Contact:

Andy Schupack, Media Liaison

401-739-5677 – now through May 4

401-741-6980 – mobile at the event, May 5 - 8

MEDIA ALERT
2005 SUBARU RIM OF THE WORLD RALLY

What:
Second round (of four) for the 2005 season. United States Rally Championship (USRC) cars from across North America will compete on demanding ridge-top dirt and gravel fire control roads tracing the line of the infamous San Andreas Fault in the Angeles National Forest as well as in the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area and the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Southern California. Regarded as the toughest rally in the USA, it is often compared to the Acropolis Rally in Greece for its relentless, car-pounding roads. Drivers and co-drivers go as fast as they can over the closed forest roads, with the team sporting the lowest elapsed time over the 16 stages, or road segments, winning the event. This event is sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC) and presented by the National Auto Sports Association (NASA). Parts of the event count for points in the Western States Rally Championship (WSRC) and the California Rally Series (CRS) as well. The rally will cover 374 miles including 86 stage miles.

When & Where:
May 6 - 7, 2005; Lancaster, California, approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of
Los Angeles.

Television and radio:

The event will be broadcast on Motorsport Mundial on Speed Channel in North America including the international feed to more than 50 countries worldwide. The Subaru Rim of the World Rally will also have streaming Internet radio online at www.rimoftheworldrally.com, with broadcasts starting at 2:00 PM on May 6. The event will also be covered on local Adelphia Cable Channel 3 – check local listings for broadcast times.

Media Headquarters:
Poppy Pavilion at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Antelope Valley Freeway (Hwy. 14) at Avenue H in Lancaster, California.

Schedule:

FRIDAY, May 6, 2005

9:15 AM - noon – Media Stage for invited guests and competitors only. Participants must pre-register with the organizer.

Noon - Midnight - Antelope Valley Fairgrounds open to the public for free ($3.00 for parking per car) until 5:00 PM to view technical inspection and meet the rally drivers ($5.00 charge after 5:00 PM). Ongoing activities include rally video games, a display of vintage race cars from the Vintage Auto Racing Association, remote control car races, 30 booths featuring auto racing accessories and memorabilia, and more.

6:30 PM - Opening ceremonies and Super Special Stage I (side-by-side racing) at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.

10:30 PM - First car finishes Leg I of the Subaru Rim of the World Rally, Antelope
Valley Fairgrounds, scores posted, re-seeding, Sport Compact Car Magazine Chili Party.

SATURDAY, May 7, 2005 – main event day

7:30 AM
First car leaves the A.V. Fairgrounds to start Leg II.

7:00 AM
Hungry Valley Spectator Area opens to the public ($5 per car park admission and $10 per car spectator fee). Directions and spectator details on www.rimoftheworldrally.com.

8:52 AM
First rally car passes Hungry Valley Spectator Area.

10:12 AM
First rally car makes second run past Hungry Valley Spectator Area.

10:00 AM - Midnight
A.V. Fairgrounds open to the public. Visit the Rally Expo vendor displays, walk through the pits, meet the rally teams, check out the Auto Show and the VARA vintage race cars on display, purchase food and rally merchandise, watch the Autocross, "drifting" demonstration and radio controlled cars and enjoy special events including the new service crew competition.

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Team Blew Autocross Challenge, Open to the public, Located in paved lot between Poppy Pavilion and the grandstands, west of the service area.

11:20 AM
First car arrives at the A.V. Fairgrounds for service and re-seeding, Walk through the "pits" and watch the crews.

11:30 AM
Auto Show Awards and prizes presented in Lilac Pavilion at the A.V. Fairgrounds.

12:10 PM
Super Special Stage II - Top rally teams race side-by-side on the specially designed Super Special Stage in front of the 7,500 seat grandstands.

5:00 PM
First car arrives at the A.V. Fairgrounds for service and re-seeding.

5:40 PM
Super Special Stage III Presented by Autosport Engineering.

6:30 PM
Drifting Exhibition in the Autocross Area. See professional drift drivers in this high horsepower ballet on wheels.

8:40 PM
First car arrives for the Final Service Stop at the A.V. Fairgrounds. Service crews strip their cars for battle as they prepare for the rally's final challenge.

9:00 PM
The Lancaster Subaru Super Special Stage IV - It all comes downs to this! One more time in the stadium.

10:30 PM
The Subaru Champagne Victory Ceremony.
Watch the winners celebrate, meet the drivers.

10:30 PM
Tri-tip BBQ hosted by Subaru and served by the Habitat for Humanity BBQ Team, open to the public.

11:30 PM
Provisional scores posted.

SUNDAY, May 8, 2005

8:00 - 9:30 AM
Awards Breakfast at the Essex House Hotel

Selected entries/news items:
--Defending national ProRally champions Pat Richard and co-driver and sister Nathalie - both from Canada – also winners last year at Rim – are back in their Subaru WRX. In the recent Rally America series event in Oregon April 23 – 24, the Richards were chasing eventual winner Stig Blomqvist when their transmission failed.
--Last year's club-level winner Leon Styles, with co-driver Mark McAllister, who saw overall victory snatched from him when he had late-event turbo problems, is eager to resume the battle with the Richards.
--In the spirit of “for the good of the sport,” rival Rally America official J.B. Niday, from Richfield, MN, is entered at Rim in his Subaru WRX.
--With the goal of "bringing the rally to the public," the 22nd running of Rim includes four “stadium” stages at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds and Rim's first use of Hungry Valley SVRA Park – two places where it is easy for the public to view the cars.
--First season the series is not part of the Sports Car Club of America organization, which gave up rally sanction over the winter to concentrate on on-the-track road racing. Rim's new sanctioning bodies – USAC and NASA – sanction events from the Formula 1 race at Indianapolis to the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in Northern California. The last two events of the four-rally USRC series include the International Rally New York, September 30 – October 1; and the Ramada Express International Rally (Nevada), December 9 – 11.
--Top current USRC point leaders, as a result of their finishes at Round #1 – the Cherokee Trails International Rally – will be at Rim including Peter Workum, originally from Canada – now living in Phoenix (Subaru Impreza); Matthew Iorio, Westmoreland, NH (Subaru Impreza); Josh Chang, Allen, TX (Subaru Impreza), Craig Hollingsworth, Incline Village, NV
--74 Entries as of April 27.

Media information; Credentials, Visuals & Interviews:

Event Press/Photo credentials will be available at press registration on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. During the event, credentialed media will be able to shoot action photography from restricted areas along the rally course. Credentials are available only to properly identified members of the working media. Request for media credential consideration can only be made online at www.rimoftheworldrally.com. Vehicle passes for parking at the A.V. Fairgrounds and Hungry Valley Park can be downloaded directly from the website by media that have been issued an acceptance level in advance by the event.

Media Contact:

Rim of the World Organizing Committee
Andy Schupack, press officer
E-mail: as@kgpr.com
401-739-5677; now – May 4, 2005
401-741-6980; mobile at the event, May 5 – 8, 2005
www.rimoftheworldrally.com

Local Sponsors:

The Subaru Rim of the World Rally’s local sponsors include Subaru Western Region, Autosport Engineering, Lancaster Subaru, the City of Lancaster, Advance Clutch Technology, C.L. Bryant Fuels, and Havoline Racing Revolution Oil.

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