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California Rally Series Celebrates 2016 Champions!
Los Angeles – The California Rally Series (CRS) continued its over forty year tradition of honoring regional rally champions at its annual awards banquet. Five classes were recognized, including the return of the two-wheel drive, large displacement CRS-5 class.
The Open four-wheel drive class was once again dominated by turbocharged Subaru Imprezas. This season the championship came down to the wire with John Coyne and co-driver Doug Nagy ultimately claiming the top spot after the last rally of the season, which saw runners-up Jason Copt and co-driver Cameron Meng crashing out during the night-time stages at the Prescott Rally. The third place driver’s trophy was awarded to Kurt Smith who had solid finishes all season. Nicolas Renold managed to secure the third place co-driver’s trophy after riding with Stephen Benson, who was awarded the fourth place driver’s trophy. Fourth place co-driver honors went to Brent Blakely.
Michael Seidman and co-driver Thomas Luhrs dominated the normally-aspirated four-wheel drive Open Lite class, finishing the season with a clean sweep winning every event in their Subaru Impreza! The second place driver trophy went to Kurt Northrup who had strong finishes in the second half of the season in his Subara Impreza.
After a multi-year hiatus, the large-displacement two-wheel drive CRS- class returned to the championship for 2016. Andrew Cowan and co-driver Ryan Dunham finished the season with a solid lock on first place in their VR6 VW Jetta. In second place were Ray Piloto and co-driver Brock Palmer in the first full season competing with their turbocharged Chevy Sonic.
CRS-2, the small displacement two-wheel drive class, saw the most participation this past season, with thirteen drivers vying for the top honors. By the time the dust settled after the Prescott Rally, Javier Olivares emerged as the driving champion. His Ford Escort proved very reliable, finishing every event in a respectable position. At the top of the list of co-drivers was Christine Marciniak, who sat with three different drivers this season in order to secure the championship. In the second place co-driver slot was Brock Heinz, who rode with Olivares for half the season. Markus Saarinen, the 2014 and 2015 CRS-2 driver champ could only manage second place after failing to finish the last two events. His co-driver Alicia Saarinen claimed third place. After getting off to a rough start at High Desert Trails, Mike Hurst managed to salvage the season with a strong finish at the Idaho Rally in his Ford Capri and took home the third place driver’s trophy. Finally, Larry Gross in his Toyota Corolla ended the season in fourth place among drivers.
The production-based, two-wheel drive class known as Performance Stock is a CRS tradition that continues to have solid participation. Rookie driver Brian Tullio managed to eek out a win over twenty-plus year veteran Tony Chavez by one of the narrowest margins in Performance Stock history. The competition came down to the last event, the Prescott Rally, where Brian Tullio slid his BMW off the road during Friday night’s event, but managed to come back on Saturday for a podium finish in order to secure a championship. The second place co-driver award went to Tony Chavez’s wife / co-driver Raquel Salas. In third place were another spouse team - driver Jennifer Stonecipher and co-driver Terry Stonecipher.
The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern United States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create a meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 40 continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United States. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter.
The CRS Rally School is 2 weeks away!
The California Rally Series Rally School is in two weeks - do you know anyone who might be interested in attending? The date is Saturday, February 11 in Ridgecrest.
Many CRS rallyists and rallycross competitors got a good start in their sport at this annual school - perhaps you were one of them! Think of potential teammates, members of your service crew, rally volunteers who might enjoy this day-long, hands-on event. The school includes lunch, dinner, and a notebook, with both classroom instruction and in-car training (rally or rallycross driving, or rally co-driving) with experienced competitors. School participants get two other bonuses: a 2017 CRS membership, and a discounted entry fee ($40) to Sunday's Ridgecrest Rallycross I.
Thanks for spreading the word! The website for info and registration is http://crsrallyschool.com/
See you there!
The CRS Rally School Team
The 2016 CRS Banquet is only weeks away. Sign Up Now!The year is over and we hope your holiday break was fantastic. It's now time to get together with your CRS family to celebrate this season's Rally and Rallycross achievements! Sign-up Link Here! - Rallydata.com 4111 E Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815
2640 N Lakewood Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815
California Rally Series 2016 Season Set to Begin at High Desert Trails RallyLos Angeles – The 2016 California Rally Series (CRS) Season begins this weekend with the High Desert Trails Rally near Ridgecrest, CA. Competitors will tackle over 100 miles of competitive stages on Saturday, May 7th as they race from the desert floor up into the forest on top of Piute Mountain on some of the most scenic stages in Southern California.
