CRC on TSN – Defi and PFR Coming Up Soon!

The updated schedule for the Canadian Rally Championship on TSN has been released:

Rallye Defi

Wed Oct 21 01:30 / Fri Oct 23 04:00 / Fri Oct 23 13:30

Pacific Forest Rally

Sat Oct 24 11:30 Wed Oct 28 01:30 Wed Oct 28 12:30

(24 hour Eastern Time; check local listings for confirmation)

PBRT Flies to First BC Regional Podium Finish at PFR

Local Prescribed Burn Rally Team driver Mark Jennings-Bates and co-driver Jennifer Daly achieved their best ever national finish and second overall in the regional at this year’s Pacific Forest Rally on October 3 in Merritt, BC.

After an exciting and competitive event, the team took a well deserved regional podium for the first time in their new 2004 STi rally car. The rally started well for the duo on the Friday night stages, as the team adapted to the new KSport gravel suspension, which was tested heavily at the event, and provided consistent and confident handling.

Even in the dark, Friday night proved to be very fast; this trend continued for the whole event and ended with Subaru Canada’s Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell destroying the stage record on Helmer in the dark on Saturday.  With mud, snow and fog during the early recce portion, choosing tires was a significant challenge, but the conditions improved dramatically by the time the cars were on stage, and PFR 2009 turned into one of the fastest Merritt rallies in history.

The PBRT service crew were professional and effective, and kept the team in the hunt for a strong finish; however, the last 150km of the event were run without any power steering, a big challenge for driver Mark Jennings-Bates:  “Now I will stop whining at my strength and conditioning coach, Leanne Manlove at Pinnacle Elite Athlete, about all the strength work she is making me do.  I really needed to work hard to keep the car on the road for the last two stages, but thankfully we did not drop much time and gained a place in the process.  I guess the training is paying off!”  Codriver Jennifer Daly was also very busy at the weekend, as the stages were fast and adapting delivery timing to a greatly increased pace can be very challenging. “We certainly came out of the first stage with a good pace” said Daly, adding “on Saturday we hit a jump and seemed to be in the air for several seconds, which was intense, and a total thrill.  Our service crew was reliable and we owe a big part of the success this weekend to them”.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team’s newest driver Craig Ross and codriver John Hall took the start line for the first time ever at PFR.  Craig’s objective for his first rally was to finish, which he did, setting some very competitive stage times along the way. A puncture and necessary tire change cost the new team in overall time, but Craig clearly demonstrated that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

PFR was the first successful rally for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team in over a year.  Mark and Jennifer finished 5th overall nationally and 2nd overall regionally.  Craig and John finished 12th overall regionally, despite their puncture!  

The PBRT service crew for PFR consisted of Dave Hood, Anthony Evans, Reagan Ritchie and Devon Crosby. The next event on the calendar for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be the all new Big White Winter Rally, taking place on December 5, 2009 at the Big White Ski Resort. 

Link to 2009 Pacific Forest Rally results HERE.

Link to the Big White Rally Weekend homepage HERE.

(car photo credit Kurt Schantz)

Pacific Forest Rally Spectator Guides Available in Kelowna

Spectator guides with all the details regarding the location and timing for this weekend’s Pacific Forest National Stage Rally in Merrit are available at the following locations:

Agar Auto Body, Westbank (PBRT Sponsor)

Big-O Tires, Westbank (PBRT Sponsor)

Dan’s Tires, Kelowna

Valley Mitsubshi, Kelowna (CRC Contingency Sponsor)

Wyatt Auto Parts, Kelowna (PBRT Sponsor)

Dig Out Your Old Routebooks, Sheep Mab is Back!

The stage schedule for the 2009 Pacific Forest Rally has been posted, and the rocky, tricky Sheep Mab stage is returning to the rotation.  Friday will be multiple runs through Comstock stage, with its infamous hairpin and tarmac into tunnel sections, plus the downtown Railyard Mall stage for the spectators.  Absent on this year’s schedule is Princeton Cutoff, but with three runs through Nicola stage, there will be plenty of cheek clenching exposure for the rally teams to brave.  The spectator friendly AMR and Helmer stages complete the schedule.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be competing in the Pacific Forest Rally on October 2, 2009.  This will be the first event for the team as a two car entry, with Craig Ross in Mark’s old Talon for his debut rally drive!

Volunteers are still needed for the event. See the PFR homepage below.

Link to PFR stage schedule HERE.

Link to PFR homepage HERE.

