Team ACP “Where I came from” from NOS Energy Drink on Vimeo.

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9/22/09
White Oak Motorsports
National Guard Car 54

Driver: Mark Fox
Co-Driver: Jake Blattner

For Immediate Release:

Rookies Fox and Blattner driving the 54 National Guard Car tie for third at Rally Colorado.

The eighth round of the Rally America Championship Series came down to a tie-breaker for Fox and co-driver Blattner in the 54 National Guard Rally Car. After 1:35:46.0 of racing, the team in an unbelievable result, tied the time of Nathan Conley and co-driver Todd Moberly. Rally America rules decided the finish giving the overall result to the team with the most individual stage wins. This left Conley and Moberly with third and Fox and Blattner with a fourth place national result. None the less, this is the first podium finish for the two who were happy to share the spotlight after such an amazing race.

The team battled the inclement weather on day two with only minor mechanical difficulties and spirits were high. Conley had the lead by 35 seconds going in to the last two stages and with the slick Colorado roads a conservative approach was the plan. Fox left the final service saying “ I’m going to drive to maintain our position”. Somewhere on the road with the improving weather Fox and Blattner found their groove and took back the 35 seconds for the tie. “Hats off to Con-ley, he put up a heck of a race and we look forward to the rivalry that this tie is sure to start. They were a pleasure to compete against this weekend”.

With the Rally America Rookie of the Year honor within reach, the team now sets sights on the Lake Superior Performance Rally for the final race of the series.

Thanks to our sponsors:

The National Guard
Ace Hardware
Rockstar Energy Drink
White Oak Development

Contact: John Hindman
johnhindman@hotmail.com

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Ken block is driving Dave Mirra’s sp car.
The monster machine has officially seen its last rally. Dave who has
some BMX scheduling conflicts is unable to attend the last two events.
Can Ken compete on the same level as the top sp drivers? Or even more
interesting if he’s shooting for a 12 finish with TP then can he fend
off the hard charging ACP?

But even Andrew is switching things up,
he’s got a worm sitting shotgun.

Jeremy Whimpey will be calling the
turns, and If he’s there then where’s Robbie Durant and where the
f*** is Matt Johnson.

And on that same note where is Tanner? Well I
don’t know either but his Co pilot, Miss Beavis, has been stolen and thrown in Block’s car.

But all is well, it’s Lucy Block, Ken’s wife, competing in her second event of the year.

The currant SP points leader Piotr Wiktorczyk is sitting this event out perhaps to have an insane battle between he and Moro and Keeney at LSPR for the first Super Production Championship.

Pat Moro currently sitts 17 points out of 1st in 3rd just behind Jimmy Keeney. Pats also switched things up in the co-driver position with Ole Holter.

And making his debuts in the driver’s seat is one of Moro’s previous co
pilots Scott crouch.

It seems that co is the spot to try something different.

Also Interesting:

The Gravel Crew returns to Rally America Competition with the likes of Keith Jackson. Keith is a So Cal native and repping extremely hard this weekend for the entire DirtyImpreza.com family. GCRT or die! (No Deegan is not here, but it’s the only pic I have of Keith)

Ben “The Pirate” Slocum returns to the 600 team maybe to help the young DVW step it up against his Ford brother Barak Tuglu. Im curious as to the new livery Dillon’s car will have…..plaid maybe?

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“Ski Town USA” is the next stop on the calendar for the top teams in the Rally America Championship when they hit Steamboat Springs on September 19-20 for Rally Colorado – Round 8 of the 9-event Rally America National Championship.

Last year’s Rally Colorado overall win went to Subaru Rally Team USA’s driver, Travis Pastrana, who will be looking for a repeat and says he’s planning to “go all out for the final two events of the season,” despite already securing his fourth Rally America Championship. Pastrana has had mixed results at this event over the years, with his most spectacular rally career crash occurring here during the 2005 event when he rolled seven and three-quarter times and walked away unhurt.

