Max-Attack.com - Lake Superior Performance Rally

MaxAttack! Live Event Updates From LSPR

Shenan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:55:06 +0000

In addition to visiting max-attack.com, you can find more info and discuss this weekend's action at these links:

Live Stage Times: Visit the LSPR MaxAttack! Page at Rally America for times and other event details.
Forum: Visit our MaxAttack! forum on SpecialStage.com to read and join the discussions.
Twitter: Follow us @MaxAttackRally. and also watch the #maxattack hashtag for news.
Facebook: Like our Facebook page to receive updates, or visit the page to post and read comments.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Jan and Jody Zedril Win the MaxAttack! event at Lake Superior; Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner Earn the Jake Himes Cup

Shenan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:18:15 +0000

22 two-wheel-drive rally cars battle for cash and glory at the season finale of the 2011 MaxAttack! Two Wheel Drive Series presented by Danza del Sol

Portland, OR (November 3, 2011) – The third and final round of the 2011 MaxAttack! Series, presented by the Danza del Sol winery, took place on October 15 and 16 in the copper country of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This year the event returned to a traditional two-day format, and 22 teams faced 130 stage miles of the toughest and most challenging roads around the towns of Houghton, L'Anse, and Kenton. The weather for the Lake Superior Rally is frequently a factor, and this year was no exception. The rains pelted down on Friday night, and winds were blowing at 30mph with gusts over 50. The Beacon Hill and Bob Lake stages were particularly treacherous, between diabolically slippery mud on the former and huge ruts on the latter. Saturday was drier, but the winds continued to blow.

The winner of the MaxAttack! round at Lake Superior was the Mitsubishi Lancer of Canadians Jan and Jody Zedril. The brothers scarcely put a wheel wrong all weekend, and were rewarded with a victory of almost two minutes. Behind them, however, teams were challenged by the conditions. The Ford Fiesta of Joseph Burke and Alex Kihurani could not get warm air to blow out of their defroster all weekend, and while many teams were reporting fogging windshields, the problem was substantially more acute for the Ford team. They did persevere to claim the runner-up spot. Third-place finishers Billy Mann and Mary Warren, in a Honda Civic, hit something so hard on the Far Point stage that it moved the right front wheel back several inches. They installed a new control arm for Saturday's stages, but the Honda was still not handling properly.

The Himes brothers, Silas and Matt, had a good run in their Honda Civic for a fourth place finish. Their drama for the weekend occurred on Stage 4, when they lost a wheel. They lost over ten minutes to their closest competitors, but managed to claw back to just 16 seconds behind Mann and Warren. The Volvo 240 of Chris Czyzio/Jeff Secor and the Nissan 240SX of Ian Seppanen and Daniel Clark both reported that rear-wheel-drive was a handful in the slop on Friday night, but the drier Saturday conditions were more to their liking and they finished fifth and sixth respectively. Behind them came first-time ralliers Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters in a GMC Sonoma, who managed to make it through the weekend and had big grins on their faces at every service. The Ford Focus of Cameron Steely and Josh Buller survived brake, cooling and fogging issues, as well as an off, to survive the first night and ultimately finish the rally in eighth.

In true Press on Regardless fashion, the team of Daryn Chernick and Matthew Conte used great creativity to finish the event. They were caught out, like a lot of teams, on a "Right 5 over Kick" instruction on the Arvon Towers stage, and they rolled their VW GTI and smashed the windshield. Officials would not let the team continue with the car in that condition, so the team borrowed a windshield from Mitsubishi Evo driver Art Gruszka, and with copious quantities of duct tape were able to secure the Evo windshield to their VW and run the last five stages to record a ninth place finish.

Pre-event favorites Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner, in a turbocharged Ford Fiesta, did not make it through Friday night. They were plagued for a while with a slipping clutch, but by the end of the evening the clutch failed completely and they were not able to finish. Transmission problems sidelined the VW Jetta of Matt and Andrew Bushore, and the Eagle Talon of Erik Hill and Oliver Cooper. Motor problems took out the classic Datsun 510 of Jim Scray and Colin Vickman, as well as the Plymouth Neon of Chris Greenhouse and Brian Johnson and the VW GTI of Kristofer Yahner and Tony Benusa. The crowd-favorite VW Beetle of brothers Mark and John Huebbe succumbed to distributor failure and was not able to finish.

The Top 5 finishers in the final round of the 2011 MaxAttack! series, and prize money won, were:

1. Jan Zedril/Jody Zedril, Mitsubishi Lancer ($1500)
2. Joseph Burke/Alex Kihurani, Ford Fiesta ($1200)
3. Billy Mann/Mary Warren, Honda Civic ($1000)
4. Silas Himes/Matt Himes, Honda Civic ($800)
5. Chris Czyzio/Jeff Secor, Volvo 240 ($500).

The winners of the coveted Jake Himes Cup for 2011 were driver Dillon Van Way and co-driver Jake Blattner in their Ford Fiesta. "They were really fun roads, really smooth, and the weather was great," said co-driver Jake Blattner. He adds, "It's always great to get in the car, but the championship adds meaning to the competition and brings out the best. I really think MaxAttack! is the best series out there right now."

The 2011 MaxAttack! Rookie Co-Driver of the Year, sponsored by Alex Gelsomino of the Monster World Rally Team, was awarded to Mary Warren, who finished third at Lake Superior with driver Billy Mann in a Honda Civic. Alex generously donated the $500 cash prize that rewards the top-finishing MaxAttack! co-driver with five or fewer rally weekends of experience.

The Terra Firma Clothing Company awarded Max Improver awards to the two teams that improved the most from their starting position to their finishing position. The second place team was the VW GTI of Daryn Chernick and Matthew Conte. The winners were first-time ralliers Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters in a GMC Sonoma, who started twenty-first but finished seventh.

