Press on. MARQUETTE, Sunday Nov. the woods. The few spectators 9, 1975 — It's 3 a.m. in the who have found their way to absolute middle of nowhere. this remote and watery point 'Stars hang like crystalline eyes exchange surprised glances and over an evergreen forest in listen for the approach of the Michigan's upper peninsula. next of a series of automobiles A steam-like miasma rises that will brave the flooded silently from a long stretch of section of road which the water covering at least 50 Porsche so effortlessly trav¬ yards of a rough dirt road that ersed. winds its way through the Most of the cars will make it untroubled wilderness. through this hazard on "special Temperate weather lingers stage 16". A few will not. They momentarily over the woods will flounder in the unexpected before the final onslaught of depth of the water that covers winter. The air is crisp, the hidden ditches at either side of atmosphere expectant. the road. Suddenly a blinding wall of The drivers and navigators of light accompanied by a fierce these hapless vehicles will soon mechanical roar shatters the ruefully discover that the ter¬ pristine silence. A blurred form rain chosen for the 27th annual bursts through the darkness Press On Regardless Rally like a comet. The knife-like (POR) is as wickedly treacher¬ specter halves the water with ous as it was reported to "have razor-edged precision and dis¬ been before the rally began, appears into the somber dark¬ many hard hours ago. ness. • • • 'That must have been the Friday, Nov. 7, 1975, 6 a.m. Porsche Carrera," someone Darkness still covers the Mar¬ mutters. 'They didn't even quette Holiday Inn, but already slow down." a number of rally cars can be POR winners: Driver S. A quiet of sorts returns to seen in the parking lot of the Zasada (top left) and naviga¬ tor W. Schramm (top right). Also pictured are navigator June McKnight (left) and driver Essie Perkins (below) driver Wally Wagner (bottom left) and navigator Roger Culbert (bottom right). .Jiwrnqiups -oiq IsaiboriJsm 9ril nsvs JuH press on, press on motel, which headquarters. serves as POR rally preparations given to the ment. That seems to be reward regardless! "But the whole time Fve been challenge to the crew's prepara¬ cars by highly skilled rally enough. rallying, I've only heard of two tion of the ear over and beyond A few rally crews are across teams and service crews cannot "These are all normal people injuries and they were minor," the obvious mechanical stress¬ the street having coffee and fend off the mechanical break¬ like us. These are not big bucks he added. es... We've never seen these breakfast at a Big Boy Restau¬ downs and on-the-road mishaps rant while other teams continue people," explained John Love, a Such mishaps come with the roads before. The road condi¬ brought about by pushing the representative of Cibie Racing tions vary from hour to hour. to pull in at the Holiday Inn. vehicles past all limits of mod¬ territory and should be expect¬ Lights. You really have to be attuned Though it is more than 24 hours eration. ed, they seemed to say. before the start of the rally, Roger Culbert, of Jackson, a to your car and the type of road But such is the undeniable "Rallying is an overall chal¬ navigator for one of the rally conditions you are running Friday will be far from an idle charm and challenge of the cars, agreed with Love's assess¬ lenge," he continued. "It's a day for the rally teams. (continued on page 7) POR. ment. Friday will be a day for final The 1975 POR is the 27th "You make money to spend it preparations and for official running of the event. For the on something, so why not rally inspection of the rally cars. It second year in a row, the rally cars? You get a lot of personal will be a day to get acquainted is being hosted by the city of satisfaction out of it," Culbert with other POR participants at Marquette. The POR, this year, said. a welcome party in the evening is the 10th of a series of 12 such Culbert, 31, a designer for an and a day to speculate on the events included in the Sports engineering firm, has been upcoming weather and its likely Car Club of America (SCCA) rallying since 1973 with 30- effects on the rally. sanctioned Lancia/Wonder year-old Wally Wagner of East It will rain Friday evening as Muffler Pro series. Points from the rallyists gather for the Lansing, an employee of Lan¬ the POR will be included to¬ sing's Fisher Body plant. Both party. The hard rainfall will ward a series-end championship had previous rally experience prompt much comment from which, this year, has already before teaming up. the driver-navigator crews who been awarded to the popular Their entry in the POR is a will soon be guiding their Vermont team of driver John 1973 DATSUN 240Z, a vehicle specially-prepared rally cars Buffum and navigator Vicki they have guided through a through some of the most Dykema, who have won five of number of other rallys. Earlier god-awful backwoods roads the the events prior to the POR. this year, the Datsun traversed POR officials could find. The teams will be competing a short distance in the "20 The POR is billed as an for total POR purse a of some Stages" rally