Another DNF For Prescribed Burn Rally Team

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

PBRT Become Spectators After Mechanical Troubles Force Early End to Rocky

June 1st, 2009 – The Prescribed Burn Rally Team was only one and a half stages into the Rocky Mountain National Rally when the engine of their 2004 Subaru STi overheated, taking them out of competition after less than 20 stage kilometers.  Although the sweep truck was able to return the car to the service for assessment by the crew, they were not able to isolate the problem, and the team opted to retire rather than risk terminal engine failure that was likely inevitable if they attempted to continue.

With the PB rally car stowed on the trailer, the team was free to spectate the rest of the event, which featured rally teams from Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.  The main spectator area was crowded with rally fans from across Canada, cheering and enjoying the sunshine as the rally cars roared though a challenging section of stage featuring an acute corner and texas gate.  The event was lead from early on by Canadian Champions Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell, who took first overall. The battle for first in the two wheel drive class was eventually won by Eric Grochowski and Leanne Junnila, who managed to nurse their 1996 VW Golf through the majority of the last stage and to the final control with only three wheels on the car.  They had been in close competition with Manitobans Jan and Jody Zedril, who lead the their class until they rolled their Mitsubishi on the eighth special stage.

Mark and Jennifer were joined by Craig Ross and Alex Schubel as service crew for this year’s Rocky; they are also indebted to Regan Ritchie and Dave Steeper for their mechanical knowledge and preparation efforts leading up to the rally.  The 2009 Rocky Mountain National Rally will be broadcast on TSN June 20th.  The Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be busy rebuilding the engine in preparation for their next event, the Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally, taking place in Merritt, BC on June 12^th and 13th.

Photo Links

Formula Photographic

WorldRallySport

RallyPic.com

B.G. Images

PBRT Competing @ Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Rally This Weekend

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

Local Team Takes on National Competition at Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Rally

May 20, 2009 – The Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be traveling to Alberta to compete in their first national event of the 2009 rally season, the epic Rocky Mountain Rally, taking place on the ranchland roads outside of Calgary May 28-30.   This will be the second outing for the team’s new 2004 Subaru STi rally car, which has received suspension and brake upgrades since the team’s open class win at the Cochrane winter rally in March.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is aiming to improve upon their 2008 result of 6^th overall.  Driver Mark Jennings-Bates is looking forward to giving the new car its first hard drive on the fast, open Alberta roads: “We were happy with last year’s finish, but it was a learning experience for us.  This year we are better prepared, with the right tires and more knowledge.  We’re planning on pushing our limits from the very first stage, and staying in close battles with some of the eastern teams that finished just ahead of us last year.”  Rocky is a particular challenge for codrivers, because it is run on computer generated ‘Jemba’ notes, a vast difference from most events, where teams are permitted to generate their own pace notes.  With a new rally computer in the car, codriver Jennifer Daly is feeling confident: “Two years ago Rocky was the first event for Mark and I as a team, and we’ve come a long way since.  The car is well equipped and we are working well together; I think we’ll be able to push harder and use the Jemba notes more effectively than in the past.” 

The Rocky Mountain National Rally will be broadcast on TSN this fall as part of the televised Canadian National Rally Series.  The event draws rally teams from across Canada, including the 2008 championship winning Rocky Rally Team, lead by Patrick Richard.  The 2009 Rocky Mountain Rally begins on stage roads familiar to the teams from other regional Alberta events, and features a head to head super special at the Race City Speedway on Friday night.

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The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is a performance stage rally team based in British Columbia’s Okanagan valley.  Driver Mark Jennings-Bates and co-driver Jennifer Daly compete in an open class Subaru WRX STi, supported by a dedicated team of local volunteers.  For 2009 the Prescribed Burn Team will be striving to win the Western Canadian Rally Championship.  Mark Jennings-Bates is also endeavouring to raise millions of dollars for charity as part of his bid to be the first Canadian driver to enter the infamous Dakar Rally in 2011.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is sponsored by BCResortHomes.com, Agar Paint & Autobody, BigO Tire in Westbank, Aerius Engineering, Wyatt Auto Parts, Kelowna Moving Centre, Provisiondata.com, The Great Canadian Oil Change and Bell Racing.  The team is supported by K96.3FM, Castanet.net and Green Couch Designs.

(as reported by PBRT media)

Follow the Prescribed Burn Rally Team @ Rocky via twitter (link on right) or check out FlatOverCrest.com for all the rally tweets….