Twenty –four teams are registered for the event, with the husband and wife team of Chris and Lori O’Driscoll seeded at the front of the pack in their Open Four-Wheel Drive Class Subaru WRX. Right behind them is Irishman John Coyne driving a Subaru Impreza, with veteran Doug Nagy as his co-driver. Mr. Coyne made the move into the Subaru from two-wheel drive last season and has been getting faster and faster. Jason Copt and Cameron Meng will also be battling for the overall win in their Open Four-wheel Drive class Subaru WRX STI. Meanwhile, last year’s Open Lite champions Stephen Benson and Nicholas Renold are making the move into Open Four-Wheel drive, and it will be exciting to watch them taking the fight in the more powerful class. Husband and wife team Markus and Alicia Saarinen have won the small displacement, two-wheel drive CRS-2 class for the last two years, and are looking to make it a hat trick in 2016. They return to High Desert Trails in their Mini Cooper as the favorites in that class. Fighting behind them in what promises to be a very close battle are Mike Hurst and Michel Hoche-Mong in a Ford Capri, 2009 CRS-2 champion Chris Palermo and Andres Bautista in a Nissan Sentra SE-R, Erik Christiansen and Amy Floyd in a VW Golf GTI, father and son team Larry and Lance Gross in their Toyota Corolla, and Javier Olivares and Brock Heinz in their Ford Escort. That group will no doubt be trading stage times all day. This season marks the return of the large-displacement/turbo two-wheel drive class CRS-5. This class had been dropped the last few seasons due to low participation, but has been reinstated for 2016 after a large amount of interest. 2013 Open Lite champ Ray Piloto and co-driver Brock Palmer are the current class favorites in their turbocharged Chevy Sonic RS. They will be battling Andy Cowan and Ryan Dunham in a VW Jetta VR6. Cowan and Dunham made their CRS debut at High Desert Trails last year and have been getting faster at every event. Favored for the class win in Open Lite are Thaddeus Roebuck and Aaron Schroeder in their Subaru Impreza. The team finished third in class here last year and is looking to improve on that podium performance. They face a challenge from Michael Seidman and Ericka Sacks, also competing in a Subaru Impreza. In the production-based two-wheel drive Performance Stock class, 2014 class champions Tony Chavez and Raquel Salas, another husband and wife team, return to make a run at yet another top spot in their VW Golf. They will be up against another VW Golf, this one piloted by Richard Burden and Christopher Fine. Performance Stock class has a long history in the CRS, dating back over twenty years, with a reputation as a true driver’s class. Expect to see some exciting racing here this weekend. The High Desert Trails Rally was first run in 1973 on roads to the Southeast and West of Ridgecrest, CA. This year’s event features over 100 stage miles in a one-day compact format. Located just two and a half hours north of Los Angeles, the competitor and spectator friendly format makes this a perfect season opener for the California Rally Series. For more information on the High Desert Trails Rally, visit http://highdeserttrails.com. The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern United States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create a meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 40 continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United States. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter. Los Angeles – The 2016 California Rally Series (CRS) Season begins this weekend with the
High Desert Trails Rally near Ridgecrest, CA. Competitors will tackle over 100 miles of
competitive stages on Saturday, May 7 th as they race from the desert floor up into the forest on
top of Piute Mountain on some of the most scenic stages in Southern California.
Twenty –four teams are registered for the event, with the husband and wife team of Chris and
Lori O’Driscoll seeded at the front of the pack in their Open Four-Wheel Drive Class Subaru
WRX. Right behind them is Irishman John Coyne driving a Subaru Impreza, with veteran Doug
Nagy as his co-driver. Mr. Coyne made the move into the Subaru from two-wheel drive last
season and has been getting faster and faster. Jason Copt and Cameron Meng will also be
battling for the overall win in their Open Four-wheel Drive class Subaru WRX STI. Meanwhile,
last year’s Open Lite champions Stephen Benson and Nicholas Renold are making the move into
Open Four-Wheel drive, and it will be exciting to watch them taking the fight in the more
powerful class.
Husband and wife team Markus and Alicia Saarinen have won the small displacement, two-
wheel drive CRS-2 class for the last two years, and are looking to make it a hat trick in 2016.
They return to High Desert Trails in their Mini Cooper as the favorites in that class. Fighting
behind them in what promises to be a very close battle are Mike Hurst and Michel Hoche-Mong
in a Ford Capri, 2009 CRS-2 champion Chris Palermo and Andres Bautista in a Nissan Sentra
SE-R, Erik Christiansen and Amy Floyd in a VW Golf GTI, father and son team Larry and
Lance Gross in their Toyota Corolla, and Javier Olivares and Brock Heinz in their Ford Escort.
That group will no doubt be trading stage times all day.
This season marks the return of the large-displacement/turbo two-wheel drive class CRS-5. This
class had been dropped the last few seasons due to low participation, but has been reinstated for
2016 after a large amount of interest. 2013 Open Lite champ Ray Piloto and co-driver Brock
Palmer are the current class favorites in their turbocharged Chevy Sonic RS. They will be
battling Andy Cowan and Ryan Dunham in a VW Jetta VR6. Cowan and Dunham made their
CRS debut at High Desert Trails last year and have been getting faster at every event.