on its roof and had extremely tough and demand¬ $11,000. The rugged special to be pulled out of deep snow, ing rally. This year it will cover stages will be the supreme test causing no small amount of some 426 miles from late Satur¬ of each driver-navigator team. damage. The pair have invested day morning to early Sunday Rally officials, or "control quite a bit of time and effort morning. About 185 miles will teams," will man the start and into be over 22 "special stages," reconditioning the car. It finish of each special stage to seems to be in good stretches of rugged road that shape for time the cars and safety mar- the POR. will be closed to the public shalls will close the special "If you look at it you can see during the passage of the rally. stages to public traffic while it's a little wavy in spots," It will be these over special the rallyists are passing Roger said. stages that the fastest car and through. The special stages are They said they have invested driver combination will be connected by "transit stages," in excess of $10,000 in their found and the winner deter¬ which are portions of public rally car so far, and have mined. road. Rally drivers must ob¬ finished no higher than 7th in The terrain for this POR will serve posted speed limits dur¬ rallys they have entered. In the be as vicious as anyone could ing the transit stages or risk POR they will finish 17th, have hoped for. Despite the penalties. A specific time is which is a much better perform¬ skill of the crews and the alloted for each special stage ance than many of the careful preparation of the vehi¬ highly- and penalty points are assessed favored teams will accomplish. cles, only 32 of the starting field for any time over. A lengthy Beside rolling their car in the of 66 cars will finish. The breakdown knock team can a 20 Stages rally, the pair once rugged course of forest and out of the rally. had an unfortunate meeting mountain, water-covered dirt But despite the substantial with a tree. Rallying, they roads and broken culverts, proportion of cars that will not explained, has a rather high primitive trails and assorted finish the rally, the teams accident rate. hazards will take their toll. As eagerly prepare for the POR. It "POR is not so bad. All you the teams traverse Mount Mar¬ appears to be a hobby for most, can do is hit a tree or roll over," quette, Perrin Brothers Truck if not all of them. Many invest Wally said. "If you screw up Trail and Triple A Road, or their money in rallying and get just a little bit, chances are you pass the Tin Shack, Skinnies nothing in return except enjoy¬ will hit something. Lake and Dead River, one after another will fall by the wayside. It is not that the rally cars — mostly Datsuns, Volvos, BMWs, SAABs, Toyotas, Dodge Colts and occassional VW's— have not been carefully prepared for this type of event. The cars have been systemati¬ cally reworked to withstand the demands of rallying over bru¬ tally cruel roads and trails. But they can only be expected to withstand so much abuse. The rally cars' suspensions have been stiffened to take powerful beatings. "Belly pans," or shields, have been added to protect the engine sump, transmission, brake lines and the exhaust system. Roll bars or cages have been install¬ ed to protect the drivers and navigators and powerful quartz iodine racing lights and sophis¬ ticated timing equipment form part of the vehicles' "standard" equipment. But even the methodical pre- It looked fairly easy. All one had to do to get through the water over the road was to drive straight and fast and sure. It worked for most cars. A few, however, found that prudence might have been a better tactic than iron resolve. Special Stage 16, Nestoria-Herman Road, became a graveyard of the three POR hopes of at leas t driver-navigator teams who found the treacherous water-covered road to be more than their vehicles could handle. Stage 16 soon became a chaos of dumped autos, crews struggling to free their cars, and spectators slogging to offer assistance through the water — plus the added ele¬ ment of further rally area. cars driving into the But a rally without such as this would not be a supreme challenges rally. Photographs by Dale Atkins; story by Frank Fox; layout designed by Joe Lippincott. Will at plant in Am stipi imme lAaw. jonstruct [would said sue pill |n s ■hi pom «d s ized sc plant the ) ILa sto East, the lat 1and | wasre lefalothr lill wan pincreasin Meralfun< budget toGc Mil ike andth piations fPcutrosr yet,|Mithaiad forth "laprin vicel_^justmeri incr $2 ,537 perC( now, «8U P s jted |y- f lined % 1 ■*"1, "the fe i67 l«t erosi "thioink theseMissioon Michi ■ffigourers ho eithl^ufcosti anr its," n'i •of Nit. 