PBRT Takes Open Class Win at Cochrane Rally

The new Prescribed Burn 2004 Subaru STI left its tarmac circuit racing history in the dust this weekend at its first rally, the Cochrane Regional Rally of the Ranchlands in Alberta.  This year’s Cochrane Rally, the first round of the Western Canadian Championship, began as a pure snow and ice winter event, with some teams ending up in the snowbanks multiple times, and ended as a warm sunny spring rally with a great finish for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team.

On the first few morning stages, driver Mark Jennings-Bates had his hands full keeping the new car, with its still stock suspension and non rally tires, on the slippy winter roads.  Other teams struggled for grip as well, including the first car out, which ended up in the snowbank on the first stage.  By the long mid day service the Chinook arch was high in the sky, and the temperature was rising rapidly.  The Prescribed Burn service crew worked hard and solved a list of problems that cropped up throughout the morning, giving Mark and Jennifer a chance to test out the new car in earnest during the second half of the rally.  With the temperature above freezing, the worn winter tires found more grip and the team returned to rally pace, enjoying settling in to the new car. 

 The Prescribed Burn Rally Team’s 2009 Cochrane Rally was an eventful one, with new car teething troubles, stopping on stage to pull another competitor out of the snowbank, and penalties incurred when they spun 360 degrees backwards through a chicane, obliterating most of the elements.  The detailed results are not yet available, but without the estimated five minutes they lost to these challenges the Prescribed Burn team would have been in an overall podium position.  By the last leg of the rally the team was consistently setting competitive stage times, enough to and take first place in open class and fifth overall.  The next event on the PBRT calendar is the Rocky Mountain National Rally in Alberta in May.

1 – #4 Hardy Schmidke Adam Vokes 1:07:21 1
2 – #2 Eric Grochowski Leanne Junnila 1:09:42 2
3- #11 Onur Tezcan Aaron Neumann 1:10:43 3
4- #9 Jared Powell-Williams Mark Uhlmann 1:12:45 4
5 – #3 Mark Jennings-Bates Jennifer Daly 1:14:49 5
6 – #7 Graham Bruce Ryan Warrington 1:15:51 6
7 – #8 Neil Wright Lorna Wright 1:16:37 7
8 – #12 Jim Gemmell John Gemmell 1:17:53 8
9 – #10 Mehran Arefi Dan McLean 1:21:01 9
10 – #1 Colin Armstrong Jason Thain 1:30:02 10
– #5 Brian Maplethorpe John Hall DNF – Max Late
– #6 Ken Maydaniuk Chris Maydaniuk DNF – Off road

Link to detailed results HERE.

Photo links:

Istaphoto

Andrew Snucins

Sirius Rally Team

Travis C, chicane supervisor

PBRT Opens 2009 Season at Cochrane Regional Rally This Weekend

The new Prescribed Burn 2004 Subaru STI will take its first rally start at round one of the Western Canadian Rally Championship this weekend. The PBRT service crew has been hard at work converting the street prepped STI into a tough and stage ready open class rally car.

Last year’s Cochrane rally was the first event as the lead rally car for the Prescribed Burn team, an added challenge for still novice codriver Jennifer, and a substantial disadvantage in the winter conditions.  As first car out the Prescribed Burn Impreza cleared the way for the later entries, sweeping the untouched snowy stages at a slower pace.  The team will be looking to improve upon the 2008 result of fifth overall, and aiming to adapt to and show off the new STI.

Link to the Cochrane website with entry list and schedule HERE.

Good luck to all the WCRC competitors, as the race for the 2009 title begins!

Sweet New Logo for Prescribed Burn RT this Season

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team enlisted the help of trusted graphic designer Cynthia Frenette, the artist behind the Sirius Rally Logo, to update their logo for the 2009 season.  The Okanagan rally team is beginning to attract local commercial and media attention; it has also added a second rally car to the team for 2009, and everyone wanted a logo that reflected the team’s growth and success.  Thanks to Cynthia for an eye-catching professional  that reflects the flare and fun at the core of the Prescribed Burn Rally Team.

Link to Green Couch Designs HERE.

The current PBRT website will be updated to fit the new logo soon, hopefully before the team’s first event of the season, Cochrane Rally of the Ranchlands, on March 1st.

