Doo Wop Rally
Memories 1995
1995 Doo Wop coverage from the
Dusty Times
Northwest Rally
Report - Doo Wop 1 and 2
by Jim Culp
All wheel drive Mazdas splashed to victories in the first two rounds of the
Doo Wop Rally Series held in the Capital Forest near Olympia, Washington on
February 18 and 19.
Rick Beson and Ben Bradley in the Western Turbo Protégé captured Doo Wop 1,
while defending series champs Dale Beard and Richard Simmons stormed back in
the Beard Family 323GTX to take the Doo Wop 2 crown. The Doo Wop
events are organized by Northwest Region of the Sports Car Club of America
as part of the Divisional PRO Rally Championship.
While the Mazdas took home the honors, a more appropriate vehicle for this
weekend might have been an ark. As Saturday morning drizzle turned
into Sunday's steady downpour, wet drivers, wet co-drivers, wet service
crews, wet workers, and wet spectators; all rediscovered the marvelous
technology of the umbrella.
One weather station near the Capital Forest recorded more than six inches of
rainfall during the rally weekend, but at least the stage roads were high
enough in the Black Hills to avoid the flooding conditions that restricted
travel in some lowland areas of Western Washington.
Rick Beson and Ben Bradley splash through the Porter
Creek esses in the 4WD Protege
Doo Wop 1
Rick Beson teamed with Ben Bradley to capture Doo Wop 1 by 18 seconds over
Tim and Penny Paterson's Falcon Racing RX7. Beson/Bradley used the
Western Turbo Mazda Protégé's all wheel drive to good advantage on the
slippery Capital Forest roads.
Doo Wop 1 shaped up as a Mazda battle from the minute the starting list was
published, with Dale Beard/Richard Simmons (323GTX), Beson/Bradley, and the
Patersons filling the first three starting spots.
Beard/Simmons streamed through the drizzle on the first stage to take a
seven second advantage over Beson/Bradley. That was the only bright
spot in a dreary day for the Beard/Simmons team, as a series of mechanical
woes left the GTX sputtering and dropped them back in the pack to an
eventual sixth place finish.
While the first stage was the high point for Beard/Simmons, it was the low
spot for the Patersons. Returning to two wheel drive in the tidy new
RX7 after two years of fighting mechanical gremlins in a 323GTX, the
Patersons lost 26 seconds to Beson/Bradley on stage one. While that
gap proved to be more than the difference between first and second overall,
the Patersons still finished first in the divisional over two liter class.
The Portland, Oregon duo of Beson/Bradley racked up fastest or equal fastest
stage times on each of the last three stages. That combined with a
string of second fastest stage times on the first three stages to provide
the victory margin.
John Sparks and Vern Johnson sped to third overall and first in the
divisional under two liter class in a Toyota Corolla. It was a strong
return to the rally scene for Sparks, who destroyed a Corolla during last
year's Doo Wop series.
Dr. Dave White and John Elkin grabbed fourth overall and second in the over
two liter class in the Red Line Oil Volkswagen GTI. They were followed
by Brian Cooper and Cam Jackson in the Blue Diamond Autobody Datsun 210 in
fifth.
Regional class winners included Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes in a
turbocharged English Ford Escort in class two, and Bill Nation and Erik
Thompson in class three with a flowered Mazda RX7. Jake Dekovic and
Mike Blore topped the under 1500 cc regional "rally lite" class in a TRS
prepared Toyota Starlet.
The event lost a little of it's glamour early when TV idol Jason Priestley
rolled his Toyota Celica all-trac about two miles into the first stage.
While the Toyota suffered from the extensive front end remodeling, Priestly
and co-driver Kevin Caffrey were wet but unhurt.
Brian Cooper and Cam Jackson slide on the edge of the
bank above Porter Creek.
Somehow Cooper saved it and finished fifth in Doo Wop 1.
Doo Wop 2
The water flowing over the roadway on the transit to stage one was a pretty
good indicator of the conditions for the February 19 Doo Wop 2. But a
little water (or even a lot of water) wasn't going to slow Dale Beard and
Richard Simmons in the Beard Family's Mazda 323GTX.
Recovering from the mechanical problems that knocked them from contention in
the first round of the Doo Wop series, Beard and Simmons splashed to victory
by almost a minute over Brian Cooper and Cam Jackson in the Blue Diamond
Autobody Datsun 210.
Elma, Washington resident Beard, and Simmons, from Bonney Lake, Washington,
returned to the form they established in 1994 when they captured first
overall in all four of the Doo Wop Divisionals and wrapped up the SCCA
Northern Pacific Divisional title in the four wheel drive class.