The Rallysports Group of America would like to thank the organizers of the Lake Superior Performance Rally for their gracious assistance and support, all the volunteers, and Rally America.

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 made up the 2011 MaxAttack! Rally Series Presented by Danza del Sol were:
• 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 were the west and east coast Qualifying events, and the Lake Superior Performance Rally was 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 | Scott Rains

--30--

Additional photos available upon request.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

Final Results from Lake Superior

Ben — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:10:32 +0000

Results are official, prizes have been awarded, and here are the final MaxAttack! results from the 2011 Lake Superior Rally.

1. Jan Zedril/Jody Zedril, Mitsubishi Lancer, 2:20:34

2. Joseph Burke/Alex Kihurani, Ford Fiesta R2, 2:22:32

3. Billy Mann/Mary Warren, Honda Civic, 2:33:13

4. Silas Himes/Matt Himes, Honda Civic, 2:33:29

5. Chris Czyzio/Jeff Secor, Volvo 240, 2:46:15

6. Ian Seppanen/Daniel Clark, Nissan 240SX, 2:58:48

7. Steve Brockelman/Dustin Masters, GMC Sonoma, 2:59:21

8. Cameron Steely/Josh Buller, Ford Focus, 3:01:20

9. Daryn Chernick/Matt Conte, VW GTi, 3:08:34

DNF. Mark Huebbe/John Huebbe, VW Beetle, unknown

DNF. Chris Greenhouse/Brian Johnson, Plymouth Neon, motor

DNF. Derek McCorison/Paul Johansen, Hyundai Tiburon, unknown

DNF. Bryan Holder/Tracy Payeur, Plymouth Neon, suspension

DNF. Dillon Van Way/Jake Blattner, Ford Fiesta, clutch

DNF. David Grenwis/Drew Burkholder, electrical

DNF. Mychal Summers/Ryan DesLauriers, Mazda RX-7, mechanical

DNF. Paul Donlin/Jonathan Tinsey, Ford Escort, belt

DNF. Jim Scray/Colin Vickman, Datsun 510, motor

DNF. Matt Bushore/Andrew Bushore, VW Jetta, transmission

DNF. Erik Hill/Oliver Cooper, Eagle Talon, transmission

DNF. Kristofer Yahner/Tony Benusa, VW GTI, mechanical

The money winners were:

$1500 - Jan Zedril/Jody Zedril

$1200 - Joseph Burke/Alex Kihurani

$1000 - Billy Mann/Mary Warren

$800 - Silas Himes/Matt Himes

$500 - Chris Czyzio/Jeff Secor.

By virtue of being the only team at LSPR that ran one of the east or west coast qualifying events, the single starting point earned by Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner was enough to claim the 2011 Jake Himes Cup.

The winner of the Alex Gelsomino Novice Co-Driver award was Mary Warren, who co-drove in the #37 Honda Civic for driver Billy Mann this weekend. She receives a $500 cash prize from Alex, co-driver for the Monster World Rally Team Ford Fiesta. Alex has been a staunch supporter of the MaxAttack! championship, and we would like to thank him very much for his continued generosity.

Another special award was the Max Improver Award, presented by the Terra Firma Clothing Company. This award is presented to the MaxAttack! team that improved the most from their start position to their finish position. There was a clear winner, but there was another performance that was impressive enough to cause Terra Firma to issue a second prize. The second place finishers were Daryn Chernick and Matt Conte in a VW GTI. They each receive a $15 credit from Terra Firma. The winner was the GMC Sonoma crew of Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, who each receive $25 towards Terra Firma clothing. Thank you Terra Firma for providing this award.

I would like to offer another correction to a previously-issued press release. The Zedrils' Mitsubishi Lancer is not turbocharged, as we originally stated. Their car runs in Group 5 in Canada because their normally-aspirated motor exceeds CARS Group 2 specifications. But it does fit into Rally America Group 2 regulations. Hence the confusion.

MaxAttack! would like to thank the Danza del Sol winery for their support of the program. Thanks also to the competitors who believe in the sprit of two-wheel-drive grassroots rallying, and also the organizers who make MaxAttack! feel so welcome at their events. Thanks also to Rally America for their support and assistance in 2011. It has been a great season.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

LSPR News from L'Anse Service 3

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:13:15 +0000

An update from the third L'Anse Service

-Jan and Jody Zedril, in the #708 Mitsubishi Lancer, were disappointed that they could not run Stage 14. Stage 15 was good and dry, although they were four seconds slower the second time through. Baraga Plains was softer, but it was a fun stage. The car is good, no drama, and with two stages remaining they just want to bring it home.

-Joseph Burke, driver of the #115 Ford Fiesta, sheepishly admits that it did not click in his mind that Saturday was a new regional event. He was getting times for Dillon Van Way from co-driver Alex Kihuani, but he thought it was for the weekend. They are down by about 15 seconds today. He was disappointed that Menge Creek was transited, as he does better on the twisty stages whereas Van Way is quicker on the faster stages. "Horsepower is king," says Burke.

-Dillon Van Way, driver of the #600 Ford Fiesta, said that Stage 15 felt awesome. He and co-driver Jake Blattner say that the stage felt like the best of the weekend. They were slower through the stage than their first time through, and he is waiting to see some other times. There is nothing to lose so he's MaxAttack!'n it. The car is running the best it has ever been.

-Matt Himes, co-driver to Silas Himes in the #535 Honda Civic, says that Stage 15 went OK. They are just riding it out to the end, and that they are fine with where they are in the standings.

