Doo Wop Rally
Memories 1997
1997 Doo Wop coverage from the
Dusty Times
Northwest Rally Report
Doo Wop 1 and 2
February 1997
by Jim Culp
Maybe it’s the alignment of the stars, or the phase of the moon.
Whatever the cause, every so often the conventional wisdom falls flat and a
two-wheel-drive car storms to the top of the charts claiming an overall
victory in a northwest rally. That’s just what happened
when Doug Schrenk and Rob Walden teamed to put a Saab on top in the
first round of the 1997 Northwest Divisional Rally Series.
Doug Schrenk and Rob Walden were first
overall in Doo Wop 1 with the Saab 900.
Doo Wop 1
The Sports Car Club of America’s pro-rally cars returned to the classic
forest roads of Capitol State Forest, near Olympia, Washington for the U.S.
Bank Doo Wop 1 Rally. Thirty cars started the event, including
nine four-wheel-drive (4WD) entries, but at the finish it was Schrenk and
Walden with the best Saab finish in many years.
The Scandia Saab 900 posted the fastest time on five of the six stages on
their way to a 45 second victory over Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes in the
Linda Tenney Toyota Supra. Walden claimed the Saab only touched
the advertised 10,000 rpm “a couple of times,” during the run through the
woods, “9000 rpm was more common.”
Second place finishers, Kosmides and Noyes, found the fast forest roads
working for their over-two-liter (O2) car too. The Supra edged past
the 4WD class leader on the last stage to beat Janice Damitio and Amity
Trowbridge in the Crazee Espresso Toyota Celica All-trac by four seconds.
Fourth overall, and second in 4WD, were Time Paterson and Joel Wright, who
struggled with low turbo pressure in the Falcon Racing Mazda 323 GTX.
The first under-two-liter (U2) car was the fifth place Intrax Golf driven by
Todd Hartmann and Kirk Knestis.
Sixth were Jake Dekovic and Katie Callahan in the Jim Adams Auto Clinic
Mazda 323 GTX. Another 4WD Toyota Celica, driven by James and
Kara Unger, finished seventh overall and first in the regional class two.
First in regional class three, and eighth overall were John Lane and Scott
Huhn in the C&S Auto Rebuild Volvo 262. Last season’s class
three sensations Dave and Rick Hintz finished second in class two, and ninth
overall, in the Extreme Rallying Mazda RX-3. Tenth were John and
Chris Forespring in Walt’s Fat Ford Mustang, as 23 of the 30 starters made
it to the finish.
Jack Broadhead and Jim Jump
Doo Wop 2
Things got back to “normal” in Doo Wop 2, when Damitio and Trowbridge put
4WD back on top with a victory for the Crazee Espresso Toyota Celica All-trac.
Doo Wop 2, sponsored by PDE Body Shop and Duane Dewees
Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge/Jeep/Eagle, again featured the smooth, fast roads of
the Capitol State Forest.
The Rage Racing Celica posted equal fast time on the first stage, and out
right fastest on the remaining three stages to seal the victory.
Kosmides and Noyes claimed another second place finish in the Ruby’s Supra,
this time taking the O2 class title as well. Hartmann and
Knestis repeated their U2 class win with a fine third overall for the Intrax
Golf.
Paterson and Wright put up a strong challenge early in the event, equaling
the fastest time on the first stage, and running only one second behind
Damito after two. Problems on the third stage dropped the Falcon
Racing Mazda back to fourth.
The Hintz brothers in the Extreme Rallying RX-3 claimed first in regional
class two, finishing fifth overall. Six seconds back was the Unger
family Celica, second in class two.
Seventh overall was the first class three car, the Bon Losee U2 Volkswagen
Golf of Richard Losee and Kent Livingston. Eighth were the
father/son team of Robert and Scott Trinder in the Bumper to Bumper Datsun
240Z, a car prepared for the classic Panama to Alaska Rally.
