The Maine Forest Rally kicked off Friday in the Western Maine woods.
By Bob McPhee
Staff Writer

RUMFORD – It’s certainly not designed for the faint of heart.

The danger involved may be real, but the competitors in the 2003 Maine Forest Rally remain eager to test their skills.

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is truly an international event that tests the mental and physical attributes of each competitor. The burden is equally transplanted to the specially equipped automobiles that must hold up throughout the two-day event.

The MFR is the sixth of nine races on the SCCA ProRally Championship that is held throughout the United States. The flat-out racing is contested in timed stages, usually at one minute intervals on limited access roads free from civilian traffic.

Prior to each stage, the cars travel over public roads and must obey all traffic laws.

The competitors displayed their cars Friday before the largest crowd ever during a Pac Expose.

This is the 12th year the MFR rally has been held in the Western Mountains. Besides giving the area exposure, it also boasts the surrounding economy.

“This event has grown each year,” Rosie Bradley, president of the River Valley Chamber of Commerce said. “It’s really important for the area motels and restaurants. I can’t put an exact figure on the finances it generates, but I do know that every motel room is booked from Berlin, N.H., to Farmington. It’s certainly a big event and it puts the River Valley on the map.”

All of the stages are run on gravel roads owned by MeadWestvago, International Paper and Seven Islands Land.

The MFR has 11 stages, from a half mile to 22 miles, with a total stage length measuring 124 miles. Friday’s rally consisted of four stages in 22 miles. It started in Rumford and proceeded north on Route 17 and was completed in darkness by some competitors. Saturday’s rally in Oquossoc is seven stages – 103 miles in length.

The cars are not stock. Each of the 95 cars in the MFR includes heavy-duty parts and must meet mandated safety regulations. These include wider wheelbases, roll bars and padded dashboards. The cars, costing approximately $190,000, travel down roads at speeds of 135 miles per hour.

“Most of the cars are foreign made,” 2002 SCCA Rookie of the Year Doug Havir said. “If you have to ask the price then you probably can’t afford one. This isn’t a money making endeavor, mainly because of the cost of the equipment. We have two of almost everything on board, including gearboxes. The cars travel over some rugged terrain and, believe me, parts do break.”

Harvir drives a Subaru WRX, prepared by Pro Drive in England, and competes in the Open Class. The other divisions include FIA Group A, Group N, Production, Production GT and Groups five and two. The car models include Mitsubishi, Mazda and Dodge. They originally weigh 3,300 pounds, but customized materials and equipment reduces the weight to 2,760 pounds.

Harvir is accompanied by navigator Scott Putnam, who is responsible for assisting the driver in completing the course in the quickest time. Putnam follows a route map that lists every corner, notations of water crossings and degree of difficulty encountered on the course.

Havir and Putnam both reside in the greater Minneapolis area. The competitors are well aware of the dangers associated with the sport of racing. In July, two colleagues died after hitting a tree.

“I can’t win the race for him, but I can definitely lose it,” Putnam said. “I need to be looking ahead and telling Doug where to turn and at what angle or we’ll end up in trouble. A couple weeks ago in Oregon, we flipped the car four times and I only received a scratched finger. The cars are safe, but my only worry is some (object) entering the cockpit from outside.”

The MFR can be seen on the Speed Television network Aug. 21 at 11 p.m.

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