1st Annual Big White Rally Weekend

As a bit of catchup, here’s the link to the recap of the superfun events at Big White before Christmas, hosted by the Prescribed Burn Rally Team:

Big White Rally Weekend PR

The second stage test day to be organized in the Okanagan opened the event, with four rally cars out testing and playing in the snow. The next test day is tentatively scheduled for Saturday March 21st, and the Prescribed Burn Team plans to host another Big White Rally Weekend in early December 2009.

Prescribed Burn 2009 Competition Schedule

Cochrane Regional Rally of the Ranchlands – Feb 28-Mar 01, Cochrane AB

Ski2Sea Relay Race - April 19, Kelowna BC

Rocky Mountain National Rally - May 29–31, Calgary AB

Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally - June 13-14, Merritt BC

Bighorn Regional Stage Rally - August 15-16, Edmonton AB

Pacific Forest National Stage Rally - October 2-4, Merritt BC

Kananaskis Regional Stage Rally - November 7-8, Kananaskis AB

 

Prescribed Burn Rally Team Takes 2008 Open Class Title, Prepares for 2009 Season

After a successful 2008 season, culminating in the Western Canadian Open Class Title, the Prescribed Burn Rally Team will focus on the Western Canadian Rally Championship exclusively for its 2009 season.  This rally series begins in March, but the team is currently working on a number of preseason efforts, including prepping and testing a new car, creating a new website, and initiating new team members.

“Last season was a real roller coaster and a big learning year for everyone,” reflects codriver Jennifer Daly.  “We had record results, but also some crashes and frustrating mechanical troubles.  Despite the trials, we won open class and placed third overall, and we are heading into this season as a more tightly knit, experienced, and determined rally team.”

 As his rally team evolves, driver and team founder Mark Jennings-Bates regards the season ahead with excitement and growing confidence: “The profile of rally as an action sport is increasing: both the Canadian National Series and the Dakar Rally are getting mainstream television coverage, and we’re seeing more and more spectators, sponsors and new drivers coming to rally.   As part of this momentum, we intend to take our team to a higher level of performance and exposure in 2009,” says Jennings-Bates.  “We are focused on winning the Western Canadian Rally Championship.”

As part of this pursuit, the team will be upgrading to a faster rally car, a 2004 Subaru STI.  The PBRT service crew of local volunteers will be hard at work preparing the new car for the team’s first event of the season, Alberta’s Cochrane Regional Rally of the Ranchlands on March 1st. 

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is a performance rally team based in British Columbia’s Okanagan valley.  The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is sponsored by AGAR Paint and Autobody, Big O Tires Westbank, Wyatt Auto Parts, The Vault Sign & Design, Realtors at The Grand, K96.3FM, and Provisiondata.com; the team is supported by the Horie Family, Bell Racing, Driver’s Edge Autosports, Kelowna Moving Centre, Great Canadian Oil Change and Green Couch Designs.

 PBRT Media Release 02/03/2008

PBR Team Rallies to Career Top National Finish at Rocky

An unusually heavy week of rain descended upon Calgary, Alberta just in time for the 2008 Rocky Mountain Stage Rally, creating challenging conditions for the organizers, teams and volunteers. The second round of the Canadian National series had thirty four entries and showcased new contingency programs and factory support from Subaru and Mitsubishi.

As teams traveled out to the first stages, a rare short break in the rain occurred and Mark and Jennifer flew through the familiar roads without incident. By the first reseed they had moved ahead of their usual regional competition, and just in behind the funded factory teams. The third stage of the rally was the longest and a favourite of Mark’s; although turbo problems had prevented the team from truly taking the stage in the past, this time they pushed hard and drove Powderface all out. On the transit back to Calgary two top teams were stopped on the roadside, and another was left on stage with a blown motor. This attrition put the Prescribed Burn Team in the running for a top five National finish.

The impact of the weather was apparent early in the rally when flooding forced the cancellation of the short spectator stages. In lieu of the planned gravel course, the organizers devised a head to head, WRC style tarmac super special for the spectators expected at the Race City Speedway on Friday night. Despite the downpour, a sizeable crowd equipped with cameras and umbrellas turned up to see the teams and cars at service and on the track. The Prescribed Burn Team ended day one in fifth place overall, its highest National standing ever. Mark and Jennifer aimed to carry the speed and composure they attained on the Powderface stages into the Porcupine Hills, despite the torrential rain and rumours of car-sucking mud on Saturday’s tricky and technical stages.

