Coming off a small rally hiatus, it was unclear if Keith Jackson and Marra Estep would be able to pick up their 2009 USRC winning pace. Winning Stage 1 with more then a 45 second gap quickly confirmed that there was no issues getting right back into maximum attack with their Subaru Impreza WRX. Their competition was Bill Holmes and Sean Gallagher in their Ford Raptor followed closely by Jon Burke and Zachary Dickinson in anouther Subaru Impreza WRX. Burke would have problems with the car and not continue after service. This left Holmes in 2nd, a minute and a half behind Jackson, and well over 3 minutes ahead of the CRS GT cars. Having some brake problems on the last stage, Cem Akdeniz and Mustafa Samli would take 2nd in Open 4WD and 6th overall.

Running in Subaru Imprezas, Alex Rademacher and Jeana Yi were close with Leelyn Pritchard and Logan Mineer all day. After service it became not only a battle for CRS GT, but a battle for third overall. Radamacher turned up the pace in the afternoon and pulled into the lead. Pritchard maintained bragging rights by beating him on Stage 8 – The DirtFish Power Stage! Co-Driver Logan Mineer said “I’ll admit, it was nice holding that champagne for a bit, even if I knew it was Keith’s all along.” Michael Carnes & Reza Yazdani were back again this year in their Audi Quattro to take 3rd in CRS GT.

In 2WD Eddie Fiorelli & Tom Smith set an outstanding pace for the first stage in their CRS-2 VW Golf, taking the 4th fastest time, and surprising a number of turbo 4WD cars. They would keep 1st in CRS-2 all day, ahead of Sean Lane & Christian Coulter in their Dodge Neon, and Javier Olivares & Brock Heinz in their Mitsubishi Gallant, but would be beaten overall by a Performance Stock VW Golf driven by the experienced Tony Chavez & Raquel Salas. Chavez would go on to set fast times and secure 1st in P-Stock and 5th overall! 2nd in P-Stock would be Sarkis Mazmanian & Arin Hovsepian in an Acura Integra.

The DirtFish Power Stage spurred on the competition to the finish. There was no stopping 4WD Driver Keith Jackson and Co-Driver Marra Estep all day. They won every stage, and this one was no exception, grabbing the top prize from Leelyn Pritchard and Logan Mineer. Bill Holmes and Sean Gallagher also stayed in complete control of 2WD to emerge victorious and take the $100 from Tony Chavez & Raquel Salas. Jackson and Holmes then celebrated with a spray of champagne.

Teams are off to Rally Idaho for the next event in the California Rally Series Championship on June 9th & 10th. We would like to thank all the volunteers and captains for making this such a successful event! See you next year at High Desert Trails when we celebrate our 40th anniversary!

Chuck Wilson has honed his skills with FWD over the last few years coming in first in P-Stock in 2009, and 2nd in the very competitive CRS-2 in 2010. He made it all the way to stage 8 last year when a mechanical problem caused them to DNF.  We’re excited to have him on the stages again this year!
 John Black has been campaigning his Ford Ranger at HDT with a 1st in P-Stock in 2009, 3rd in 2010, and 2nd in 2011. This year however, there are rumors of a Ford Focus? Will the switch to FWD be what he needs to get back into the top spot?
We know how much time and commitment it takes to rally, so we respect both these guys and wish them success this season and many more rallies with us at the High Desert Trails!

Bill Holmes and Sean Gallagher are back again, this year with their Ford Raptor, looking to make it two in a row on the Trails. Will the new twisty stages be problem for the big truck? We think the event winning duo can handle it. Their 4WD competition has really picked up with Jon Burke the 2011 CRS Champion, along with Keith Jackson the 2010 Champion hitting these stages for the first time in their Open Class Subaru WRX’s. In CRS-GT, Alex Rademacher and Jeana Yi will be looking for a strong finish to kick off their 2012 Season. Newcomers in this class; Leelyn Pritchard and Logan Mineer will no doubt be up for the challenge. Paul Willemsen & Travis Bos used HDT as a shakedown for their new car last year return with their eyes on a higher placing finish (pictured).