'K construe curves are es¬ the long, low building and unuer. them, they still turned in a changes that only a mule could pecially bad and there are many watch the rally cars pull in, one But by Friday night, Wagner respectable effort for first-time love. curves. After awhile, one be¬ after another. The rally teams and Culbert had more on their rallyists. The mountain stage is only gins to listen for cars to bottom quickly check in with the con¬ minds than just road condi¬ "We had a little trouble the third special stage out as they encounter the deep trol personnel, gas up at the tions. It was raining and raining but navigating," Perkins said after ruts on the curves. One quickly pumps in front of the combina¬ hard. If the rain kept up, they the already a few of the cars appear rally. "Things either came to be out of the sees the reason for the belly tion store and restaurant and said, their car would be at rally. a up slower than we thought or shields with which the cars are rush to the far side of the disadvantage to the trio of we missed them completely... The slopes of the mountain fitted. building where their service four-wheel-drive vehicles en¬ But I think this is a fantastic are littered with spectators. crews are waiting. tered in the POR. sport," she said. Some are drinking. Some are Spinning their tires, throw¬ "If this rain keeps up, we're ing clouds of red dirt and large The rally cars pull into a Other teams were perhaps tossing a football back end forth rocks in their wake, the cars in trouble. If it rains, the jeeps across the road where the cars clearing surrounded by trees less pleased with their ultimate press on up the unyielding and the forest night. Service are going to run away with this will soon struggle and groan. unless they crash and blow up," performance in the POR. slopes through an increasingly crews are ready with small The pre-rally favorites seem¬ Some have brought their dogs. Culbert joked at the party Some have brought their small foolhardy crowd of onlookers trucks and vans laden with ed to be driver John Buffum who the road like tools and Friday night. children. Some have even come swarm over equipment Working, and his navigator (and ex-wife) many inconsiderate ants As it turned out, the weather to so as always, against a deadline, Vicki Dykema. In 1975, the pair appreciate the rally. after the passage of most for the rally was beautiful. It of the they must make any needed had enjoyed what was termed As the time for the first did not rain. Only one of the car cars. repairs quickly before the rally the best record ever compiled teams depart for more special four-wheel-drive vehicles, a approaches, the steep inclines It is surprising, but the in a single season of SCCA Pro and the rock-strewn dirt road stages and a dinner break back Toyota Land Cruiser, finished spectators pick up their empty the rally and it finished several rallying. Their five Pro series are lined with small groups of beer at the Holiday Inn which will victories this year had already cans as they leave. places behind Wagner and Cul¬ spectators. As many of the cars precede the night-long remain¬ assured them the series cham¬ The stage ends as'darkness der of the rally. bert. pass, people quickly trot up and The highly publicized Jeep pionship before the POR even down the road to get a better descends upon the mountain. People crowd around John CJ-7, piloted by Gene Hender¬ began. And despite rolling their vantage point. As the rallying Now, only the dinner halt from Buffum and Vicki in their son and Ken red, white and blue Ford Escort intensifies, more and more peo¬ around 9 p.m. to midnight at Pogue and the the battered Ford Escort and gaze on early Mount Marquette ple use the road to move about the Holiday Inn and an oc¬ Dodge Ramcharger of Scott at the damaged front fender Harvey and Wayne Zitkus both special stage, the Vermont pair the mountain. A number of casional gas halt will break the and roof that the vehicle sus¬ dropped out extremely early in were doing very well until them must quickly leap out of desperate pace of the' event as tained when it rolled over on motor mount problems knocked the way as a car comes hurtling the drivers begin to explore the the rally due to mechanical Mount Marquette. The pair lost them out a little more than up the road. It is a wonder that depths of the Northern Michi¬ difficulties. almost 10 minutes on that stage While Wagner and Culbert halfway through the rally. the drivers are not impeded by gan forests in earnest. and their car had to be righted finished the grueling rally, But three-time careless oafs. Perhaps, farther • • • European by several spectators before it many teams did not. But some Rally Champion Sobieslaw Za- up the mountain, they are. could proceed. Now, Buffum is Saturday, Nov. 8,8:00 p.m. A teams, like driver Essie Per¬ sada and navigator Wojiek As each of the again pressed for time and he cars fights its neon star flashes on and off in kins and navigator June Mc- Schramm would have nothing hurries off into the night, way up the mountain, it digs the darkness above the Silver Knight, enjoyed themselves but good fortune on the POR. deeper and deeper ruts into the Lake Resort, many miles south¬ leaving the hangers-on still whether they finished or not. Sunday morning would see speculating upon his fortunes in road, making passage all the west of Marquette. Spectators The two Vermont women them bringing their Polish LOT more difficult for succeeding huddle together on the porch of (continued on page 8) said they entered the POR Airlines - sponsored Porsche without any prior experience in Carrera into the finish