He can expect a challenge for the overall win from his teammate Ken Block, who’s had a tough season in 2009. Pastrana already has the top spot in the Series’ rankings – with just two events left, nobody can catch him – however, Block will be looking to secure the runner-up overall position and needs a strong finish at Rally Colorado to help insure his chances of success.

Currently in the second spot in the overall standings is Polish newcomer Andi Mancin, who is running his first full Rally America Championship season this year in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Mancin is still looking for his first overall U.S. win and will mix it up at the front of the pack at this event.

Also returning to the series after a two-round break is NOS Energy Drink’s Andrew Comrie-Picard with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Just two points behind Ken Block in the overall standings, there is no doubt he will seriously challenge Block for the runner’s up position in the Championship point standings.

Super Production class leader Piotr Wiktorczyk and local challenger Jimmy Keeney will put up a fight, though, in what is expected to be an exciting class battle right up until the final round of the season. Subaru Rally Team USA’s Super Production Class entry, Dave Mirra, will not be present at the last two rounds of the Championship due to conflicts with his busy BMX schedule.

In the 2-Wheel Drive Class, expect another reliable performance by newcomer Dillon Van Way from Carencro, LA. The youngster has posted consistent results this season to take the class lead over Monument, Colorado’s John Conley.

The Rally Colorado event poses unique challenges to rally teams. The high altitude and subsequent lack of oxygen at this event saps the rally cars’ power. Despite this drain, the event has a reputation of being a one of the fastest in the Series featuring many high-speed sections on flowing roads. Expect variable weather and some dust if it is dry. The high altitude, coupled with fast straights places the high horsepower Open class cars at a distinct advantage.

The rally is headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, known as “Ski Town”, USA. The small mountain community that’s home to numerous world-class ski and snowboarding events is also home to the largest ski jumping complex in America — used for training by the US Olympic Ski Jumping Team.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events that take place in a range of challenging weather and road conditions in a season that extends from February to October. Throughout the year, teams take on everything from the forest logging roads in Minnesota, to the Pacific Northwest forest and coast paths.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

About Rally America:

Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. For 2009, Rally America conducts nine National Championship events at venues across the country.

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My inexperience of country wide weather conditions got the best of me at Sno*Drift in Michigan this year. So my good friend and Co-Driver ,Jason Grahn, points me in the direction of a Winter Protection company Helly Hansen who is showing love to the Rally Community by offering a sweet discount. The code is “rally20”. Tell um Jason Sent you!

All im saying here is

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I got a few emails from people I met at NEFR wondering about a Kangaroo in Maine.

Well….

I found out how much hotels were near the Team O’Neil school and I figure I should try and cut as many corners as possible so I start asking around for couches to occupy. My RA wingman Jen Horsey mentioned that when she attended the school the long time rally friendly family, the Duplessis, had a couple boys that were instructors and commute each day. Even more interesting was their business, Pooh’s Corner Farm, they had a real life Piglet, Roo, Eeyore, & Rabbit. After lots of begging the family agreed to let me stay and hitch a ride each day.

Once I arrived on the farm Margaret, The youngest Duplessis and Rally America Intern, informs me that ill be sleeping in Chris’s old room, which is where the dog sleeps also. Sam, turned out to be cool but he snores loader than a drunk man.

Here is Rabbit. He’s not unusually big like the story but still chill status.

Eeyore was a little reluctant to kick it with me. I think he thought I was going to steal his tail.

Piglet looked real similar to the piglet from the pooh cartoon.. see.

And yep there is a Roo too! Although Roo is actually wallaby he still is highlight of the Farm.

I cant get over his little hands.

Also on the property is the New England infamous Rally Garage. Fresh off a Max Attack win at NEFR the #70 VW of Chris was getting shook down for its championship run against Lauchlin O’Sullivan at Ojibwe. So Forest brought out the RWD project Merkur to show off the full potential of the property.

City life will never be the same again.

Don’t worry. Moms Duplessis made sure the boys tractored and sweeped up their mess.

