“It was unfortunate,” said Daly, the team’s co-driver, adding “we had changed our pace note format this weekend and it was showing some obvious signs of success.” For Jennings-Bates the weekend proved once again that he can keep up the pace with front-runners in substantially more modified vehicles. “It was a great event up to that point. We were driving aggressively, but very controlled. With a stock Subaru STi competing against cars that are heavily modified, we were very pleased to be where we were. We need to do a little work to the car this year, but generally we are where we need to be in terms of pace.” The infamous Princeton Cutoff once again gave the teams KSport rally dampers a workout. “I could not be more pleased with the dampers. That stage alone will test whether you have a good setup or not and the KSport’s performed brilliantly,” commented Jennings-Bates.

For Daly, the upcoming schedule includes the Rally Baie des Chaleurs in Quebec where she will add to her impressive co-driving resume. For Jennings-Bates he will be in the UK with the Rally4Life Dakar team at the Goodwood Festival of Speed gaining more valuable time in the driving seat of the Bowler Nemesis Dakar vehicle that he will be taking to Argentina in January to tackle the worlds most grueling motor sport event, the Dakar Rally.

The Rally4Life Canadian team is based in Kelowna, British Columbia and competes in the Western Canada Rally Championship and select events in the Canadian Rally Championship which is broadcast in High Definition on TSN and will be Canada’s first competitive car entry into the Dakar Rally in January 2011, driving a Bowler Nemesis.

Locally, the team is supported by HELIOS Global Tracking, Ksport USA, Aerius Engineering, BC Resort Homes, Big O Tires Westbank, AGAR Paint and Autobody, Wyatt Autoparts, Provision Data, Bell Racewear, Pinnacle Elite Athletes, Pinnacle Physiotherapy and Kelowna Cycle.

Photo by Kris Schofield

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The hostile weather conditions made tire choice a significant factor in the outcome at Rocky. The Rally4Life team struggled through Friday’s initial stages, after selecting winter tires that turned out to be ineffective in the mixed road conditions. They ended the first day of the rally eighth regionally and fifteenth nationally. “It was less a case of tire choice and more a case of the only choice for a low budget team… we had to make the best of a bad situation” said driver Mark Jennings-Bates.

After considering tire choice for Saturday’s stages carefully, the team was able to take advantage of a new tire support programme provided by Yokohama and Rocket Rally. The valuable service provides on site tire sales and mounting, and the Rally4Life team was able to mount a set of specialized mud tires in preparation for the thick, sloppy Porcupine Hills Stages. On the right tires, and with their KSport suspension setup the team had an outstanding run, despite extremely snowy and muddy conditions. The snow, sleet or rain fell relentlessly throughout the rally, but Mark and Jennifer were able to take advantage of the challenging weather and absolutely enjoyed pushing back up through the standings. Deep snow forced the cancellation of stages and modification to the event schedule, so the rally was shorter than intended. The Rally4Life team advanced considerably, given the reduction in overall stage kilometres.

Quebec’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard won the Rocky Mountain Rally with steady driving and wise tire choices. Squamish based Rocket Rally driver and 2009 Canadian Rally Champion Pat Richard and his codriver Alan Ockwell were second overall; the Quebec team of Bruno Carre and Yvan Joyal rounded out the national podium. Mark and Jennifer placed ninth nationally and second regionally. They shared the regional podium with first place Hardy Schmidtke and Adam Vokes, and third place JC Bourgeois and John Hall.

The hardworking Rally4Life service crew for the Rocky Mountain Rally was Dave Steeper, Alex Schubel, Eric Bauld and Jackie Jennings-Bates.

The Rally4Life Team will be aiming for an overall win at their upcoming home rally, the Mountain Trials Regional Stage Rally, on June 12 in Merritt BC.

The Rally4Life Canadian team is based in Kelowna, British Columbia and competes in the Western Canada Rally Championship and select events in the Canadian Rally Championship which is broadcast in High Definition on TSN and will be Canada’s first competitive car entry into the Dakar Rally.

Locally, the team is supported by Ksport USA, Helios Global Tracking, Aerius Engineering, BC Resort Homes, Big O Tires Westbank, AGAR Paint and Autobody, Wyatt Autoparts, Provision Data, Bell Racewear, Pinnacle Elite Athletes and Pinnacle Physiotherapy.

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Rocky has a reputation for being fast and dry or wet and difficult, and features the epic Powderface stage, one of Mark’s favourite roads. Mark admits that it’s hard to know exactly what to expect until the car is on the start line: “There is a lot of competition coming from the east, especially from Quebec, so there should be some great battles. Weather is a huge factor in this event, and with rain or snow forecast for the weekend, we will need to prepare for very challenging conditions.”