The Prescribed Burn Team started day two by setting fourth fastest times on the first two stages, moving them ahead of Mitsubishi teams from Quebec. Mark and Jennifer were surprised at how well they fared since they battled thick fog and confusion about chicane placement on the first stage. At the first service the focus was on tires, and many teams were changing to new gravel tires or narrow mud tires. Deep mud and rocks on the next two tight, narrow stages cost the team time and a lot of tire wear, but they managed to lose only one position.

Mark drove at the very edge for the grip and the conditions over the last two stages, but their closest competitors with mud tires gained ground. The Prescribed Burn Team finished the Rocky Mountain Rally in sixth overall, also collecting important points as the second place novice entry. Patrick Richard and Alan Ockwell won the event for the Rocket Rally Team in their new Subaru Canada WRX STI.

According to co-driver Jennifer Daly, the rally was a success: “I’m very happy with our performance and I think we are steadily progressing as a team. We were consistent and we are gaining confidence; sixth overall is an outstanding result. We relied heavily on our volunteer service crew to maintain the car and especially the tires at this event. They were dedicated and steadfast despite the terrible cold, wet, muddy conditions they endured all weekend.” Dave Hood, Eric Bauld, Alex Schubel and Dave Steeper were in attendance as service crew for Rocky.

Over the course of the event, the rain flowed in rivers across the transit roads and into culverts on stage, creating huge puddles that splashed into the roof vents and engines of the rally cars, forcing at least one retirement. The Canadian National series is being filmed to air on TSN in the fall, and according to the veteran rally videographers, the 2008 Rocky conditions were the worst ever.

After reviewing the stage times, driver Mark Jennings-Bates summarized his performance: “We set a competitive pace on Friday and maintained it for the Saturday morning stages. The mud got thicker and deeper as the day progressed, and against other teams with specialized mud tires, we lost precious seconds and dropped in the overall final standings. There are well equipped new or returning teams on the Western Canadian circuit and we’re looking forward to some close battles this season.” With new rivalries brewing, the team will begin preparation for its next outing, the Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally, taking place in Merritt BC on June 13 & 14. Mountain Trials is a home event for the team and they will be driving hard for a podium finish.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is supported by BCResortHomes.com, Agar Paint & Autobody, BigO Tire in Westbank, OkanaganVisitor.ca, Provisiondata.com, Stacy Screen Print, Kelowna Moving Centre, Wyatt Autoparts, Wishbone Industries, The Great Canadian Oil Change and Bell Racing.

PBR Team Takes on US Competition at Olympus Rally 2008

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team had an action packed weekend at the historic Olympus Rally in Pomeroy WA. The first US event for the team was a challenging mix of smooth ridgeline roads and tight corners in and out of grassland valleys, with some teams reaching speeds near 200 km/h. The rally was centred at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, where driver Mark Jennings-Bates, codriver Jennifer Daly and service crew Dave Hood, Alex Schubel, Dave Steeper and Eric Bauld enjoyed the old fashioned small town generosity of the host community. The Olympus Rally has a historic past as one of the oldest rallies in America, and as a previous World Rally Championship event.

On Saturday the first regional rally came to a sudden end for the Prescribed Burn Team less than two miles into the second stage. The car slid slightly wide on an acute loose gravel corner; the soft bank edge fell out from under it and the car landed at the bottom of the steep outside ditch. Unharmed, Mark and Jennifer scrambled out of the gulley to await the course closing crew, who capably extracted the rally car and notified the rest of the team. Determined to continue, Mark drove the car back out of the stage in reverse, with two flat tires, bent rims and a crooked front wheel. At the stage entry they were rescued by their service crew, who towed the car back to the fairgrounds to assess the damage. A few hours of hard work and some spare parts got the car repaired in time to reenter the second regional rally, a commendable achievement for the volunteer service crew.

The early crash was not the end of the trouble for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team. Turbo problems caused them to limp through the first stage after the restart, effectively putting them out of podium contention. This problem was tackled in the later stages and resolved by the last day of the event, where the team came within seconds of reaching the maximum average speed allowed on the final stage. They also bested some well known drivers of large budget factory teams. Mark and Jennifer gained confidence using pace notes and they were able to test the limits of the rally car; working under time constraints and getting the car back into the rally were valuable experiences for the service crew.

DC Shoes founder Ken Block won the national rally for the Subaru USA team; Mark and Jennifer placed 6th overall in the second regional. The team traveled to the Olympus Rally as part of their preparation for their first national event of 2008, Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Rally in May.

Link to the Olympus Rally website HERE.

