Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) Elects New Chairmen and Host City

Open Paddock has learned that the Lake Superior Performance Rally has elected Steve Gingras and Eric Carlson as their new co-chairmen. Steve told Open Paddock “It’s going to be a big challenge but we want to build an event that is going to be strong for several years.” This is yet another ‘changing of the guard’ we’ve been seeing over the past several years as a younger generation begins to run events. “Only somewhat younger” as Steve jokingly put it. This is quite the change for the former Production GT…

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In The Paddock – Episode 10 with Al Dantes Jr.

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week we had with us one of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s favorites, Al Dantes Jr.  Al tells us when he got bit by the rally bug, where the name Tower City Race Team came from, and how his Mazda RX7 got the name Rexine.  We also discuss last weekend’s Lake Superior Performance Rally where he and co-driver Brandon Snyder achieved their best result yet. You can follow Al Dantes Jr. and the Tower City Race Team on these social media channels: Facebook…

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Big Battles and Massive Entry List for Rally America Finale

One could easily forget that with the recent drama leading up to next season that the national championship has another rally to contest this season.  LSPR, the Lake Superior Performance Rally, takes place Friday and Saturday in the forest tracks surrounding Houghton, Michigan and it is going to be awesome! This year’s LSPR should be a memorable one with an entry list tipping the scales with a last count of 75 entries with 25 of those entered as National or combined Regional/National, a number not seen in years.  Some of the…

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Op-Ed: American Rally Championships Expected to be a 5 to 4 Split for 2017

After yesterday’s announcement that the Oregon Trail Rally will switch to the newly formed American Rally Association, there was a quick response from the organizers of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood that they would remain under the existing Rally America sanctioning. We would like to announce that Rally in the 100 Acre Wood will be March 17-18, 2017 and will be Round 2 of the Rally America Championship. The 100AW group is starting its planning now and hopes the sanction has little bearing on who can come to…

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2015 Lake Superior Performance Rally – Driver Previews Open

Welcome to the final installment of Open Paddock’s Lake Superior Performance Rally Driver Previews. Today we are talking about the top tomatos – Open Class. In case you missed our 2WD class preview click here, or if you missed the Super Production preview click here. You need to ask yourself one question before you start to actively follow LSPR today. Do you know who the guys in those pretty painted cars are? If you answered no to that question please keep reading. If you answered yes keep reading anyway, hubris…

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2015 Lake Superior Performance Rally – Driver Previews Super Production

Welcome back to Open Paddock’s Lake Superior Performance Rally Driver Previews. We’re making sure that your knowledge of Rally America teams is up to date in this three part series, so if you’re new to rally or just want to get caught up before LSPR kicks off we’ve got you covered. In case you missed our previous 2WD class preview click here, and be sure to check in tomorrow morning when we’ll be talking about the big guns of Open class. Tonight we will be talking about the drivers and…

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2015 Lake Superior Performance Rally – Driver Previews 2WD and B-Spec

It’s October and that means one thing in sports. Football season heating up? Call me back in February. Rugby World Cup? America isn’t making it out of Group play, so who cares? MLB Playoffs? What’s a Chase Utley, some kind of dog with a glandular problem? No my friends, it is once again time for the best sport of them all, rally. Specifically, the Lake Superior Performance Rally, the final Rally America National event of the year. And what a rally it is shaping up to be. With the class…

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Episode 253 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week is an extended edition, because yours truly failed to edit last week’s podcast in a timely manner.  So sit back and enjoy as Mike and Jace review the Mt. Hood Rally, LSPR, and Rally Spain.  Then John joins in for some ranting of F1 (as usual) and finally finish with some good news coming to Indy Lights.

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RALLY – BREAKING NEWS – Rally America to be Televised on NBC Sports

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this!  It has been announced via the below image from Sno*Drift that NBC Sports will be carrying coverage of the entire Rally America National Championship series!   As our very own Doug Patterson posted in a reply to Andrew Comrie-Picard a couple of weeks ago “With as many outlets as are available now, surely someone would be willing to pick up a 30-min or hour highlight show for the Rally America events, right?”  Apparently Doug was spot on, but this is one better.  It…

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Episode 208 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis week Doug, Mike, and Mike review the IndyCar and IndyLights finales at Fontana and begin looking at the silly season news and rumors. Mr. Whitesell leads us through the news in Formula 1 and we preview the final Indian Grand Prix. Wrapping up the show, Mr. Shaw recaps the glorious event that was LSPR and gives us a preview of the WRC Rally de Espana. OpenPaddock.net Podcast: Episode 208 – Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013 IndyCar Fontana Review IndyCar title rivals get grid penalties…

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