at the competitve auto racing. Ms. Holiday Inn some 10 minutes McKnight had purchased her ahead of their nearest competi¬ car, a rally-tested 1972 Dodge tion, Tom Tolles and Virginia Colt, through friends. They had Reese, of Ann Arbor, in a Volvo driven the car to Marquette 122S. from Rochester, Michigan, af¬ But Friday evening, the fin¬ ter picking it up only days ish is hundreds of miles distant. before the rally. • • • "We practiced all the way Saturday, Nov. 8,1975, about from Rochester to here," ex¬ 5 p.m. From the top of Mount plained Perkins, who raises and Marquette one has an absolute¬ trains thoroughbred horses in ly magnificent view of Mar¬ Vermont, quette and its Lake Superior "We went off on a couple of harbor. It is a beautiful spot. dirt roads on the way up. That Whether the drivers who wasn't very successful. The must fight the winding dirt trail second dirt road we went on, I up and down the mountain will turned around and immediately appreciate the scenic majesty got stuck," she said. "But that of the place is another matter. was good because we got a The dirt road that snakes up chance to learn how to use the to the peak of the mountain and come-along" (a hand-operated then back down again is awful winch-like device with cable for to walk up and probably worse pulling cars out of jams). to drive upon. Through the Though the pair finished only forest covering the mountain, about half of. the rally before the road takes steep inclines. (continued from puge 7) of the "didn't finish." It seems that whenever they Shouts from drunken specta- the race. He will be out of other The dangers of the pitch-dark almost get rally team quickly re¬ action after few the cable tightened, tors up the road warn of its alizes that a more special forest await while the rally another they are out of luck. stages. car appears in the approach. The newly-arrived crews finish final cups of coffee. night, its brace of racing lights Amazingly, but too late, the Back in the auto creeps between the two Datsun is finally pulled free and pit area, visitors are confronted with a frenetic illuminating the scene with a downed cars and the flare-lit continues down the road hellish intensity, and the cable — scene of hurried, very purpose¬ Sunday, Nov. 9, about 3 a.m. figures that wave it on. By though by now its race is over. must be loosened. ful activity. The sounds of The rally teams are about to some miracle, just enough room The BMW and Celica seem hacksaws cutting metal, cars enter special stage 16, which is Spectators approach to offer has been left between the beyond help. being jacked up and men and laughingly called Nestoria-Her- assistance and advice. Much is disabled pair of vehicles to man Road. It said and little is done. Then, to allow the other All the cars have passed women talking to one another hardly deserves cars to pass by. in loud, determined voices com¬ to be called a "road." The field make matters even worse, an¬ through now. The woods are No one can really believe silent except for the obscene pete with the sputter of engines of competing cars has dwindled other car drops into the ditch what is happening. The lights noises emenating from the ex¬ as cars hurry in and out. People significantly by this point and across the road from the first — from the flares and the the treacherous waters racing haust pipe of the Celica which prudently skip out of their way. cover¬ trying to get around the Datsun lights of the cars that squeeze too fast, spews its fumes out into the Through the bustle of activi¬ ing sections of this stage will car number 59, a BMW through are too intense, the water with a suggestive blub, ty a rally driver hurriedly add to the list of casualties. 2002 driven by Ray Foulkrod of clouds of exhaust fumes strides up to the control crew to A beaver's dam is said to be Detroit and rising blub, blubbing. It is a futile navigated by from the Datsun as it struggles deliver a bit of information: responsible for the unpredicta¬ James Shortt, looses its attempt. The Celica is going grip on to free itself are too thick and nowhere. "There's a blue SAAB that ble areas of water the road and slides covering gracelessly the time and place too improba¬ looks like it rolled twice back parts of this narrow dirt road into the right-hand ditch. Near the BMW, Foulkrod ble for anyone to totally there in the last stage," he that winds through a dense accept. and Shortt stand .on a tiny says. The right side of the BMW But they are all there, stuck "They're both all right." forest. Whatever the reason for island and ponder the circum¬ soon fills with water as its in the middle of the woods. And His message delivered, he the water, special stage 16 is occupants, stances which have removed trots back to his own car. probably one of the roughest of now standing in a they are all there by choice. semi-dry them from the rally. Their flare News of the drivers' the stages. It is the spot in the road, They paid to be there. progress type of watch their hopes sink. goes out and they stand quietly in the race merciless place that gives the "Well, spreads rapidly - Now we really bought the in the dark. through the pits. Henderson