CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mark Huebbe
markhuebbe@321govideo.com
636.734.9484

SOURCE: 
321GoVideo
http://www.321govideo.com

IMAGES FOR USE IN PRESS RELEASE:
http://www.321govideo.com/media/2006_ojibwe/press_release_image.jpg

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2006
 

“Ojibwe Forests Rally videos released by 321GoVideo”

ST. LOUIS, MO - 321GoVideo releases five videos following Open class driver Matt Iorio along with the top PGT drivers Tanner Foust and Matthew Johnson. The Ojibwe Forests Rally, held on August 25 – 26, was the sixth rally of the year. The rally is headquartered in Bemidji Minnesota and takes place near the headwaters of the Mississippi River in the 10,000 Lakes region of the state. All five videos can be viewed free of charge at http://www.321GoVideo.com

Each daily video takes you along for a wild ride as you watch the drivers push their cars to the limit on very technical, soft and sandy roads. Over 120 great stage miles must be contended and this rally is a favorite among the drivers across North America. 

Matt Iorio, along with his co-driver Ole Holter, came to Bemidji looking for an Open class victory, but left satisfied with second place and finishing the rally. After the first day, Matt was in a close battle with Travis Pastrana, but eventually could not pull close enough for the win. 

Matt said “Ah, you know we made it to the end which is always a huge accomplishment in a rally, with all the rough stuff out there, a lot of people didn’t do it... [Travis] opened up the gap to 17 seconds going into the really long stage, we just didn’t quite keep up the pace. We were pushing pretty hard but he beat us. Sometimes that happens but there is always a next one”.

Matthew Johnson and co-driver Kim DeMotte came into the rally looking for points in the PGT class championship and luck fell their way, finishing in first place. Matthew was over a minute behind class leader Tanner Foust but quickly leaped into first place as he passed Tanner’s car along side the road with a broken wheel from a large rock. 

Matthew narrowly missed the rock and explains that “I still don’t know how I missed that rock. It’s like the size of a dog house, it was right in the line. I was hammer down maximum attack and suddenly there was a rock. At first you see a rock and ‘Can I hit it?’ ... ‘No, definitely can’t hit that rock’ so I’m like ‘what am I going to do?’ Somehow with a mix of break and steering inputs I got around it” 

Tanner Foust, along with his temporary co-driver Christine Beavis, were looking like they had walked away with a class victory up until the second to last stage when their luck ran out. After hitting a large rock and replacing their broken wheel they eventually finished the rally, but well behind their class competitors. 

“We had a minute and four seconds going into that, but that’s the thing about rally, statistically sometimes somebody is going to hit something if it’s hiding there in the woods with 30, 40, 50 cars coming through there. I think that you just have to keep on driving... but that’s racing and we just have to learn more about the roads... and keep coming out and placing well.”

The completion of Ojibwe Forests rally marks the sixth round out of nine in the Rally America National Championship.  The seventh event is the Colorado Cog Rally that takes place on September 23-24 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

For additional information please visit:
http://www.321govideo.com/ojibwe_2006.php
http://www.rally-america.com/event.ojibweforest2006.php
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