-Billy Mann, driver of the #37 Honda Civic (with co-driver Mary Warren), was 15 seconds faster through Baraga Plains than the first pass. He is close to the Himes brothers, there is less than a minute separating them and the Himes brothers with two stages to go. The stage just felt better, like he had a better rhythm than last time. The front end is still dancing around a bit, but he has been playing with the brake bias which he says has improved things a lot. The rear end is stepping out a bit more under left foot braking, which he likes.

-Chris Czyzio, driver of the #244 Volvo 240, was disappointed to have to transit Stage 14. It is, in his estimation, the premier stage of the event. He and co-driver Jeff Secor did well on Baraga Plains. The car is handling great, and he is looking forward to the final two stages.

-The Ford Focus, #824, of Cameron Steely and Josh Buller has no problems to report. The brakes are fixed, and the team shaved 10 seconds off their first pass through Baraga Plains. They have more confidence, and are doing better.

-Steve Brockelman, driver of the #262 GMC Sonoma, says nothing broke, there were no blown out tires, and he is happy. He is enjoying the stages, and that Menge Creek was "ridiculous" in the best of ways. He and co-driver Dustin Masters were disappointed not to be able to run it a second time.

-We have not talked much this weekend with John Kimmes and Greg Smith, drivers of the #751 VW GTI. Due to illness, John was not able to race on Friday, so he was a little concerned with how today would go. They had a minor electrical problem, but it was fixed. He is having a great day today, and he is happy to support MaxAttack! even though he was only able to race one day.

-Local boys Mychal Summers and Ryan DesLauriers, in the #128 Mazda RX-7, are having fun today. The co-driver is behaving and the car is exceptionally good. They just want to finish tonight, and not record another DNF.

-David Grenwis and Drew Burkholder are going well in the #654 VW GTI. All is good, and they are having a great time. Today's stages are more fun than yesterday; they are smooth, flowing, and most of all dry.

-Stage 15 was relatively trouble-free for the #841 VW GTI, which, as you may remember, was fitted with an Evo windshield following an earlier rollover. Driver Daryn Chernick confirmed that it was Art Gruszka who was the good samaritan that provided the windshield. The Evo windshield worked perfectly, and it made him feel faster than before. They are still running without an odometer. Co-driver Matt Conte noted that they were going to go back and re-run the stage on which they rolled. The driver is pumped up now, but they really just want to finish.

-The #551 VW GTI of Kristofer Yahner and Tony Benusa is going well, and the team is having a lot of fun on today's stages. The car is running well now, although they are going deaf because they don't have fifth gear and fourth gets a bit wound out on the transits.

-Erik Hill and Oliver Cooper, in the #864 Eagle Talon, discovered that a front sub-frame support had cracked. The fit a plate, welded it in, and everything is now fine. The road surface of Stage 15 was loose, but they picked up four seconds from the first running. They are looking forward to the last two stages.

-The #240 240SX of Ian Seppanen and Daniel Clark is doing awesome. They are enjoying the beautiful Michigan weather. The team is sad they had to transit Stage 14, but they are looking forward to another run through Herman. The car has a bit of a clunk in the front, but it is taking a lot of abuse and just won't give up.

Here are the standings through 15 of 17 stages:

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer) 2:09:02

2. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta) 2:11:14

3. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic) 2:21:02

4. Himes/Hims (Honda Civic) 2:21:48

5. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240) 2:33:12

6. Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX) 2:45:28

7. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma) 2:46:11

8. Steely/Buller (Ford Focus) 2:48:25

9. Chernick/Conte (VW GTI) 2:54:20

The list of DNFs remains the same.

We'll try to get a word with teams as they check into the final MTC.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

LSPR News from L'Anse Service 2

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:35:22 +0000

Updates from L'Anse Service #2

-It turns out that the Jim Scray/Colin Vickman Datsun 510 blew a motor last night, thus their DNF.

-It has been confirmed that Chris Greenhouse/Brian Johnson did, indeed, blow a rather comprehensive hole in the block of their Plymouth Neon.

-The VW Beetle of Mark and John Huebbe has officially retired from the rally. We have not been able to find the exact reason, but one assumes it pertains to their earlier ignition problems.

-Jan and Jody Zedril averted catastrophe by inches on a notorious Right 5 over Kick on the Arvon Tower stage. The kick was really more of a jump. The brothers drove the Mitsubishi Lancer to the end of the stage with a rear wheel packed full of junk and horribly out of balance. They lost some time but they still maintain a sizable lead in MaxAttack!

-Alex Kihurani, co-driving for Joseph Burke in the #115 Ford Fiesta, reports that conditions today are decent, and the last two stages were good. The Zedrils are just too far ahead, so they just need to keep on moving. Joseph said that they bent a tie rod end on the same Arvon R5/kick that almost caught out the Zedrils. He says they are putting about four seconds a mile on the Mitsubishi, but there just is not enough stage mileage left to catch the leaders.

-Billy Mann thought that the infamous R5/kick was "hilarious." He is trying to ensure that he and co-driver Mary Warren stay in third place for the MaxAttack! money. He says the #37 Honda Civic is having a few minor mechanical issues.

-Silas and Matt Himes, in the #535 Honda Civic, tried the kick on Herman on the right side this year rather than the left side, and it threw them even higher. On the R5/kick on Arvon they went fast and high and landed in the water on the stage. Matti says they are having one moment per stage. Silas says that "this [the R5/kick] is just plain old dangerous."

-Chris Czyzio says that they got big air on the Arvon kick as well. The first section was rough, but Herman is in fantastic shape. He and Jeff Secor are going well in the #244 Volvo 240 and are having fun.

-Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters took the jump a little hot in their #262 GMC Sonoma. Nothing is broken, nothing is bent. They are still running sixth in MaxAttack!.

