We spent the weekend ironing out details, getting the Saab 99 all squared away for STPR-The Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally - in Wellsboro, PA. We'll be loading up the truck and trailer Tuesday night and starting out on the 17 hour trek on Wednesday morning. We'll be competing Friday and Saturday. We'll be starting out 35th out of 42 entrants, although this might get shuffled around as the event nears.
You can find out more about the event at http://www.stpr.org
Drive well.
STPR is a great event. Have fun in Wellsboro... Try to make it to the PA Grand Canyon if you can.
3 years ago the roads were nice and smooth, relatively speaking.
Good Luck.
I am still debating attending either this event or the Rolex 6 hours at the Glen.
I've never been to a stage rally, what is there for spectators if I were to go? Do organizers generally give out maps of spots to watch from, and is there a lot of viewing opportunities?
That the GRM Saab will be there makes me want to go to this even more...
If you are passing through the Bellefonte/State College PA area during the lunch to dinner hours, I can arrange a great (free) dinner for you @ my wife's restaurant... drop me an email!
Jamesc2123 wrote: I am still debating attending either this event or the Rolex 6 hours at the Glen. I've never been to a stage rally, what is there for spectators if I were to go? Do organizers generally give out maps of spots to watch from, and is there a lot of viewing opportunities? That the GRM Saab will be there makes me want to go to this even more...
STPR is well-organized and has many spectating opportunities including a super special this year. Watching the rally cars come tearing through the woods in the pitch black darkness of the night stages with their light pods blazing, their brake rotors glowing and exhausts spitting flames is truly awesome.
http://www.stpr.org/spectating.html
edit: it looks like they're not running night stages this year. That's really too bad. Here's a small clip from a night stage I worked at a past event:
http://armitage.crinkle.net/gallery/albums/album23/CIMG0266.avi
You can still have a good experience at STPR, but the heyday of the event, and the sport in general, has passed. I fondly recall the days when the entry list was double plus what Per mentioned. The entry fees alone are so unworldly few can afford to compete. Really a shame.
Thank the lawyers for ruining yet another form of automotive entertainment.
Another great thing about STPR is that it is a pretty Grassroots event. Most of the competitors stay in local motels (there isn't much else available!) so all of the cars are out front before the race. I have stopped in a few parking lots to chat and see people working on cars. The Park Firme (sp?) is also cool, they put all of the cars in the town square before the race and you get to see them close up and talk to the drivers.
Big volunteer event, so say thanks racers!
Gearhead_42 wrote: If you are passing through the Bellefonte/State College PA area during the lunch to dinner hours, I can arrange a great (free) dinner for you @ my wife's restaurant... drop me an email!
FREE FOOD!!!!!! Per will drive hours for free food.
ignorant wrote: STPR is a great event. Have fun in Wellsboro... Try to make it to the PA Grand Canyon if you can.
I've been there. It's beautiful. We rode a bike through the bike trail there too.
Good luck, keep the shiny side up! At Oregon Trail, just keeping the car on course and finishing the race gave you really good odds of a podium finish.
Bryce
We're here...got up here in about 18 hours--lots of cruddy weather in DC around rush hour. Car went through tech today just fine--hey, even all of my lights/horn work fine. replaced warm up regulator with stock piece--adjustable was a pain for partial warm starts. gave up hp, gained reliability.
We're starting tomorrow around 2p.
Later
Per
Good Luck crew
Made it through first day. Smacked up skidplate and broke a rear shock on first stage...it was a bit rough. Found a new shock (Gabriel...that's like DMS, right?) about 30 miles from here and we should be back to 4 shocks tomorrow morning. Lots of fans here in PA!
Per
Finished the event just fine, although we had engine mount issues (again) near the finish. I'll post something soon.
LOL I did that to Henry Joy once when he was running course opening for Chillicothe.
Little did I know he was carrying the head of ProRally with him in his Range Rover that day. In retrospect, it seems appropriate now that I and two others mooned the SCCA bigwig. 
great job guys!
to the moon part 2 
too bad my camera crapped out after the super special friday.
that's funny....if that was that much air, I can't imagine what it looked like on the WM stages where the shock broke. The above shots are without one rear shock---the next day we had a Gabriel on the right rear.
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