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Message started by LastDitchRacing on 07/31/5 at 22:06:46

Title: PR-LDR Has Rocky Maine Forest Rally!
Post by LastDitchRacing on 07/31/5 at 22:06:46

For Immediate Release

July 31, 2005

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing met with both success and disappointment at this weekend's Maine Forest Rally in Bethel and Rumford Maine.

Friday saw Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell start 18th on the road and move up to 9th overall at the end of the day. Their performance was enough to garner 1st place in Open Class and 2nd overall in the River Valley Rally.

The team ran the final stage on Friday night with an electronic boost controller problem, but still tied for tenth overall on the stage. The team were running an anti-lag system on the car for the first time, which helps reduce turbo lag while on stage. Said Cassidy, "The car was running perfectly, and Dave and I felt more confident as the day progressed. The team were able to find and correct the problem with the boost controller during the overnight service stop and we were set for Saturday's stages."

Cassidy and Getchell were to continue their strong performance on special stage 5, the first stage of the day. The car was in good shape and the team were running a new set of Michelin Rally tires in preparation for the long day. All would change on SS6, however, when the team experienced their first, "off," in nearly two seasons of championship rallying.

Said Cassidy, "Dave and I were nearing the end of the stage, and I was looking forward to the twisty, flowing bits to come. We entered a right hand turn in the top of third gear. Dave called it properly and I cut it too much. Apparently I stuck the nose of the car where it didn't belong! We struck a rock about the size of a grand piano and nearly two feet high that was laying in wait just out of sight in the raspberry bushes on the side of the road. The glancing impact destroyed the right front wheel, shooting us across the road into the left-hand ditch. We went in hard and ran over several boulders and small trees which brought us to a stop." Cassidy's comment to Getchell when the car went quiet? "I think that's what they call a hit!"

The team did not suffer significant injury and credit their HANS devices and Getchell's side-head restraint seat for avoiding serious injury.

Despite the unexpected end of their sixth appearance at the Maine Forest Rally, Cassidy was upbeat. "In 1999, I didn't make it to the start of SS1 and in 2000 I started 109th on the road and finished 56th! I mentioned during parc expose that a bad day rallying is better than a good at work. A gentlemen overheard me and replied that I must be in the wrong line of work! I said, "You have never been in a rally car, have you!?!"

The team's next event will be Rallye Defi Ste-Agathe/Duhamel, September 9-10th, round four of the Canadian Rally Championship.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2005 team partners for their continued support!

http://www.teamoneil.com
http://www.mainehost.com
http://www.f1dyno.com/
http://www.triplecaution.com
http://www.rallyxi.com
http://www.andrewharvey.ca
http://www.rev-lab.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
For more information on the Rallye Defi Ste-Agathe/Duhamel, please visit: http://www.rallyedefi.com
For more information on the Maine Forest Rally, please visit: http://www.maineforestrally.com