Choiniere began rally driving in 1984 when he borrowed a friend's Dodge Colt and competed in one U.S. Divisional and one National PRO Rally.
In 1986 and 1987 Choiniere continued his apprenticeship, competing in National events in a Production Class Audi. In 1988, he won the North American Rally Championship—a series consisting of 10 events throughout Canada and the United States — in the ex-John Buffum Audi Quattro Coupe.
In 1990, Choiniere debuted a new Open Class Audi Quattro Turbo, finishing the year as the U.S. PRO Rally Champion. It was the first time in 15 years that the Championship was not claimed by John Buffum or Rod Millen.
In 1991, Choiniere finished second in the PRO Rally series. He started the 1992 season with the same car and a new co-driver, Jeff Becker. The pair clinched the championship and Choiniere regained his title. In 1993, the team debuted a new Audi S-2 and, after a near-perfect season, Choiniere won the Championship again.
In addition, Choiniere won the 1993 Mt. Washington Hill Climb, breaking the existing record by 20 seconds. He was nominated as Driver of the Year in his category by the American Auto Race Writers and Broadcasters and was awarded honorable mention behind winner Steve Kinser.
The 1991 season proved a winning one for the team also. In June, Choiniere took his second win at the Mt. Washington Hill Climb, leaving his 1993 record intact. In the PRO Rally series, after finishing first in six events, Choiniere and co-driver Becker again claimed the title of National PRO Rally Champions, becoming only the second team ever to win three straight U.S. National Championships.
Choiniere's winning record continued in 1995. He won the Mt. Washington Hill Climb again, this time breaking the record.
Fielding a factory-sponsored Hyundai Elantra, Choiniere clinched back-to-back drivers' championships in 1995 and 1996 as well as the coveted '96 manufacturers title. Under the direction of Buffum, the team is campaigning an all-new Hyundai Tiburon in the 1997 season.
Choiniere is a graduate of the University of Vermont. He lives in Shelburne, VT with his wife Lori and their children where he manages an import auto dealership.
JEFF BECKER
Great Neck, NY
Co-Driver - Libra Racing Hyundai Tiberon
Jeff Becker began running rallies in 1968 when he and a friend entered a local TSD rally on Long Island. In 1972 Becker got his introduction to PRO rallying by working as a part of the scoring team for the World Championship Press On Regardless Rally in Michigan.
Active competition began with the first year of the SCCA PRO Rally Series in 1974. Jeff co-drove for a friend in a Datsun 510 in the Happiness Is Sunrise PRO Rally. From 1976-79 he co-drove for Australia's Graham Thompson in a Volvo 142S.
In 1980 he began his association with Bruno Kreibich when he co-drove Kreibich's Porsche 911 to first overall on the Atlantic 400, the last ever event in the NARRA rally series.
In 1982 and '83, again with Thompson, Becker ran several events in Europe for Opel Team Holland including the 1982 and '83 Rallye Monte Carlo World championship events. Becker is still today the U.S. president of the "Drivers of the Monte Carlo Rallye."
Business interests curtailed his rally efforts through most of the 1980's. He returned to active co-driving in 1989 in Kreibich's ex-works Audi Quattro.
The pair ran full seasons in 1990 and'91 nearly winning the National Championship both years. In 1991 they won the Open Class Championship and in both years they won the North American Rally Championship, a combination of U.S. and Canadian National events.
In 1992, when Kreibich opted to run a more relaxed schedule, Becker joined the Libra Racing Team co-driving for Paul Choiniere in an Audi Quattro. In 1992, '93 and '94 the team won the U.S. National Championships.
In 1995, the winning record continued. In the PRO Rally series with Choiniere behind the wheel and Becker as the co-driver the pair won five events outright in the Hyundai Elantra rally car and again claimed the National PRO Rally Drivers' Championship.
Fielding a factory-sponsored Hyundai Elantra, the team went on to win both the Co-Drivers' and coveted Manufacturers' Championships in 1996. Under the direction of Buffum, the team is campaigning an all-new Hyundai Tiberon in the 1997 season.
Jeff is an executive in the duty-free business. He lives in Great Neck, NY with his wife Tess and daughter, Susan.
JOHN BUFFUM
Colchester, VT
Owner, Libra Racing
In 1964, when a fraternity brother at Middlebury College convinced John Buffum to navigate a time-speed-distance rally with him in a borrowed MGA, the most famous rally career in U.S. motorsports was born.
