Watch Rally Cars this Weekend, STPR 2011 Starts in Germania this Saturday, June 4

STPR at a Glance

WHERE – Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Headquarters at the Tioga County Fairgrounds (GPS coordinates: N41°46.1791′ W77°12.401′)

WHAT – Performance Rallying is the exciting and demanding motorsport sanctioned by Rally America. With its high percentage of stage miles and a course featuring some of the most challenging roads in the world, Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally® (STPR®) is one of the America’s best-known Rally events.

WHO – The Finger Lakes STPR® Motorsport, LLC will conduct STPR® in cooperation with the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. Finger Lakes STPR® Motorsport is based in Rochester, New York.

SPONSORED BY – STPR’s title sponsor for 2010 is Waste Management. Local sponsors include Citizens and Northern Bank, Mid-Atlantic Subaru, Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wellsboro Gazette, and Wellsboro residents. Many other businesses in the Wellsboro area support STPR®, the Charity Rally and other various activities associated with the event.

THE SERIES – STPR® 2010 is Round Five of the Rally America Championship Series; its support events, the Finger Lakes Rally (coefficient 2 event) and the Sherwood Forest Rally (coefficient 3 event) are part of the Rally America Eastern Regional Championship Series.

THE COMPETITION – STPR® regularly draws the top rally teams from the United States, Canada and abroad who enjoy putting their skills to the extreme test of performance rally. Competitors from the worldwide professional rally community are also found at this premier event.

Rally America has grouped Performance Rally vehicles into three groups with two of the groups further broken down into classes.  The groups are:
Open category – Classes are: Open, Open Light, Group 5 and Group 2.
Production category – Classes are: Super Production. Production GT, Production and Rally Truck.
Historic category – Groups all cars into the Historic class.

Performance Rally starting order is based upon a “Speed Factor.” This is a number calculated for each competitor after each national rally and reported regional rally, which indicates the relative speed of the competitor compared to the fastest competitor. Speed Factor List: This is a ranking of competitors’ speeds, from the fastest to the slowest and is based on the best and latest Speed Factor. The Speed Factor List is used to set the Start Order of competitors at events. This ranking will be updated on the first of each month. More information is available on the Rally America web site, www.rally-america.com.

THE COURSE – The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry is providing almost 63 miles of roads in the Susquehannock, Tioga and Tiadaghton State Forests for the special stages.  Added to the forest roads is over 9 miles of private road, some of which had to be resurrected for STPR®.  Then there is the 7/8ths mile Subaru Super Special Stage at the Tioga County Fairgrounds.  For $5 per person plus $2 per car for parking, you have the opportunity to sit in grandstands and watch to cars as the run all of the stage.

SPECTATING – Choice spectator points for viewing the competition are a special feature of STPR®. Information on the spectator points and routes to reach them are printed in the Official Program and Spectator Guide available at registration, the Green and the Chamber of Commerce. The cars are available for inspection at the Parc Exposé around The Green before the morning and evening segments of STPR®. See the event schedule for registration and start times.

– You can be a part of this most exciting extreme sport…performance rally. THIS IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE ACTION!

No experience is required—and there are a few jobs that don’t even require that you leave town. The best opportunity to spectate is reserved for stage workers, who have access to non-spectator areas along the route. Medical (basic life support certification) and licensed HAM radio operators are also essential. A collector’s item souvenir pin and worker-only T-shirt are provided for all registered workers.

See VOLUNTEER INFORMATION to find out more.

Here are various STPR videos from YouTube:

Article information from stpr.org. Photos courtesy Amy Thompson – Thompson Design Inc.