Last Ditch Racing Blog

For Immediate Release

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing rally team kicks off 2012 season with select summer events

Driver John Cassidy (Bangor, ME) and codriver Jennifer Daly (Kelowna, BC) will begin the Last Ditch Racing rally season this summer with an event on each side of the border. The LDR team has been hard at work on their Subaru STi, restoring it after an intense but successful 2011 season.

"Last Ditch racing has been rallying consistently since 1999, and this year we are choosing to focus on our favourite events. This summer we'll be pushing hard at two of the most popular and challenging rallies in North America."

Initially the team will head North to compete at the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in New Richmond, Quebec. "Baie is one of the most popular Canadian Rally Championship events. The crowds of passionate fans and some of the most intense stages in North America keep us going back to Baie year after year."

Soon after Baie, the team will reprep the car for its home event, the New England Forest Rally. "We haven't missed a Maine Forest Rally / New England Forest Rally for the past thirteen years, but I think we still have more speed to show on our home roads. We really enjoy the rough and challenging stages stages, and all the extra support from all our local fans."

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2012 partners for their support:

Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com/
Mirraco, http://www.mirrabikeco.com/

For Immediate Release

Bangor, Maine USA

September 22, 2011

Maine's Last Ditch Racing rally team makes rally history in partnership with Canada's X-Vision. Working together, the two have pioneered the use of their 360 degree video technology in a stage rally car.

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Jennifer Daly faced considerable adversity during the recent Rallye Defi, round four of the Canadian Rally Championship to obtain the video.

Said Cassidy, "When we were approached by X-Vision about pioneering the application of their technology in a rally car, we ware on board immediately. When I saw what the technology was capable of, I was blown away! The possibilities of this technology are mind-boggling for action sports like rally. Through this partnership, we're able to give the end user the ability to immerse themselves in the car and the event, panning and tilting the video through a full 360 degrees. There are views of the rally car that neither I, nor anyone else has ever seen!"

Last Ditch Racing is no stranger to pioneering technology. They were the first rally team in history to do a daily podcast from a WRC event, when they competed at the 2006 Corona Rally Mexico. "Although we're competitors, we're also huge fans of the sport in general. Anything we can do to promote the sport and expose it to new audiences is very exciting to us."

The team enjoyed a successful 2011, securing two podiums and two Open Class wins en route to Cassidy's win of the Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship.

John and Jennifer want to extend a special thank you to their crew for the 2011 season: Drew Gladu, Duncan Matlack, Nathan Haskell, Jon Bolduc, Zach Sennett, Cullen Gillis, Bronson Crothers, Kevin Sennett and John Cassidy V and Craig Greenwell.

To see the result of Last Ditch Racing and X-Vision's partnership, please visit: http://www.x-vision.ca/LDR/

For more information on X-Vision, please visit: http://www.x-vision.ca

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2011 Partners for their support:

DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com/
Mirraco, http://www.mirrabikeco.com/
VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
X-Vision: http:www.x-vision.ca

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit:
http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

September 18, 2011

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing overcame significant adversity to finish Rallye Defi, round four of the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship.

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Jennifer Daly started Friday's stages with a failing front differential and an elusive oil leak near the turbocharger, which continued to cause considerable smoke in, and around, the car all weekend.

The front differential began to make odd noises on the transit to the first super special Friday, and the crew feared that their event could be over that day. The crew were concerned the turbo might be failing, so it was replaced with a spare unit prior to the event start. The spare turbo was a smaller unit and the only restrictor the team had that fit was smaller than the diameter required, meaning they'd be down on power all weekend.

The crew was also preoccupied with providing partner X-Vision with some quality onboard video to help showcase their immersive video technology. Said Cassidy, "We were definitely feeling stressed on Friday. The fact that the car wasn't running well, coupled with the very short stages and long transits, was difficult. Trying to balance some sort of pace with longevity through the day was quite difficult."