Buffum married Vicki Gauntlett in 1966, and she was his co-driver in TSD events, including a 10th that year in the Press on Regardless event in a Mini-Cooper. In 1967, Buffum co-drove for Tim Gold - also in a Mini - to a win in the New England Winter Rally.
After graduating from college and enlisting in the Army as a mechanical engineer, Buffum was sent to Germany as a second lieutenant in a bridge-building company of the Corps of Engineers. It was there that he saw all-out, World Rallying for the first time, and bought a Porsche 911T to compete in both regional and international rallies. In 1969, he drove to a 12th place finish at Monte Carlo, sharing the driving chores with American road racer Steve "Yogi" Behr.
The sport of PRO Rally did not exist in the U.S. when Buffum returned from Europe in 1970, and since the speed sensation he had experienced in Europe did not exist in TSD events, Buffum tried his hand at IMSA and SCCA road racing. Buffum formed his own racing company — Libra Racing — and competed both in a Mini Cooper and an English Ford Escort. He shared the driving cockpit with the likes of George Follmer, Steve Behr and Brett Lunger -and had some top 10 finishes in a BMW CSL, but didn't have the budget (or the right car - which was a Porsche Carrera RSR at the time) to crack the winner's circle.
By the mid-70's, performance rallying was taking roots in the U.S., and, despite the fact that John and Vicki divorced in 1974, they stayed together as a rally team. They started together in a Porsche in 1975, but it was 1976 that proved to be the pivotal year. The pair won two U.S. rallies and a Canadian event, sweeping to the NARRA national championship, and being edged out of the SCCA championship by Hendrik Blok/Erick Hauge. It was during this period when Buffum's driving style started to mature, as he went from the reckless mode which earned him the nickname "Stuff `em Buffum" to his championship mode.
Buffum became known for his ability to take charge of the ever-changing conditions of a rally course, his photographic memory of roads and turns, and his ability to drive with abandon to post the fastest time, but with enough competition sense to finish the event.
For four years starting in 1977, Buffum drove factory Triumph TR-7s and TR-8s, and picked up Doug Shepherd as a co-driver. The pair dominated both the SCCA PRO Rally series and the North America Rally Championship until British Leyland dropped out of racing in the U.S. In 1981, they tried running Audi 80 and Peugeot 504 racers, but could not keep up with Rod Millen's factory Mazda RX-7 rally entries.
In 1982, however, when Audi supplied Buffum and Shepherd with its new Audi Quattro racers, they were unstoppable. Millen would get a faster RX-7, and Buffum would counter with Quattro A2, then a Sport Quattro and up the ante again. He would also rally occasionally in Europe, where, in 1983, he became the first and only American to win a European Championship event (1983 Sachs Rally in Germany and the 1984 ERC event in Cyprus).
With Doug Shepherd moving into a factory driver's role with Dodge, Buffum hired veteran co-driver Tom Grimshaw, and the pair won back-to-back-to-back championships, including their 1987 undefeated season. During this period, Buffum became the winniest performance rallying driver ever worldwide, with his 104 national championship wins far surpassing anyone else. He retired after that year, and became SCCA PRO Rally series manager, helping the sport maintain its stature through some lean years.
He still drives an occasional rally, however, having won several Canadian events and subbing (and winning) the Wild West PRO Rally in Olympia, Wash. in 1993 when regular driver (and step-son) Paul Choiniere couldn't make it to the event. He also subbed and won for Choiniere at the '94 Lake Superior PRO Rally. Buffum and veteran co-driver Mark Williams shaved more than two hours off the record while winning the Rally of Incas in Peru — in Choiniere's old Audi S-2 — in September, 1995.
Choiniere, who became part of Buffum's family when his mother, Mary, married John in 1980, has won the SCCA PRO Rally series four of the past five years in a Buffum-prepared Audi Quattro S-2.
Buffum is a car builder and preparer (for Choiniere's new Hyundai Tiburon Open class rally car) as well as immediate past-president of the American Rally Association, which handled the field administration and rules for the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series for 1994 and 1995.
1997 Hyundai Tiberon
Open Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 170.9 in.
Width: 68.1 in.
Height: 52.3 in.
Wheelbase: 2510mm (98.8 in.)
