tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2007-12-06:/1 2010-03-04T03:50:43Z Movable Type 4.32-en tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.217 2010-03-04T03:49:26Z 2010-03-04T03:50:43Z

For Immediate Release March 3, 2010 Bangor, Maine USA Maine's Last Ditch Racing had a mixed weekend at the recent 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri, ultimately claiming third overall of sixteen regional entrants and third in Open Class...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ ]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.216 2010-03-03T20:26:18Z 2010-03-03T20:43:03Z

Back. Dear God does it feel good to sit on an object that's not hurtling through space(as LDR co-driver Dave Getchell is fond of saying). :-) First off, we're not in Mexico. :-( The rental agreement was not as we...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/

]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.215 2010-02-22T04:24:36Z 2010-02-22T04:34:08Z

Or should I say roll out? The LDR crew has been working feverishly over the last several weeks in order to prep the rally car, service truck and support truck for the Regional Rally Championship event in Missouri next weekend....

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ Or should I say roll out? The LDR crew has been working feverishly over the last several weeks in order to prep the rally car, service truck and support truck for the Regional Rally Championship event in Missouri next weekend. We're 98% and will get the other 2% done before we leave tomorrow. Erik Lee and I have added a degree of difficulty to the process by entering Rally Mexico as well. Round 2 of the 2010 World Rally Championship, it's the closest WRC event to us North American rally folks. Erik and I contested the event in 2010 with mixed results. We were consistently in the top 3 of the Peugeot 206 drivers and had a great time. We knew we could do better and vowed to return someday to give it another go. That someday is almost here! :-) Why am I up at 11:30 the night before we leave?! Shouldn't be, I know. I'm up because I have to catch up on work for the office(yes, I have a day job). I'm wearing my wrist splints as I type for the first time in several months. All the recent wrenching on Subarus, Sprinters and Rovers has my wrists wishing they belong to someone else. Won't help that I'll spend the majority of the next two weeks gripping a steering wheel-sometimes gently, sometimes not! Exciting press release to come in the next 24-36 hours regarding some new partnerships for LDR and some new blingage for Senor Spank! All will soon be revealed. :-) Taking my homemade TRX suspension training device on the road to give it a good workout(and vice versa). Trainer Scott will e-mail me workouts to do over the next couple of weeks. Should help balance the time spent in the car. Space still available if you want to expose your product/business to the world via Rally Mexico. Contact me directly. Most bang for your buck you'll spend on advertising in 2010! We'll have trials. We'll have tribulations(honestly, I don't know if I've ever had a tribulation-is that like a tank-slapper? If it is, then yes, I've tribulated!). ;-) We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll talk in our sleep-maybe even sleep walk. Such is the life of a working class rally team. We'll try and bring you the smells and sounds, a-la Spinal Tap, via our blog and youtube videos! Look for the first video soon! Cheers! John tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.214 2010-02-17T02:39:36Z 2010-02-17T03:14:17Z

So, here we are. I'm imaging you all in my living room, heads bopping to the sweet techno/trance on the stereo. Or perhaps you're shaking your head at me in that, "I'm so sorry, there's nothing we can do to...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ ]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.213 2010-02-01T02:52:14Z 2010-02-01T03:48:31Z

There's a great prayer out there used by a lot of folks-the Serenity prayer. Could also be renamed the Rallyist's prayer, but I'm doubtful that'd go over well. ;-) I know you've all gone and Googled it, but for those...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ ]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.212 2010-01-12T18:16:29Z 2010-01-12T18:40:22Z

I know I'm running the risk of really boring everyone with too many blog posts, but it's therapeutic and helps me organize my thoughts a bit as the prep continues for our trip to 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem,...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ ]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.211 2010-01-10T04:40:10Z 2010-01-10T05:00:58Z

No double espresso tonight. Sore and beat. Sore from the TRX suspension training session with my buddy Scott Kahkonen(a great rally driver name if I ever heard one), and tired from a full day in the barn working on T-4(the...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ ]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2010://1.210 2010-01-01T18:59:51Z 2010-01-01T19:22:33Z