For the Rocky Mountain Rally Mark will be joined by his regular co-driver, Jennifer Daly, of Kelowna BC, and the team is aiming for a top ten finish. Jennifer is looking forward to competing again as an experienced team: “Mark and I haven’t been in the rally car together since we got our best result ever last October. We’ve both learned a lot from rallying with others, and I think we’re in a good position to push for our fastest pace.”

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team will be competing under the Rally4Life name for the 2010 season, in preparation for Mark’s entry into the 2011 Dakar Rally. The Rally4Life effort combines the adventure of a gruelling international rally with the determination to raise four million dollars for charities providing clean water to communities in the developing world.

Live updates and scoring results will be available on the Rocky Mountain Rally event website, and the event will be broadcast on TSN on Sunday, June 27.

The Rally4Life Canadian team is based in Kelowna, British Columbia and competes in the Western Canada Rally Championship and select events in the Canadian Rally Championship which is broadcast in High Definition on TSN and will be Canada’s first competitive car entry into the Dakar Rally in January 2011, driving a Bowler Nemesis.

Locally, the team is supported by Ksport USA, Aerius Engineering, BC Resort Homes, Big O Tires Westbank, AGAR Paint and Autobody, Wyatt Autoparts, Provision Data, Bell Racewear, Pinnacle Elite Athletes and Pinnacle Physiotherapy, K96.3FM and Castanet.net.

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For Jennings-Bates however, the rally has left him with bittersweet memories. “We were driving a fantastic race and dominated the first two stages on tricky conditions and even on the third stage our pace was enough to win, even against competitors on gravel tires while we ran studded winters… and not unlike Ken Block at the WRC last weekend, one fraction of a second was all it took to end the event for us.”

The team of Colin Armstrong and Mark Jennings-Bates had been the pacesetters on the morning stages and were confidently tackling the clean gravel stages of Harold Creek when a poor pace note led to an off and a 40′ drop down a very steep bank that left the team waiting for an extraction crew as the clock ticked over past the maximum allowable time on the stage.

“Mark very nearly recovered on that corner,” commented Armstrong, adding “he managed to rotate the car in a very short space and attempt to drive away from the hazard, but today wasn’t our day as the slope lifted a front wheel and reduced our ability to escape!”

The next event on the calendar is Round 2 of the National Championship in Calgary, Alberta. The Rally4Life Subaru STi is being carefully restored by AGAR Paint and Autobody in the Okanagan and will be ready in time for the event on the last weekend of May.

Jennings-Bates; as philosophical as ever was buoyant after the Cochrane experience. “We had a fantastic time, and were able to prove that our pace is back to where it needs to be after developing the STi last year. We expect to be competing at a high level in Calgary and look forward to going head to head with some of Canada’s top drivers again after our best ever national finish at Pacific Forest Rally last year.”

The team’s regular co-driver, Jennifer Daly will be returning for the Calgary event, a favourite on the calendar for many fans, but an event that can be dogged by bad and unpredictable weather. Unlike other events in the series, Rocky Mountain Rally runs on orgainser supplied Jemba notes, with an added bonus this year that competitors will get to do a slow speed pass once on all stages to check the supplied notes.

The Rally4Life Canadian team is based in Kelowna, British Columbia and competes in the Western Canada Rally Championship and select events in the Canadian Rally Championship which is broadcast in High Definition on TSN and will be Canada’s first competitive car entry into the Dakar Rally in January 2011, driving a Bowler Nemesis.

Locally, the team is supported by Ksport USA, Aerius Engineering, BC Resort Homes, Big O Tires Westbank, AGAR Paint and Autobody, Wyatt Autoparts, Provision Data, Bell Racewear, Pinnacle Elite Athletes and Pinnacle Physiotherapy, K96.3FM and Castanet.net.

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Cochrane Rally however, will be a different challenge from the Dakar with slick icy roads, freezing weather and shorter “sprint” type stages. “It is a great event, a good challenge for car and team,” said Jennings-Bates, adding “this is an exciting year, where we start on home turf in Canada and finish up in another country competing in the Dakar.”

The Rally4Life project will be documented in a 6 part TV series, The Race 4 Life which will portray the training and race at The Dakar as well as the philanthropic work of the Rally4Life Foundation, working alongside JustADrop and FeViva. This year, the Foundation hopes to assist in projects in Sudan, Guatemala, Kenya and Haiti.

