Lauchlin O’Sullivan and Karen Wagner Win the 2009 Jake Himes Cup with a First Place MaxAttack! victory at the Ojibwe Forests Rally
• Another amazing drive sees two-wheel-drive Dodge SRT-4 taking fifth overall
• Third-year two-wheel-drive series setting new standard for next-day rally coverage on YouTube
• Knox/Headland (Mazda), Duplessis/Woods (VW), Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi), and Bushore/DeMotte (VW) round out the top 5 and take home part of the MaxAttack! purse.
All eyes were set upon the Ojibwe Forests Rally last weekend where the best two-wheel-drive drivers in the country converged in Bemidji, Minnesota for the final round of the 2009 MaxAttack! series. The winners of the east coast New England Forest Rally MaxAttack! round, Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods in their VW mk2 GTI, went head-to-head against the winners of the west coast Idaho Rally MaxAttack!, Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Karen Wagner in their Dodge Neon SRT4, in what concluded an epic 2009 MaxAttack! championship.
After the dust settled, the winner of the Ojibwe MaxAttack! and 2009 Jake Himes Cup were O'Sullivan and Wagner, who after a slow start led the 2wd field for most of the rally. After the rally, here is what Karen Wagner had to say about their victory, "I had a dream come true year last year winning both the Rally America Group 5 and 2wd National Championships. The one Championship that I wanted but eluded me was MaxAttack! (I came in 3rd in '07, and 2nd in '08). I met Jake Himes and thought a lot of him, so finally winning the MaxAttack! Championship this year means so much to me. Also getting my very first National overall win in the process will make this something I will never forget!"
Duplessis and Woods had trouble early with an off one mile into Stage 2. Not ones to give up, the team fought back for a third place MaxAttack! finish and an overall win for the Day 2 10,000 Lakes Regional Rally. Wyatt Knox and Martin Headland, who took 2nd at the NEFR MaxAttack!, were a threat throughout the weekend in their Mazda MAZDASPEED3 and finished second in MaxAttack!. Rounding out the top 5 money paying positions were Jan and Jody Zedril, who finished 4th in their Mitsubishi Lancer, and Matt Bushore and Kim DeMotte, who finished 5th in their VW Jetta.
Other notable MaxAttackers were Mark Utecht and Rob Bohn, who arrived at Ojibwe with a 2010 Ford Mustang after winning the Ford Mustang Unleashed Competition. Mark was fast, winning the Paul Bunyan regional rally, but failed to place in the money after getting stuck on a berm on Day 2.
Winner of the Terra Firma MaxAttack! Air award for biggest jump at the Super Special on Friday was Dan Adamson/Matt Nichols in their Saturn SL. Finally with a 3rd place finish in the MaxAttack! event at the Idaho Rally, Amy Bakchis wins the MaxAttack! Rookie Co-driver of the Year, presented by Alex Gelsomino. For Amy's excellent work in the right seat, she gets:
http://www.pacenote.com co-driver's bag.
-Recce kit (pacenote book, pencil, stage times compatison book, eraser, pencil leads).
-Copilote professional co-driver's watch.
-Nicky Grist Codriver's DVD.
Thanks to Alex Gelsomino for again supporting MaxAttack! 2wd Rally Series!
The 2009 MaxAttack! Rally Series, presented by the Rallysports Group of America, consisted of three events across the country, and each event featured a $5,000 prize fund to be distributed among the top two-wheel-drive teams, as well as a season championship. The team that accumulated the highest point total from one of the qualifying events and the central shootout was awarded the prestigious Jake Himes Cup. Rally Idaho and the New England Forest Rally were the two qualifying events, with the final shootout being at Minnesota’s Ojibwe Forest Rally, August 28-29.
For more information about the MaxAttack! Rally Series and the Rallysports Group of America, please visit http://www.max-attack.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.