Wheel Track:
-- Front 1494 mm (58.8")
-- Rear 1489 mm (58.6)
Weight: 2490 Ibs.
Driveline: Hyundai Tiburon converted to all-wheel-drive;
technology from HCD III sporty-utility vehicle
Engine: Special Hyundai Motor Corp., 4 cylinder, 16 valve
2.0-liter, turbocharged (based on Sonata);
water injected with special intercooler;
turbo and electronic controls by Race Tech
Power: 371 HP @ 5800 RPM
Torque: 403 F/LBS @ 4700 RPM
Transmission: 5-speed close ratio "Dog" gearbox; front & rear
clutch type limited slip differentials - with
Libra modified settings, viscous or locked center
differential
Suspension:
-- Front ProFlex coil over shocks - with remote reservoirs;
spindles modified for larger wheel bearings;
fabricated lower control arm and compression strut
of Libra Racing design; upgraded springs on adjustable
platforms
-- Rear ProFlex shocks with coil over springs; rear trailing arm
with twin adjustable transverse links
Steering: Racing steering pump with standard Tiburon rack;
system modified to give a "quicker" ratio;
steering arms modified to eliminate "bump" steer
Chassis: 1997 Hyundai Tiburon, fully spot welded with chrome
moly roll cage tied to suspension pick-up points.
Modified in front for transfer box, engine and 4WD;
rear platforms added for 4WD configuration
Brakes: Lockheed 4 piston aluminum calipers with 12" vented
discs front and 11" vented discs rear
Tires: Michelin Pilot Rally Tires on 7" Speedline Wheels
Electrics/Lights: Hand-built wiring loom with Hella driving lights
Unlike many drivers who have entered PRO Rally, Henry Joy has been successful over the past three years because he is able to go as fast as his ability will take him. Henry started his first PRO Rally season in 1992 in a Production GT Mazda 323GTX, and finished all but one event, narrowly missing a shot at the Production GT title.
The turning point for his season in '92 was the hiring of veteran co-driver Jimmy Brandt, who helped him determine how to go fast, yet pace himself during the long rally events. For the '94 season, Joy again turned to a veteran co-driver—Canadian Brian Maxwell—to help guide him to a top season finish. For his championship push in 1995, Joy hired Chris Griffin, perennial class champion in the California Rally Series. For the last part of the 1996 season Henry had success—and his only win of the season—with co-driver Michael Fennell of Jamaica.
For '93, Joy built an Open class Mitsubishi Eclipse. In the first event in Olympia, Washington, Joy/Brandt finished a fine 11th overall and seventh in the Open class, while they were fifth overall (only 9 seconds out of fourth) at Rim, and seventh at STPR. Their third overall at Prescott, fifth overall at Westcliffe, and fourth overall at POR gave Joy third place in the Open class and fifth place overall in the final '93 point standings.
Not to be idle over that winter, Joy converted his old Mazda 323GTX into an ice racer, and has been competing on that circuit as well. He also competed in the Vauxhaul Rally—part of the British Open Championship—in March, finishing a respectable 31st overall in a Group N Mitsubishi Galant.
To open the '94 season, Joy was a disappointing DNF at the Doo Wop divisional in March, but came back strong to finish second overall—his best finish ever—at the Wild West PRO Rally in Olympia, Washington, and feels he is on the verge of winning his first event overall before the end of the year. He won the last three stages outright at Rim of the World in Palmdale, California, and had the third-fastest times overall, but finished fourth due to a one-minute penalty. At the Ojibwe Forests Rally, it was over before it began for Joy, whose engine threw a bearing during fuel management systems tests before the event began. Bad luck continued at the Sunriser 400 event, where Joy/Maxwell rolled their car on stage four.
Henry and Brian finally broke out of their funk at the Lake Superior PRO Rally in Michigan with a fine third place finish behind Buffum and Peter Moodie.
Henry built a Mitsubishi Lancer for the 1995 series and debuted it in July in Maine Forest Summer Rally, but ran off the road on stage #1 and punctured the oil cooler. He had better luck through the Ojibwe Forests in Northern Minnesota, finishing third in the car's first finish in August. Joy and Griffin finally broke through at the Lake Superior PRO Rally event in October, outlasting Choiniere and Merrill for the victory. That victory kept his championship hopes alive until the last event, when Choiniere finshed second to clinch the title.
