving to find ways to get our name out into the rallying world.

How did you get into rally and where do you get your rally tech/community?
Do you have a rally club? Are you online?
I’ve been interested in rally for a long time. I think for a while growing up there were even some televised events in the US that I saw. Always thought it was the most intense form of motorsport out there; just so much going on for one driver to tackle at any given time.

Once I moved away to college I realized that anyone could modify their own car, as there were a bunch of guys who would tinker with any make or model car. It was then that I decided once I had enough money I would get something that had a lot of aftermarket support. Eventually, I ended up in a Subaru and once I tried my had at some rallycross (hosted by the legendary Gravel Crew) I was hooked.

Obviously, the primary source if information/technical information for me is DirtyImpreza.com (DI), but there are a number of other websites that I frequent, including rally-america.com, nasarallysport.com, and specialstage.com. DI strives to reach out across as many relevant social networking sites as possible including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and many others, so yes, I’d say I’m very much online all the time.

What kind of car is it? (year, make, model)
The rally car is a 2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS. Seeing as how I plan to compete in a production class for a while, the motor is relatively stock, but just about everything else that is needed to compete in a stage rally has been upgraded (roll cage, gravel suspension, seats, harnesses, rally electronics). Lots of money has been spent on safety equipment.

Why did you choose this particular car? Features? Benefits? Brand loyalty?
My choice was pretty much set from the very beginning. My first Subaru was a 2004 STi and it quickly became apparent that when things break on that car it is very expensive to repair. So, what I decided to do was choose an older Impreza platform that had a lot of cheap interchangeable parts with other model years. The 2001 2.5RS was a perfect match for this, as it was the last of the GC chassis Imprezas, and had a robust naturally aspirated motor, plenty of aftermarket support, and many parts that could be found in various junk yards and for sale forums. Another big plus that played into the equation is the ability to swap the entire USDM STi motor and drivetrain into the GC, so once the time comes to go into Open Class we will have a really great car to do it with. I think I first had the inspiration to do something like this by watching Matt Iorio‘s GC’s a few years back.

Did you buy or build your rally car? Why did you choose to go this route?
My car has been built from the ground up, but that’s not saying that I did everything myself. I don’t possess the skills or resources necessary to convert a stock car into a stage rally capable vehicle. I had a lot of help along the way, especially from Kyle Jackson at Jackson Rally. He is the one that has been able to work his metal magic to get everything to come together. Still, there were plenty of things that I could tinker with on my own so I have learned a lot about this car in the process.

Honestly, I went this route because I saw an opportunity to document an entire build thread on Dirty Impreza. It is a very big gap to convert from weekend rallycross warrior to stage rally competitor, and this was something that I wanted to show everyone that visits DI. Now, the debate about building vs. buying a rally car has been beat to death on every single rally website that there is out there, but I do have this to say: yes, you will save money in the long run by buying well sorted rally car outright, however the intimate knowledge that I have about my car, along with the feeling of knowing that we converted a grocery getting 2.5RS into a gravel attacking beast is a very satisfying feeling.

How long did it take you to get the car ready for competition?
I had an overall vision for the entire build, and it was to show that a regular guy with a normal income can build a rally car and compete. A lot of people out there blame their personal situations for preventing them getting on stage and running rally events, but this for the most part is just a scapegoat for not wanting to commit. Sure, If you have lots of disposable income it is easier to go out and compete in the next rally event, but with some planning (and a hefty amount of sacrifice) you can build a rally car and get out there just like everyone else.

My build has taken roughly 2 years which by most people’s standards is an extremely long time. I’ve made plenty of mistakes moving along, which have no undoubtedly slowed progress, but still I’ve persevered on to see the whole project through even when faced with the financial fiasco of planning a wedding among other things.

What is done and what needs to be done?
The car is pretty much good to go at this point. However, something I downplayed when getting into all this was how much it would cost to purchase all the personal safety items one must acquire before you can finally race the car. I located a full face Peltor helmet on eBay  so I saved a few bucks there. Also, I had to install some HANS posts on this helmet because it was made before when US rallies required head and neck restraints. The car has zapped much of my funds so for my first event I will most likely be borrowing a friends HANS device.