Jennings-Bates will pair up with Alberta rally driver Colin Armstrong for this event who himself is a very solid competitor behind the wheel, but will adopt the role of co-pilot for the Cochrane event. As the Kelowna based team prepares the 2004 Subaru Sti for the first event of the year, all eyes are on the weather which is notoriously fickle this time of year. “We can see anything from a typical Alberta deep freeze with temperatures well below zero, all the way through to a crazy Rockies Chinook which sends the mercury soaring and changes conditions in a few hours… tire choice ends up being a real factor in this event” stated Jennings-Bates.

The Rally4Life Canadian team is based in Kelowna, British Columbia and competes in the Western Canada Rally Championship and select events in the Canadian Rally Championship which is broadcast in High Definition on TSN and will be Canada’s first competitive car entry into the Dakar Rally.

Locally, the team is supported by Ksport USA, Aerius Engineering, BC Resort Homes, Big O Tires Westbank, AGAR Paint and Autobody, Wyatt Autoparts, Provision Data, Bell Racewear, Pinnacle Elite Athletes and Pinnacle Physiotherapy, K96.3FM and Castanet.net.

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Partnering Jennings-Bates at this event will be John Hall, a very experienced co-driver and Edmonton native. “John has a wealth of experience that should stand us in good stead. Unusually, it will be a very level playing field for all competitors because these stages have never been run before. Being a snow rally, it is likely to be very fast but also technical, a small mistake can lead to an expensive repair bill,” commented Jennings-Bates.

Daly has spent the past several months working with local authorities and Big White who have been very welcoming hosts to put together an event in the Western Canada Rally Association calendar that will be the only true snow rally of the year.

While Jennings-Bates and his fellow competitors are competing on closed forest stage roads which will have some access for spectator viewing, the general public can also enter the annual Big White Snow Cross event which is a timed event on an open course marked by cones and needs very little safety gear to compete in. “This type of an event is a great feeder for the rally series,” stated Jennings-Bates, adding “the public can really see what it feels like to drive technical road conditions in their daily driver without fear of harm to themselves or their car.”

Information about the event can be found at http://okanaganrally.wordpress.com/ where spectators and potential competitors can access all of the necessary information. Joining Jennings-Bates’s Prescribed Burn Rally Team again will be the Valley Mitsubishi sponsored vehicle of Craig Ross a local competitor who will be entering this as his second event after a strong finish in Merritt in October at Pacific Forest Rally. Fans can see the action up close and personal at the Happy Valley parking area on the Saturday and Sunday or in the forest stages on the Saturday.

On Sunday, Jennings-Bates will be displaying his car in the Village at Big White and signing autographs and talking about his upcoming fund raising program and entry into the 2011 Dakar Rally with Team Bowler Offroad and Rally4Life.

The Prescribed Burn Rally team is 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 service chief Dave Hood and a team of local volunteers. For 2009 the Prescribed Burn Team will be running the entire Western Canadian Rally series, as well as select Canadian National and Rally America events.

The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is supported by BCResortHomes.com, Agar Paint & Autobody, BigO Tire in Westbank, AERIUS Engineering, Pinnacle Elite Athlete, Pinnacle Physiotherapy, Wyatt Auto Parts, Kelowna Moving Centre, Provisiondata.com, K96.3FM, Castanet.net, The Great Canadian Oil Change and Bell Racing.

Photo Credit: Unique Photography and Design

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The rally went well for the duo from the night stages on Friday evening with the team settling into the new car and the confident handling characteristics provided by their KSport gravel suspension which was put through it’s paces at the event.

Friday night proved to be fast in the dark which was a theme for the weekend, with Pat Richard, Subaru Team driver destroying the stage record on Helmer at night also on the Saturday.

Conditions for the weekend were variable with the recce portion of the event being completed in mud, snow, fog and rain and what looked to be a possible challenging event from a tire choice perspective turned into one of the fastest events with the closest racing held in Merritt for some time.

The service crew for the PBR Team provided expert assistance which kept the team in the hunt for a strong finish, however the last 150 kilometers of the event were run without any power steering which was challenging for the team. “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,” said team driver Mark Jennings-Bates. “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!”

Jennifer Daly was kept busy at the weekend as the stages were fast and timing of the delivery of the pace notes can be a real challenge. “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, it was thrilling. Thank goodness our service crew is always there to check the car over after that kind of a stage. They were awesome again this weekend, and a huge part of our success.”

