Working the rally as a volunteer is a great way to experience the sport in a whole new way. If you’ve never volunteered at a rally before you can find out more about it by contacting the Team O’Neil Rally School at 603-444-4488 or info@teamoneil.com

Also taking place again this year will be Worker Training Day held Sunday, May 2 at Team O’Neil.  If you are interested in getting more involved in rally and learning in a slow paced environment, this training day is for you.  It is also a great refresher for those that want to brush up on their skills before this rally and NEFR.  Look for more details to come.

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.

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.)

We look forward to seeing you!

Taking third place in the overall in the event was Bill Bacon of Nashua, New Hampshire who took to the podium alongside Travis Pastrana (first overall) and Antoine LeStage (second overall). Bacon, a privateer, is known for placing well in nearly every event that he runs, and Snodrift proved to be no exception despite ridiculously icey conditions. Bacon described the stages as being “so icey you could literally skate down some of the straight aways.”

Bacon Motorsports

Another impressive performance this weekend was turned in by Chris Duplessis, of Mason Township, Maine, who took first place in the 2WD Class, and 11th place overall (finishing ahead of many superior class cars.)

Hopefully Duplessis can carry some of this positive momentum with him down to Florida this month; already known for his skills as a driving instructor at Team O’Neil Rally School, Chris has recently been hired by Disney to become a professional stunt driver. We’ll keep you posted as to what action packed events he may have in store.

Chris Duplessis at Snodrift

Tim will be using his expert knowledge to help break down the action on the stages throughout the coming season. If you’re heading out to any of this year’s rallys, don’t be afraid to stop by the announcer’s booth to say hello (this is also a great chance to find out more about rally school and/or how you can take steps towards becoming more involved in the sport).

Tim O'Neil at Snodrift

RA stated that “the 2010 championship will be compressed to allow more spectator and media interest during the season. It ensures that every event will have greater import in the chase for the Rally America Championship.”

Here in New England we’re hoping the NEFR will now have a bigger influence in determining the overall champion (and at the very least we hope to have a bigger after party this year with the end-of-year awards banquet coming to Sunday River!)

The 2010 schedule is as follows:

Jan. Sno*Drift, Atlanta, MI

Feb. 100 Acre Wood, Salem, MO

Apr. Olympus, Olympia, WA

May. Oregan Trail, Hood River, OR

Jun. STPR, Wellsboro, PA

Jul. NEFR, Newry, ME