Portland, OR (October 17, 2007) – The final event in the new MaxAttack! Triple Crown Rally Series will roll into Houghton, Michigan on October 26 and 27. Sanctioned by Rally America, the Lake Superior Performance Rally will cover over 100 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 16 two-wheel-drive rally cars from six different marques will make the finale the most competitive event yet in the series.
In the first event of the MaxAttack! Triple Crown Rally Series, the Oregon Trail Rally, New York-based driver Andrew Havas and Québecois co-driver François Morin emerged victorious in a Honda Civic, finishing just ahead of the Ford Focus of Kyle Sarasin and Mikael Johansson. In the second event, Rally West Virginia, Sarasin and Johansson took the victors’ laurels, and with it the championship points lead. Lake Superior will be a homecoming for local driver Sarasin, who hails from nearby Marquette. He and Swedish co-driver Johansson have 18 points, and the only team that can realistically challenge them for the championship is the Mazdaspeed3 of Eric Burmeister and Dave Shindle, who have 12 points.
But it’s not just the season championship that excites competitors in the series; there is also a significant prize fund. Each of the three events in the MaxAttack! Triple Crown Rally Series features an $8,000 prize fund to be distributed among the top six two-wheel-drive teams.
Long-time local competitor, Mark Utecht from Stacy, Minn., is excited about the opportunity to participate in the MaxAttack! Triple Crown. “I have seen both sides of the all-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive battle. I feel it is MUCH more difficult to go fast in a 2wd car; it is also much less expensive. There are a great number of excellent drivers in 2wd cars that are not getting recognized, and MaxAttack! is helping to remedy that situation.”
The thunder and gravel spray of Utecht’s 5.0 Ford Mustang is always popular with the spectators, and he and co-driver Rob Bohn look forward to challenging the opposition, much of which comes from front-drive, turbocharged cars. Utecht adds, “AT LSPR we are going to have multiple rally champion Doug Shepherd (Dodge SRT-4) going against upstart Kyle Sarasin (Ford Focus), with Cary Kendall fighting hard in his Dodge SRT-4. Of course there will be a number of other drivers trying to spoil their fun (myself included). I’m expecting some fireworks!”
Despite the excitement in the air about the MaxAttack! finale, there is a bit of sadness as well. Jake Himes, one of the founders of the series, recently lost his battle with cancer, and this will be the first MaxAttack! event without his infectious enthusiasm and “can do” attitude. “His inspiration lives on in the MaxAttack! Triple Crown Series,” explains series co-founder Eric Burmeister. “The championship trophy has been named the 'Jake Himes Cup' in his honor.”