Thanks for the good times guys! See you at Ojibwe

But whats a trip with out a new collection of Tshirts?

The limited edition “Of Mice and Men” Shirt from Chris “the Man” Duplessis

Ive been tring to get one of these for a minuet but finially Ive got BACON!

Ken Block said this was his favorite shirt of the SRTUSA DC line. The Shirt has the very same stage notes from the ever popular Concord pond stage @ NEFR. This was a must get for the event. I believe its available at the Rally America store

And after 4 days of driving Team O’Neil hooks up a sweet shirt too! “Blah, Blah, Blah, Accelerate”

Matt Johnston always coming correct with the super bleed gun metal & Magenta T. Thanks homie!

And a super Big thanks to Major Knight of the National Guard for the hook up on a NG back pack..

Ya’ll come back now

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Team O’Neil Rally School is expanding! We have finished our multi-year expansion project and are busily filling the schedule for the upcoming year. Be the first to experience the new and improved training areas!
Many people have been signing up to get the dates of their choice, but if you are flexible and can fit in the 4 day Rally School beginning September 22, 2009 class, you can enjoy a 10% DISCOUNT!!

IF YOU BRING A FRIEND, YOU CAN BOTH ENJOY A 15% DISCOUNT!!!

Team O’Neil Rally School is a year round facility, but late September is the most beautiful time to be in Northern NH. The foliage should be in full swing and the weather is near perfect! The September 22 class is sure to be a crowd pleaser due to the cast of fun characters already scheduled to participate, but…

Don’t hesitate to think about the class, as it will fill fast. Spots are limited, and when they are gone, they are gone – and with the work we have been doing, it could be a while before a deal like this comes along again.

If you want to sign up, please call us at 603-444-4488 and we will gladly sign you up! If you choose to email, please use info@teamoneil.com – Do NOT hit “reply” to this email.

Come play in the dirt with us!

Thanks for your interest in Team O’Neil Rally School.
Sincerely,

Heidi Dion
info@teamoneil.com
603-444-4488

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So the folks over at the Team O’Neil Rally and Car Control school felt that I need to really get the feel of a rally car so I understand things more when I speak at Rally America events. This opportunity definitely makes for the awesome finial stage of Operation:Rally.

The school is located in Northern New Hampshire. 600 Areas of forestry gnarly Tim threw together to have one hell of a good time. The Team O’Neil School is one of the only schools in the country that teaches left foot breaking and all the fun that comes with it.

Casually late we arrive at the school to hear the finial hoorah just be for we watch a short film of wrc historic crashes and absorb the lesson of what not to do with the school vehicles. I completely missed student introductions so I had no Idea who was who in my class however I did spot the confirmed Conleys and Score Racer Alan Roach. The rest of the class was filled with worthy throttle poppers that wanted to get a lttle dirty….my kind of people.

The school is designed to teach offroad car control skills weather it be rally racing, offroad racing, home land security defense, or controlling NASA space rovers at highspeeds through the uncharted martin surface…..it could happen. Top military personal and most top rally competitors have come through the school at one point or another so its not unuasal to see current RA competitors testing on the property. Mark “The Animal” Fox choppin it up with Mr. O’Neil.

Even Bob Olsen was having a small tuneup on the plasma energy horse taken care of at the mechanics facility in side the school.

Back at the skid pad we are introduced to our cars for day 1. Jetta city! FWD VWs were the first vehicle to engage left foot breaking to your body.

The First day is spent learning to control the car in a slide and learn how to feel the the brake with your left foot. My first mistake were the standard noob maneuver. “No matter how cool it is to throw your steering wheel in drifting its not at all proper when rally’n”. It took me 3days to teach myself to stop it. But when your at the top of the hill and you see this view, what would you do?

1st day comes to an end with a little learnin from Wyatt Knox in the garage showin off the rights and wrongs to do with a rally car on stage along with some pointers on ways to save your car for the longhaul.

