More than 20 two-wheel-drive rally cars will contest the final MaxAttack! round in the Copper Country of the Upper Peninsula, with shares of a $5000 prize fund up for grabs
Portland, OR (October 12, 2011) – The final round of the 2011 MaxAttack! Series, presented by the Danza del Sol winery, will roll into the Upper Peninsula Michigan towns of Houghton, L'Anse, and Kenton on October 15 and 16. Sanctioned by Rally America, and billed as the Longest, Toughest, and Meanest rally on the circuit, the Lake Superior Performance Rally will cover nearly 130 racing miles that will test rally teams on a variety of road surfaces, in an event where constantly changing weather conditions can significantly alter the outcome of the event. An excellent field of more than twenty two-wheel-drive rally cars will make the finale one to remember as they fight for a piece of the $5000 purse.
The event favorite has to be Louisiana youngster Dillon Van Way, teamed with Oregonian Jake Blattner in a Ford Fiesta. Their turbocharged Fiesta has proven to be quite a speedy ride, and a third-place finish at the New England Forest Rally should give the team all the motivation they need to go two spots better. Canadian brothers Jan and Jody Zedril are once again bringing their Mitsubishi Lancer south from Winnipeg, and they are no strangers to rallies in Minnesota and Michigan. This popular duo has already clinched the 2011 Group 5 title in the Canadian Rally Championship, and unlike last year their Lancer now boasts turbocharged power.
Joseph Burke, who is coming to the Upper Peninsula all the way from Georgia, will be teamed with Alex Kihuani in another Ford Fiesta, an R2 model that is normally-aspirated and will run in Group 2. Burke, the 2010 Rally America national Rookie of the Year, has most recently run a potent Open Class Mitsubishi Lancer, and finished on the national podium at the 2011 Sno*Drift Rally (also held in Michigan). Chris Greenhouse always goes well at Lake Superior; he is teamed with Brian Johnson in a Plymouth Neon. In a Honda Civic are Silas and Matt Himes, brothers of Jake Himes, one of the founders of MaxAttack! and in whose honor the championship trophy is named.
Older and rear-wheel-drive cars are always popular with spectators, and no exception is the 1970 VW Beetle of brothers Mark and John Huebbe from Missouri. Jim Scray and Colin Vickman are competing in a 1972 Datsun 510, and Lake Superior veterans Chris Czyzio and Jeff Secor have teamed up in a 1980 Volvo 242. Ian Seppanen and Daniel Clark will team up in a 1991 Nissan 240SX. Rotary is represented by locals Mychal Summers and Ryan DesLaurier, who run their 1987 Mazda RX-7 out of L’Anse, Michigan, where some of the event service stops will take place. Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters represent the truck fans in their 1991 GMC Sonoma.
There are eleven manufacturers represented in the field, with Volkswagen being the must numerous at six entries. There are four Fords, including two new Fiestas, three teams running Datsun/Nissan products, and there are two Hondas. One car (or truck) will be seen from GMC, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Hyundai, Eagle, Plymouth, and Volvo.
The 2011 MaxAttack! series champion and prestigious Jake Himes Cup winner is decided in a “Shootout” fashion at this event. Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner are the only Lake Superior entrants that ran one of the qualifying events, so all they have to do is finish to take home the Jake Himes Cup. But the question remains… Will Van Way and Blattner cruise to secure the season championship, or will they battle with the Zedrils, Burke, Greenhouse and others for the $1500 first-place check? Only time will tell.
Once again, Alex Gelsomino, co-driver of the Monster World Rally Team Ford Fiesta driven by Ken Block, is supporting the MaxAttack! series by presenting a $500 cash prize to the highest-finishing rookie co-driver in the championship. To qualify, a co-driver must not have done more than five event weekends prior to Lake Superior. Pascal Belperron, who placed seventh at the New England Forest Rally with Edward McNelly, is currently leading this chase. Pascal is not entered at Lake Superior, so with a number of novice co-drivers contesting the Lake Superior Rally, this generous award is still up for grabs.
The MaxAttack! Rally Series Presented by Danza del Sol consists of three events across the country, and each event features a $5,000 prize fund to be distributed among the top two-wheel-drive teams, as well as a season championship with the winners receiving coveted Jake Himes Cup. For more information about the MaxAttack! Series and the Rallysports Group of America, please visit http://www.max-attack.com.
The three events that will constitute the 2011 MaxAttack! Rally Series Presented by Danza del Sol are:
• Olympus Rally, April 30-May 1, Ocean Shores, WA, http://www.olympusrally.com
• New England Forest Rally, July 15-16, Bethel, ME, http://www.newenglandforestrally.com
• Lake Superior Performance Rally, October 14-16, Houghton, MI, http://www.lsprorally.com
The Olympus Rally and the New England Forest Rally are the west and east coast Qualifying events, and the Lake Superior Performance Rally is the central Shootout event.
About Danza del Sol Winery
Nestled in the rolling hills of the beautiful Temecula Wine Valley, Danza Del Sol Winery is a thirty-five acre estate winery located in Southern California’s Wine Country. While Danza Del Sol’s tasting room officially opened in February 2010, the winery itself already has a remarkable history. The estate was previously owned by Dr. William Filsinger and his late wife Katharine, who provided the Temecula Wine Valley with exceptional wines for nearly 30 years. Danza Del Sol is dedicated to producing a unique range of premium varietal and proprietary blended wines that are sure to exceed your expectations, at affordable prices. For more information, please visit http://danzadelsol.com/.
About Rallysports Group of America
Rallysports Group of America, Inc. (RSGA) was formed as an organization in 2006 to advance the sport of performance stage rally in the United States. By providing education on performance driving, car preparation and safety, and by fostering the growth of meaningful competition, RSGA seeks to provide a sustainable and competitive arena for the advancement of North American performance rally that promotes increased value for rally competitors, organizers, and sponsors alike. For more information, please visit http://www.max-attack.com.
About Rally America, Inc.
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2012, Rally America is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about rally can be found at www.rally-america.com, and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.
Photo: WorldRallySport.com | Aaron Kathman
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