Cassidy/Daly made it through Friday, but an issue with a computer cable meant that no video had been recorded for the X-Vision crew. "X-Vision's Louis Charland was was devastated, but in true rally fashion, he and his crew regrouped and met us Saturday morning at 05:00 after returning to Montreal to troubleshoot the system. We were able to get footage for X-Vision on the first two stages of Saturday. Judging from the response from the X-Vision team, you would've thought we'd won the event!"

In spite of all the adversity, Cassidy/Daly pushed their Subaru STi throughout Saturdays' stages. The day had it's fair share of drama, however, when the Cassidy miscalculated on fuel load and ran out of fuel just outside of the service park in Montpelier. "I thought something was wrong with the engine-it sounded like it was detonating. I had a sick feeling in my stomach, but when I looked at the fuel gauge, I was actually relieved!" said Cassidy. Cassidy and Daly were forced to push the car about 40 yards uphill into the service park. "Jenn and I got a real workout pushing T-4 into service and the crew got theirs pushing us out of service."

The day continued with the team slowly rising up the order to gain 4 places on the final day. "We were off the pace all weekend, but I can't recall an event filled with this much adversity for quite some time." said Cassidy. "We we working with a car that was not 100% from the outset, while dealing with one issue after another. The crew was busy all weekend long, which is rare for us. They got 4 hours sleep in 48."

The event sees the team complete an ambitious 5 event season. Starting with the winter Rallye Perce Neige, followed by the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, Rallye Baie des Chaleurs and the New England Forest Rally. "To say we're ready for a break is an understatement. The car needs quite a bit of attention. That said, we're looking at some off season upgrades and a strong return in 2012. Jennifer and I have developed a great relationship in the car, and it has paid dividends with multiple podiums for us this season."

The team enjoyed a successful 2011, securing two podiums and two Open Class wins en route to Cassidy's win of the Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship.

John and Jennifer want to extend a special thank you to their crew for the 2011 season: Drew Gladu, Duncan Matlack, Nathan Haskell, Jon Bolduc, Zach Sennett, Cullen Gillis, Bronson Crothers, Kevin Sennett and John Cassidy V and Craig Greenwell.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2011 Partners for their support:

DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com/
Mirraco, http://www.mirrabikeco.com/
VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit:
http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing completed an ambitious month of racing;
competing in three events in four weeks, in two different countries.
They clinched the 2011 Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class
Championship and two podiums in the process.

Driver John Cassidy of Bangor, Maine and Co-Driver Jennifer Daly from Kelowna,
British Columbia started their summer season with a second place in the R1 Rally
class at the Climb to the Clouds, a hill climb up New Hampshire's Mt. Washington
Auto Road.

First run in 1904, the Mt. Washington Hillclimb is the oldest
motorsport event in the United States. Last run in 2001, Cassidy
jumped at the opportunity to compete in the event. "Jennifer and I
had no idea what to expect on the mountain. What we encountered was both a
technical and psychological challenge. The weather and visibility
were constantly changing, forcing us to push in low visibility on
roads with significant exposures." The event marked the first time
that Daly and Cassidy have worked as a team since the 2008 Rallye Defi
in Quebec. "We were ecstatic with a podium finish at the event, as we
had no prior experience on the mountain. Having to run a restrictor
in the turbo certainly kept our speeds down at altitude, but we pushed
as much as we dared in the limited visibility at the top of the mountain.
Our rally experience definitely served us well on the often wet surface
and challenging visibility."

The following week found the team in New Richmond, Quebec for the
Rallye Baie des Chaleurs. One of LDR's favorite Canadian events, the
technical and rough stages of Baie suit Cassidy's driving style. The
team was setting top ten stage times on Friday night, until they
had an off, striking a bridge with their Subaru STi on SS6. The front
suspension suffered terminal damage, and they were forced to retire
from the event. "It was a bittersweet return to Canada. We had not
been at Baie since 2008, and we were having a great time on stage.
Jennifer and I were settling into the car and getting up to speed
quite well. I came into the corner with too much speed and
understeered into the bridge. It was a very heavy hit, and we were
very lucky not to have done more damage to the car or ourselves."