POR its justly deserved reputa¬ things are really out of biscuit," someone mutters. and Pogue in their tion. hand. Four rallyists and several "Well I learned highly As if two cars knocked out of something touted CJ-7 are out spectators survey the disaster. the race at this point were not tonight," Shortt says softly. already — Deep into the woods, near a Flares light up the area with an distributor problems, word has "What's that?" lengthy water hazard, a few unreal red enough, a third is soon added. it. Prospects improve and de¬ glow and the fog "Celica and BMW both make spectators have ventured into Apparently heedless of the preciate for the rally teams. the forbidding terrain. rising from the water is aug¬ mute warning offered pretty good marine engines." They mented by clouds of exhaust by the Situations are reassessed and pair of stranded autos, car 67, a struggle along the thickly over¬ fumes that the Datsun spits out And down the road, the tires changed. Drivers and Toyota Celica driven by James grown edges of the road and as efforts continue to winch it Celica sits with its left side mechanics crawl under cars and find small dry spots to wait for Emig of Baltimore, Md. and free...while the cable from the listing in the ditch. Its crew emerge to cry out for needed the cars. navigated by George Dorner stands nearby. Water reaches parts. come-along eats an ever-deep¬ Jr., passes the desperate scene Suddenly the Porsche roars ening ring into the tree around the driver's seat and covers the "What's your tire problem?" and promptly through the water as if it were which it has been placed. deposits itself floor pedals while on the navi¬ someone shouts. "You just ate into the left ditch, an inch-deep puddle and just as perhaps 20 gator's side a digital clock one tire. Where is it?" Suddenly, too suddenly, an¬ yards down the road. suddenly it is gone. No one can other car comes through and continues to click off meaning¬ Another figure emerges to The left side of the Celica quite believe what they have the cable less one-hundredths of seconds caution an overanxious must be loosened. rapidly takes on water. An¬ crew- just seen, or rather, what they silently in the forest gloom. member: haven't seen, for Zasada and "You've got time, you've Schramm got are streaking time," he soothes. "I'm not through the woods as if they going anywhere yet." are pursued by demons. They Seconds tick away like the are here to win. That much is heartbeat of a dying man. By obvious. and large, the rally teams and A few more cars pass service crews maintain an ad¬ through the water, though not mirable cool as they work in the with the speed or confidence of face of dwindling moments. But the Porsche. Unseen hazards the scene is not without a await the unwary. certain humor. One of the rally Then in happens. Car number cars has a bumper sticker that 16, a Datsun 510 driven by Jim seems to have been put on Callon of Sault Ste. Marie and upside down. But it makes navigated by Roger Dooley, quite a bit of sense when one flys into the water and prompt¬ makes an effort to decipher it: ly careens over to the left side "If you can read this, please of the road and gets very, very turn me over," it says. stuck. Callon and Dooley are in And the drivers leave and trouble and they know it. hurry back to the demands of They inspect their predica¬ the rally. In a while, they will ment and produce flares to have a final extended rest at warn other teams. All of their the Holiday Inn before the efforts to rescue their vehicles hellish special stages that await will be hampered by the other them after midnight. autos trying to veer around • • • them. Saturday, Nov. 8, 10:30 p.m. Time sneers at its victims. It is the middle of the dinner They are aware that they are halt at the Holiday Inn. At rapidly being eliminated. They midnight the rally will begin have come this far, only to again and continue until about 8 swamp their car in a god-for¬ a.m. Sunday. saken wilderness. There is little The lobby of the motel is dignity to their fate. bustling with activity as driv¬ Dooley stands on what ers, crews, navigators and passes for dry ground across spectators rush in and out on a the drowned road from his thousand errands. immobile Datsun. Callon looks Ten of the special stages are at the car and then across to his finished. They have taken their partner. toll. On the blackboard in the "We're going to be over our press room, nine or ten car maximum late minutes soon, numbers are listed as being out Roger," he says. of the rally. The reasons read "There's nothing we can do like a mechanic's dream. One about it, Jim," Roger replies. car is down from an engine Then, as they must, they seizure. Another has a hole in continue their efforts despite the radiator. Another is out of the odds. commission from "body dam¬ By now they are trying to age," another from a lost wheel. extricate their car with the help A couple have serious trans¬ of a come-along, the thick cable mission problems. The list goes of which they attach to a tree on. on the opposite side of the road When the rally resumes, and to the rear bumper of their more cars will be added to a list