Just finished a double shot mocha I made here while I'm watching the snow fall. Storm waning locally that extends over a three day period-hard to remember the last time that happened! Regardless, it's a great way to start the...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ rally car, could take multiple days. Other items can be purchased and the value of time versus cost always see-saws prior to event. As the event draws near, time is more precious than cash(usually). In addition to all the work we need to do here, there's the 6 days on the road to be mapped, with hotel reservations needed in each city. None of this makes me cranky-far from it! It's all part of my psychological run-up to an event. Checking things off a to-do list is always therapeutic, but the time spent with the rally car and service truck only boosts our confidence as the event looms. Finding loose bits, replacing zip ties, putting fresh fluids in the rigs is similar to the scene in Rambo(the first), where he's putting 80 pounds of weapons and ammo on his belt, chest etc. Our montage is a bit slower and we're not nearly that buff. ;-) Our additional challenge here in Maine is the weather. We have heat in the shop, but it struggles to stay at 50 degrees. Add to that a post-Holidays mental slump mixed with some seasonal affective disorder and we have a lot to overcome. The list helps, as does the incredible LDR volunteer crew. We're a motley crew of talented guys that simply likes to do it cheaper and better than the next guy-it's the Maine way. I always get asked about our sponsors. For the record, our sponsors are US! :-) We have no external financial support(not that we wouldn't welcome a few mutually beneficial partnerships). There are always rumors that teams like ours have 6 figure budgets. Hang on.....ok, I'm done laughing! ;-) Seriously, we have a term for the financial impact of our racing-"deficit spending." There is no substantial purse money and it's very hard to find and cultivate partnerships with dynamic businesses who can leverage what we do for their benefit. That's the nature of what we do, and it doesn't keep us awake at night(much). Our goal is simply to field the most consistent and professional team that we can with the resources we have. Sounds familiar to all our rally friends, I'm sure. So wish us luck over the next several weeks. Lots of craziness and late nights in the shop working on a myriad of projects in order to take the fight to Missouri and put in the best performance of our rally career! And that adversity I referred to at the outset of this espresso fueled rant? Without it, we have no measure of our potential, no means to set goals and no incentive to strive or overcome. Let's all find some adversity this year and kick it's ass! :-) Happy New Years everyone! John

]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.209 2009-11-29T22:45:02Z 2009-11-29T23:00:57Z

It seems as if the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas gets shorter each year. Maybe my sense of time is skewed because of the near lack of sunlight and 4 hours days this time of year(don't worry-that was all the...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ Thanksgiving and Christmas gets shorter each year. Maybe my sense of time is skewed because of the near lack of sunlight and 4 hours days this time of year(don't worry-that was all the ranting about darkness I'm going to do). Thanksgiving was very low key here at Triple Caution Farm this year with Sharon roasting an awesome turkey and making some sweet desserts. My big contribution was sauteing some asparagus. Some friends stopped by with yet more desserts and the day was gone in a flash. My boys are now teens, and as such more excited about the deals on Black Friday than actually finding something under the tree on Christmas day. I think they kind of enjoy torturing their mother by having her join in the consumer assault with them! ;-) Last night was a Movember party here at Triple Caution Farm. While I made pizzas fo the lads on the LDR Team that could make it, Sharon headed out to a dinner with friends and the boys were out doing their thing. Craziness indeed. Today was spent working on the '98 Subaru Forester that is to be my oldest son's steed. Unfortunately, I got ahold of it, and it now has an engine, wiring harness and chassis from different years! We've been working on it for the last couple of months when we can. Hopefully we'll get her going within the next week. In a fit of ADD, I told the guys to roll the Forester out of the barn and we drove the Dodge Sprinter rally service vehicle in. The rally mother ship has been ill since summer with electrical gremlins. Scan tool tells us she doesn't think her MAF is working. So, I'll order one up and we'll see what other issues we're left with. We need to finish up the shelving in the back and she'll be just about finished(as finished as she can be). The to-do list continues to remain long, and as we begin to ramp up for the 100 Acre Wood Rally/Regional Rally Championship in Missouri this February, it's only going to get longer. Hoping that everyone can find some quiet time for themselves during this crazy season. For those of us on the team, escaping to the barn to solve(and create!) problems is a welcome pastime and certainly cheaper than seeing a psychiatrist! ;-) Cheers! John

]]> tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.208 2009-10-29T12:07:14Z 2009-10-29T12:25:36Z

As I get a bit on in my years, I'm finding that the seasonal change to fall is really not my thing. I love the colors, the cool biting air and the sense of urgency at, "getting ready," for winter....

