Wild West Rally 2001 SCCA

"We got onto 'Mainline,' which is a four-lane wide, mile and a half of hard-packed gravel and were accelerating past 110 mph when we heard a braaappkpkpkpkpkp-bang," says Steve Gingras. "All our gauges went out and we only had two-wheel drive. We could hear the driveshaft flopping around in back, hitting everything it could. We were done."

Driveshaft failure at the same place on the same stage also claimed Knight Racing teammates Jonathon Ryther and Janice Damitio.

Neither finished the 2001 Wild West rally, the eighth event of the 2001 SCCA ProRally Championship.

The DNF list also includes Rhys Millen and Josh Jacquot after their Mitsubishi EVO broke a halfshaft on the third stage, and Subaru Team Canada factory driver, Patrick Richard, and Ben Bradley in Richard's personal Open Class WRX who also lost a differential in the middle of SS6.

Charlie Bradley and driver Noel Lawler in a Hyundai Tiburon shook their string of bad luck for a strong finish, crossing the line 11th overall. "I was hoping to get the trophy for being the first guy to ever walk out of all 10 rallies," jokes Lawler. "It's nice to finish one."

SS7 and SS9 are run over 28.24 miles, ProRally's longest stage of the year. The stages claimed six on Leg Two, including the two frontrunners from Leg One. Lovell retired on the second go-round when one of his Pirellis delaminated and tore up the car's main wiring harness. "We just stopped," says Lovell. But not before hitting the rev-limiter at 133 mph on 'Mainline.' Then the turbo on Paul Choiniere's Hyundai Tiburon's failed following SS9-this after he set the fast time on three of Leg One's six stages, and led the rally at the start of SS9.

Adding to the soap opera was a confusing 'O' control (observation) leading into SS12 and the following service. Wild West uses FIA signage and at a "route check" or "O control," rubber stamps rather than clock signs should've been displayed. Unfortunately, several competitors failed to stop. The resulting penalties were later thrown out.

To top it off, the rally's ambulance was called away for an unrelated accident, leaving a long line of cars waiting to start SS12. The ambulance returned, however, in time for the competitors to run SS15 and 16, but not before rally organizers dropped SS13 and 14 to stay close to the original schedule.

John Bennie with driver Richard Tuthill in the Winning Makes Mitsubishi overcame navigation troubles to rally back from a two-minute deficit on Leg One and set fast time on five of seven Leg Two stages. It was enough to claim their second overall victory of the season.

"Richard couldn't really understand what I was telling him last night and I couldn't read the maps very well," says Bennie. "We had to go to a descriptive system so neither of us would be confused by our preferred system and it took us a while to settle down. This morning though, fresh start, good stages and things went well."

Seamus Burke and Frank Cunningham finished second, making eight podiums in eight events.

Ramana Lagemann and Russ Hughes finished third overall and first in Group N with a privately entered Subaru WRX. But it wasn't without its obstacles. "Basically Ramana had no tires left," explains Smith, who, in addition to his Prodrive/Subaru Rally Team USA duties, oversees servicing Lagemann's car. "So we went back to the hotel, got the rental truck with the tire machine in it, raced to the next service, and mounted the last four tires we had."

Lagemann also caught a 'flyer' on SS3. The timing crew called in the correct second but wrong minute, giving Lagemann a one-minute advantage. The 'flyer' gave rise to a protest that eventually corrected the mistake.

Karl Scheible and Brian Maxwell finished fourth overall and second in Group N in the Subaru Rally Team USA WRX. Nat T-Stow and Jamie Thomas surprised many Open Class cars with a fifth overall and first in Production GT in the WRX the team debuted at Ojibwe.

BurmeisterDad and I started as a team about six years ago," says Eric Burmiester. "I co-drove for about three years."

Now "Lurch," as the 6-foot, 4-inch Burmeister is known, drives a beautifully prepared Group 2 Mazda Proteg MP3 and competes for the ProRally Manufacturers Championship.

"Group Two is a really neat class," goes the gospel according to Lurch. Group Two rules call for 2WD and a corrected displacement less than 2.4 liters without the restrictions of Production Class (stock parts) rules.

Racecraft Engineering built the integrated cage after Burmeister Engineering seam-welded the shell. Racecraft also fabricated the rear links, custom strut tops, pedals and pedal box. Sach's Race Engineering supplied two sets of custom struts matched to Eibach springs.

Burmeister Engineering also built the engine and drivetrain. Rhino Racing Heads milled the head and reworked the intake tract. Sunbelt Performance Engines, Mazda's World Challenge engine builder, ground a custom set of cams complete with adjustable cam gears.

Based on the Japanese market engine and using stock pistons, rods and crank, Burmeister figures the mechanicals are good for 200 hp. Although they've been using the stock ES 2.0 engine management to ensure enough horsepower, a confidential source is working on a new engine management system to realize the engine's full potential. Spent combustion gases exit through a 4-into-1 header and custom 2.5-inch exhaust.

Mazda Competition Parts, the factory racing division, has provided a parts budget, technical help, and a direct link to the factory Speedvision World Challenge teams. Based on the Speedvision team's advice, Lurch is running stock brake rotors and calipers with Hawk pads.

Definitely not stock is the custom-fabricated, dash-mounted, push-to-apply handbrake. The five-speed transaxle is full of MCP parts and sports a Quaiffe differential.

Rallyist Pete Lahm's P-Sport (602-266-5732) is the rally marketer for KC HiLites. P-Sport supplied the light pod and helped set up the sponsorship deal to fill it with HID lights.

As well, Burmeister Engineering makes a line of VW performance parts marketed by Burmeister Rallysport. A line of Mazda parts will be added to the VW offerings. But don't get your heart set on those cool CNC-machined pedals. So far, they're a one-time special, just for Lurch.