[Home] [News] [Photos/Video] [Calendar] [Meet the Team] [Partners] [Links] [Contact Us]

13 April 2001 - For immediate release
For more information, contact: John Dillon
Widget Rally Team
P. O. Box 1231
Thousand Oaks, CA 91358-0231
Phone: 805.906.7797
Widget web site: www.WidgetRacing.com
e-mail: John @ WidgetRacing.com

Electrical Gremlins Sideline Team in Oregon

M&M Motorsports Dominates PGT until Alternator Fails

Tillamook, Oregon After an outstanding victory in Tennessee, M&M Motorsports returned to the west coast to challenge for the Production GT (PGT) win at the Oregon Trail Rally. Lauchlin O'Sullivan (San Francisco, CA) and John Dillon (Thousand Oaks, CA) hoped to repeat their success but an alternator failure on Saturday, followed by a fuel pump failure on Sunday, prevented the team from completing the rally. Oregon Trail was round three on the National ProRally schedule.

The Eclipse, driven by O'Sullivan with Dillon as navigator, started 23rd on the road but quickly moved up to as high as fifth overall. Even after losing a minute of their advantage to a flat tire on Stage 7 (with eight miles remaining), they felt they could maintain the PGT lead. However, in the service area crew chief Tom Laeng discovered their brand new alternator had failed during that same stage, with two night stages coming up and no spare parts available.

By the end of the evening the electrical supply was so weak that the final stage was driven without odometer, intercom, defroster, wipers, or even lights. "In my very first rally back in '95, Chris Bradshaw and I had to run a stage by flashlight so I knew the drill," reported the co-driver. "I stuck my arm out the window and tried to point the way down the road through the fog and snow." O'Sullivan chimed in, "Of course, in '95 John didn't have to contend with fogged up windows and rain and snow!" After successfully tiptoeing through the stage the team tried to return to the final checkpoint. Conditions were so bad however that they took a wrong turn, then lost all power to the car. By the time Jeff Call and Rick Meade detoured to help the Eclipse get back on the road, O'Sullivan and Dillon had missed their check-in time and were time-barred from the National event.

On Sunday the team reentered the fray as divisional-level ClubRally competitors where once again they demonstrated their speed with very fast times. The team stormed through the second stage to set fourth-fastest time overall. Shortly thereafter the new fuel pump failed, caused by the alternator problems of the night before. Once again the Eclipse was sidelined, this time for the duration of the event.

"This was our fourth rally together and I think we're really coming together as a team," noted the driver. "John demonstrated his 'Rally on' spirit when we drove by flashlight." Dillon added, "Lauchlin continues to amaze people with his talent behind the wheel. Considering that our car is so much heavier than the Open class Evos and Subarus, it's astonishing to see how fast he can be on the special stages. Just imagine what his standings would be if a sponsor stepped forward with an Open-classed race car!" Indeed, O'Sullivan proved to be quicker than several factory-supported teams.

The M&M Motorsports team, based in Big Bear, California, campaigns a 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX in the PGT category, a class that restricts modifications to basic safety gear, slight suspension improvements and a few other minor changes. Several business partners support the team's rally effort, including Porterfield Enterprises for brakes, Direct Signs for graphics, Clutch Masters, Berdoo Transmissions, Budget Auto Works, Fleet Glass, and Shults Dot Com. CTX Mortgage provides primary sponsorship for the team. Additional sponsorship is being sought to help complete the season.

Performance rally is a sport where teams race across desert paths, logging trails, and other unimproved roads in cars licensed for street use. The team consists of a driver and navigator, the latter calling instructions from a route book provided by the rally organizers just prior to the start of the event. Competitors race "blind," not being allowed to drive the course before the racing gets underway.

The team's next race, the Rim of the World ProRally, takes place May 4th and 5th in Palmdale, California. With electrical gremlins out of the way the team hopes to return to victory circle. Currently they are third in the PGT championship. It is conceivable that with a bit of luck they could take the points lead with a victory at Rim, a reasonable goal considering the duo's recent victories in Laughlin and Tennessee. In rally, anything is possible, but you can sure O'Sullivan and Dillon will do all they can to Rally On.

# # # # # END # # # # #

Widget
Home

Team
News

Photo/Video
Gallery

Calendar
and Results

Meet the
Team

Partners

Links