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ As I get a bit on in my years, I'm finding that the seasonal change to fall is really not my thing. I love the colors, the cool biting air and the sense of urgency at, "getting ready," for winter. What I don't like is the lack of daylight. Here at Triple Caution Farm, we're already near the Eastern edge of the EST zone. What does this mean? It means it's dark....a lot. Nights are pitch black and if you haven't gotten outside work done by 16:30, you're likely not going to be able to see well enough without auxilliary lighting to get it done. Worst part is, once I get through my initial desire to crawl into bed at 19:30(my brain and light sensing organ is telling me it's more like 22:30), then I get a second wind and am up until midnight! Dammit. Yup, I'm pretty whiny in the fall. Good thing there are lots of things going on to keep me moving. Just about to suit up in some chill inviting cycling lycra garments for a trip to the gym. Actually looking forward to it. Movember is literally just a couple of days away. For those that haven't joined out team, please go to Movember.com and search for "Last Ditch Racing." Join up and get growing to help change the face of Men's health! Exciting new development in terms of podcasting. The great guys over at http://www.openpaddock.net asked me to guest on their podcast a couple of times. Somehow I got Shaun and Mike way off track last night and we ended up talking about pulled pork sandwiches and beverages. Seemed more like a foodie show than a motorsports podcast, but was fun nonetheless. Check out their site for all the latest motorsports news, forums and some great op/ed stuff. I'm hoping that they'll have me back on and I can start to share more information about ALL the rally news from the US and Canada. That means that my rally friends need to get in touch with me and keep me up to date with what they're doing and what the gossip is! Shoot me an e-mail people! :-) On the fitness front, things have slowed a bit and been frustrating. A recent surgical procedure kept me down for about a week-and-a-half and then I somehow tagged my elbow in the dojo the other night. Hasn't fallen off yet, so I think it's ok. Excited to get back into the Les Mills RPM class at the gym. I'm a techno music fan(team members call the shop Club JoMo when I have control of the iPod), and dig the classes. The challenge will be to maintain the fitness throughout the cold months. Took our boys to the local flu shot clinic yesterday for both the H1N1 and routine seasonal flu vaccines. There's a lot of misinformation out there folks. Please visit some reputable sites for information on the vaccines and the flu strains and make an informed decision for your children. I'm not going to preach one way or the other(and please no flaming). What's going on with the rally car you ask!? Nothing. :-) She's sitting in the drive waiting in the queue to get into the shop once John's Forester is ready to roll, which I'm hoping is sometime next week. We'll start some system upgrades, primarily electrical, as well further diagnose our power issue with the motor. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted! Be well and keep moving foward! :-) tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.207 2009-10-15T16:08:50Z 2009-10-15T16:13:34Z

Hey everyone! JoMo here, challenging all of you out there in Cyberspace(which is real space wherever you actually are! ;-)) to join the LDR crew in supporting the efforts of Movember. WTH is Movember you ask?! Glad you asked. Movember...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ Hey everyone! JoMo here, challenging all of you out there in Cyberspace(which is real space wherever you actually are! ;-)) to join the LDR crew in supporting the efforts of Movember. WTH is Movember you ask?! Glad you asked. Movember is a fundraising event that renames the month of November with a nod towards the word used down under to describe a mustache, or Mo. :-) Here's the skinny. You start the beginning of Movember with a clean face. Grow a mustache and raise money to benefit research for men's cancers while you're getting all sexy! Not only is this a very fun way to raise money for a great cause, the LDR crew is inviting ALL OF YOU to join the Last Ditch Racing team on http://www.movember.com to start farming some Mo's! :-) So, head on over there and sign on up and join our crew. We're going to have a blast. Best part is, you don't have to be athletic to do this fundraiser. You're even growing your Mo while you sleep! :-) Cheers! John tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.206 2009-10-05T01:24:33Z 2009-10-05T02:03:16Z