In CRS-2, Long time HDT Alumni – Eddie Fiorelli & Tom Smith look to be quite competitive with their freshly painted VW Golf after tipping onto their side at Prescott last year. Challenging them will be Sean Lane & Christian Coulter in their Dodge Neon, and Javier Olivares & Brock Heinz in a Mitsubishi Gallant. If last year is any indication, look for the 2WD’s to have top times all day!

One of the reasons to push for a top time is the all new DirtFish Power Stage. This is as fast as it goes, flat out, race for cash – on the 10 mile long final stage of HDT. DirtFish Rally School in Snoqualmie, Washington knows what it takes to go fast and they’re offering $100 to the fastest 2WD and another $100 to the quickest 4WD car down the DirtFish Power Stage. DirtFish has a passion for rally driving, and offer a selection of classes that give drivers everything from “just a taste” to a three day course, where you can hone your skills in one of their Subaru all-wheel-drive rally cars. Will drivers go for championship points, take it easy and cruise to the finish, or go flat out to win the DirtFish Power Stage?

Stages are set and the cars are ready to challenge the 2012 High Desert Trails!

The High Desert Trails Rally is a performance time trial event that will run on May 12th, 2012. Rally Racing is a motorsport where a driver and navigator (co-driver) race down closed dirt roads, one car at a time, as fast as they can. The cars race against the clock and not head-to-head. The racing sections are called Special Stages and are closed to all non-rally traffic. Performance rallies would not exist in the US without amateur radio! We rely on the skills of hundreds of volunteers to keep us safe in the woods. Hams keep track of all of the racers on the route, pass traffic, and handle emergency communications. Rally uses your skills as a communicator to the max!

Expanded last year onto the gorgeous roads of Kern County, the rally will be celebrating it’s 39th anniversary on stages south and west of Ridgecrest, California. Make sure to bring clothes to be out in the weather, sunscreen, water, and some extra snacks. As a communicator you will be out on the course all day. We will be providing a small sack lunch and waters. A mobile 2M rig is necessary and extra antenna options are always a good idea for your vehicle. Volunteers can find out more info and sign up for the rally here!

Thanks for your help! KI6IUC – HDT Organizer Kristopher Marciniak

HDT Organizer Kristopher Marciniak explains, “In WRC style, we’re going to flip the order, add appropriate gaps, and send the cars down the last stage. As the cars pull into the final time control, the team with the hot time will be handed the prize. They will hold onto it as long as their fast time stands.”

Over 25 teams composed of competitors from all over the Southwest have signed up to take the challenge of the 2012 High Desert Trails Rally and the DirtFish Power Stage!

• May 12th, High Desert Trails Rally - Ridgecrest, CA
• June 9-10th, Idaho Rally - Boise, ID
• July 6-7th, North Nevada Rally - Lovelock, NV
• August 4th, Mendocino Rally - Ukiah, CA
• August 25th, Gorman Ridge Rally - Frazier Park, CA
• September 28-29th, Prescott Rally - Prescott, AZ

The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwesternUnited States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to createa meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 35continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the UnitedStates. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter.

Expanded last year onto the gorgeous roads of Kern County, the rally will be celebrating it’s 39th anniversary on stages south and west of Ridgecrest, California. With the spirit of that first event run in 1973, the exact route and stages will not be disclosed to the competitors until the organizer provided stage notes hit co-drivers hands. We have added to the mileage from last year, and we’re excited to keep things fresh for teams offering a Coefficient 3 event, with 70+ planned stage miles. To celebrate our history, High Desert Trails will be offering an “Alumni Reserved Early Entry” for those of you that have run High Desert Trails in the past (1973-2011), as well as a discounted early entry fee that closes on April 7th. All you will need is verifiable documentation that you were on the entry list and started the High Desert Trails Rally anytime in the past thirty eight years.