Two weeks on and many repairs later, the team attended their home event, the
2011 New England Forest Rally, headquartered at the Sunday River
Resort in Newry, Maine. The twelfth consecutive showing for Last
Ditch Racing at the event, the notoriously rough roads are home for Cassidy.
"The New England Forest Rally has a reputation for being rough, and this
year was no exception. For some, the rocks are intimidating, but I'm used to
pushing on rough events." The rough roads were new to codriver Jennifer Daly:
"During recce I was surprised by both the softness of the sand in some spots, and by the
size of the painted rocks on the road, but John hasn't missed this event in over 11 years,
so I was very confident in his ability to be fast through these strange conditions."

The National event spans both Friday and Saturday's stages, and each day is
considered a separate Regional Rally. Cassidy and Daly set quick
times on Friday, but unbeknownst to them, Jason Smith and Jared
Lantzy, driving LDR's original Subaru, T-1, held a lead of 7 seconds
on the LDR team going into the final stage of the night, the famous
Concord Pond stage. Cassidy and Daly were unaware of their overall
standing, and the team goal was to set a new personal record on
Concord Pond. At the end of the stage, the crew had bested LDR's stage
record; 12 seconds quicker over just 5.75 miles, and secured the win over
Smith/Lantzy by 13 seconds. "Having both LDR cars on the podium was
great. Concord Pond is an epic stage and we wanted to push for all
the fans that come out to spectate. Taking the overall win and first
in Open Class was a fantastic end to the day!"

Saturday's regional event opened with the longest stage of the day,
where the LDR team posted the fastest time of the regional competitors
by nearly 1.5 minutes over Smith/Lantzy. A flat on the second stage dashed
any hope of an outright victory for the day, despite setting the best time on every
other stage. "We had a flat and the tire started to delaminate quite quickly.
We had 5 miles left in the stage and it was a very technical section.
The car wasn't turning well and it would have been dangerous to continue.
Changing a tire on stage is always costly, but sometimes
it's the best choice." The team was awarded first in class for
Saturday's event.

2011 has been another development year for the team, with a new engine
and other technical changes to the car. The addition of Canadian co-driver
Jennifer Daly to the team has also had a significant impact on LDR's
recent success. "Jennifer strapped into the co-driver's seat like
she's always been there. The communication in the car is very good and
we both feel there's still more speed to be had on stage." The
team's future schedule is yet to be determined and likely won't be
finalized until damage assessment is completed on the car after this
difficult schedule of events. For Daly, the possibility of rejoining
the LDR team is attractive: "It's very exciting to have some success
early on with a new driver and codriver match. John and the LDR crew
are prepared and competitive; I was very happy to be a part of such a
fun and tight knit team. When we set out to do three events in four
weeks, it seemed a little crazy, but with the right people and some
hard work, just about anything is possible."

The team is appreciative of support from Mirraco, a BMX bicycle company founded
by actions sports athlete Dave Mirra. Mirra supplied the team some of his personally
autographed signature Bell helmets, which the LDR team gave to young fans at the rally.

John and Jennifer want to extend a special thank you to their crew for 2011:
Drew Gladu, Duncan Matlack, Nathan Haskell, Jon Bolduc, Zach Sennett,
Cullen Gillis, Bronson Crothers, Kevin Sennett and John Cassidy V.
"Rally is a truly brutal sport on the car and without the support of
our talented and dedicated crew, we wouldn't think about leaving the
start line!"

The team would also like to thank Dave Heerdegen of DTECH Motorsport
in New Zealand for his support in tuning the car's engine after all the recent
modifications. "Dave has been an invaluable resource for us over the past
two seasons, and we owe a lot of our recent success to his hard work."