New to the team this weekend was Craig Ross, who was partnered by John Hall from Alberta. Pacific Forest Rally was Craig’s first event, and the objective was to finish which he did after setting some very competitive stage times. A puncture and necessary tire change set Craig’s time back a little, but clearly Craig has demonstrated that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

The next event on the calendar for the teams will be the all new Big White winter rally, which is currently in the planning stages and tentatively booked for the weekend of December 6th and 7th at the Kelowna ski resort.

Photo by Kurt Schantz

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With a freshly built engine after their disappointing showing at the Rocky Mountain Rally in May this year, where a terminal engine problem finished their race on the second stage of the day, the team will be gunning for a strong finish and hoping to maximise the potential of their new KSport Gravel dampers on the stages.

Mark, and his co-driver Jennifer are currently leading the Western Canadian Rally Championship Open Class series and will be working hard to maintain that lead at this event.

In between Canadian rallies Mark has been flying back and forth to the UK planning his 2011 assault on the world’s most grueling rally, The Dakar, where he will be driving a factory Bowler Nemesis and raising several million dollars for the Rally4Life Foundation which aims to reduce challenges with access to water in impoverished regions.

Spectators can find plenty of information at the events website, www.PacificForestRally.com and racing starts early on Friday evening with some thrilling downtown driving in Merritt under the inky black desert sky.

Joining the team this year will be newcomer Craig Ross who recently purchased an Eagle Talon that curiously was Mark’s first rally car. Craig has set a firm goal of completing his first ever rally and intends to celebrate a finish this weekend. Look out for the familiar blue and white talon both on the stages and in the service area.

Spectators can be assured of some fast and furious competition as Pat Richard and Antoine Lestage go head to head in what may be a decider for the national championship. Just behind them will be a battle royal for position with several very fast teams vying for a spot on the national podium.

With two events canceled on the Western Canadian Calendar this year, several volunteers, headed up by co-driver Jennifer Daly, on the Prescribed Burn Team are working on the organisation of a possible regional series rally in Kelowna this December which may end up being the only true winter rally in the Western series, and a treat for local BC rally fans

The Prescribed Burn Rally team is 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 service chief Dave Hood and a team of local volunteers. For 2009 the Prescribed Burn Team will be running the entire Western Canadian Rally series, as well as select Canadian National and Rally America events.

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

Photo by http://www.uniquephotoanddesign.com/

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More than simply a letter in the alphabet – as rally duo Mark Jennings-Bates and Mick Extance recently came to find out. The difference is a complete change of focus for their 2011 attempt at the Dakar Rally; now that prestigious “Bowler Offroad” has offered them a factory team vehicle for the race.

“The opportunity of a lifetime” is how driver Jennings-Bates describes recent discussions with the international vehicle manufacturer. “Our co-driver (Extance) has always been keen to convey to Bowler the nature of our campaign and he was confident we could be working with them in some form of relationship.”

That relationship is now flourishing with the offer of a factory supported team attempt. “It means our strategy has changed radically to one of competing closer to the front of the pack then we ever envisioned; although the focus naturally remains on finishing”, stated Jennings -Bates

Drew Bowler, Founder of Bowler Off-Road is confident that with their factory support the team can achieve a solid finish. “We have known Mick for several years and seen his courage and determination as a motor bike entrant in the DAKAR. Mick’s experience along with Bowlers long standing reputation of finishing the event – means this team can push to the finish line.”

Jennings-Bates and Extance will be testing the Bowler Nemesis, a 500hp super-charged Dakar vehicle (that has a fearsome reputation) in early July, followed by an appearance with the Bowler Factory Team at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK July 3-5, 2009.

The Rally Team called “Rally4life”; is not only anticipating to be the first Canadian team to finish the DAKAR in a vehicle; they are also raising $4 million or more for two charities (Just A Drop.org and FeViva.org) through their own cause and website at www.rally4life.org. The charitable aspect of their journey plays an equal role of importance for the team.

“We are starting to garner national attention to the philanthropic side of this adventure. We recently partnered with a TV production company and are in the process of developing a two part television documentary with full multi-platform support – that will follow our progress before, during and after the Dakar and air in the United Kingdom and North America” added Jennings- Bates.

The team has also begun scheduling the “Rally4life Road Show” across Canada and the UK, spreading word about their DAKAR attempt and charitable goals through media interviews and speaking appearances.

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The Prescribed Burn Rally Team is aiming to improve upon their 2008 result of 6th 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 co-drivers, 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, co-driver 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 superspecial at the Race City Speedway on Friday night.

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, Green Couch Designs.

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