In his Mitsubishi Eclipse, early in the season, he accumulated points with a second-place finish at Wild West, a fourth—just 3 seconds ahead of Carl Merrill—at Sunriser, and a third, just 17 seconds behind Peter Moodie at Rim of the World. At STPR in Pennsylvania, Joy was right on the tail of a faltering Choiniere when a check-in time penalty cost him the event.
For 1996, Joy took a break from the PRO Rally circuit to enjoy his time with newborn son Henry Bourne Joy V and wife Robbie, but he ran three events, including an exciting win at Ojibwe, a second at Rim, and a DNF at lake Superior.
Joy owns his own production company— "Stopped Motion"— and makes commercials, music videos and documentaries. He lives on the family farm in Atlanta, Michigan, and organizes the SNO*DRIFT PRO Rally, which made its first appearance on the national schedule this year.
1994 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR Evolution II
Open Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 164.0" Width: 64" Height: 54" Wheelbase: 100.0" Weight: 2500 lbs. Engine: Double Overhead Camshaft, 1998cc, Turbo charged, Intercooled Four Cylinder, Multi-port fuel injection; Autronic Fuel Management with data acquisition Power: 370 BHP @ 6250 RPM Torque: 335 F/LBS @ 4250 RPM Transmission: All wheel drive Mitsubishi Close Ratio Dog Shift with Viscous Center, Front and Rear Limited Slip Differentials Suspension: -- Front: Pro Flex MacPherson Strut -- Rear: Pro Flex coil over shocks Brakes: A.P. Racing four piston calipers on four ventilated A.P. discs Front: 11.5" X 1" Rear: 11.5" X 1" Tires: Michelin Special XGT Rally Tires on 7" Wheels Electrics/Lights: Autronic/PIAA
After earning mechanical engineering degrees from Stanford and Cornell, Bryan took an engineering position at Boeing Corporation in Seattle and saw his first PRO Rally in 1985.
He started entering rallies in 1986, running as many divisional events in the Northwest Region and in Western Canada as his Boeing schedule and budget would allow. In 1993, Bryan started entering national events in a Saab 900, and showed his driving skill by turning stage times close to competitors who had twice as much horsepower.
In 1994, with co-driver Rob Walden's Scandia Autosports preparing a two-car Saab team, Bryan/Walden finished second to champion Goran Ostlund in a similar Saab 900 for the new Group 2 championship. He was also 10th overall in the final point standings.
For '95, Bryan and Walden rebuilt the Saab, making it the most technically-advanced two-wheel-drive car on the circuit. The four cylinder, 16-valve, 2.0-liter, normally-aspirated Saab engine produced 215 horsepower, and, combined with Bryan's aggressive driving style, led to several top five finishes overall, including a second to Henry Joy's Mitsubishi Lancer at the tough Lake Superior PRO Rally in Michigan.
The Bryan/Walden Saab was also the first rally car in North America to be fitted with traction control, and was the only Group 2 car to have a sophisticated engine management system. But all these features required development, and the price of development - as usual - is time and reliability. Bryan broke a half-shaft at Wild West and a cam gear at Sunriser; and burned a piston at the Maine Summer event.
But in-between those mechanical setbacks, the team won four races and clinched their championship with the fine performance in Michigan.
For 1996, the team prepared a factory-supplied Saab 900 turbo coupe in the field when a crank sensor failed, causing a DNF. At the Maine Forest Rally, the team discovered a tooth missing from the final drive gear in its transmission before the rally began, causing Sam to scratch from the event.
Bryan was again leading his class when he rolled his car in Minnesota, and he lost his engine while testing before the Lake Superior event. All the hard work and development finally paid off at the finale in Washington as the Saab team won its first Group 5 victory.
ROB WALDEN
Shoreline, Washington
Co-Driver, 1996 Saab 900 Turbo
Rob Walden, 36, started working on car engines when he was just eight years old. His brothers abandoned a carburetor they could not put back together, and he picked up the manual and quickly reassembled it. (His brothers would have been happier if he hadn't then dented the car by pushing in the clutch and running it into the side of the garage.) Walden quickly earned a reputation as a mechanical wizard and became busy rebuilding carburetors for neighbors. He was hired as a mechanic at a foreign car garage at the age of nine-and-a-half, and was told to grab a broom and start sweeping when the insurance people came by the shop.