Prescribed Burn Rally Team Takes Open Class Win at Cochrane Rally 2008

This year Cochrane was a fast paced, exciting rally, complete with winter driving challenges, amazing offs and fierce competition.  Sunday’s stages were ice and gravel blanketed by a few centimetres of fresh snow.  The conditions were highly variable depending on running order, and changed substantially throughout the day.  The Prescribed Burn Rally Team set out first on the road in the morning, setting respectable times despite the slippery and deceptive untouched snow on the stages.   By the first service they proved to be behind the pace of the leading group, who were taking advantage of the grippy gravel that was appearing as the rally progressed.    The second leg of the rally took place on the tricky and technical Harold Creek stages; these stages claimed two rally cars during the event, and the Prescribed Burn car almost became a third.  Early in stage 3 Mark and Jennifer came flying into a sharp left slightly unprepared, and ended up on top of the large snowbank, on the outer edge of the road, sliding along it and managing to use whatever wheels were still on the ground to avoid going over the edge. This corner saw a lot more action after the Prescribed Burn team came through – some competitors bounced off the bank, and one car went off and rolled over completely.  The rollover was the big story of the event, until another team launched their car off a crest and wedged it between two trees on the second pass of the Harold Creek stages.  The crews from the crashed cars were uninjured but out of the rally.  Mark and Jennifer made up time during the final leg of the rally.  They set top times on stages, and were within 10 seconds of second and third place overall.  Delays from earlier in the rally caused two late stages to be cancelled, and the opportunities for the Prescribed Burn Team to continue making up time were lost.  The team was still in line for the open class win, as the next closest open driver ended up hitting a bridge trying to catch them.  As all the teams filed into the final control it became clear that the results were extremely close, with a large part of the field possibly on the podium.  This situation is unusual in rally, and it took the officials a long time to declare the results.  Mark, Jennifer and the Prescribed Burn Team took the Open class win, and placed fifth overall, 20 seconds out of third.  The Bullit Racing Team of Colin Armstrong and Jason Thain won the event and the Group 2 title.  The next Alberta event is the Rocky Mountain Stage Rally in May.   Link to event photos from Formula Photographic HERE. Link to Shawn’s photos, including sequences of the close calls on Harold Creek, HERE. Link to Louren Sansregret’s photos HERE. 

Cochrane Rally Opens Sirius Stage Season This Weekend

Twenty teams from BC and AB will be rallying through Albertan ranch country at the 2008 Cochrane Rally of the Ranchlands on March 15 & 16. Sirius team members Jennifer and Josh will be in the right seats for Mark Jennings-Bates in an open Impreza and John Breen in a P-3 Focus, respectively.

The G2 battle will be the main focus of the Cochrane Rally this year. Two of the top G2 cars have new codrivers, and a perennial favourite is returning to his old VW ride for the event. Mark and Jennifer are slated as car 1 in the start order, leading all the 2wd cars onto the stages. Being the first car on the road will be a new challenge for Jennifer. The Prescribed Burn rally car has been fined tuned at Rocket, and the volunteer service crew will be out in full force for Cochrane. The Prescribed Burn Team is hoping for a reliable start to the 2008 season, and aiming for a podium place at Cochrane this weekend.

Link to event homepage HERE.

Kananaskis Rally Rounds Out 2007 Stage Season for PBRT

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team finished their 2007 stage season placing 3rd in open class and 12th overall at the Kananaskis Rally in Alberta over the long weekend. The team was aiming to take the overall win, but they were plagued again with mechanical troubles and some bad luck. Mark set competitive times on the small Jumping Pound morning stages, despite a spin on one lap and stuffing it into the ditch by the spectator point in the last lap. The fastest way to get the car back on the road was to throw it in reverse, so the spectators got quite as show as the car shot down the course backwards for 500m before changing directions at an R6.

Powderface was the main road for this year’s rally, and a favourite of the Prescribed Burn Team. Coming into this long, flowing stage Mark and Jennifer felt sure that they could catch the rally leaders, who were ahead by 20 seconds. An untimely tire puncture cost the team more than 4 minutes on the first Powderface run, putting them out of overall competition. They fixed the tire and posted a great time on the first Powderface reverse, but then suffered a blown turbo hose, the same hose that did them in at Rocky, and dropped out of the running for the open class win. Once the hose was reattached, Mark and Jennifer ran the final lap and finished the last stage of the rally with the 3rd fastest time.

The 2008 season begins with the Cochrane Rally of the Ranchlands on January 19-20th. The Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be fighting hard for its first overall win, and chasing the novice title in the Canadian National series.