Second day starts off almost immediately at the cabin on the skid pad. Instructors are teasing us with some AWD Audi’s in the lot…..maybe after lunch they say… More importantly than that is our intro into the pendulum turn aka the Scandinavian flick.

Donny Conley gets it done like hes been doing it for a while.

Today was also a day to learn accident avoidance. I unfortunately failed. So check out Alan handling business.

Speaking of handling business. Best part about the school is (as long as theres no ladies present) it seemed like you could man-up and piss anywhere….Its like daycare all over again.

Day 3 kicks in to all AWD and intro in to the subies.

Allthough were still cone killing were informed that if we cant control our selves and bust some cleaner runs than we cant get down on the full track. Suddenly everone became excellent and virtually flawless.

The first loop took you around the offices, classroom, and mechanical area so if you had the opportunity to do something stupid everybody could watch. My favorite part was the Right-four-minus-Stay Right which was a small ditch that if hit properly would slingshot you up a blind crest in to a quick left-four-minus. An absolutely insane feeling…oh yeah and theres one more day to go. Stage notes lingo is also taught incase you thought I was reading of my new SRTUSA concord pond stage note shirt……=o)

Day 4 is the debut of a longer coarse layout and the opportunity for me to ditch the AWD and learn my roll in a RWD. At the end of the first day I felt like I could putt around with decent skill in the VW and then by day 3 I though I could ill it in the Audi’s but after driving the rwd BMW I realize that im just another gas happy jack ass trying to look cool. But its what I needed to really inhale everything I learned this weekend. This was the day to pick you ride.

Jon and Brian getting tipsy in the Golf

Donny in a Subie

Forest on a quad

Cory with warface

My day at the rally school ends a little early but when I checked my email, BAM! Looks like someone earned the pink helmet.

A completely unforgettable experience Thanks to everyone who made it happen and the class for all their good times.


For More info check out www.team-oneil.com

PS

Put um up if you got um

Oooopppps

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Official weekend of Forest racing begins today. The New England Forest Rally was in full effect. First day of racing was set to have 5 different stages. The day would begin at the Sunday River Parc Expose with all the drivers grouping up for basically a driver meet and greet.

After about an hour of fan conversing “Rally Master” Grouped all the Drivers & Co-Drivers.

Check out the Game faces.
Bill Bacon does it better:

Andi Mancin the Polish Xgames Rookie:

Alex Gelsomino of the Blockmobile:

Natalie Richard of the Libra/Rockstar Evo10:

Alex Kihurani pimpin’ his Matt Johnston shirt:

This IS NOT the Instructor at Team O’Neil Mr. Alan Moody: Sorry Moody Family. Kick me in the balls when I see you next.

Dave Getchell of Last Ditch Racing:

After the Sunday River Spectator Stages we bring the hole show over to the Mexico Rec area (aka: Transit) and run a super special stage with tons of watchers.
Here bob and I are on the transit:

And here are all my new friends I made today. Sorry ‘bout all that “miscommunication”

In side the Mexico Rec area we held another short parc expose to let the people from another township engulf themselves in rally goodness.
Matt Johnston keepin it ol school. Thanks for the Shirt by the way.

Bacon and Killa ‘Watte’ hidden from the bugs.

The Steel Tulip in for fixin’

Havis in a new gen Golf

Open Class on display. Hey Mirra No SP’s for this shot.

For the record…

It turns out that day 1 stages do not have medical help and have to be cancelled. So the “Drive Your Future Rally” is complete. Major Knight gives awards to all the drivers at the Phoenix and we hit the hay. No Party till tomorrow.
Bright and early Bob and I head down to New Hampshire for a long long day of Rally. Ken Block had taken the lead on day one followed closely by standard podiumers: Pastrana, L’Estage, ACP, and Bacon. The most interesting of the event was 2wd max attack competitor Chris Dupplessis who was only seconds of the Open Class Pace, impressively 7th overall.
The First Stage was set at the Laid Law Power Plant. As cool as you may think it would be to race through 669,000kW or so you should know that this was only the foundation. The plant has yet to be erected.