After a four-year stint in the Air Force as air crew for a 0-141 cargo airplane, he and his wife, Kathy, ended up in Shoreline, WA. In 1985, He opened Scandia Autosport, specializing in Saab service. and mod ification—including work on rally cars.
"I love Saabs," said Walden. "They are easy and enjoyable to work on, and the owners are passionate about their cars. Many even have names for their cars and talk to them like people."
Walden was introduced to rally racing through one of his mechanics who raced locally. Although Walden helped build two rally cars over the years, a Saab 96 and a Saab 99, he never went to an event. About four years ago, Sam Bryan became a regular customer at Scandia, and Walden was drawn in to help with repairs. Eventually he started going to races as service crew, and occasionally filled in as navigator for Bryan. Walden stepped in as full-time navigator for national events midway through the 1994 season. Walden got an early crash course in PRO Rally—in his first race as a navigator for Bryan, the pair hit a tree and buckled the entire body of the car. "Wrecks are a normal part of the sport," said Walden.
He felt lucky to win the 1995 National Championship title in his first full year of competition. He finds it exhilarating to make the right call one after another so they can take even triple-caution stretches of the road smoothly and at maximum speed.
"Racing is fun for me because it gives me an opportunity to show off my talents as a mechanic," said Walden. He especially likes the challenge of performing quick repairs when something happens during a race, and getting back on the road again to minimize time penalties.
Walden is excited about competing in the Monte Carlo Yellow Saab 900 in the 1997 season, expecting the car's aerodynamics, 300-plus horsepower and turbocharging to take the team to victory. The car features broad torque capability for more flexible power, a fantastic suspension system to better withstand brutal roads, and a racing-spec six-speed gearbox for quicker starts. "Our goal is to prove that our 2-wheel-drive Saab can be more than competitive against the 4-wheel-drive racers in PRO Rally," Walden said.
Sam Bryan/Rob Walden
1995 Saab 900 SE
Group 5 PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 4638 mm (182.6") Width: 1712 mm (67.4") Height: 1435 mm (56.5") Wheelbase: 2601 mm (102.4") Weight: 1091 kg (2400 lbs.) Engine: Double overhead camshaft, 2300 cc, turbocharged, intercooled, four cylinder Power: 300 BHP @ 6000 RPM Torque: 300 F/LBS @ 4000 RPM Transmission: Front wheel drive 6-speed XTRAC with Dog shift and limited slip differential Suspension: -- Front: Bilstein McPherson Struts -- Rear: Bilstein coil over shocks Brakes: -- Front: AP four piston calipers, with 12" AP ventilated discs -- Rear: ATE two piston calipers, 11" Saab solid rotors Tires: Michelin Special XGT Rally Tires on 15" X 6.5" Revolution wheels Electrics/Lights: Autronic engine management with traction control PIAA lights
BRUCE NEWEY
Marietta, Georgia
1994 Toyota Celica Turbo
Bruce Newey left his native New Zealand in 1979, living first in Los Angeles and then moving to Atlanta in 1983. His brief racing career in New Zealand included a stint in a Formula Vee and a Ford Escort rally car.
In 1989, he returned to racing in earnest in this country in an Mazda RX-3 rally car, finishing an amazing 8th overall in his very first event near Dalton, Georgia. He then bought a Mazda RX-7, and started running selected events in the Sport Car Club of America's Michelin PRO Rally series.
Despite running a two-wheel-drive, normally aspirated car in the four-wheel- drive-dominated Open class, Newey was always near the top with his stage times, winning a stage overall in 1994 at the Susquehannock rally in Pennsylvania.
When the Metro Rallye Sport factory-sponsored Toyota seat was offered to Bruce in 1995, he took advantage of the opportunity by making the Toyota All-trac an instant winner. He clinched the 1995 Group A national championship with a class win at the rough Lake Superior PRO Rally in October.
For 1996, the Group A class (four-wheel-drive, turbocharged cars with drive train and suspension modifications allowed) has been discontinued, so Metro Rallye Sport converted the Toyota to a Group 5 car (two-wheel-drive with similar modifications allowed).
In 1996, Bruce and co-driver Matt Chester— also from Atlanta —had some bad luck on the course, with overheating problems, electrical problems, and a broken shock tower among their woes. Newey did come back to finish well in the last couple of events, and hopes he has left all his back luck in '96.
