America Rally Association National Championship Round #5

David Higgins/Craig Drew ~ Photo by Jordan Apgar #75 2015 Winners JULY 21 - 22, 2017 Newry, ME I Errol, New Hampshire

www.americanrallyassociation.org Join the fun! Choose from any of these options to get the most of out your spectating experience.

FREE SPECTATOR LOCATIONS TAKE THE VIP BUS Drive your own car to Parc Expose, the service areas Get VIP treatment with catered meals, beer, wine and at Sunday River or JML Trucking in Errol, and/or snacks. The VIP Bus will take spectators to private, VIP Friday and Saturday’s public stages. Please arrive at viewing areas each day. Enjoy an air conditioned coach least one hour before the start of the stage and obey with bathrooms, commentary by an experienced rally all marshal’s instructions. Parking is limited at every competitor, great company and more. stage and entrance is not guaranteed. For maps and • $170 single day/$250 both days. directions, see pages 8-10 of this guide. • Tickets available at newenglandforestrally.com or at the Rally Village (while supplies last). TAKE THE SUNDAY RIVER • VIP busses depart from Rally Village at the Sunday River South Ridge Welcome Center on SHUTTLE BUS Friday & Saturday. Leave the driving to Sunday River and be guaranteed • Departure and return times TBD. Check a spot at a great viewing location. NewEnglandForestRally.com or Facebook for updates. FRIDAY – CONCORD POND • $10 per person. (Can be purchased online in advance. Limited availability day of at Rally Village.) • Departs Sunday River at 10am . Returns * NEFR will work to ensure that buses return to approximately 3-4pm. Sunday River in time for Friday and Saturday evening • Buses will stay in for both runs of Concord Pond. special events.

SATURDAY – STURTEVANT (FISH POND RD.) FOR SUNDAY RIVER BUS TICKETS visit the Sunday • $15 per person. (Can be purchased online in River online store or https://store.sundayriver.com. advance. Limited availability day of at Rally Village.) • Departs Sunday River at 8:30am sharp. Returns approximately 5pm. SEATING ON ALL BUSES IS LIMITED. • Buses stay in for both runs. BOOK EARLY.

2 | NEFR 2017 Dear Fans,

Thanks for coming out to the 2017 New England Forest Rally. We are so excited to bring you the 27th of this great stage rally. This year brings lots of change organizationally. This is my first year as the new chairman of NEFR and we have a new sanctioning body, the American Rally Association. I want to thank the past chairman, Tim O’Neil and the entire ARA organization for all the support they have provided us during the transition.

As part of the ARA National Championship Series, we will have some of the world’s top teams competing right here in New England alongside teams from right in our own backyard.

Putting NEFR on each year is a huge undertaking and I want to thank our landowners (Seven Islands Land Co, Wagner Forest Management, the towns of Peru & Woodstock, and the Maine Department of Conservation), local businesses, Chris Regan sponsors, and especially the volunteers who make the rally possible. Without all of you, none of this could happen. Thanks also to our host venues, Sunday River Resort and JML Trucking. And, of course, to all the competitors, crews, families, and fans for helping make the New England Forest Rally one of the best races in the US.

The two goals of NEFR are to put on a great rally and to help grow the sport as a whole. Want to help? Be respectful of our landowners, patronize our sponsors and local businesses and mention NEFR wherever you stop. Be smart, be safe, share us on social media, and most of all – have fun!

Sincerely,

PAST WINNERS

Chris Regan 2016 Seamus Burke / Martin Brady Chairman, New England Forest Rally 2015 David Higgins / Craig Drew 2014 David Higgins / Craig Drew 2013 / Alex Gelsomino > > 2012 Antoine L’Estage / Nathalie Richard 2011 Antoine L’Estage / Nathalie Richard 2010 / 2009 Travis Pastrana / Christian Edstrom 2008 Naill McShea / Marshall Clarke 2007 Travis Pastrana / Christian Edstrom 2006 Ramana Lagemann / Michael Fennell 2005 Pat Richard / Nathalie Richard 2004 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker SUNDAY RIVER RESORT 2003 David Higgins / Daniel Barritt 2002 Mark Levell / Steve Turvey SEVEN ISLANDS LAND COMPANY 2001 Seamus Burke / Frank Cunningham 2000 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker WAGNER FOREST MANAGEMENT, LTD. 1999 / Lance Smith 1998 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker THE TOWN OF ANDOVER, MAINE 1997 Frank Sprongl / Dan Sprongl 1996 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker THE TOWN OF PERU, MAINE 1995 Carl Merrill / John Bellefleur THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK, MAINE 1994 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker 1993 Paul Choiniere / Jeff Becker MT ABRAM SKI AREA 1992 Frank Sprongl / Dan Sprongl 1991 Paul Choiniere / Scott Weinheimer U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE UMBAGOG NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE / MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE

