Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2000
Contact: Tamara Shadbolt
Tel: (503) 624-6366
E-mail: shadbolt@interserv.com

Hairpin Racing Signs New Co-Driver

Oakville, Washington-- Hairpin Racing added Bob Sherman as the team's Co-Driver for the 2000 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) ProRally Championship Series. His background includes navigational rallies in the US and Canada as well as frequent competition in Jaguar Club of North America (JCNA) slalom events. Many in the rally community will recognize him as a member of the Hairpin Racing service crew for the past three seasons.

The first opportunity for the team to compete came at the Doo Wops 3 Club Rally. The event started on March 11, at the Thurston County Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) park near Olympia, Washington. Heavy downpours welcomed the teams and their service crews to the typically muddy, rocky course circling the park. Five stages were negotiated with the aid of rallycross course maps. The team finished thirteenth overall.

The Doo Wops 4 event took place the following day with improved weather conditions. The third stage featured pavement as teams blasted through the campus of a mothballed nuclear power plant, an artifact of the infamous WPPSS Project. Despite posted 25mph signs for normal traffic on the curvy road, the Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza averaged over 60mph on the closed course. All of this took place on wet roads with knobby rally tires, which set the stage for spectacular four wheel drifts through corners.

The team improved its overall position on the following four stages which included the well known Brooklyn Tavern stage and the new Brooklyn West stage. Speeds exceeded 90mph as the gravel became swept and predictable. Spectators were concentrated at tricky intersections and winding curves to watch the action. The Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza required a mid-event brake pad replacement, but experienced no other problems. The team finished third in the showroom stock Production GT class (PGT) and twelfth overall. The event drew 40 entries.

On April 15 and 16, the national SCCA ProRally Championship Series will come to the West Coast for the Oregon Trail ProRally in Tillamook, Oregon. The Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza will be converted to Federation Internationale du Sport Federation (FIA) Group A (Gr.A) specifications and will run in both the Gr.A and OPEN classes. This move has been carefully planned by Team Manager Tamara Shadbolt, who will oversee the conversion. Progress can be followed on the website www.subaru.net


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