Newey owns and operates a factory which remanufactures automotive electrical components. He is married with two children.
1994 Toyota Celica
Group 5 Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 173.6" (4410 mm) Width: 69.3" (1760 mm) Height: 51.0" Wheelbase: 100.0" (2545 mm) Weight: 2750 lbs. Engine: 3SGTE 4 cylinder, 16 valves, 2.0 liter, turbocharged with custom air to air intercooler Power: 270 BHP @ 6200 Torque: 225 ft. lbs. @ 4200 Transmission: Toyota MR2 5-speed with limited slip differential Suspension: Customized TRD coil-over shocks front and rear Brakes: -- Front: TTE Brembo 4 piston clipers with 12.25" x 1.5" discs -- Rear: TTE Brembo single piston clipers with 12.25" x 1.5" discs Tires: Michelin Special XGT Rally Tires on 7" Speedline wheels Electrics/Lights: Modified stock wiring loom with Hella driving lights
CARL MERRILL
Ogunquit, ME
1997 Ford Escort Cosworth
Merrill, a resort owner in the Maine coastal town of Ogunquit, has been involved with motorsports since 1979, mostly as a modified and NASCAR North sponsor and team owner. Although his teams had many successes over 12 years on the American Canadian Tour circuit, Merrill wanted to be a driver more than a sponsor, so he turned to PRO Rally.
He started in 1989, driving a Mazda 323GTX with Diane Houseal as co-driver. In 1990 and the first half of 1991, Merrill had a Mazda 323 GTX rally cars in the Production GT Class before switching to a new, 300 horsepower, Open Class Mitsubishi Eclipse in July, 1991. He debuted the new car at the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, finishing sixth overall. After an overheating problem spoiled the PRO Rally debut of the car at Bemidji, MN, he scored several top five finishes late in the season to secure fourth place Overall and third place in the Open Class for the 1991 Subaru PRO Rally Championship.
Merrill and co-driver Jon Wickens finished third Overall in the 1992 season opener at Big Bend Bash. At Round #2 in Prescott, Merrill was running third when his transmission gave way. Merrill and Wickens were in position to win the Rim of the World rally (first after nine stages), but transmission bugs again caused a DNF. The duo was sixth overall (fourth in the Open class) at STPR, but lost a turbo at Ojibwe to cause another DNF. DNFs at Westcliffe, POR and Olympia were disappointing, but a second overall in Maine gave Merrill 6th place overall in the '92 standings.
For '93, Merrill once again turned to Libra Racing to build him a new car—this time a Ford Escort Cosworth. Potentially the most powerful car on the circuit, Merrill hoped the extra power and his increased experience would lead to his first U.S. rally win.
This Ford Escort Cosworth's short rally history in the U.S. came to an end on July 4, 1993, however, as Merrill plunged off a cliff during the running of the Pike's Peak Hillclimb. Although Merrill suffered only cuts and bruises, the car was destroyed.
He replaced his old Cosworth with a new one, and, after a DNF while leading the Ojibwe event, Merrill came back to win his first two Subaru PRO Rally events ever, including a one-minute victory over Chad DiMarco at Westcliffe and a three-minute win over Doug Shepherd at POR.
Merrill finished second in the Open class and third overall in the '93 point standings. By virtue of his top finishes in both the U.S. and Canada, Merrill and Wickens also earned the 1993 North American Rally Championship.
1994 was a mixed blessing for Merrill. He had a second-place finish to his credit at the opening round of the SCCA/Michelin PRO Rally series in South Carolina, but his journey at the Wild West PRO Rally in Olympia, Washington, was another matter. Merrill was poised in second place late in the event when Paul Choiniere rolled his Audi, and Carl found himself in front with an apparent victory. But a loose turbo hose forced him to make up some time on the transit road going into the last stage, and his extra speed led to disqualification.
Merrill regained some of his points stature back with a fine third-place performance at Rim of the World, in Palmdale, Calif., where he also won several stages outright, and was also third at STPR in Pennsylvania.
A DNF after an off-road excursion at the Maine Forest Summer Rally and a second place finish after a good battle with Choiniere at Ojibwe left Merrill in third place overall after eight events. Also at Ojibwe, Merrill replaced Jon Wickens with veteran Canadian co-driver John Bellefleur, who has ridden in the navigator's seat with such luminaries as John Buffum and Rod Millen. Merrill/Bellefleur won their first event together in Canada, but, after the Ojibwe second place, suffered a first stage DNF crash at the Sunriser 400 Forest Rally. A third place at the Maine Forest Rally at the end of the season gave Merrill third in the final point standings once again.