I’ve learned that I have a really disproportionate body, which makes finding a race suit hard to do. I’m roughly 5’5″ and 160lbs but have fairly broad shoulders and short legs. No race suits out there will have short enough legs but enough width in the torso to fit me right, so a custom suit seemed like a great idea. I got a hold of Elite Motorsport Apparel to build me a suit that fits perfectly and with some DirtyImpreza.com embroidery to top it all off.

Still to do though is a lot of finishing touches on the car. We need to get the gravel coilovers serviced, get some odds and ends fab work done, and try to locate any potential problems with the car before we go racing.

What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome in getting this far?
How did you do it? Who has helped you out?
The challenges are numerous, and I could seriously go on and on filling this entire web page with all the trials and tribulations we’ve been through getting the car together. We’ve faced scrapping an entire RS shell due to frame damage and rust, to figuring out how to wire all the relays for the HID rally lights, to getting the damn seats to mount up correctly.

So many people have helped me along the way, most of which I have become good friends with or talk to now on a regular basis. Kyle and Keith Jackson, Barrett Dash, Odi Bakchis, Greg Landes, Al Hatfield, Costas Tsolkas, Emm Sim, Paul Eddlston, Chris Chapman, Charles Buren, Dave Forman, OP, Jeremy, Justin, Sean, Dave, Louie, Loren… the list goes on and on. I’m sorry if I forgot anyone!

What challenges do you see in the immediate future and how do you think you’ll address them?
What we have going on right now is just a bunch of small issues. I bent one of the strut tops out practicing recently which was only discovered recently after disassembling the coilovers for some basic servicing. I also have to figure out what the best way is to attach some under body protection on the car and where the coverage is needed most. The rally computer needs to be mounted and I’m not entirely sure if I wired it up correctly just yet, it powers on and increments but we need to calibrate it.

There are still a lot of questions about how much gear we really need to carry in the trunk when we’re out racing on stage. I’ll get most of these issues sorted out once the car gets back into the shop at Jackson Rally. Kyle is always full of great ideas! Other than that it would be great to have a dedicated tow vehicle instead of having to rely on people to help out with towing, but for now I will just have to bribe people with gas money, beer, and food.

Tell us about your first rally – which one it is, where it is, why you chose this rally, and such.
My first rally is going to be Prescott Rally this October in Prescott, Arizona. I choose this rally because not only is it relatively close to where I live, but it is also the final event for the United States Rally Championship (USRC), so there will be a lot of teams there. The roads are supposed to be fast and smooth which is very appealing. Running some night stages will also be super exciting. It’s a rally that has been running for 20+ years so I’m sure the organizers know how to run a good event.

What is your game plan for this event?
My personal game plan for the event is literally just to finish, I don’t care if I come in dead last. The goal is to just cross that finish line each day with the car in one piece. I’m really excited to roll up to the start line on stage one and have my co-driver count down 3-2-1 GO!

What are you most looking forward to at this event?
Getting in lots of seat time, working with my co-driver, and having a good time with the other teams that are coming out. One of the best things about rallying is the partying with friends after the race. There’s always some good shenanigans that go down after the cars are finally parked for the night.

What are you most concerned about prior to this event?
Making sure that the car is in good working order before we get to the event. I’ve taken it out for several shakedown sessions (driving over 100+ miles each time on dirt roads) but I still don’t know exactly how well the car is going to hold up to the constant abuse of a competition weekend.

Money is something that worries me too, the expenses rack up so fast when you figure how much hotel rooms are for 4 nights, fuel to tow out there, food, beer, etc. Then there is the human factor, I really want to avoid doing something stupid (arriving to a time control early, get lost on a transit, put the car into a ditch). We won’t know unless we give it a shot…

I really can’t wait for the entire experience as I’ve been planning for this for so long now. Hope that everyone can make it out to support DI members that are entered in Prescott Rally this year!

Special thanks to Aaron for taking the time from his tight, pre-rally schedule to chat with us. There’s still a lot left to do and the clock is already ticking.

You might have noticed this article was titled “Before & After.” The Prescott Rally runs October 1st and 2nd north of Prescott, Arizona. We’re gonna give Aaron a little breathing room to revel in the thrill of finally realizing his rally dream, but then we’ll be chatting with him about what he learned at his first event. What was important? What wasn’t? And more.