Only eight seconds separated the second through fourth place finishers, as
Cooper/Jackson nabbed the second spot overall, and first in the over two
liter divisional class by a slim three seconds over Dr. Dave White and John
Elkin in the Red Line Oil Volkswagen GTI.
Five seconds behind the GTI, John Sparks and Vern Johnson captured the under
two liter divisional class in a Toyota Corolla.
A slippery downhill run on stage two claimed the first two cars on the start
list. First Rick Beson and Ben Bradley rolled a long way off road in
the all wheel drive Mazda Protégé. Then Tim and Penny Paterson
performed a slow roll, eliminating the Falcon Racing RX7.
Fifth overall and first in the regional class two were Ralph Kosmides and
Joe Noyes in a turbocharged English Ford Escort. Bill Nation and Erik
Thompson, Mazda RX7, topped the regional class three crown with a sixth
place finish. Jake Dekovic and Mike Blore topped the under 1500 cc
regional "rally lite" class in a Toyota Starlet.
The Doo Wop rally series is named for the now defunct Doo Wop Diner, site of
many infamous northwest rally celebrations. Rounds three and four the
Doo Wop series are scheduled for March 18 and 19 when several national
series crews are expected to join the fray in the competition for 60%
national points.
John Sparks and Vern Johnson claimed the U2 class wins
in Doo Wop 1 and 2.
Doo Wop National
by Jim Culp
Peter Moodie and Mike Fennell led from the start to capture the Doo Wop
National PRO Rally over the forest roads near Olympia, WA. on March 18 and
19. The victory was the first overall win in the SCCA PRO Rally
Championship for the 1994 Group A national champions.
Driving the Executive Motorsports Mazda 323GTR, Moodie and Fennell topped
second place finishers Carl Merrill and John Bellefleur, in the Norseman
Resorts Ford Escort Cosworth, by 44 seconds.
Moodie and Fennell, from Kingston, Jamaica, moved up to the open class this
season to make a run at the overall championship. "We showed this
weekend that we can compete, and win, if we don't make mistakes," said Moodie. Giving up a horse-power advantage to the Cosworth, the winners demonstrated
some spectacular car control to take the win with the 4WD Mazda prepared by
Murray Thomas' T.A.D. Motorsports.
Moodie/Fennell jumped to a 12 second lead on the very first stage and
swapped fastest stage times with Merrill/Bellefleur through scattered rain
showers during the rally's first day. The Mazda team never gave up the
first position during the two day event, and actually extended their lead as
the stage roads dried on Sunday.
The Azores Express Audi Quattro of Rui Brazil and John Elkin captured third
overall 2:58 behind the leader. The California crew survived a close
encounter with a tree on the third stage, and a long night repairing damaged
transmission and suspension mounts on the way to the finish.
Northwest Divisional Champs Dale Beard and Richard Simmons, slowed over the
last two stages but still captured the Production GT Class, finishing fourth
overall in the Beard Family Mazda GTX. Henry Joy and Christopher
Griffin finished fifth in the Ralliart open class Mitsubishi Eclipse.
The Group two battle was the best of the rally, pitting Mike Whitman and
Kevin Lindville in their ageless Datsun 510 against David White and Jimmy
Brandt in the Light Performance Works Volkswagen GTi.
The two wheel drive cars battled back and forth all weekend, with Whitman/Lindville
eking out an 11 second victory over White/Brandt, while they finished sixth
and seventh overall.
Greg and Lynne Lund returned to action, finishing eighth and picking up open
class points in the Crazee Espresso Datsun 510, while construction continues
on their Merkur Cosworth. Bill Nation and Erik Thompson in the Oregon
Mint Snuff Mazda RX7 and Ralph Kosmides and Joseph Noyes in the Ruby's
Restaurant Ford Escort Turbo rounded out the top ten.
The weekend's tough luck award must go to Janice Damitio and Barry Berg in
the Rage Racing Toyota Celica GTS. After finishing the first day in
sixth overall, Damitio/Berg slipped off the road at high speed on the next
to the last stage and lost more than 20 minutes getting the car back on
course.
After the excursion, Damitio and Berg fell to 12th, the last finisher
following John and Chris Forespring's Saab. Damitio's only consolation
being second place points in the Production GT class.
Among the DNFs were Chad Dykes and Pat Hanson who turned competitive Group 2
times in the American Racing Equipment Toyota Pickup before crashing on
stage three. Another Group 2 challenger, the Scania Saab of Sam Bryan
and Rob Walden, dropped out after breaking an axle early. Jason
Priestley and Kevin Caffrey had another short day in the Momo Toyota
dropping out at the end of stage one.
Dale Beard and Rich Simmons captured the Doo Wop 3
divisional rally and first in the
PGT class in the national points event.
