OLYMPIA, Wash., November 16, 2006 – The final round of the 2006 Rally American National Championship will be held at the Wild West Rally, December 1-3. Among the drivers already entered in the Wild West Rally are X Games stars Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, and “Cowboy” Kenny Bartram, National drivers Bruce Davis and Amy BeberVanzo and local competitors Gary Cavett and Dave Hintz.
The rally is headquartered at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, WA and the competition is held on logging roads west and southwest of Shelton and at the Straddleline ORV Park near McCleary.
Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom have already gained enough points to have captured the 2006 Rally America National Championship. They will compete at the Wild West rally and continue to push the racing series to new heights.
With most of the National Championship battles having already been settled, no one will be playing it safe for championship points. Every team entered will be going for the win. Also, since it is the last rally of the season, no one will be saving their car for the next rally. These factors combined with the unpredictable western Washington weather should result in a very exciting rally.
“The organizers of the Wild West Rally are very exited about the Rally America series coming to Washington for the last round of there championship. We welcome all the teams and fans from around the USA and Canada to compete and watch the best rally roads in the USA. We have planned a very action-packed weekend with our partners Subaru Western Region, Red Bull and Toys for Tots,” says Steve McQuaid, Assistant Rally Manager.
The Wild West Rally is actually three rallies in one. The Wild West Rally competition is held over two days. Each leg of the rally is also a Regional championship whose participants are mostly local competitors.
The Wild West Rally was a last minute addition to the Rally America National calendar. It was originally scheduled as a Regional rally to be held in September, but fire risk caused it to be postponed. The Wild West awards banquet will also host the Rally America National awards presentation.
This year, the Wild West Rally is working with Toys For Tots, collecting toys in exchange at the Friday night Welcome Party and Autograph Session at the Red Lion Hotel and Saturday Spectator Stage at the Straddleline ORV Park.
More information (including a detailed schedule) about the rally can be found at the Wild West Rally web site, www.wildwestrally.org or at Rally America at www.rally-america.com
ABOUT RALLY AMERICA
Rally America is the premiere rally racing championship in North America. Rally racing features real cars racing against the clock on closed-off sections of real roads that are usually unpaved and unforgiving. There are no ovals, pace cars or rain delays. Events can last several days and cover hundreds of miles through rain, snow, day or night. This is an extreme test of skill, speed and endurance – which makes rally racing the world’s most exciting motor sport, and one that is quickly growing in North America.
DRIVERS
Rally racing teams are led by a driver and their co-driver. Insiders and even casual fans consider rally drivers to be the best all around drivers on the planet. They must master every road surface and every weather condition while possessing the endurance and stamina needed to make it through long hours and hundreds of miles. As the old saying goes, “Circuit racers see 10 turns 1000 times while rally drivers see 1000 turns 1 time!”
CO-DRIVERS
The key to a rally driver’s success is their co-driver. Rally drivers cannot practice the course and must rely on their navigator (or co-driver) to survive. The co-driver uses a computerized odometer along with a supplied route book to communicate to the driver what lies ahead on the road. The route book describes in detail the road ahead and includes warnings for hazards such as cliffs, trees and junctions. Rally drivers determine what speed and angle to enter each turn or crest in the road by listening to their co-driver’s constant instructions.
Contacts:
Allan Perry, PR Director: Wild West Rally, [email protected], 206-499-5501
Marc Feuerstein, PR Director: Rally America, [email protected], 212-704-0488 x. 212 or 310-850-6272