Thank you for spending some time with us on Gearbox Magazine today. Press on regardless!

What got you interested in rally?
Speed… and the ability to control where none should be possible.  I always dug car and mechanical stuff, but I really liked being able to be in control. Classic, huh?  And I don’t know when it was, but I read some Road &Track article about rally and they talked about rally drivers being the most talented because every corner, every surface, every stage was different and new.  I dug on that.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
Current ride is a 1984 Saab 900.  It’s the second rally car I’ve built, and it’s brand new.  NEFR 2010 is my first event in it.  1st car was an ’80 Saab 99.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
I wanted to build this car instead of buy because I knew what I wanted. I knew what worked last time , and what didn’t.  I also derive some sick-assed pleasure from scraping tar from the bottom sides of vehicles.  Challenges?  Well, this time I have a family and house and real job.  The 1st car took 8 months to build, this one took 4 years.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
I tend to stuff the car friggin’ around like a week before an event… however, we were in a Canadian winter event, at Perce-Neige, feeling the red mist on a long straight.  What I thought was damp gravel coming into a 90 left was actually polished ice.  We didn’t have a chance.  4th gear in a Saab is still pretty fast.  We went straight at T, so deep in, I thought it was going to be spring before we got out.  The crazy, awesome  Canadians drug some HUGE 15ft sections of trees out of the woods and pried us, foot, by foot up out of the hole we’d dug and back on the road.  Simply awesome!

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF and how you managed to press on.
Maine Forest in like 2000.  Wicked rough rally, very dry, super dusty, like 95 degrees.  We lost our tailpipe on the first long stage.  Then we broke it a little further forward, then we lost a wheel in transit, then we broke a shock, then our entire exhaust.  In the course of a 30min service my crew was somehow able to find a piece of pipe, and a welder, make a header collector and a pipe sticking out the side of the car.  Our best finish ever…in the loudest car in the entire field!

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Everyone says it, but it’s the people.  Most of my closest friends are from the rally community.  And they all get it. We all wax and wane, cars come and go, people phase out or phase in, but the friendships remain… that and all the hot chicks and sponsorship loot.

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
No events last year, so I’m trending up!!!

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
MaxAttack is as good as I’ve seen it…although with the kind of field they’ll have at NEFR, money deeper down in the finishing order would be nice.  True contingency and series sponsors would really help. Gotta say… getting 15% off of brake pads or some headphones isn’t going to help me make it to the next event.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
Well, you know what, I am racing the guys sitting before and after me on the road and the buddies I have in the field.  Classes are nice, but overall… bragging rights and free beer to the “winner” is what rally was built on… I’d like to keep it that way.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
This will be my first event with notes… I’ll tell ya in a few weeks!

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
This may not be a popular answer with everyone, but we suck (as an organization) at making rally cool for spectators.  We make them ride buses, stand on crappy corners, herd them, yell at them to get behind the super strong yellow tape.  Issue?  Our messed up legal system has removed the ability for spectators to self govern and be taught the right way to do it.  “Back in the day” you got a map, maybe an old route book, a tank full of gas, some sandwiches, beer and if you were lucky, a scanner and you made your own event following the rally.  You found the crossroads, you looked for the vantage points, you hiked through the woods..and you know what?  With very – and I mean VERY few exceptions… shocker here – nobody got hurt.  And people were responsible (to a point) for their own actions.

Not so now.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
Take ‘em for a beat run… they’re hooked.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
Organizers need help and support from the series in the way of an overall big $$ sponsor. I see the trials our local organizers go through – for what? So I can go play in the woods?  Smaller interest groups in our county lobby and advocate for more than we rallyists do.  Wut up wit dat?

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I do like to work events… even though I’m usually grumpy that I’m not driving… but I do like giving back.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Sweden or Finland. Love snow and damn those Finnish roads look sweet.

Your favorite Group B car?
Lancia Delta S4… just super bad-ass.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Got a few.
John Buffum, Colin McRae, Stig Blomqvist.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
The New England rally community is one, big dysfunctional family… ’nuff said!

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
The interweb has made that a weekly, international occurrence.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
My wife Suzanne, my family and my friends who put stupid drive time in so they can come work on my car.
Brett, John Groo, The Breck’s, Luke, Andrew, Ted, Carl, Hanh Nguyen…Thank you!

