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Team News & Notes |
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10.29.06
- Another Top 5 for Puma Motorsports at
LSPR The weekend was not without drama for the Puma team, however, as their rally was almost over before it behind. Just prior to the start of the race, electrical problems suddenly prevented the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV from running and starting. Assisted by fellow competitor Heath Nunnemacher, the Puma team towed the car to the first Parc Expose, and began working on the problem. With only an hour before the start of the race, the crew calmly and methodically worked through the car, isolating the problem to the ECU or a related relay. With no way to completely fix the problem, the team had to find a way to work around it. Finally, with only ten minutes to spare, the team got the car to fire. The plan for the rest of the evening – keep the car running - all night. Turning the car off or stalling on stage would likely mean the end of the race for Gilligan and Petersen. With the race underway, Chris and Joe now needed to focus on dealing with the challenging LSPR roads. This event is particularly difficult due to the stark difference in road character from one stage to the next. While one stage can be smooth, fast, and flowing, the next could be wet and slick, or very tight and rough. The first two stages happened to be wet and muddy, and a conservative approach benefited Gilligan, as the roads claimed two of the competitors ahead of him. As the roads began to dry through the night, however, Gilligan and Petersen began to get aggressive, slotting into 5th overall and putting nearly a minute on the competitors behind them. As the race resumed on Saturday morning, the crew continued to deal with nagging electrical problems, but Gilligan was focused on catching the 4th place car of David Anton, only 19 seconds ahead. On the second stage of the day, Anton ran into problems just ahead of Gilligan and Petersen, and the Puma team slid into 4th place. Even with a relatively comfortable lead over 4th place, Gilligan continued to push for the rest of the day, setting 3rd fastest time on the last two stages. “We came into this race knowing we could be strong on the fast roads” said Gilligan. “What we really wanted to work on was improving our performance on the tight and rough stages. Looking at the stage times for Echo Lake and Burma, where we normally haven’t done that well, I think we’re making progress.” LSPR will wrap up the 2006 season for Puma Motorsports,
as the team will forego the final round of the championship at Wild West
in Olympia, WA in December. The Puma Motorsports team would like to thank
Hankook Tire USA, Slowboy Racing, Express Insulation, and Karavan Trailers
for their support at LSPR and throughout the 2006 season. Also thanks
to the great service crew of Jim Gilligan, Robin Petersen, Jon Petersen,
Jeremy Sheetz, Greg Aykens, Doris Gilligan, and Amy Hunerberg. 9.7.06 -
Puma Motorsports Back On the Podium at OFPR The weekend started relatively uneventful for Chris Gilligan and Joe Petersen, allowing them to get into a rhythm as quickly as possible on the fast yet technical stages. After 7 stages on Friday, the Puma team was sitting 6th Overall, locked in a very tight battle for 5th. On the final stage of the night, however, it looked as if luck had again run out for Gilligan when the car lost all turbo boost on SS8. After limping back to HQ, the team quickly diagnosed the problem early Saturday morning and replaced a burst intercooler hose with the assistance of the Cascade Autosport team. The problem ended up being a blessing in disguise, as the hose had likely been leaking prior to the failure and causing the nagging power problems that plagued the team all year. With new life breathed into the Mitsubishi Evo IV, Gilligan and Petersen attacked the Saturday stages, extending their lead over 7th place David Anton, and drawing ever closer to 5th place Matthew Johnson. Leaving the final service, the Puma team was determined to catch Johnson over the course of the final four stages, but extremely dusty conditions on SS14 halted Gilligan’s charge. The team had to remain focused, however, as they still had the toughest stage of the rally in front of them – a grueling 22 mile stretch of road in dusty twilight conditions. To no one’s surprise, several teams fell victim to the brutal stage, including two of the top-5 crews. This immediately elevated Gilligan and Petersen to 4th Overall, and onto the Open Class podium. Chris and Joe were not content to simply coast to the finish, however, and set 3rd fastest time on each of the last two stages, finishing a mere 26 seconds out of 3rd Overall after over two hours of rallying. After a season filled with struggles, the Puma team was very happy with the result. "I went to Team O'Neil Rally School, and the lessons I learned are starting to become instinctive now - it feels good," said Gilligan. “We only run 5 events a year. My dad is our crew, and it is a family team. It is incredible that we can compete at this level.” Co-Driver Joe Petersen was very encouraged with the result as well. “A little bit of luck shone on us today" said Petersen. "Chris went to Team O'Neil before STPR and is adjusting his driving style as a result. It is a serious learning curve, but we have plenty of car, and we are figuring out how to use it". The Puma Team would like to thank their service crew, Jim Gilligan, Jon Petersen, and Brian Dondlinger, as well as their sponsors: Team O’Neil, Hankook Tires, and Karavan Trailers. Special thanks also to the Cascade Autosport team for supplying the part that kept the Puma Team in the race!
5.20.06 - Puma
Motorsports Looking Forward to STPR and a Chance at X Games “I believe we’ve made some good improvements in preparation for this event,” says Puma driver Chris Gilligan. “We’ve fixed some nagging engine and rear suspension problems that held us back a bit at the last event. More importantly, we’ve also spent time working to improve the driver in addition to improving the car. All things considered, I feel like we can go into STPR with more confidence and with a more aggressive approach than we have in the past. Hopefully we can use that to get ourselves a top five or even top 3 finish.” As if the usual action at STPR isn’t exciting enough, this year’s event is generating even more hype as it will serve as a qualifying race for the rally events at this year’s ESPN X Games 12. Several drivers have already been selected for this summer’s games, and the top-finishing candidate at STPR will receive an automatic bid. As a result, the starting field for this event promises to contain some of the most talented rally drivers in North America and beyond.