This season Merrill returns with a new 1997 Ford Escort Cosworth, the most powerful car in the series with a 425-horsepower engine. The car features exotic parts such as magnesium struts, titanium calipers and a seven-speed gearbox.
1997 Ford Escort Cosworth
Open Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 4211 mm (165.8") Width: 1742 mm (68.6") Height: 1321 mm (52.3") Wheelbase: 2551 mm (100.4") Weight: 2610 lbs. Engine: 4 Cylinder, 16 Valve 2 Liter, Turbocharged Special Electronic Management System Power: 422 HP @ 6600 RPM Torque: 364 F/LBS @ 4500 RPM Transmission: 7-Speed F/F Development Transmission; Front, Center & Rear Viscous Differentials Suspension: Bilstein Shocks with Magnesium Uprights Brakes: Lockheed 4 Piston (Titanium) Calipers with 12" Discs Tires: Michelin Special XGT Rally Tires on 7" Wheels Electrics/Lights: Ford/PIAA
MICHAEL L. WHITMAN II
Farmington, New Mexico
'92 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
At the age of 13, Michael began racing motorcycles in the deserts of Southern California, and it has been an ongoing love affair with motorsports ever since. While in high school he chanced on a car with big, bright, lights on the front and was hooked. This was the first time he had seen a rally car. He began his assault on rallying in 1977 and was very successful at the local level with his first Datsun 510 in the California Rally Series.
In 1979 Mike took a hiatus from rallying and attended the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and received his BS in Aeronautical Science with commercial pilots certificate in 1982. He currently flies for America West Express Airlines.
Returning to rallying he won top honors in the California Rally Series Stock Class for 3 consecutive years from 1983 to 1985. In 1984 he also won the SCCA Southern Pacific Division Championship which put him into contention for the National Divisional Championship - an invitational for the winners of each divisional championship in the country. That year was the inaugural event of that type and Mike took home the top honors.
From 1986 to 1990 there was another hiatus from rallying as he concentrated on his career. During this period although not able to rally, he returned to motorcycle racing, winning the New Mexico Desert Racing Association's Over-30 Expert Class in 1989, placing 2nd in 1990. This demonstrates his ability to prevail in more than one motorsporting arena. In 1990 however, the pull was too strong and he bought, once again, a 510, the sister car to the car he and his first co-driver built in 1978. Returning to the scene he ran at the divisional level from 1991 to 1993.
In 1993 the second National/Divisional Championship came his way making him the only person to have taken that top honor twice. Michael then set his sites on the National Level Group 2 Championship and began his attack in 1994. Although he did well, financial considerations ended his hopes for that year. Several class wins meant that he wound up 4th in class for the series even though he had only run half of the season.
In 1996 he returned to the fray and emerged conclusively as the winner in Group 2 and as a genuine adversary even to those in much higher horsepower classes, many of whom he bested repeatedly. After two divisional national titles (the only racer to ever accomplish that feat), he is in the Open class for 1997 with the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Mike's Sierra was built in England in 1992 and has competed in several world cup events. The Ford pedigree combined with Mike's talent as a driver makes for a potent combination on the North American rally scene.
1992 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Open Class PRO Rally Car
DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 177.0" Width: 75.0" Height: 55.0" Wheelbase: 102.7" Weight: 2620 lbs. Engine: Longitudinally-mounted Cosworth in-line 4 cyl.; 16-valve DOHC; turbocharged with anti-lag system Power: 320 BHP @ 6200 Torque: 400 Nm @ 4500 Compression ratio: 7.2:1 Transmission: Quaife close ratio 5-speed "dogbox," no synchro mesh; Quaife limited slip front and rear, center viscous coupling differential Suspension: Bilstein coil-over shocks, fully adjustable Steering: Right-hand drive power assisted rack and pinion 2.25 turns lock to lock Brakes: 4-wheel vented disc; 285mm front, 278mm rear. Tires: Michelin Pilot Rally Tires on 7" wheels (8" for tarmac) Electrics/Lights: Modified stock wiring loom with Hella driving lights