The NEFR had a pre existing announcer in the likes of Mr. Craig Zurhurst. So It was great to Mic kick it with him this weekend. Great Hangin.
The Laid Law stage was part Tarmac and part gravel so it was perfect for Xgames Practice.
First up Block and Gelsomino.

While T.Foust was off at Pikes Peak Antione and Natalie were getting some use of the Evo10.

Bill Bacon and Peter “killa” Watte in 3 wheel motion

Mirra and Ringer making the transition.

The Hansen family keepin it real. All fixed up. No tree stopping dogg.

The LaidLaw stage had an excellent view of the river and mountains and railroad tracks.

Next up Bob, Margarite, and my self travel out to a spectator stage something’s Fishy. The Stage is ran twice and as we arrive we spot Chrissie Beavis and Lucy Block changing a destroyed tire. Chrissie normally sits shot gun with Tanner is swapping seats with Mrs. Block, Lucy. This was Lucy’s first event and she even spent a weekend at local rally collage Team O’Neils.
Look at Lucy rocking the “Blocks”

Wo dogg

I would call Rally spectating the most exciting tailgating party ever. And people like this who gather in the middle of nowhere to partake in the action make it happen.

Back at service Mirra seems to be out due to fuel issues.

Sup Ladies

Donny’s SuperProduction ride was also having issues and he had to retire. See you at school buddy.

I didn’t get a snap of the ride but if your interested recycling your old onion ring grease to power a rally car Its my suggestion you contact these guys. The literally smelled like Fries as he passes us in service.

Miss Horsey rocking an OLD SCHOOL Drift Alliance Shirt. Nice styles yo!

After wondering over to the arriving cars I spotted Battle Damage on Ken Blocks Passenger side. Evidently a hard charging left landed block in the bang and spun him.

My buddy Rob Champion got some great shots of exactly happened.
I stole these from his face book but he deserves the credit.



Someone else rolled through service with some battle damage. Usually driving cold with no emotion Bacon cruises in with the dirst bruises Ive seen on his evo all season.

The Giant Killer Chris “the man” Duplessis excited about another round of smashing.


High profile Co-Drivers discussing energy drinks and their over abundant use of High fructose corn syrup.

In for service (R-L) Wyatt Knox and Carrie Wilburn, Last Ditch Crew, Fox and Blattner, and Tim Penesake.

Scars of war
Wazoo Crew

Chad & Jay

After checking out the carnage in service the 3 of us head back to Sunday river where the ceremony and press conference will be held.
Oh Bear.

Paul Bearin’ up.

Travis Pastrana will end up winning today’s event followed by Block who lost via and unfortunate spin and followed by Canadians L’Estage and Richard.

Max attack saw Chris Duplessis at the top with a sweet check for $1500 bucks. Congrats dog.
Operation:Rally will commence at the Team O’Neil school for 4 days of hard core Rally driving and instruction.

Stay tune

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Day 2 of the Ol’ Operation:Rally was mild as far as action is concernd. In the afternoon The Pheonix Bar & Grill opened up and threw a sweet little party. First thing that caught my eye was Mark Fox’s Animal style ride from the National Guard & Vermont Sports Car. I heard it was the Winter Oneil winning car. Mark said it was insane with power and had a dogbox which he was a little unfamiliar driving with. Check out the sweetness.

and the other side.

A small group of drivers were doing some hot laps on the press stage with local media personal. Top Gear featured athlete Ken Block stayed in the mix while SRTUSA crew gettin some.

Wazoo crew gettin um on all 4.

Don’t call it a come back. Bob Olsen making a mid season return.

These 2 drivers will be joining me @ Team Oneils after the Rally, Jon and Donny Conley

Finally the lil dog that was saved by Espn in car commentator, Jen Horsey, made his way out to Maine….Its Missy!

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