The title might suggest that this is some history lesson, but thankfully, it's not. A 100 mile ride in the cycling community is called a, "Century." 2009 Saw me start road biking a bit, and I've done a couple of...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ The title might suggest that this is some history lesson, but thankfully, it's not. A 100 mile ride in the cycling community is called a, "Century." 2009 Saw me start road biking a bit, and I've done a couple of longish rides, but the longest has been 81 miles....until today. Good friend and personal trainer Scott Kahkonen and I were invited by Livestrong proponent and survivor Jeff Bennett to join him and the, "Not Dead Yet," team at the Dempsey Challenge ride today. From the event website: "The Dempsey Challenge is a fundraising experience for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston." Scott and I knew that pro cyclist George Hincapie would be at the event, but we were pumped to hear that fellow pro Dave Zabriske would be in attendance. We're huge fans of his DZ Nuts product and really get a kick out of his sense of humor. We soon found out that Ted King of the Cervelo Test Team as well as Irish pro Stephen Roche were on hand! Oh yeah, Patrick Dempsey was there too! ;-) As we made our way to the staging area for the ride, Scott was looking for our fellow Not Dead Yet members, and happened to miss that Big George himself was sitting about 10 feet away, just chillin'. My wife fired up the camera and we asked George if we could snap a couple of pics. He was most gracious and you would have thought we were giddy schoolgirls seeing the hottest boy band outside their tour bus! ;-) Staging area. Mind racing. 100 miles?! Are you friggin' kidding me?! What the hell did I sign myself up for, and more importantly, why?! The last year has seen me loose 50 pounds, join my oldest son in the Dojo for Matsumura Shorin Ryu Karate, and attend a bunch of classes at the gym, all the while wearing skin tight outfights that embarass those who know me. Not much new on that front. ;-) Riding to the first rest area, and I see a couple chase cars. Look a bit closer and it's the group with George Hincapie, Patrick Dempsey and Ted King. I tuck in a couple back from George and make pretend I'm Lance Armstrong for a second. How many times has Lance had this view!? We're going about 24mph and George is barely pedaling. :-) As we reach the first rest stop and pull in with the superstars, DZ Nuts himself is pulling out. He must've really wanted that Lobster dinner! ;-) I hook up with the Mojo team from the county and tack onto the back. I'm nowhere near strong enough to take a pull at the front of their group, but the train ride to the next stop is amazing! Smooth and fast at more than 20mph. 50 miles in. Cramps started about mile 40. Not as bad as they have been, but quads and hamstrings feeling like they're verge of just saying f$%k it, and locking up-pole vaulting me off the bike. At the rest area, I try and stretch. Every time I try and stretch a quad, the hamstring spasms and cramps. Vice versa. Damn-can't stay here all day, although it is beautiful. Sunny and at the end of a lake. Back on the bike and I soon learn why the organizers put the rest area there. Small grade up through town. Right turn and....holy crap.....are we supposed to cycle up this ski jump of a hill!? Really!? Really!? I look halfway up and a fellow masochist is trying to unclip without falling as he cheats gravity. He promptly lays his bike down and sits on the shoulder looking downhill. My quads are angry. Dammit-I fed them, watered them, and replaced electrolytes for them. How many friggin' bananas and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches have I had today, anyway!? Gels, Clif bars, Endurance drink mix-you get the idea. I shift to my granny gear. Only it feels like granny is a harsh Eastern European dictator. I get slightly higher than the aforementioned masochist and mentally run through the process of unclipping on a hill without killing myself or fellow riders. I unclip and as soon as my feet hit the ground, both quads seem to fully retract to just above my knees. A few deep breaths and they start to relax enough to attempt walking. I walk up the hill. The walk of shame. Dammit. Better than than another fall and more stitches on my knee. ;-) A bit further on and I'm getting cramps on my inner thighs-I think to myself, "That's a new cramp, I wonder what muscle that is?" Then I remember I sucked at anatomy and just focus on pedaling through the pain, hoping I don't have to try and get off the bike again. Rest stops are frequent enough that we're able to nickel and dime our way towards the finish. I hook up with a guy on a nice Lightspeed Titanium ride and he's out in the wind in front of myself and a nice young lady. We're all just trying to survive. I put on a bit of speed and get out front and tell him to tuck in and I'll take a turn up front in the wind. Somewhere, the cycling Gods are smiling and perhaps all that damn caffeine in the gels is kicking in. My legs feel like....legs! I get into the drops and pull Mr. Lightspeed along at about 27mph. Awesome! He thanks me later and tells me the pull inspired him to push on. Makes my day and we commiserate and swear grinding up a hill at 0.003 mph around the next bend. I skip the last rest stop and decide to power(relative term) through the last 9 miles. I'm feeling good and not asking why. Out of the saddle charging up hills, maintaining a decent speed on the flats and throwing caution to the wind on the descents. I'm loving it! As corny as it sounds, I actually said to myself that I was Living Strong! Sporting the Mellow Johnny's jersey and riding in this benefit with my newfound energy, it seemed appropriate. Across the line and Scott, Allie and Sharon are there to hoot and holler. Another awesome moment! The day was not without its' costs. My left knee started to bother. I had fallen on it a few months ago while standing still(with one foot clipped in) a few months ago and it's been a bit funky. Now it hurts. Might need further evaluation. Frozen veggies and Ibuprofen on it tonight. We'll see if I can walk on it tomorrow. 100 miles on a bike. Being in a group with George Hincapie. Sharing the day with friends and my loving wife. Quite the day of making memories! For those interested in stats, here they are: 101 miles. 6:34. FWIW, I hit 100miles at 6:30, which became my goal near the end. Average speed 15.4mph, avg watts 115, Max speed 42.6, max watts 548. 5,606 feet of climbing. 2,595 calories burned. Livestrong Everyone! :-) Cheers! John tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.205 2009-09-15T12:46:38Z 2009-09-15T13:15:58Z