AmericanRallyAssociation.org | 3 Schedule of Events

A rally event functions like a roving caravan of cars a level of flexibility to solve problems that arise and ensure moving from one predetermined stop to another over your viewing experience is unimpeded. an extremely large area. It’s a delicately orchestrated plan made possible by dedicated and talented event Please Note: Because of changes to the terms of our organizers providing schedules and instructions. agreements with landowners this year, spectators will not be permitted on stages that are not marked as During the event anything can cause a schedule delay. As open to the public. Please respect the rules and our you are viewing the rally be prepared in giving organizers landowners and spectate only in approved areas.

FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017 Time Event Location 9:30am-7:00pm Kawasaki UTV Demo Rides Rally Village/Sunday River South Ridge Lot (no cost) 9:30am-11:00am Parc Expose Sunday River South Ridge Lot 11:00am Ceremonial Start Rally Village/Sunday River South Ridge Lot 12:00pm Spectator Stage (Concord Pond) Spectator Point A. Stage will be run twice in immedi- ate succession, arrive before 11am). 1:30pm-3:30pm Service Sunday River South Ridge Lot 7:00pm-9:00pm Service/End of Day 1 Sunday River South Ridge Lot

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017 Time Event Location 7:00am-8:00am Parc Expose Sunday River South Ridge Lot 8:00am-7:00pm Kawasaki UTV Demo Rides (no cost) Rally Village/Sunday River South Ridge Lot 8:00am Start of Day 2 Rally Village/Sunday River South Ridge Lot 9:30am Spectator Stage (Wilson Mills) Spectator Point B. Arrive before 8:30am. 11:35am Spectator Stage (Sturtevant) Spectator Point C. Arrive before 10:00am if you want to enter stage past general spectator area (if further in on the stage you will not be able to leave until after the second pass later in the afternoon) 12:30pm-2:00pm Service Errol, NH – JML Trucking (680 Colebrook Rd., Errol NH) 2:05pm Spectator Stage (Sturtevant) Spectator Point C 2:38pm Spectator Stage (Wilson Mills) Spectator Point B. Arrive before 1:38pm 4:45pm-6:15pm Service Errol, NH – JML Trucking (680 Colebrook Rd., Errol NH) 6:10pm Spectator Stage (North Rd.) Spectator Point D. Arrive before 5:10pm 7:09pm Finish Sunday River South Ridge Lot 7:00pm-9:00pm Victory Celebration/BBQ Sunday River South Ridge Lot (backside of lodge, facing ski hills) 8:00pm (approx.) Winners Announced & Sunday River South Ridge Lot (backside of lodge, Champagne Spray facing ski hills) 9:00pm-? Rally After Party Camp Restaurant at Grand Summit Hotel

* Stage times, access and restrictions may change at any time. Please cooperate with rally officials, any changes are in the interest of spectator and competitor safety. Disregarding these rules have/will result in stage cancellations…please don’t be “that guy.”

4 | NEFR 2017 Follow NEFR Live

Follow NEFR live with just your phone! The ARA Rally App is your source for all American Rally Association event content. Live video, up to the minute car tracking, and scoring updates are at your finger tips. Stay informed with access to ARA news and keep up with ARA teams on the social media feed. Following rally in the US has never been this easy. Those following the rally on a computer (instead of a smartphone) can also get everything that appears on the smartphone app on their computer at http://live.americanrallyassociation.org/live.html.

Follow the 2017 New England Forest Rally Follow the Entire American Rally Association Series

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AmericanRallyAssociation.org | 5 ARA Championship to Date

Just over halfway through the season, the ARA competition is really heating up. Multiple rallies this season have been decided by mere seconds and the fight for tenths is constant. At NEFR the push for the championship begins. » HERE’S HOW THE COMPETITION FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKS DOWN: OPEN CLASS: PRODUCTION 4WD: A close battle sees David Higgins and Travis Pastrana This class is currently split 4 ways thanks to a series duking it out event after event. Always close, the fight of one off appearances by fast drivers. Lauchlin between Rally Team USA teammates will go to O’Sullivan is the favorite here, and will likely take the the wire. championship lead at NEFR.