4.1.06 - Puma
team starts 2006 with two solid finishes First up was the always interesting Sno-Drift rally in frozen northern Michigan. This year's event was one of the most treacherous in recent memory, as the icy roads began melting from the unseasonably warm temperatures. The resulting water-covered ice and slush made tire choice critical, and penalized drivers who got too aggressive. Puma driver Chris Gilligan began on a steady pace, but soon fell victim to the slick surface and spun multiple times. The team recovered, however, and fought back to take 7th place overall and 5th in Open Class. The Puma Team was glad to be back on gravel for Round Two of the Rally America National Championship at the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri. The Friday stages proved challenging for Chris and Joe, as nagging rear suspension problems and slight engine troubles made it difficult to keep pace with the front runners. Dust also became a factor, reducing visibility on the night stages to mere feet. The team charged ahead on Saturday, however, regaining five spots to secure a hard-fought 6th overall and 4th in class finish. As a result, the Puma Team now finds themselves sitting in 7th place overall in the 2006 Rally America National Championship, and 2nd in the Open Class Championship. The rest of season will likely be even tougher, but significant work is being done on both the driver and the car for the upcoming races. The team will be sitting out the next round of the R-A Championship, Oregon Trail, but will return to action for Round 4, the Susquehannock Trail ProRally held in Wellsboro, PA on June 3rd.
9.1.04 - Puma
Rally Team Takes a Leap Forward at OFPR Saturday proved to be even more successful and exciting, with Chris and Joe fighting for 2nd place all day. By the final service, the team was sitting only 30 seconds out of the lead, and decided that it was time to try to reel the leader in. They fought hard amidst the thick dust through the last stage, where they gained over 20 seconds on the entire ClubRally field. In the end, however, it ended up being a mere 5.6 seconds too little, and the team had to settle for 2nd place. It was by no means a disappointing result, however. Chris and Joe had set stage times that were competitive with some of the top National competitors all weekend. Their combined time for the weekend would have been good enough for 6th overall in the National ProRally, mixed in with some of the best rally drivers in North America. The new Evo proved to be very fast and reliable, and Chris and Joe adapted to the new pace very quickly. Pictures and possibly some video from the event will be available soon on www.pumamotorsports.com. Check back there for more news and updates. The Puma Team will be spending the next couple months preparing for the Lake Superior ProRally, which will be held in Houghton, MI on October 22nd and 23rd. This is considered the home event for the Puma Motorsports team, so you can be sure they’ll be looking for an even better result there.
8.17.04 - Puma
Motorsports Gears Up for the Fall Season The first big test will come at the Ojibwe Forest Rally, held in Bemidji, MN on August 27th and 28th. This event has always been one of the toughest for Chris Gilligan and Joe Petersen. The long stages, predominantly at night, will test the team’s concentration and the reliability of the new car. The event kicks off from Bemidji late in the afternoon on Friday and runs through the night for 180 miles of rallying. The teams then regroup on Saturday afternoon for another 200 miles of racing. For anyone planning on attending the event, further information can be found at www.ojibweforestrally.com. As usual, the team could use and extra hand or two with service, so please drop us a note if you plan on being there. The event itself also is in need of course workers and marshals, so if you want to help out and see the action from the best spectating spots, sign up on the event website. Live coverage and results will also be available on www.rally-america.com as they come in during the event.
6.4.04 -
Puma Motorsports Set To Unveil New Ride! Over the past couple months, the team has spent time getting familiar with the new car, and preparing it for its first outing later this summer. The car is scheduled to make its competition debut at the Ojibwe Forests ProRally in August. Photos of the new ride can be found on the recently redesigned website - www.pumamotorsports.com The Puma team would also like to thank
Express Insulation, Inc, for their generous sponsorship for the 2004 season.
Because of their contribution, the new car will be ready in time for some
very beneficial summer testing in preparation for the fall events. 3.19.04 - Congrats
To Puma Co-Driver Joe Petersen
The event started well for the Puma team, with Chris and Joe tying for the stage win on SS1. Things took a turn for the worse shortly thereafter, when cooling problems forced the team to retire after only 2 stages – a quick and very disappointing end to their championship hopes. The crew were able to make repairs that evening, and get the car prepared to run in Saturday’s stand-alone ClubRally. Although out of the chase for the championship, the team was still determined to make a good showing. The Puma team came out of the box very well, gaining 8 spots over the course of the first 2 stages. They continued that pace into the night stages, and ended up a very strong 4th overall. A good run, but still not enough to make up for Friday’s disappointment. This event also marked the end of an era for the Puma Motorsports Rally Team. After the event, the 1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse was retired and put up for sale. It was a very difficult decision to make, but we all agreed that it was time for a change. We plan to stay in the sport in some capacity, however, and we’re exploring various options at this point. Hopefully we’ll be able to make a big announcement sometime later this spring, possibly in time for the Headwaters ClubRally in May. Stay tuned…
10.1.03 - Puma
Motorsports Looking to Repeat at LSPR It’s been a short year for the Puma Team. After a very successful season last year, taking 4 overall victories, the CenDiv Championship, and 3rd in the National Championship, Chris Gilligan and Joe Petersen have run only a partial schedule this year. However, with LSPR being a favorite among all the teams, and essentially the Puma team’s “home” race, this was a race they couldn’t leave off their schedule. With a fresh car and some significant engine upgrades, the Puma team will be ready to attack the fast stages of the Upper Peninsula. Friday night will take the teams to the southeast of Houghton for some very technical and fast night stages. Saturday then takes the teams north to the Keweenaw Peninsula for some very fast and fun stages, including the famous Brockway hillclimb. As always, crew, spectators, and supporters are always welcome to attend. Further information on the event can be found at www.lsprorally.com, and live updates from the event should be available at www.rally-america.com
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