El Blano would also like to thank his generous sponsors for their help.
YachtingSolutions.com – An industry-leading yachting services provider.
MaineIndoorKarting.com – Maine’s safest, fastest, and most thrilling karting facility.
Sebago Brewing Company – Maine’s premier restaurant and brewery.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
Workers and organizers..  Ted Goddard, John Buffum, Greg Healy, Ted & Lise Mendham, Kathy Moody, Tim O’Neil, Anders Green, these are the people making it happen.  Hats off!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Beer…beer is good and is meant to be shared.

It’s a shame Aslousen Oberstierskin aka: El Blanco, aka: Michael White, aka: that guy with the bad ass Saab lives all the way up in Maine. We at Gearbox Magazine (based in Phoenix, Arizona) would really love to rally with this cat. If you’d like to get to know El Blanco – look him up on Facebook!

What about you? Agree with what Michael has to say about Max Attack prizes, spectators, or beer? Leave us a comment. Let us know! Thanks for reading!

We know you had your sites set on besting Block in the championship. Now Block is out of contention and you’re engaged in a Mitsubishi dogfight for the final podium. It would seem this has been a monumental year for the championship. How has 2010 treated BMS?
2010 has been a great year for BMS.  We have had very good luck and everything has gone as planned throughout the season.  I would not say that we set out to beat Block, specifically, as much as we were hoping to be competing in that upper tier of competitors.  I feel that we have accomplished that.  The fact that we are actually in contention for the championship is amazing to me.  We have been able to put the car on the podium every event this year except for the Olympus Rally.  The truth be told we had the 3rd podium spot at Olympus as well, but penalty time was added for hitting a chicane and there was a minor timing error on our part.  Beyond those issues I know that we have been at a podium “pace” for the entire season.

With just one event left on the Rally America schedule, is it mathematically possible for BMS to overtake L’Estage in the points race and take home the trophy? What will it take to make that happen?
There is a possibility we could still win the championship.  Antoine would have to have an issue of some sort in order for that to happen.  Our team has actually become very close with the Rockstar Energy team this year and I would hate to see Antoine lose the championship due to some stupid issue.  If I had been faster all season I may have a different opinion.  Keep in mind though that the Rockstar Energy team has some significant financial support that we lack.  They are in the upper tier I was referring to earlier.  Money or not, Antoine has really earned his position this year, besting us at every event except Oregon Trail.

The pressure must be intense. What’s going through your mind as you go about your daily routines back home before NEFR?
At this point the pressure is off.  The long trips out west are over.  The short turn around between the west coast events and STPR is behind us and things are back to normal.  I have about a month to re-prep the car and its only 3hrs drive to NEFR.  We have already secured 2nd in the championship before NEFR even starts.  I think very few people really understand the time and money and time and time that have gone into this.  I have a slight feeling of satisfaction with these results.  I have always felt that, given the opportunity, I could run at the front.  This year with a sliver of the budget of the other teams, a less powerful and nearly five year old car, we have done just that.  I am proud.  Proud of myself and my efforts and of my family for sticking this out, especially my father who is working on the car at least as much as me.  My parents are probably never get to retire now either.  Thanks guys!

What’s the plan of attack for NEFR? Maximum attack? How hard are you going to make things for L’Estage?
I am going into NEFR hoping to have another good result and most importantly have fun.  Nothing I can do can win me the championship so its back to the roots of simply having fun rather than racing for points.  Naturally the spirit of competition is still there so we will go quickly, but we have to keep in mind that the X-Games are 2 weeks later in LA.  If we have a big off we will never make it in our own car.  By the way we do plan to attend this year for the first time!

Bill and Peter will be charging into the woods of Maine the weekend of July 16th and 17th for the final round of the 2010 Rally America national championship. Will L’Estage hold on to the lead or will Bacon fry him before the final control? Whatever happens, we wish both Mitsubishi drivers – and indeed, the entire field of competitors – the best runs of their careers.

May the cars and the stages be kind, and may you all trade times with your closest rivals the whole weekend long. Here’s wishing everyone at New England Forest Rally all the thrills of their first rally. Press on regardless.

All images (save L’Estage & Bacon on-stage) courtesy Mike Constable of FotosByMike.