-Ian Seppanen and Daniel Clark said they got up to 100 miles per hour on Arvon in the #240 240SX, albeit not for a long time. Ian says the Nissan flies very well, and that the crew is doing a fine job.

-Cameron Steely and Josh Buller have resolved the cooling issue in the #824 Ford Focus. It turns out that it is a faulty temperature sensor that is causing the car to overheat. They are adding water after every stage, and are continuing.

-Daryn Chernick and Matt Conte have had an adventurous time of things in the #841 VW GTI. They were looking feverishly for a windshield, any windshield, to repair the damage from their rollover on the Arvon R5/kick. They had a wiggle on the landing, and when they put the right front in the water it caused a gentle rollover. They were able to secure a brand new Evo windshield from another team, kicked out the old one, and applied copious quantities of duct tape to secure the Evo windshield on the Golf.

-Jake Blattner said that the #600 Ford Fiesta, with Dillon Van Way behind the wheel, is running well and enjoying the stages.

-The crew of Dave Grenwis and Drew Burkholder report that the #654 VW GTI did not have any issues, and the driver and co-driver were off having a snack.

-The #551 VW GTI of Kristofer Yahner and Tony Benusa report no issues and they are having fun. The same applies for the #864 Erik Hill/Oliver Cooper Eagle Talon.

Here are the results through Stage 13 (of 17):

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer) 1:57:54

2. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta) 2:00:08

3. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic) 2:09:38

4. Himes/Himes (Honda Civic) 2:10:29

5. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240) 2:21:36

6. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma) 2:31:36

7. Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX) 2:33:41

8. Chernick/Conte (VW GTI) 2:42:08

DNF - Huebbe/Huebbe (VW Beetle)

DNF - Greenhouse/Johnson (Plymouth Neon)

DNF - McCorison/Johansen (Hyundai Tiburon)

DNF - Holder/Payeur (Plymouth Neon)

DNF - Van Way/Blattner (Ford Fiesta)

DNF - Grenwis/Burkholder (VW GTI)

DNF - Summers/DesLauriers (Mazda RX-7)

DNF - Donlin/Tinsey (Ford Escort)

DNF - Scray/Vickman (Datsun 510)

DNF - Bushore/Bushore (VW Jetta)

DNF - Hill/Cooper (Eagle Talon)

DNF - Yahner/Benusa (VW GTI)

Stage 14 is being transited, as the stage crew lost contact with the medical team.

Here are some photos from the second L'Anse service:

The Silas Himes/Matt Himes Honda Civic receives some attention at the second L'Anse service.

Joseph Burke and Eric Burmeister (Joseph is standing on a wheel...).

Chris Czyzio and Eric Burmeister

Daryn Chernick poses with the Evo windshield he procured to fit in his rolled VW Golf

Daryn Chernick and his crew chief fit the Evo windshield on the GTI, while glass is swept away.

It takes a lot of duct tape to affix an Evo windshield in a VW GTi.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

LSPR News from L'Anse Service 1

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:28:07 +0000

News from the first service of Day 2 at the L'Anse High School

An important piece of news is that the six cars who had their time cards yanked on Bob Lake 2 last night were given a time and are continuing on with MaxAttack!. So the field is not as decimated as was reported last night.

-Jan and Jody Zedril say that "today's stages are to die for," very predictable. There are no issues with the #708 Mitsubishi Lancer. They beat Burke by six seconds on the first stage, and five seconds on the second. They are just trying to manage their lead today.

-Dillon Van Way is back in for today, even though it is not for MaxAttack!. The #600 Ford Fiesta has a new (old) clutch, and he and Jake Blattner are back in action.

-Joseph Burke says that this is his first rally without doing recce, so the Jemba notes are not quite what he's used to. He and co-driver Alex Kihurani are holding down second place in their #115 Ford Fiesta, but the Zedrils are extending their lead on every stage.

-Matt Himes says that it is nice to have grip again. So far so good with the #535 Honda Civic driven by Silas Himes.

-Billy Mann and Mary Warren, in the #37 Honda Civic, put in a new control arm after severely bending one last night. The front end is still tweaked, but it drives pretty well, and the stages are much more enjoyable.

-Chris Czyzio and Jeff Secor in the #244 Volvo 240 report that Menge Creek was phenomenal, and suits the Volvo very, very well. It was not good for porcupines, as they almost hit one at speed. Baraga Plains was good too, but it was quite sandy.

-Mark and John Huebbe in the #242 VW Beetle are suffering an ignition problem. At the final MTC last night the tach went crazy. They've changed plugs and checked the wires. They are now thinking that it is something internal in the distributor. It is still unresolved, and it is giving them very intermittent power.

-The #551 VW GTI of Krisofer Yahner and Tony Benusa elaborated on their problems from Friday. They think that an injector was stuck and was causing the engine to flood every time they turned it off, and it would take it quite a while to re-start. There were also some shifting problems.

-Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, in the #262 GMC Sonoma, say that the old truck is loving the stages. Steve says he is "speechless to be doing so well in their very first rally." They had a good couple stages today.

-Chris Greenhouse and Brian Johnson are out of the rally. It is rumored that they ventilated the engine block of the #319 Plymouth Neon.

-Cameron Steely and Josh Buller, in the #824 Focus, are going again with operable brakes (they ripped off a right front hose last night). They were working on solving a coolant problem in service.

-Erik Hill and Oliver Cooper, in the #864 Eagle Talon, would like to thank Erik's father and uncle for the work on the car last night to get them back in today's rally.

-The RX-7 of Mychal Summers and Ryan DesLauriers is running well today. They were happy to be able to work on their car in a nice warm garage.