This event proudly kicks off the California Rally Series Championship for 2012. As the premiere rally series in the Southwest, and one of the biggest regional championships in the country, the California Rally Series provides an exciting, well run championship for competitors, plus support, equipment, and volunteers for the rally. The event will be sanctioned by NASA Rally Sport, the grassroots rally sanctioning body for the US. NASA Rally Sport focuses on competitor fun and providing support for rally organizers. Providing tools to the racers, organizers, and fans to increase their enjoyment of rally is one of the core missions of the organization.

Please join us in the beautiful high desert!

The amazing roads will be similar to what we had last year. We’re planning to open volunteer registration in a few days. We have spoken to the Spring Hill Suites Hotel, and the fantastic Casey’s BBQ about the event. We have contacted stage captains, and you should see a steady stream of HDT emails over the next few weeks.

- Kris & Christine Marciniak

The competition amongst the top teams in the CRS-2 class can only be described as epic. Three extremely talented drivers were within seconds of each other throughout the event, and the leader board seemed to change with every stage. At the end of the day, Michel Hoche-Mong and Marie Boyd secured the top spot in their VW Golf (and second place overall), ahead of George Doganis and Tom Smith in a Honda Civic (who finished third overall). 2010 rookies of the year Gaylord Van Brocklin and Steve Secviar were on maximum attack from start to finish (and then some). They crossed the flying finish of the last stage fast enough to take first place, but perhaps too fast to negotiate the next corner. Immediately after the finish they lost control of their VW Golf going over a crest and went off in spectacular fashion, cartwheeling down the hill in full view of the finish control workers. The team emerged unscathed, but would end up officially scored as a “Did Not Finish” as they were unable to complete the final transit. Inheriting third place in CRS-2 were Eddie Fiorelli and Brent Ellzey in the rally debut of their VW Golf.

Hakan Okcuoglu took first place in Open 4WD (and fourth place overall) in his Mitsubishi Eclipse. Mitsubishi seemed to be the manufacturer of choice in this class, with Vartan Samuelian and Lawrence Babahekian scoring second place points in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

CRS-GT, the production-based four wheel drive class, was won by Paul Willemsen and Travis Bos in their Subaru Impreza WRX. The event marked Paul’s return to rally after a several year hiatus. He proved he did not lose much speed during the break as he finished over two minutes ahead of 2010 CRS-GT champions Kevin Welker and Nolan Sambrano in their Subaru Impreza.

Performance-Stock was also won by a driver coming off a multi-year hiatus. Tony Chavez and Raquel Salas drove their VW Golf to a P-Stock victory in a close battle with John Black and Lori Stone in their Ford Ranger. The second place finish is enough for Black/Stone to maintain their lead in the championship thanks to a strong finish.

The High Desert Trails Rally was first run in 1973 on roads to the southeast and west of Ridgecrest, CA. After running for the past two years at a motorsports facility on the edge of town, the rally moved to some never before run roads for 2011.

The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern United States. The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create a meaningful regional championship for its members. The Series celebrates more than 35 continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United States. To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter.

Teams immediately stepped up to that challenge by taking the twenty reserved car spots, and when RallyMoto entries failed to appear, the organizers moved swiftly to reallocate those spots, maxing the event at thirty cars. Notable entries for this years rally include: Top drivers, Doug Chernis and George Plsek, who will each be piloting AWD turbo monsters, but Bill Holmes will also be pushing for the overall win in his powerful RWD Ford F-150 – having won this event in the past. In CRS-2, last years winner, Gaylord Van Brocklin, (pictured) will be defending against the very consistent George Doganis. Don’t be surprised to see any of these drivers on the podium.

The route will take competitors up twisty switchbacks and over ridgelines of hard-packed, wide, dirt roads. This is followed by a fast flowing route that rises up out of a valley and descends sharply onto a short section of tarmac. Over sixty miles of stages with a one hour service stop should make a great day of rallying!