Dekovic and Callahan were ninth in the Jim Adams Auto Clinic Mazda, just
five seconds ahead of another 323 GTX, the Jump’n Jack Espresso car driven
by Jack Broadhead and Jim Jump. 25 of the 27 starters made the run to
the Oakville Grange to finish the rally.
The Capitol State Forest is 90,125 acres of timber lands managed by the
Washington Department of Natural Resources. In addition to the great
weekend recreational opportunities available on the rally roads and mountain
bike trails, this is a working forest. The timber grown here is sold
to fund construction of Washington schools.
Robert Trinder and Scott Trinder
Northwest Rally Report
Doo Wop 3 and 4
by Jim Culp
When you see a rally won by 14 seconds you know you’ve seen some great
competition. When you see two rallies in two days won by a total of 14
seconds, you must have been watching Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes at Doo Wop
3 and 4. Kosmides and Noyes drove the powerful Linda Tenney’s
Toyota Supra to two victories in two days to capture the Doo Wop series of
Northern Pacific Divisional, Sports Car Club of America pro-rallies held in
the Capital Forest near Olympia, WA.
In Doo Wop 3 Kosmides/Noyes swapped the lead with Janice Damitio and Amity
Trowbridge in the 4WD Crazee Espresso Celica before edging ahead by 13
seconds at the finish. In Doo Wop 4 the Supra crew jumped into the
lead and then held off the charging Audi Quattro of Rui Brasil and Carlos
Tavares to win by a single second.
Ralph Kosmides and Joe Noyes
Doo Wop 3
Kosmides, from Newport Beach, CA. and Noyes, from Seattle, jumped into the
early lead on Doo Wop 3, besting the 4WD cars through melting snow and heavy
rain. Damitio/Trowbridge grabbed the lead on stage three with an amazing
run that topped even national champ Paul Choiniere in the Hyundai Tiburon
who was running the Doo Wop National, held concurrently with the divisional
rallies.
Damitio’s lead was brief. Kosmides/Noyes and the Ruby’s Supra regained
the lead on stage four, pulled ahead on stage five, and held on for the
overall win and the over-two-liter (O2) class title. Damitio/Trowbridge
in the Rage Racing/Crazee Espresso Celica claimed the 4WD class.
Brasil and Tavares, slowed by a bent driver’s side A-arm, finished third in
Doo Wop 3.
Todd Hartmann and Kirk Knestis continued their early season domination of
the under-two-liter (U2) class with a fine fourth overall in the Intrax
Volkswagen Golf Gti. Jake Dekovic and Katie Callahan were fifth in the Jim
Adams Auto Clinic Mazda 323 GTX.
Sixth overall, and second in O2, were the Northwest Region’s group 2
winners, the Hintz brothers Dave and Rick, in the Extreme Rallying Mazda
RX3. Seventh were the region’s group 3 leaders, John Lane and Scott
Huhn in the C&S Auto Rebuild Volvo 262.
Monty Horn teamed with first time co-driver Jiselle Waterhouse cruised to
eighth spot, second in U2 with Horn’s Datsun 510. Ninth were the east
coast team of Lesley Suddard and Anne Thomas in the Maaco Dodge Charger.
Mark Simons and Chris Volk finished tenth in a Toyota Corolla.
DNFs included Tim Paterson/Joel Wright in the Falcon Racing Mazda 323 GTX,
out with a broken brake rotor, and Doug Schrenk/Bob Walden, with a rolled
Scandia Autosport Saab 900. 25 of the 33 starters survived the run through
Capital Forest.
Nate Tennis and Sean Gilbert
Doo Wop 4
It was a repeat performance for Kosmides/Noyes and the Ruby’s Supra in the
final Doo Wop rally of the winter. The Toyota team jumped into the
early lead, posting fastest times on stages one and two. Brasil/Tavares
were 14 seconds back at the midpoint, and then the SunTrips Audi crew turned
it on to cut 13 seconds from that gap in the final two stages.
That one second margin may have left Brasil wondering, “what if?”
But second overall was good enough for the 4WD class victory, as the Audi
edged the Damitio/Trowbridge Celica by 17 seconds.