Click HERE for event photos from Prescribed Burn Rally.

Click HERE for Shawn Bishop’s pics.

Prescribed Burn Rally Gains Ground at PFR 2007

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team overcame unusual road conditions, weather and tough competition to place 4th in the regional race for the 2007 Pacific Forest Rally. This result exceeded the goals the team set for itself going into the rally.

Reconnaisance proved to be a big challenge for the entire field, with ankle deep snow on the Thynne/Brookmere stages. Mark and Jennifer were able to complete one pass of these stages, but were stopped with many other teams for a long time while cars ahead slid on and off the road. They had no problems with the snow in the rex with its new winter tires. On the way back to Merritt, Mark and Jennifer met up with their new service crew bringing the very recently painted yellow car. Ian, Dave and Reagan did a fantastic job prepping and maintaining the car all weekend.

Friday evening started well, but ended in an unlucky DNF. Mark and Jennifer were running with their Western rivals over the first few stages, and were getting comfortable with a faster pace. The car ran out of fuel on the last Princeton stage, preventing the team from running the popular Railyard stage in downtown Merritt. Aside from this blunder the car ran really fast and reliably for the rest of the rally.

Saturday the team drove consistently and improved almost every stage time, surpassing their usual group 2 competition and chasing within reach of a podium finish. Questionable tire choices for the snowy morning stages had put some of the top open teams within 20 seconds of the Prescribed Burn times. Mark and Jennifer flew through Helmer at the end of the day, improving upon their morning time by over two minutes, but the 3rd place open car was also much faster with better tires. The team finished 4th overall, with more than 3 minutes ahead of the next entry. The team has definitely picked up the pace: “In every instance we beat the podium finishers on different stages in a bizarre mix of conditions, all of whom have far more experience on the roads”, says Mark.

Antoine L’Estage won the rally, with Norm LeBlanc defeating ACP for second overall. The open regional podium was LeBlanc, Trinder and Olsen.

The next event is the final rally of 2007 for the team, and we are aiming for a win. The regional Kananaskis Rally takes place on November 10th outside of Calgary, AB.

Click HERE for results.
Click HERE for photos.

Rocks and Roll at Mountain Trials 2007

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team had an eventful but fruitless rally in Merritt this past weekend; working effectively to attain second place by the end of the morning Nicola and Sheep Mab stages, only to meet disaster on both Helmer runs. The rally ended in the first rollover crash for novice rallyist and Sirius Rally Team member Jennifer. It was a slow roll and both Mark and Jennifer were unhurt. Their car will need some serious bodywork before it appears in the Canada Day parade in Kelowna, but at least the crash happened before the car got its brand new paint job.

The event began on Friday evening with a two pass recce session, where pacenotes were generated for Saturday’s competition. Recce was smooth and successful and the team felt confident in their notes. Saturday morning began with three runs of the Nicola and Mab stages, during which Mark and Jennifer traded times the rally frontrunners, and ultimately ended this first leg in second place, with two competitive teams less than 30 seconds behind.

Two runs of the infamous Helmer stage would complete the rally, and the team went into the stage determined to hold on to the podium positions (second place overall and first place open class). The car overheated on the first stage, but luckily it happened near a creek. This setback eliminated Mark and Jennifer from podium contention, but the team decided to continue for experience and fun. Unfortunately the second Helmer stage ended in a rollover caused by a wide ride around a greasy corner, and large rocks which destabilized the car and caused it to roll. The team ultimately landed wheels down in a ditch, unhurt and with repairable car damage.

Despite a challenging rally which ended with a crash, we had a great time and learned a lot. This was Mark’s first rollover as a driver; a roll is something every rallyist eventually experiences, and ours was low damage and exciting. The 2007 stage rally schedule is empty for the summer months, and resumes with the National Pacific Forest Rally in October. This is a Merritt event as well, and Mark and Jennifer will be seeking their Helmer revenge.

Jennifer and the other Sirius Rally Team members are gearing up for a busy tsd schedule in preparation for ALCAN, beginning with the SnoGit tsd in July.

Click HERE for event photos.

Click HERE for a video of the extraction.

2007 Mountain Trials Stage Rally This Weekend!

Sirius Rally Team members Jennifer and Gord will be in Merritt BC for the Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally, taking place June 15/16. Jennifer will be codriving for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team, and Gord will be taking care of the Rocket Legacy, which is rented for the event.