Difficult to put down in words what's been going on of late, as there's been so much, really. The season is essentially over for the LDR team until the Regional Rally Championship at the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri,...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ Difficult to put down in words what's been going on of late, as there's been so much, really. The season is essentially over for the LDR team until the Regional Rally Championship at the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri, early 2010. Having finished second in the RRC the last two years, we'd really like to add a win there to our palmares. :-) What do we do when we're not racing? Sitting still isn't one of them! ;-) I'm currently working on fixing up a used Forester for use as my teen son's first car. Another crew member has been restoring a Chris-Craft power boat, yet another is crewing for a national level team and others have been Rallycrossing. Erik Lee has been co-driving in Canadian National events of late, and Dave Getchell will be Chief Steward at the Black River Stages in New York this coming weekend. Black River will also see LDR crew member Rob Sockalexis strap into the role of Co-Driver with fellow Bangor native Kevin Turner driving in his GC8 Impreza. Never a dull moment. Closer to home, here at Triple Caution Farm, T-4 will be getting some love in the form of a complete overhaul of the wiring system. The aim is to make the system more efficient and easier to service/troubleshoot. The battery will be relocated to the interior of the car, also redistributing some weight. The current turbo appears ill and that'll have to be replaced. We are also looking at building a new engine for the car and perhaps going with a different engine management unit that has a more effective anti-lag system. Our current ECU, while performing consistently, simply does not have an effective ALS implementation. In rally, this can mean a couple of seconds/mile. For those of us that rally out of their own pockets, the intellectual/technical adventure is/has to be as rewarding as actually being on event. As always, we're trying to attract partners for the 2010 season. We really are an irresistible group of guys. ;-) On the personal side, I continue to push my physical limits and find out where they are. I continue to be surprised that they're not where I expect them to be! For instance, on Sunday I rode a charity bike ride and logged 81 miles. While not keeping up with the more experienced, younger, fitter cyclists, I held my own. Pedaling into a headwind for more than two hours, I began to talk to myself-hey there was no one else there! ;-) I asked myself why I was doing it, why pro cyclists do it, why the other guys in lycra out that day were doing it. We all have our reasons. Ultimately my participation is a result of not wanting to do it, but knowing that I actually can. I have internal discussions/struggles between sitting on the couch and actually getting up and out to do something. There's an interesting parallel between fitness and cars for me. There was a time that I didn't know how to change oil on a car or check the air filter. Now I can fabricate, weld, and perform most major system repairs. I sometimes lament to my wife that I have NO EXCUSE not to fix something automotive and I would really enjoy a day where I could feign ignorance in order to avoid the task. Fitness is fast becoming the same. I can claim that I can't ride 100 miles next month in the Dempsey Challenge, but I know that I can. It won't be easy-I'll likely cramp and hurt and gasp up the climbs, but I can do it. Will I? Don't know...yet. :-) After the 81 mile ride on Sunday, I went to the Dojo Monday night for Kumite night. We all went a bit harder than perhaps we should have. After Kumite is fight night-a time for those that want to take their fighting to the next level of intensity and contact. Of course I stuck around. I spent last night with a bag of frozen mixed vegetables on my leg and a frozen breakfast burrito up my shorts. I woke this morning with a large red mark on my chest that I can only surmise is the ghost of someone's foot. Still kind of feels like it's there! :-) So here's the challenge for all of us. Let's try and move outside our normal pattern of behavior for our own betterment. Maybe you have 4 Starbucks this week instead of 5(that might be detrimental for some of you). Maybe you switch to diet soda. Maybe you take up ballroom dancing. Maybe you spend more time with the kids. Maybe you stop smoking or drinking for a month. Maybe you put yourself on a bike or hit the dojo. Honestly, I wish I had an excuse not to make positive changes, but I really can't find a good one anymore. Dammit. :-) Cheers! John tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.204 2009-07-26T23:34:00Z 2009-07-26T23:35:05Z