Hartmann/Knestis picked up another U2 class trophy with another fourth
overall. The Intrax VW finished just ahead of the Simons/Volk Corolla
in fifth. The second place O2 finishers were Suddard/Thomas in the
Maaco Dodge, sixth overall.
Seventh was the Leading Edge Auto Glass Volvo 262 of John Lane and Scott
Huhn. Dave and Rick Hintz finished eighth in the RX3. Ninth were
Ken Stewart and Doc Shrader in the American Racing Chevy S-10 pickup.
Stewart hails from Grove, OK, and the S-10 is not just your average
northwest 4WD pickup, given its turbo V6 power.
The battle for tenth overall was a classic Datsun show with Robert and
Scott Trinder’s 240Z edging the Horn/Waterhouse 510 by three seconds.
DNFs included Dekovic/Callahan who lost a fuel pump and Glynn Trafford and
Bart Vogelzang who left early to catch the ferry home to Duncan, BC in their
Mazda 323GTX.
Choiniere and Becker open 97
rally season with victory in Washington
by Jim Culp
A new season and a new car, but it was a familiar pair of winners at the
Little Creek Casino’s Doo Wop National PRO rally in Washington’s Capital
Forest on March 16.
Six time national rally champions Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker finished
first in their brand new 1997 Hyundai Tiburon coupe from Libra Racing.
The 370 horsepower, 4WD Tiburon is the first Hyundai competition car that
really starts to look like a racer. Michigan’s Henry Joy and Jamaica’s
Michael Fennell finished second, more than three minutes behind the Hyundai
in Joy’s right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Lancer.
The Doo Wop National, second round of the Michelin PRO Rally Championship,
was run through the Washington woods in a variety of weather conditions.
Choiniere was fast through everything, besting the field by 44 seconds
through the heavy melting snow on the first stage, winning four of the first
six stages in the rain, and sweeping the final four stages as the roads
dried out.
Choiniere, from Shelburne, VT and Becker, from Great Neck, NY were last seen
at the Little Creek Casino in November, dancing on the roof of their 96
Hyundai, as they claimed their sixth national PRO Rally title in the last
seven years. Libra Racing team boss John Buffum called the inaugural
Tiburon victory “money in the bank," and the Tiburon looks like it may
be capable of hauling a lot of cash in the race for the 97 Michelin
championship.
The Ruby’s Restaurant/Linda Tenney’s Toyota Supra of Ralph Kosmides and Joe
Noyes was the fastest two wheel drive car, claiming the Group 5 class title
with a fine, fast, third overall, 1:47 behind Joy’s 4WD Lancer.
Janice Damitio and Amity Trowbridge claimed the Production GT class, placing
the Crazee Espresso 1988 Toyota Celica All-trac fourth overall, only 31
seconds behind Kosmides’ winged Supra.
Rui Brasil and Carlos Tavares in the open class SunTrips Audi Quattro lost
time after an early bump bent an A-arm. The San Jose duo struggled to
a fifth place finish, ahead of the east coast Maaco Dodge Charger of Lesley
Suddard and Anne Thomas.
The quickest pickup in Grove, OK. finished seventh overall with Ken Stewart
and Dr. Floyd Schrader at the controls of the Cooper Tires/American Racing
4WD Chevy S-10. John and Chris Forespring were eighth in Walt’s
Fat Ford Mustang.
Lee Shadbolt and Paul Eklund finished second in PGT class, and ninth overall
in the Hairpin Racing Subaru Impreza, with Trevor Donison and James
Braezeale tenth in the Northwest Consulting Mazda 323 GTX.
The DNF list featured Jack Brodhead and Jim Jump, who stuffed their Jump’n
Jack Espresso Mazda 323GTX on stage one, and the factory Group 5 Saab 900 of
Sam Bryan/Rob Walden who lost their differential early in the event and
retired after stage three.
Henry Joy and Mike Fennell enjoyed the Doo Wop weather
in Capitol Forest.