Doo Wop 3 Divisional
Beard and Simmons stormed from behind to capture the Doo Wop 3 Northwest
Divisional PRO Rally, a coefficient two event that run concurrently with the
first seven stages of the Doo Wop National PRO Rally.
Spashing through the puddles on the Simpson Timber Company's wet forest
roads near Shelton, Wa., the defending Doo Wop Series Champs in the Beard
Family Mazda 323 GTX topped the Azores Express Audi Quattro of Brazil/Elkin
by 14 seconds at the finish
Brazil/Elkin captured the first two stages as the Mazda was slowed by silt
in the fuel filter. An off course encounter with a tree on stage
three briefly delayed the Audi and Beard/Simmons ran off a string of five
consecutive fastest stage times to pull out the victory.
Highlighting that string was a 13:22 run over Taylor Hill, the ten mile long
sixth stage. In a stunning run through the rain, Beard/Simmons topped
all of the Doo Wop National competitors (Merrill's Cosworth was second
fastest seven seconds back), and finished the stage 20 seconds ahead of
Brazil/Elkin to slip into the lead in the Divisional event.
Smoothly splashing to third overall were Damitio and Berg in the Crazee
Espresso Toyota Celica GTS. A "friendly tree" crinkled a fender but
saved the Toyota from a roll late in the day.
The first two wheel drive car was fourth, with White and Brandt handling the
O2 Class winning Light Performance Works Volkswagen GTi. Tim and Penny
Paterson's Mazda RX7, repaired after their rollover in last month's Doo Wop
2, captured fifth overall and second in O2, followed by Duane and Mary Jo
Bender in the Motorworks (Married at Last) Datsun in sixth.
First in the U2 Class, and seventh overall, were Todd Hartmann and Kirk
Knestis in the Hartmann Motorsports VW GTi. Kosmides and Noyes
finished eighth in the Ruby's Restaurant/Reno Ford Escort Turbo.
Ninth were Bill Malik and Roine Andersson in a Volvo 242, while the Lund
family filled out the top ten in the Crazee Espresso Datsun 510.
While the weather provided scattered showers during the event, there was
plenty of standing water on the stage roads. The lake-sized puddles
and often slippery conditions took their toll as only 21 of the 33 starters
were running at the finish.
Regional class winners included Beard/Simmons in class 1, Damitio/Berg in
class 2, Nation/Thompson in class 3, and Monty Horn and Jack Horn, Horn
Enterprises Nursery, Mazda GLC in class 4.
Brian Cooper and Cam Jackson led all the two-wheel drive competitors in the
Blue Diamond Auto Body Datsun 210 until they retired with mechanical
problems.
Rui Brasil and John Elkin sail through the
puddles on their way to second overall in Doo
Wop 3.
Doo Wop 4 Divisional
The Brazil/Elkin Audi 4000 Quattro sped to a 57 second victory over the
Paterson's RX7, the O2 Class winner, in the coefficient one Doo Wop 4
Divisional PRO Rally run concurrently with the final four stages of the Doo
Wop National.
The San Jose, Ca. based Audi team spent the night between the Doo Wop
divisionals welding metal plates to anchor failing transmission and
suspension mounts. It was an effort that paid off well in Doo Wop 4. Doo Wop 3 winners, Beard/Simmons, dueled with Brazil/Elkin over the first
two stages, but their Mazda 323 GTX lost power and faded to third while
traversing the final two stages.
O2 class competitors, Doug Schrenk and Michael Leonard, claimed fourth
overall in the turbocharged Scania Autosport Saab 99, while White and
Brandt finished fifth in the Volkswagen GTi.
First in the U2 class and sixth overall were John Sparks and Vern Johnson in
the Rude Dog Racing Toyota Corolla. Seventh were Gary Caffroy and John
Arnold in the TD Trucking Mazda RX3, while Nation/Thompson in the Nation
Photo Mazda RX7 finished eighth.
Second in U2, and ninth overall were Scott Trinder and Ben Bradley in a
Suzuki Swift, while Jeff Call and Brent Dille in a Volkswagen GTi rounded
out the top ten, finishing third in U2.
The four stages were run in improving weather as the crowned Capitol Forest
roads dried quickly following some light morning showers. 26 of the 28
starters finished the event. Regional class winners included Brazil/Elkin in class 1, Caffroy/Arnold in
class 2, Nation/Thompson in class 3, and Jake Dekovic and Mike Blore in the
TRS Toyota Starlet in class 4.
Damitio/Berg in the Rage Racing Toyota Celica and Hartmann/Knestis in the
Hartmann Motorsport VW GTi, missed top ten finishes when they slipped off
course on the third stage and lost lots of time before regaining the road.
Todd Hartmann and Kirk Knestis were the U2 class
winners in Doo Wop 3.