RESTRICTED OPEN 4WD: OPEN 2WD: Travis Nease and Jeff Seehorn are in a heated battle. Ryan Millen has dominated the 2WD class this Seehorn drives at a faster pace, but Nease has shown season, earning 4 wins in 4 events. He will become better reliability this season. This fight likely won’t be 2WD Champion by simply starting Concord Pond. decided until the end of the season. Expect a celebration!

DAVID HIGGINS Eight time American Rally champion, David Higgins is an incredibly accomplished rally driver from the Isle of Man. The Subaru Rally Team USA driver has won every national event in North America at least once and has set a host of record along the way. Higgins is a well-respected performance driving instructor as well; when he isn’t in the states, he often travels the world doing one-on-one rally coaching to drivers of every level. Last year at NEFR, Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew failed to finish due to suspension damage, this year they’re looking for another win.

TRAVIS PASTRANA One of action sports most iconic figures, Travis Pastrana is a hugely successful freestyle motocrosser and co-founder of the collective. In 2004, Pastrana began to transfer his talent into rally skill. He candidly refers to as “motocross with a roll-cage.” It turns out that he has a talent for both and proved it by becoming a four-time American Rally champion. After a several-year break from rally to drive in NASCAR and Global , Pastrana is back in rally full time with Subaru Rally Team USA.

BARRY MCKENNA Irish tarmac specialist Barry McKenna burst onto the North American rally scene at NEFR last year driving a MKII Ford Escort. This year, McKenna made waves again by bringing a Ford Fiesta S2000 Turbo into the . The car is one of the fastest in the country and McKenna, along with co-driver Leon Jordan, have spent most of the season getting up to speed in the new hardware. Confidence is growing, and McKenna recently claimed his first ARA stage win.

JEFF SEEHORN Owner, operator, builder, and driver of the Seehorn Rally Team, Jeff Seehorn exemplifies the privateer racing spirit. Seehorn has been racing for most of his life. Starting off- before transitioning to tarmac with road-racing bikes. In 2015 Seehorn made the transition from two wheels to four and made an immediate impact on the rally scene with his fast speed and brave driving. This year, he’s teamed up with veteran co-driver Karen Jankowski to challenge for his first national championship.

6 | NEFR 2017 TRAVIS NEASE DirtFish Rally School instructor puts classroom theory into real world practice in the ARA National Championship. Nease got into stage rally while competing in endurance . The Army veteran recently retired “Snowflake” his trusted 2004 Subaru STi. In its place is an all new 2016 Subaru STi build and it’s shaping up to be just as reliable as his last. Nease and co-driver Krista Skucas currently lead the RO4WD championship thanks to their level-headed driving and measured pace.

ANDREW COMRIE-PICARD Originally an entertainment lawyer in New York City, “ACP” turned his focus to racing and has gone on to won multiple rally championships. His success included a 2WD title in a Team O’Neil Ford Fiesta in 2014. Andrew is also a television host, actor and stunt driver. This year he will pilot the Team O’Neil Motorsports Ford Focus RS in its first competitive stage rally.

RYAN MILLEN Known for his winning driving at the , Ryan Millen has driven countless vehicles to victory in nationally ranked off-road events. Son of legendary off-road driver Rod Millen, Ryan was exposed to the ins and outs of competitive racing from birth and at a young age set his sights on becoming one of the top rally racers in the world. After a flawless season to date, Millen and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino will be ARA 2WD national champions once they start the rally.

DAVE WALLINGFORD Freelance audio engineer Dave Wallingford has only been rallying for two years, but you wouldn’t know it from his pace. In that short time, he has gone from learning how to drive a manual transmission to a podium finish at WRC . Currently second in the ARA 2WD championship, Dave is in the car as often as possible. He and co-driver Leanne Junnila are representing the Team O’Neil Rally School at every possible national rally event in the country this year.

JOHN CASSIDY Based out of Bangor, ME, John and Last Ditch Racing have been competing in the New England Forest Rally for over a decade. John began in a CRX and has steadily moved up the performance ladder, now campaigning a Subaru WRX STI. The team prides itself on “doing a lot with a little” and has competed across North America.

MICHAEL REILLY Mike Reilly and his awesome Co-Driver Josh Benthien are part of the York Maine based, Mainiax Rally Team. Other than rallying, his main focus is keeping his gorgeous wife Amy happy...so he can keep rallying. Mike is a successful entrepreneur in the technology industry but his greatest achievement other than finally finishing NEFR last year, is being the proud father of his children, Charlotte, Patrick and Andrew.

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16 | NEFR 2017