For Immediate Release July 26, 2009 Bangor, Maine USA Last Ditch Racing overcame adversity to clinch the 2009 Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship at this past weekend's New England Forest Rally held in Bethel, Maine. Round 6 of...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ For Immediate Release July 26, 2009 Bangor, Maine USA Last Ditch Racing overcame adversity to clinch the 2009 Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship at this past weekend's New England Forest Rally held in Bethel, Maine. Round 6 of the 2009 Rally America Championship, the New England Forest Rally is a driver's favorite and has a reputation for being somewhat rough and rocky. Friday's stages consisted of two super specials and the famous Concord Pond stage. Hoping to better their top 10 stage time from 2008, it became apparent to Cassidy and Getchell early in the stage that the car was down on power. The team did what they could to minimize time losses, with Cassidy driving the car a bit further into corners and trying to carry speed where possible. A failing driveshaft was later identified and fixed during the overnight service. Saturday saw the start of the Berlin Rally and the first two stages saw the team setting competitive regional times. But it was not to last. Cassidy could see white smoke trailing(and entering) the car as early as stage three. In service, oil seen on the skidplate and the crew surmised that there was an internal engine issue that was overpressurizing the crankcase, forcing oil out under load. The team were battling with the Team O'Neil team of Knox/Wilburn in their Group 5 Mazda Speed3 for the Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship. Knox had been leading the Eastern Regional Championship after a strong run in an Open Class Subaru at STPR. But Knox was having issues of his own-a gearbox leak causing concern. The situation forced Cassidy/Getchell to change their mental approach to the race - ignoring the smoke and whine from the engine under load while still pushing as hard as possible took all energy they had. They had to resort to carrying supplemental oil onboard to top of the car before and after each stage. The final stage saw the two teams separated by mere seconds. With a 30 mile transit back to the finish at the Sunday River Resort after the stage, Cassidy/Getchell were carrying a full fuel load and 6 liters or supplemental oil. "We were the heaviest we'd been all day, and we knew the car was sick. We also knew that we had to pull out the best run of our day on our third run through the short, tricky stage," said Cassidy. The stage went without incident and the crew felt they were clean and tidy. Now the long transit back to Sunday River, and the final MTC, began. The crew stopped every 12 miles or so to pour more oil into the engine. "It was all we could do to nurse her home. Every time we'd put the engine under load uphill, I'd see a thick fog of smoke blowing out the back. I don't think the line of cars behind us appreciated it very much, but we were in survival mode." The team arrived at Sunday River and Co-Driver Wilburn found Cassidy. Cassidy/Getchell were 5 seconds quicker their last time through the stage and secured the final podium spot for the day, and the Eastern Regional Open Class Championship by a mere 3.3 seconds! The regional competition was very close, and all of the competitors agreed that it made for some good drama during the day. "We all came to race, and having to fight for seconds at the end of a physically and mentally taxing day is something we soon won't forget," said Cassidy. Cassidy ended the 2009 Rally America Eastern Regional season first Driver in the Open Class and second in the Overall driver points. Getchell took second overall Co-Driver and second in Open Class. Last Ditch Racing has secured the Eastern Regional Open Class Championship the last three years in a row and the Eastern Regional Overall Championship in 2008. Once their engine issues are sussed, the team is looking forward to competing in Canada later in the season as well as returning to the Rally America Regional Rally Championship in Missouri in 2010. And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2009 Partners for their support: Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markflemingphoto.com Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com tag:www.lastditchracing.net,2009://1.203 2009-07-15T16:52:25Z 2009-07-15T16:52:57Z

