Message from mwhite
Subject: Transmission Failure Ends RallyHo Team
=================
Transmission Failure Ends Rally Early for Local Saab Team

DUBLIN, NH -- A broken transmission ended RallyHo Motorsports' quest for a
strong finish at the Maine Forest Rally last weekend. After pulling
themselves out of a ditch and overcoming the steep learning curve of a new
style of route instructions, their rally came to an abrupt halt at the
beginning of the eighth special stage.

More than 90 cars started the event, held on the logging roads of
northwestern Maine. The Maine Forest Rally is part of the Sports Car Club of
America's (SCCA) national ProRally series. Driver and team owner Mike White
of Dublin competes in his specially built Saab 99.

Rough road conditions may have contributed to the transmission failure,
White said.

'The stage was badly rutted, so we had to really hammer the car to keep from
getting stuck,' White said. 'We hit a bump that sent the front end airborne.
When we landed, the transmission made some awful noises and we lost all the
gears.'

Co-driver Chris Morand, of Townsend, Mass., said the new 'stage note' route
instructions were a challenge to figure out at first but helped them go
faster as the day progressed. As the co-driver, Morand gives White
instructions and directions about the upcoming road by referencing the route
book.

'In the beginning, I was having trouble figuring out when to call each
instruction to Mike, but we eventually found our rhythm,' Morand said. 'It
was heartbreaking to hear the transmission break like that - we were keeping
pace with the other drivers.'

White remains upbeat about the rest of the 2002 season for the team. 'We'll
have the car back together for some regional rally action this fall,' he
said. 'What was great about the Maine rally is that it showed how well-built
the car is. The improvements we made over the summer passed the tough test
the Maine roads dished out. Once we fix the transmission and a few other
smaller items, we should be a top contender in regional competition.'  

RallyHo Motorsports plans to enter at least two regional rally events this
fall as well as an appearance at promotional events for the team's primary
sponsor, Saabs.com of Amherst, NH.

SCCA ProRally is often described as 'real cars, on real roads, real fast.'
Unlike most types of auto racing, rally cars must remain street legal while
also being able to withstand the punishment of rough forest roads at racing
speeds. 

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• Transmission Failure Ends RallyHo Team [saabnow], The Saab Network, Wed, 31 Jul 2002 00:08:13

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