It’s Round Two of the Rally America National Championship Series: Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in Salem Missouri, and New England’s own Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt have made their second trip to the podium in as many events this season.

Racing a 2006 Mitsubishi EVO IX, and representing Nashua, NH, Bacon and Watt took 3rd place overall in the open class, finishing behind only Ken Block (1st place) and Antoine L’Stage (2nd place).

The strong start for Bacon Motorsport this season has put the privateer in second place in the standings for the championship with 28 points overall.

Also placing was Wazoo Racing’s Tim Penasack and co-driver Alexander Kihurani, also representing Nashua, NH, who raced a 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi to an 11th overall finish and 3rd place in the super production class.

Continuing to dominate the two-wheel drive class, Chris Duplessis and co-driver Catherine Woods, representing Mason Township, ME, finished 10th overall and first in two-wheel drive racing a 1990 Volkswagen GTI. The team finished over five minutes ahead of the next two-wheel drive competitor!

For more info on 100 Acre Wood Rally see the event press release at Rally America.

Mountain View Grand Joins Event as Host!

For the first time since its inception in 2006, the Team O’Neil Rally (TON Rally) will be held in the Spring. The competition will take place Saturday, May 8^th.

The TON Regional Rally has typically drawn between 15-30 competitors and 250+ spectators each year. However, with this year’s event taking place at a much more hospitable time of year, Team O’Neil is expecting their biggest turn out ever. “Winter rallies are fun, but we’re expecting the warm weather to be a bigger draw for both competitors and spectators,” explained Kathy Moody, organizer of the Team O’Neil Regional Rally.

Spring conditions in Northern New England can be unpredictable, but the average temperature in May is a comfortable 55°F, compared to 16°F in January. Road conditions are expected to consist of well graveled surfaces, but precipitation can cause that to change in a hurry (don’t be surprised if things get a bit muddy)!

Team O’Neil Rally School and Car Control Center, Chick’s Sand and Gravel, and the town of Dalton, New Hampshire continue to be the hosts for this event; but new this year, the Mountain View Grand Resort will be hosting event accommodations, as well as the Awards Ceremony and After Party on Saturday night

With the Mountain View Grand now on board, guests will be treated to one of the country’s finest historic “Grand Hotels” at a special discount price of only $99. (You will need to call to take advantage of this rate. 866.484.3843 Be sure to mention the rally upon booking.) “We think the Mountain View will offer a whole other aspect to the rally weekend that anyone in the family can enjoy,” said hotel representative, Lisa Tetreault. “We will also be offering a special Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday for anyone who wants to treat mom.”

“At the end of the day this event is all about having a great time and enjoying the action and excitement that rally is all about,” said Tim O’Neil, Rally School owner. “Last year we saw Dave Mirra win it on the snow, hopefully this year we’ll see some equally strong competition on the gravel and dirt, but with some much faster stages!”

For more Information:

See the Team O’Neil Rally section of this website. (See the main navigation link above.)

The 2010 New England Forest Rally Volunteer Sign-up form is active. (Many have already signed-up and we have received your info!) It’s early still, so please enter your information whenever you are ready to commit.

We look forward to seeing you!

Announcing: Team O’Neil Regional Rally to take Place May 8th 2010, Mountain View Grand Joins Event as Host

(Dalton, New Hampshire) – For the first time since its inception in 2006, the Team O’Neil Rally (TON Rally) will be held in the Spring. The competition will take place Saturday, May 8^th.

Click to view the complete press release here…

Rally America has released a pretty cool video including highlights and a complete recap from Sno*Drift Rally. Check it out here.