-Ian Seppanen, in the #240 Nissan 240SX, says that compared to last night the roads today are fabulous. He and co-driver Daniel Clark are happy to be back in the MaxAttack! rally.

-Bryan Holder and Tracy Payeur, in the #696 Plymouth Neon, were on the transit to the first stage today when their suspension let go. They were forced to withdraw from the rally.

Here are the MaxAttack! scores following the first two Saturday stages:

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer) 1:46:07

2. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta) 1:48:47

3. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic) 1:57:24

4. Himes/Himes (Honda Civic) 1:58:43

5. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240) 2:08:43

6. Huebbe/Huebbe (Volkswagen Beetle) 2:11:28

7. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma) 2:18:27

8. Chernick/Conte (VW GTI) 2:19:47

9. Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX) 2:20:06

10. Steely/Buller (Ford Focus) 2:24:08

DNF - Greenhouse/Johnson (Plymouth Neon) motor

DNF - McCorison/Johansen (Hyundai Tiburon) unknown

DNF - Holder/Payeur (Plymouth Neon) suspension

DNF - Van Way/Blattner (Ford Fiesta) clutch

DNF - Grenwis/Burkholder (VW GTI) unknown

DNF - Summers/DesLauriers (Mazda RX-) mechanical

DNF - Donlin/Tinsey (Ford Escort) belt

DNF - Scray/Vickman (Datsun 510) unknown

DNF - Bushore/Bushore (VW Jetta) transmission

DNF - Hill/Cooper (Eagle Talon) transmission

DNF - Yahner/Benusa (VW GTI) mechanical

This just in... Rally radio reports that the #841 VW GTI of Daryn Chernick and Matt Conte is on its roof half a mile into Stage 12. Both driver and co-driver are OK.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

Updates from Lake Superior Day 2 Parc Expose

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:34:23 +0000

Parc Expose at L'Anse Marina

Welcome to the L'Anse Marina on the shores of Keweenaw Bay. The wind is still whipping, but at least for now the rains are holding off.

Here are comments from some of the MaxAttack! teams this morning.

-Billy Mann, driver of the #37 Honda Civic, reports that they had a bad shunt on the second-to-last stage last night. They bent a control arm. He and co-driver Mary Warren will get a feel for the car, and start pushing harder if it feels good. They are currently running fifth in MaxAttack!, and want to stay in the money.

-Chris Greenhouse and Brian Johnson, in the #319 Plymouth Neon, reported a challenging first night with a good result. They are presently third in MaxAttack!, and the car is still in one piece. They say it would be tougher for the conditions to get much worse than last night.

-Bryan Holder and Tracy Payeur, in the #696 Plymouth Neon, are happy that there is no rain so far today. They are hoping for less muck and a harder-packed road surface.

-The #824 Ford Focus of Cameron Steely and Josh Buller had a fraught first night. They got stuck in the ruts on the last stage of the evening, Bob Lake 2, and were forced to DNF when Medical Sweep took their time cards. Sweep pulled them back out and they could have finished. On Stage 3 last night they had and off and lost their brakes. They were one of the many teams dealing with defroster issues, and had a lot of trouble seeing last night.

-Jeff Secor, co-driver for Chris Czyzio in the #244 Volvo 240, declares with a British accent that it is "a beautiful day for a motorcar race." Last night was a real rally, it harkened back to the old days when you really had to drive. He gives a tip of the helmet to his service crew, who probably got about 90 minutes of sleep last night, so he is thankful to be able to get to do it again.

-Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, in the #262 GMC Sonoma, say "so far, so good" for today. They are hoping they might be granted a time allowance for trying to pull the Focus out of the way on Bob Lake 2. They were the worst-ever conditions last night. There is nothing broken with the truck, it's running perfectly, and they are still in it.

-We finally have a report from our friends in car 551, the VW Golf of Kristofer Yahner and Tony Benusa. They went out on the first stage with engine problems, and they hope to keep it running today.

-In our first correction of the second day, we discovered that Car 841, the VW GTI of Daryn Chernick and Matthew Conte, is not, in fact, diesel-powered. The TDI livery on the car refers to a sponsor, who manufactures freezer panels. We apologize for the erroneous information posted last night. But Chernick reports that it was a grueling last night, it was the slipperiest he's ever been in. He takes great satisfaction in getting to the finish; he made it where about 25 cars did not.

-The local L'Anse-based team of Mychal Summers and Ryan DesLauriers hit a big water hole on the last stage of Friday night. They got a bunch of water in the RX-7's mass air flow sensor, and the car ceased to run. They are excited to be in a parc expose in their home town.

-Our second correction of the day involves the #864 Eagle Talon of Erik Hill and Oliver Cooper. It was not, in fact, a half-shaft that put them out. They had an off during Stage 3 (Beacon Hill), and the #573 Honda Civic of Jordan Guitar and Maria Bruen stopped to pull the Talon out, but once freed Hill and Cooper were unable to continue. They thought it was a CV joint, but it turned out that it was actually the transmission that failed. The crew got it fixed and they are back today. It actually turned out to be a fairly heroic effort on the crew's part. The new gearbox was from a turbo talon, and theirs is normally-aspirated. So as well as changing the gearbox, they also had to swap the flywheel and the clutch. They also report that Beacon Hill was so slippery, that at one point they needed two trucks to tow them up a hill, because one truck alone could not get enough traction to get them to the crest.

-Jake Blattner, co-driver to Dillon Van Way in the #600 Ford Fiesta, reports that the first day was awesome except for the bad stuff. They had no visibility and no clutch. Even with a sequential gearbox they still needed the clutch, which went from slipping to nothing. Jake adds that muddy and slippy are always good in rally.

-Matt Hiles, co-driver for his brother Silas in the #535 Honda Civic, confesses that he has "nothing smart to say." The brothers are excited about today, as these are the stages they were looking forward to.