For Immediate Release July 13, 2009 Bangor, Maine USA Maine's own Last Ditch Racing heads to the the mountains of Western Maine and Northern New Hampshire for the New England Forest Rally, July 17-18. Round 6 of the 2009 Rally...

Last Ditch Racing http://www.lastditchracing.net/ For Immediate Release July 13, 2009 Bangor, Maine USA Maine's own Last Ditch Racing heads to the the mountains of Western Maine and Northern New Hampshire for the New England Forest Rally, July 17-18. Round 6 of the 2009 Rally America Championship will see Last Ditch Racing's Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell celebrating their 10th anniversary in both the sport and the event itself. "We've come a long way in ten years, and we owe it to our talented crew as well as all the talented crews that we've raced against that have shown us how to prepare a car, manage a team, and run an event. Very few people, other than fellow competitors, understand what we go through simply to get the car to the start of the first stage. We're thankful to still have a passion for the sport and a desire to strap in and push ourselves to the limit." The event will see the LDR crew starting 16th amongst a field of 50 competitors from the US and Canada. 2008 saw the team place a career best 5th overall, narrowly missing out on a wildcard invite to the Summer X-Games in LA. "We had a dream race last year, and I'm hoping we can run a tidy and quick race. Above all, we're going to have fun!" Rally America Eastern Regional Rally Overall and Open Class Champions in 2008 and Eastern Region Open Class Champions in 2007, the LDR team is excited to be in the hunt for yet another regional Championship, currently sitting second in the 2009 Eastern Regional Championship. "We found a snowbank in February at the Team O'Neil rally and then had a power steering pump fail in Missouri. Both incidents cost us valuable time, but that's what rally is about-keeping cool in the face of adversity and driving quick enough to scare yourself, but not quick enough to crash! We went on to finish both events and that'll be the priority at NEFR-to finish." The team will pilot their Open Class 2003 Subaru WRX STi sedan, a car they've been continuously developing over the past few seasons. "The car's in great shape and she's ready to go play in the dirt!" Friends and fans can find the team at the Phoenix House at Sunday River on Thursday night from 7-9PM. The crew will be signing posters and the team's car will be on display! For more information on the New England Forest Rally, please visit: http://www.newenglandforestrally.com And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2009 Partners for their support: Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markflemingphoto.com Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com For photos, videos, team blogs and more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com Social Networking: To follow us on twitter, please visit: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing or find us on Facebook and/or Myspace and sign up as a friend or fan! For LDR Videos, check out out Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing