Local hotshoe bests two dozen other two-wheel-drive rally competitors to claim victory at the New England Forest Rally.
Portland, OR (July 28, 2011) – The second round of the 2011 MaxAttack! Series, presented by the Danza del Sol Winery, witnessed a dominating performance by local hero Chris Duplessis and co-driver Karl Atkinson as they took a comfortable victory in their new Ford Fiesta R2. The duo rarely put a wheel wrong all weekend. For the efforts, Duplessis and Atkinson received a $1500 prize and are now tied for the lead of the quest for the prestigious Max Attack! Championship and the Jake Himes Cup.
Runners-up Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey continue to develop their Scion XD, and their finish certainly vindicates the potential of their Scion. The team faced a litany of problems, however, as a cracked oil pan and a cracked downpipe limited their speed on some of the stages. The top three was completed by Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner, in a Ford Fiesta. Also receiving prize money from the MaxAttack! series were Kevin Turner and Robert Sockalexis in a Subaru Impreza with their fourth-place finish, and the crowd-favorite Datsun 280Z of Greg Healey and Cindy Krolikowski, who finished in fifth.
Behind the top five, the rough stages took their toll on both finishers and non-finishers alike. Martin Walter and Ferd Trauttmansdorff were running a solid fourth-place for most of the rally in their Nissan 240SX, but two flat tires on Stage 8 cost them almost 15 minutes. Later in the rally they collapsed the right front strut, and spent the last stages picking their way around the biggest of the rocks and bumps. It was also a fraught weekend for the Honda Civic of Brian Gottlieb and Patrick Darrow. They broke their skid plate early on, and their crew lashed together a replacement composed of polyethylene cutting boards purchased at a local store. Later the team cracked the Honda's transmission case, and on the last stage center-punched a tree. They were able to limp to the end of the stage, and were flat-towed to the finish by good samaritans Walter and Trauttmansdorff.
The rough stages took their toll on a number of competitors, with dented skid plates and cracked oil pans being a common complaint, along with blown struts, bent wheels, and flat tires. Verena Mei and Keith Morison ended Verena's debut rally as a driver with a soft rollover at the Errol Super Special. Pre-event favorites Doug Shepherd and Karen Jankowski broke a strut early in the rally and were among the first victims, a rare DNF for their Dodge SRT-4. Wyatt Knox and Ole Holter, winners of the Washington MaxAttack! round, were forced out of the rally with an engine fire, while local favorites Mike White and George Loef blew the head gasket in their SAAB 900. Kristin Pryzybysz and Meghan Roy damaged a wheel bearing, and later retired when their Subaru overheated. The Greasecar VW Rabbit of Justin Carven and Geoff Clark was slowed first by a gearbox oil leak, then an electrical short.
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 RallyCar, Inc.
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., RallyCar sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2011, RallyCar is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Newry, Maine. RallyCar competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, RallyCar sanctions the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship featuring rally cars racing door-to-door on tricky tarmac/dirt race tracks. More information about rally and rallycross can be found at www.rally-america.com, and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.
Photo by Mat Janiak | WorldRallySport.com
--30--