-David Grenwis, driver of the #654 VW GTI with co-driver Drew Burkholder, had a rough first night. They did not finish. They wish other MaxAttack!'ers the best of luck today. They will Press on Regardless, in classic U.P. spirit.

-The #242 Volkswagen Beetle of Mark and John Huebbe has an ignition problem. Mark is worried that they might not be able to finish today.

-Ian Seppanen, driver of the #240 Nissan 240SX, says that it was muddy last night and it rained a lot, but that they didn't notice. They were part of the group of six cars, all two-wheel-drive, buried in the mud of Bob Lake 2 so they were not classified as finishers. They are ready for some fun today, when it should be faster and drier.

Cars are now starting to check out of the first service in L'Anse, so we should have some news from today and results to pass along shortly. In the mean time, we have some pictures.

Silas and Matt Himes drive along Keweenaw Bay to get to Parc Expose in L'Anse

Parc Expose at the L'Anse marina

The VW GTI's of Daryn Chernick/Matt Conte and Kristofer Yahner/Tony Benusa ready to start Day 2

Mark and John Huebbe getting ready to leave the L'Anse MTC and head to the stages

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

Final Update from Day 1 of the Lake Superior Rally

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:56:23 +0000

MTC 2, Kenton

Welcome to the end of a long and challenging first day of the Lake Superior Rally. It has poured rain all day, the wind has blown, and the stages have been treacherous. But there are a number of hardcore spectators that have been enjoying the action out in the woods.

Here's what some of the teams had to say as they checked in to the final MTC for the day:

-David Grenwis and Drew Burkholder, in the #654 VW Golf, went off on Stage 6 and got pulled out by another competitor. They got down the road a bit further, then they stopped to pull out the Summers/DesLauriers RX-7 which had gone off the road. The lengthy stage time resulted in just five minutes of service. They went out for Stage 7 and lost their windshield wipers, then they lost their driving lights. At that point they decided that they needed to fix some things before they continued, so they withdrew from Friday's event.

-Jan and Jody Zedril, on Bob Lake 2, went wide around a corner and went off-road over two very large logs. They were a minute slower then their earlier running of the stage, but they are OK and their #708 Mitsubishi Lancer is in good shape.

-Joseph Burke says, "This is the most difficult rally I've ever done, with all the slipperiness and dealing with the windshield issue." He and Alex Kihurani are soldiering on in the #115 Ford Fiesta.

-Chris Greenhouse and Brian Johnson, in the #319 Plymouth Neon, report that on Bob Lake 2, the trenches were so deep they was getting high-centered in the middle of the road. Chris is happy that the team is still moving and in the rally.

-Billy Mann and Mary Warren hit something (they were unsure what) on Far Point so hard that it moved the right front wheel back several inches. They #37 Honda Civic is tough to drive in the slop, but OK on the solid roads. Billy will try to fix it before morning.

-Chris Czyzio and Jeff Secor hit a big rock on Far Point and lost the brakes of their #244 Volvo 240. They finished that stage, and Bob Lake 2, using just the handbrake.

-There were five or six cars stuck on Bob Lake, but Mark and John Huebbe managed to bob and weave around them and they got through. They have no major issues with the Volkswagen Beetle.

-Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, in the #262 GMC Sonoma, also came across the folks stuck on Bob Lake 2. They tried to pull out the front one, the #824 Ford Focus of Cameron Steely and Josh Buller, to relieve some of the congestion, but they were just digging a hole so they had to give up. The truck is doing well.

-The #824 Ford Focus of Cameron Steely and Josh Buller did, indeed, get stuck on Bob Lake 2. They still just have one working front caliper, and now have developed a coolant leak, and they are having the same windshield fogging issue that seems to be plaguing most teams. They are glad the night is done and they are looking forward to running on Saturday.

-Derek McCorison and Paul Johansen, in the #92 Hyundai Tiburon, ingested some water in the throttle bodies, and got stuck. They were one of six or seven cars that got stuck on the stage, and they were pretty frustrated that the second running of the stage wasn't canceled after how bad it was the first time through.

According to Ian Seppanen, in the #240 Nissan 240SX, the sweep crew pulled the time cards of the six or seven cars that got stuck on Bob Lake 2. They checked in, despite not knowing whether or not they would be counted as finishers. He adds that if they are counted as finishers, he'll give someone a great big hug.

Unfortunately, all of the cars that were stuck on Bob Lake 2 and had their time cards pulled by sweep were classified as DNFs. So at this point, of 21 starters, there are only 9 cars remaining to start the second day of Lake Superior MaxAttack! (although presumably most of these DNF's will start Saturday's regional rally).

The unofficial results after the first day are:

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer) 1:35:03

2. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta) 1:37:32

3. Greenhouse/Johnson (Plymouth Neon) 1:41:41

4. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic) 1:44:53

5. Himes/Himes (Honda Civic) 1:47:17

6. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240) 1:56:08

7. Huebbe/Huebbe (Volkswagen Beetle) 1:56:34

8. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma) 2:05:26

9. Chernick/Conte (VW GTI) 2:05:37

DNF - Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX)

DNF - Steely/Buller (Ford Focus)

DNF - McCorison/Johansen (Hyundai Tiburon)

DNF - Van Way/Blattner (Ford Fiesta)

DNF - Grenwis/Burkholder (VW GTI)

DNF - Holder/Payeur (Plymouth Neon)

DNF - Scray/Vickman (Datsun 510)

DNF - Bushore/Bushore (VW Jetta)

DNF - Donlin/Tinsey (Ford Escort)

DNF - Summers/DesLaurier (Mazda RX-7)

DNF - Hill/Cooper (Eagle Talon)

DNF - Yahner/Benusa (VW GTI)

We'll see you in the morning at Parc Expose at the L'Anse Marina.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

Lake Superior Update from Kenton Service #2

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:34:42 +0000

Kenton Service, following Stage 6

-The Himes brothers described the three stages between the Kenton services as "shitty, OK and OK." They lost a wheel a few miles into Stage 4, Passmore. They were able to find the errant wheel, but they estimated they lost about five or six minutes. Silas reports that the stages are "slipperier-n-shit."