This will be the first recce event for Mark and Jennifer. On Friday they will drive the stages and make their own pacenotes, which are essential to a good performance on Saturday. The Prescribed Burn car again has escaped the new paint job, but many of the mechanical problems that plagued the team at Rocky have been remedied. The Prescribed Burn service crew, Steve and Trevor from Agar Autobody, will be joining the team in Merritt. The weather is forecasted to be warm and it should be a great event.

Click HERE to view the Mountain Trials homepage.
Click HERE for updates on Merritt weather.

Happy Fathers’ Day to all our dads. We’ll call you on Sunday with some great rally stories!

Prescribed Burn Comeback at Rocky Mountain Rally

Sirius Rally team member Jennifer completed her first serious stage rally this weekend, as a codriver for Mark Jennings-Bates. The weather was beautiful and the stages were dry and fast. Friday’s national leg was complicated by a blown turbo hose early in the rally, and a temporary transmission failure on the final motocross park stage. Jennifer made a novice decision to check in to service early in order to maximize time to repair the turbo and incured a substantial penalty. Mark improvised an effective turbo pipe seal, and the team continued Friday lacking boost power to the turbo engine. All these setbacks left the Prescribed Burn Team in 30th place for Saturday’s regional leg.

Undeterred by the disadvantage of placing last and 1.5 minutes behind the next car, Mark and Jennifer progressed on the Saturday stages, overtaking competitors on nearly every stage. The shadymobile put on a fantastic spectator show, overtaking a car on a tight corner on an early stage, and taking a fast wrong turn and spinout later on the same corner. A questionable reseed left them behind a number of cars they passed on previous stages, but Mark was concise and assertive in regaining postition over the later stages. The team posted the fourth fastest times on SS12 and SS14 despite an ailing turbo. Jennifer progressively got a handle on the sometimes superfluous Jemba notes and allowed Mark to get a good rythym and gain substantial time on stage by the end of the day.

The Prescribed Burn / Sirius Rally Team finished in 8th Regional and 15th overall. This was an outstanding result given the mechanical troubles, penalties and codriver inexperience!!

Jennifer and Mark are looking forward to Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally in June, where the Prescribed Burn Team will increase the level of competition and challenge the regional leaders for a top five finish.

Without Gord on Saturday the Rocket Rally crew was very busy at service. The Rocket Rally open car placed 1st in open and 3rd overall, with Gord Olsen at the wheel.

Link to Rocky Mountain photos HERE.

2007 Rocky Mountain Weekend Begins

Sirius Rally Team members are departing today for the Rocky Mountain National Stage Rally taking place outside of Calgary, Alberta. Jennifer will be codriving for the Prescribed Burn Rally Team. This is Jennifer’s first big rally as a codriver, and the pressure is on to keep pace with her teammate and established rally driver Mark Jennings-Bates. They have entered both the national and the regional events in Open class. Mark is familiar with the Rocky stage roads but is still getting to know both his new car and his new codriver. Jennifer’s job this time out will be to avoid time and control penalties, and to get some practice reading Jemba notes at speed. This could very easily be the event that authenticates Jennifer’s status as a total rally addict.

Gord and Onur will be supporting Gord Olsen’s run for the win in a Rocket Rally rental car. Maybe they’ll give the Prescribed Burn Team a little help on the side too….

Click HERE for a great summary of the event on the SpecialStage Rally Forum.
Link to the Rocky Mountain Rally website HERE.

Wish us luck and we’ll keep you posted!

Update – Thursday AM
Warwick and I arrived safely but our overnight drive was a snowstorm from Revelstoke onwards. It is snowing in Calgary, and the weatherman is predicting 10cm overnight. It is shaping up to be a snow and mud rally! The Prescribed Burn car is still not running and will be trailered to the race to be assembled with parts from Rocket Rally. The rex was initially considered as a donor vehicle, but I’m glad there was a better option.

Stage Season for Sirius Team Member!

Jennifer will be making her start as a stage event codriver for the 2007 season. She is joining the already accomplished Mark Jennings-Bates as part of his Prescribed Burn Rally Team. The Prescribed Burn team, 2006 WCRC Novice Champions, is based in the Okanagan and debuts a new rallycar this year. The first outing for the new team will be May 26, 2007 as a national entry in the Rocky Mountain Rally. Codriving for an established driver will be a challenge and a nearly vertical learning curve, but it will be a great time and a fun way to get ready for ALCAN.

Check out the Prescribed Rally Team website HERE.