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STPR 2005 should be remembered as a classic.
The huge crowds of spectators were entertained by, not just one or two fast drivers but at least a dozen of them. Paul Choiniere, of course and the other obvious suspects like Blomqvist, Richard and Pastrana, but there were huge cheers for Matt Iorio, Ken Block, Tom Lawless, Tanner Foust and others.
How "huge" a crowd? We had to leave one of the lesser spectator points on SS2 early to get to our next camera position. I zeroed the odo and measured 1.2 miles of spectator cars parked bumper-to-bumper!
Paul Choinere proved he?s still The Man at STPR, but my Star of the Rally goes to Shane Mitchell. Everyone knew they had to push really hard on the 21-mile stage 5, but Mitchell pushed hardest and took the lead, which he extended on Stage 6. Power steering failure and a mysterious engine problem on SS7 returned Choinere to the front but a dramatic finish was set to unfold as the three last stages would be repeated after dark.
Choiniere and Becker had been spanked on that long stage by Mitchell. Paul said he ?had a bit more but I actually thought a we?d gone pretty fast?. Now he would have to charge to avoid what seemed like an iinevitable comeback win for Mitchell. Suddenly, the plot thickens because second-place Mitchell has major problems. The steering rack had been replaced but the car is running on just three cylinders and the crew has run out of time and can?t find the problem. With just 3 minutes to go they seriously consider withdrawing but decide to ?drive it until it blows? (this is paraphrased from a much more descriptive but vulgar quote best imagined with an Irish accent).
Choiniere, running first on the road, can?t be sure whether Mitchell is really limping or just sandbagging. Paul takes no chances and blitzes the stage, winning by over 30 seconds! Blomqvist looks set to inherit second place overall with no risk. In a brilliant (or merely generous?) bit of racecraft Mitchell/Patterson encourage Blomqvist/Gullick to start stage 8 ahead of them and then proceed to drive like hell on just three cylinders. Stig obviously relaxed over the next 21 miles, believing Mitchell?s near-certain-DNF story. When he saw Mitchell arrive less than one minute behind him, he knew he?d been snookered.
It wasn?t over yet. There were still two stages. But SS9 was cancelled by reports of beer-drinking fans who seemed certain to throw themselves onto the road. That cancellation ended Stig?s hopes for second place. He was only able to take 2 seconds per mile off the 3-cylinder Irishman on SS10 and the podium was set. Very well-played, Mr. Mitchell.
Was Stig going all out to beat Paul Choiniere and Shane Mitchell? No, because they won?t be factors in the championship which the Swede now leads. Could he have caught them? I don?t think so. Not at STPR. Those two in Open Class cars were just too fast.
The majority of the stages had new all-time records set this year. Have you ever had more really quick drivers in as evenly- matched cars at the front? Let?s stop whining about how great it used to be and appreciate the impressive depth of driving talent and car prep that we?ve got today. Based on my first trip to STPR, I can?t wait until the next Rally America event.
The huge crowds of spectators were entertained by, not just one or two fast drivers but at least a dozen of them. Paul Choiniere, of course and the other obvious suspects like Blomqvist, Richard and Pastrana, but there were huge cheers for Matt Iorio, Ken Block, Tom Lawless, Tanner Foust and others.
How "huge" a crowd? We had to leave one of the lesser spectator points on SS2 early to get to our next camera position. I zeroed the odo and measured 1.2 miles of spectator cars parked bumper-to-bumper!
Paul Choinere proved he?s still The Man at STPR, but my Star of the Rally goes to Shane Mitchell. Everyone knew they had to push really hard on the 21-mile stage 5, but Mitchell pushed hardest and took the lead, which he extended on Stage 6. Power steering failure and a mysterious engine problem on SS7 returned Choinere to the front but a dramatic finish was set to unfold as the three last stages would be repeated after dark.
Choiniere and Becker had been spanked on that long stage by Mitchell. Paul said he ?had a bit more but I actually thought a we?d gone pretty fast?. Now he would have to charge to avoid what seemed like an iinevitable comeback win for Mitchell. Suddenly, the plot thickens because second-place Mitchell has major problems. The steering rack had been replaced but the car is running on just three cylinders and the crew has run out of time and can?t find the problem. With just 3 minutes to go they seriously consider withdrawing but decide to ?drive it until it blows? (this is paraphrased from a much more descriptive but vulgar quote best imagined with an Irish accent).
Choiniere, running first on the road, can?t be sure whether Mitchell is really limping or just sandbagging. Paul takes no chances and blitzes the stage, winning by over 30 seconds! Blomqvist looks set to inherit second place overall with no risk. In a brilliant (or merely generous?) bit of racecraft Mitchell/Patterson encourage Blomqvist/Gullick to start stage 8 ahead of them and then proceed to drive like hell on just three cylinders. Stig obviously relaxed over the next 21 miles, believing Mitchell?s near-certain-DNF story. When he saw Mitchell arrive less than one minute behind him, he knew he?d been snookered.
It wasn?t over yet. There were still two stages. But SS9 was cancelled by reports of beer-drinking fans who seemed certain to throw themselves onto the road. That cancellation ended Stig?s hopes for second place. He was only able to take 2 seconds per mile off the 3-cylinder Irishman on SS10 and the podium was set. Very well-played, Mr. Mitchell.
Was Stig going all out to beat Paul Choiniere and Shane Mitchell? No, because they won?t be factors in the championship which the Swede now leads. Could he have caught them? I don?t think so. Not at STPR. Those two in Open Class cars were just too fast.
The majority of the stages had new all-time records set this year. Have you ever had more really quick drivers in as evenly- matched cars at the front? Let?s stop whining about how great it used to be and appreciate the impressive depth of driving talent and car prep that we?ve got today. Based on my first trip to STPR, I can?t wait until the next Rally America event.