-The crew of the #262 GMC Sonoma, Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, said stages 4, 5 and 6 were "brutal and slippy." It was hard to stay away from the stumps, rocks and trees, but they managed to pull it off. They even managed to pass a car on one of the stages. Dustin, the co-driver, reported that he felt queasy on Stage 4, Passmore, and they just had to drive what they could see for much of the time.

-Chris Czyzio, driver of the #244 Volvo 240, caught and passed a car about 5.5 miles into Stage 4, Passmore. He and co-driver Jeff Secor had a lot of fun on Passmore. Far Point, Stage 5, was slippery but they had no problems. Bob Lake, Stage 6, was very slippery for the first four miles, but the last two miles were a different surface and had a lot more grip, it went much quicker. Jeff adds that, "windshield wipers are for sissies." Indeed their wipers are not working in this downpour, and they literally had to come to a stop a couple times because of mud covering the windshield.

-Joseph Burke said that he can't see. "I've never worked so hard to keep a car on the road in my life." He's missing turns in transits as well, due to the lack of visibility.

-Mark and John Huebbe lost a wheel from their VW Beetle.

-Derek McCorison and Paul Johansen, in the Hyundai Tiburon #92, did not have enough E-85 to last the event, so they had to send a crew member to Ashland, Wisconsin to obtain a supply for Saturday. The car runs very well with a neat individual throttle body system, but it does not like the water. They were having problems with the linkage, which was sticking a bit.

-Ian Seppanen and Daniel Clark, in the #240 Nissan 240SX, were having a lot of fun, spending a lot of time with the car at a 45 degree angle to the road.

-Paul Donlin and Jonathan Tinsey, the #666 Ford Escort, lost another water pump belt on Stage 5. It appeared the water pump was seized, and the team was unable to finish the evening.

-Daryn Chernick and Matthew Conte, the #841 VW GTI from Manitoba, converted the car to a turbo diesel. They lost the rally computer when sand in the rim knocked off the sensor.

-Car #696, the Plymouth Neon of Bryan Holder and Tracy Payeur, said that Stage 4 and Stage 5 were pretty good, but Bob Lake (Stage 6) was really torn up. They dragged their rear bumper for half a stage, but they were able to re-affix it.

-Car 600, the Ford Fiesta of Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner, had a problem with a slipping clutch.

-The crew of Car #128, the Mychal Summers/Ryan DesLauriers Mazda RX-7, left Kenton with a trailer to retrieve the car. They had no information as to what might have happened.

Here are the results after Stage 6:

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer #708) 53:12

2. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta #115) 55:02

3. Van Way/Blattner (Ford Fiesta #600) 56:27

4. Greenhouse/Johnson (Plymouth Neon #319) 57:21

5. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic #37) 57:56

6. Huebbe/Huebbe (VW Beetle #242) 1:02:30

7. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma #262) 1:02:38

8. Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX #240) 1:03:38

9. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240 #244) 1:04:06

10. Steely/Buller (Ford Focus #824) 1:04:38

11. McCorison/Johansen (Hyundai Tiburon #92) 1:05:46

12. Himes/Himes (Honda Civic #535) 1:05:48

13. Chernick/Conte (VW GTI #841) 1:06:54

14. Holder/Payeur (Plymouth Neon #696) 1:08:15

15. Grenwis/Burkholder (VW GTI #654) 1:38:54

DNF - Donlin/Tinsey (Ford Escort #666) belt

DNF - Summers/DesLauriers (Mazda RX-7 #128) unknown

DNF - Scray/Vickman (Datsun 510 #510) unknown

DNF - Bushore/Bushore (VW Jetta #548) gearbox

DNF - Hill/Cooper (Eagle Talon #864) broken axle

DNF - Yahner/Benusa (VW Golf #551) unknown

News flash! Dillon Van Way's Ford Fiesta is sitting forlornly at the team's service area in Kenton. He and co-driver Jake Blattner completely lost the clutch. They are going to replace the clutch and run tomorrow's regional, but they are a DNF from the MaxAttack! event.

We will try to get updates from the final MTC, although they probably will not be posted until the wee hours.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story

Lake Superior Update from Kenton Service #1

Ben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:37:37 +0000

Kenton Service, following Stage 3

There is neither internet nor cell coverage in Kenton, so your intrepid MaxAttack! reporters have to drive about 12 miles down the road to the town of Sidnaw and use a borrowed MiFi to make updates. So there won't be much this first night.

The mud of Stage 3, Beacon Hill, has been a focal point. Seasoned veterans described the stage as one of the most muddy and treacherous they have ever seen. In Kenton it is still around 42 degrees, raining hard, and the wind is a little less vigorous than Houghton (but it is still turning umbrellas inside out). Stage 3 was run in daylight, but all the rest of stages on Friday will be run in the dark.

-Car 92, the Group 2 Hyundai Tiburon of Derek McCorison and Paul Johansen said the car is going well, and that Beacon Hill had "the worst mud ever." They were worried throughout the stage about getting stuck. McCorison said the Hyundai is an awesome rally car. After three stages they are ninth in Group 2 and tenth in MaxAttack!.