Favored for the class win in Open Lite are Thaddeus Roebuck and Aaron Schroeder in their
Subaru Impreza. The team finished third in class here last year and is looking to improve on that
podium performance. They face a challenge from Michael Seidman and Ericka Sacks, also
competing in a Subaru Impreza.
In the production-based two-wheel drive Performance Stock class, 2014 class champions Tony
Chavez and Raquel Salas, another husband and wife team, return to make a run at yet another top
spot in their VW Golf. They will be up against another VW Golf, this one piloted by Richard
Burden and Christopher Fine. Performance Stock class has a long history in the CRS, dating
back over twenty years, with a reputation as a true driver’s class. Expect to see some exciting
racing here this weekend.
The High Desert Trails Rally was first run in 1973 on roads to the Southeast and West of
Ridgecrest, CA. This year’s event features over 100 stage miles in a one-day compact format.
Located just two and a half hours north of Los Angeles, the competitor and spectator friendly
format makes this a perfect season opener for the California Rally Series. For more information
on the High Desert Trails Rally, visit http://highdeserttrails.com.
The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern
United States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create
a meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 40
continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United
States. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and
follow @crspress on twitter.
Orange Cones Beware: The 2016 CRS RallyCross Season is ON!California Rally Series RallyCross drivers launched into what will be a historic 2016 race season with more points competitions calendared than any previous year. Sunday, February 14th, 72 competitors met at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California to burn the dust off their race cars and heat up their driving skills in the season opening event. Officially a part of the JayCom “Glen Helen” series, this race doubled as a points carrying California Rally Series (CRS) event. Competition was fierce as drivers negotiated the newly resurfaced venue; dodging rocks and cones. Outstanding driving skills were on display in nine different car classes. A beautiful Southern California spring day began with the Stock 2 Wheel Drive class spectators still holding onto their hot coffee and culminated with Modified All Wheel Drive blasting around the course into the sunset. A quick turnaround to the next stop in this season’s CRS RallyCross Championship series is a notably different experience on the tackier, traditionally fast and technical course at the Empire Fairgrounds in Ridgecrest, California. Competition will intensify as competitors are combined to run in four classes: Stock 2 Wheel Drive, Stock All Wheel Drive, Modified 2 Wheel Drive and Modified All Wheel Drive. This event is the second half of a double-feature weekend that commences with the CRS Rally School on Saturday, February 20th. CRS Rally School and RallyCross has been the initiating experience for many of today’s RallyCross Championship drivers. Experienced drivers in attendance at Ridgecrest this weekend will provide instruction as CRS welcomes a new crop of drivers to the School. Everyone will have an amazing opportunity to experience the brotherhood/sisterhood of the RallyCross community when they compete side by side on Sunday, February 21st in the CRS Rally School RallyCross Event. Following the February 21st race, CRS RallyCross drivers have at least six more opportunities to showcase their driving skills and car stamina at events scheduled through the end of the year. Event dates and registration information is available at californiarallyseries.com. And look for our community on Facebook: California Rally Series RallyCross Community. California Rally Series Rally School Celebrates Twenty Years of Teaching RallyLos Angeles – 2016 marks the twentieth annual rally school hosted by the California Rally Series. The school is an opportunity for people interested in performance rally and rallycross to get an introduction the sport, either in the driver or co-driver seat. On February 20th in Ridgecrest, CA, forty-five students are set to participate in the day-long session that includes both classroom and field exercises with locally and nationally recognized competitors. Driving exercises take place in a controlled environment suitable for street cars – so long as they don’t mind getting dirty!
The California Rally Series started the rally school in 1997 as a way for people curious about rally to get a taste of the sport as well as some driving instruction on dirt surfaces. Car control sessions go through the basics of performance driving on limited slip surfaces, and include differences between front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive. As stage notes became more commonplace in rally in the United States, those techniques were added to the curriculum, as well as an in-car field practice session for nascent co-drivers. Meanwhile, as rallycross grew in popularity and matured into a sport of its own, a parallel session was added specifically focused on rallycross driving techniques. In addition to driving and co-driving skills, there are seminars focused on the nuts and bolts of rally, for example team management and logistics, car preparation, and a complete what to expect at your first rally, including how rally controls work and emergency procedures. The full day really is a primer on everything you need to know to enter a rally. In fact, typically over half of each class will show up ready to compete in their own rally car at an event within two to four years. A rallycross the following Sunday offer students the perfect opportunity to follow up on the lessons they learned. Held at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds in Ridgecrest, the rallycross will feature a course outlined with cones in large dirt parking lot, and is open to anyone (not just students) in almost any street car. Roll cages are not required, just helmets. Not only is it a great way for students to see how they measure up against their instructors from the day before, but the rallycross also counts for points in the 2016 California Rally Series Rallycross Championship. The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern United States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create a meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 40 continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United States. For more information on the California Rally Series Rally School check out http://crsrallyschool.com/. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter. |