-Car 128, the Production class Mazda RX-7 of Mychal Summers and Ryan DesLauriers report that the car is holding together, and that Beacon Hill was wetter than they expected. They are glad the event has returned to a two-day format. Being a local team out of L'Anse, they are pumped to have friends and family at the event supporting them. They are currently holding down 2nd in Production class, 18th in MaxAttack!.

-Jeff Secor, co-driving for Chris Czyzio (pronounced Czyzio) in the #244 Group 2 Volvo, says that he has never seen a stage as muddy and slippy as Beacon Hill. He also reports the team did not make the best tire choice, only adding to their woes. They are one spot behind the McCorison/Johansen Hyundai after three stages.

-Matti Himes, co-driving for brother Silas in the #535 Honda Civic, reports that Beacon Hill was a wet mud pit. It was fun, and was "the sort of stage that will make a man out of you." He also said that mud takes the "snort" out of the motor. After three stages they are maintaining an excellent second overall, just 22 seconds out of first.

-The team with the lone truck entered in the event, the #262 GMC Sonoma of Steve Brockelman and Dustin Masters, report that the truck is running well, and nothing is broken. They said that Beacon Hill was so muddy they just kind of limped through. They say the Sonoma makes an awesome rally vehicle; they are currently leading Production class.

-Jake Blattner says that the heated windscreen in the #600 Ford Fiesta is just not keeping up with the fogging that happens on a drenched rally like this. He says that he and Dillon Van Way did their best to keep it wiped down while sliding through Beacon Hill.

-Joseph Burke and Alex Kihurani are also "fighting the fog" in their #115 Ford Fiesta R2. There is still no heat in the car, though the defroster blower does blow cold air. This car is the same car that Chris Duplessis took to the MaxAttack! win at the New England Forest Rally earlier this year.

-Brothers Mark and John Huebbe are just amazed at the lack of traction in their classic VW Beetle. The team suffered a seized front caliper yesterday as they were heading to the shakedown stage. They got the caliper freed, but had to weld up new custom mounts to the suspension to get it mounted again. They said that the car danced back and forth while driving down even the straightest sections of Beacon Hill.

-We have a report that Erik Hill and Oliver Cooper in the #864 Eagle Talon are out with a broken axle on Beacon Hill. We'll try to get the rest of the story when we see them.

-Yesterday we reported that the classic Datsun 510 (#510) of Jim Scray and Colin Vickman was smoking a bit at the shakedown. Jim tells us that the culprit was a bad transmission seal, but that they were able to fix it. They are having fun and are moving well in the rear wheel drive beast.

-The super-fast Canadian brothers Jan and Jody Zedril are leading MaxAttack! after 3 stages in the #708 Mitsubishi Lancer. After the soaking rain, the notes for Green Acres just didn't fit their pace well, so Jody rewrote them on the first pass and got something more to Jan's liking for the second pass.

-Billy Mann and Mary Warren report extremely soupy conditions as well in their #37 Honda Civic. Billy slid wide at one turn and hit the grass with a bit of force. He thought maybe he had a flat tire after that, but it was actually just the lack of traction making forward progress very hard-earned.

-Matt and Andrew Bushore have managed to get three flat tires in three stages in their #548 VW Jetta! The first came when they hit the big hole at turn one on Green Acres 1. The second came on the transit after SS2, and they scored one more on Beacon Hill. They are continuing thanks to the MaxAttack! generosity of Billy Mann, as Billy loaned him some wheels to continue.

-Cameron Steely and Josh Buller report some drama in the first three stages. After doing a "tank slapper" in their #824 Ford Focus they suffered a broken brake hose to the right front caliper on SS3 (Beacon Hill). They nursed the car back to Kenton service, pinched off the brake line, and are continuing on three brakes. They're hoping to score a new hose and line to restore full braking for tomorrow.

-Paul Donlin and Jonathan Tinsey, the #666 Ford Escort, broke a water pump belt but were able to limp back to service. There did not seem to be any engine damage, and the team was working to free the water pump to install a new unit before heading out to Stage 4.

The standings following Stage 3 are:

1. Zedril/Zedril (Mitsubishi Lancer) 13:33

2. Himes/Himes (Honda Civic) 13:56

3. Burke/Kihurani (Ford Fiesta) 13:59

4. Van Way/Blattner (Ford Fiesta) 14:13

5. Greenhouse/Johnson (Plymouth Neon) 14:22

6. Mann/Warren (Honda Civic) 14:43

7. Bushore/Bushore (VW Jetta) 14:47

8. Scray/Vickman (Datsun 510) 15:06

9. Huebbe/Huebbe (VW Beetle) 15:28

10. McCorison/Johansen (Hyundai Tiburon) 16:06

11. Czyzio/Secor (Volvo 240) 16:22

12. Brockelman/Masters (GMC Sonoma) 16:37

13. Steely/Buller (Ford Focus) 16:40

14. Seppanen/Clark (Nissan 240SX) 17:02

15. Chernick/Conte (VW Golf) 17:11

16. Donlin/Tinsey (Ford Escort) 17:22

17. Holder/Payeur (Plymouth Neon) 17:26

18. Summers/DesLauriers (Mazda RX-7) 17:51

19. Grenwis/Burkholder (VW GTI) 22:10

20. Yahner/Benusa (VW Golf) - no score card received, assumed DNF

21. Hill/Cooper (Eagle Talon) DNF (half-shaft)

This just in: Car 548, the Matt Bushore/Andrew Bushore VW Jetta, was forced to withdraw from the rally after Stage 4. Their car lost fourth gear, and it was determined that there was too much damage to the gearbox to continue. They do not expect to contest Saturday's rally.

Cars will be returning for another service in Kenton in about half an hour.

Events:

Lake Superior Performance Rally

Content Type:

Event Story