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2011 Partners for their
continued support:

DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com/
Mirraco, http://www.mirrabikeco.com/
VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit:
http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release, 5/10/11

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing rally team is looking forward to an ambitious mid-season programme, competing in three championship caliber events in the span of 4 weeks. The team started their 2011 season at the snowy Rallye Perce Neige in Quebec.

Joining driver John Cassidy in the right seat as Co-Driver for the next three events will be Co-Driver Jennifer Daly from Kelowna, British Columbia. Daly is not only a stage Co-Driver, she is also a TSD and Rally-X driver and rally volunteer based in Kelowna BC. Daly is currently working as the Director of Operations for Targa Canada West as well as being the organizer of the Big White Winter Rally. Cassidy and Daly teamed up three years ago at Rallye Defi in Quebec, but their event was cut short by contaminated fuel. "Jennifer and I definitely have some unfinished business on stage as a team, and this opportunity seemed like the perfect time to reconnect and give it another go!," said Cassidy.

Said Daly, "Joining the LDR team for three events in a row is a great chance to develop a real working relationship in the car, so we can push to be competitive. Last time I Co-Drove John it was a real adventure, and a lot of fun, so I'm really looking forward to a full month of summer rallying with the Last Ditch Racing crew."

Cassidy and Daly will compete in the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, one of the oldest motorsport events in the United States. A scant week later, they'll be in New Richmond Quebec for the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs, the second round of the 2011 Canadian National Championship. Two weeks later, they'll suit up again for the New England Forest Rally, the fourth round of the Rally America Championship. This is the densest schedule the team has undertaken. "For it to all work out, we need to prep the car 110%, and then add a dollop of good Irish luck to the mix." The team is no stranger to ambitious schedules, having once raced at the Rocky Mountain Rally near Calgary, Alberta and in the forests of Pennsylvania on consecutive weekends in different cars.

"This schedule will take us from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, to the shores of the Gaspee pennisula in Quebec to the forests of Maine in the span of a month. We'll be debuting a new motor for the car, which should help us be more competitive. In addition, we're planning on unveiling a new graphic design for our Subaru STi, known as Steel Tulip 4." Since the team has been racing Subarus, they've been liveried in silver, with red Tulip diagrams, giving the car it's name. Long time graphic/vinyl artist Chuck Stephenson has been helping Cassidy craft a new look for the team.

The opportunity to compete in the Climb to the Clouds event holds special meaning for Cassidy. "The Climb to the Clouds stopped running not long after I began my rallying career, and I never got a chance to compete against the Mountain. It's an amazing challenge for any driver, and I'm both excited and nervous to tackle it." From the Climb to the Clouds website; "Now billed as one of the oldest morotsports events in the United States, the Climb to the Clouds was first run in 1904, seven years before the first 500-mile race at the Brickyard in Indianapolis and 12 years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado. Run sporadically throughout the years, many famous racecar drivers and automobile manufacturers have competed in the event through its' colorful history." Cassidy and Daly will be part of the 10 car rally class, consisting of 5 Subarus and 5 Mitsubishis. The entire field of over 75 entrants encompasses everything from open class hillclimb specials, a big rig and vintage racers.

Regular LDR right-seater Dave Getchell is taking a well deserved break from the hectic pace that is normal for a championship team. Said Cassidy, "Dave and I have been racing nearly non-stop for the past 7-8 seasons-contesting very full schedules both in the US and Canada. It takes a serious commitment of time and energy for both of us to field the team and Dave is taking a deserved break. LDR would not have the profile in the sport, or the palmares we do without Dave's contribution."

"All of us on the LDR team push, and pride ourselves, in fielding a well prepared and competitive car. Jennifer and I will be doing our best to make the crew, fans and our families proud in June and July!"

Last Ditch Racing's next event will be the Climb to the Clouds, Mt. Washington NH, June 2011. For more information, please visit: http://www.climbtotheclouds.com/

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2011 Partners for their continued support:

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us

For more information on Rallye Perce Neige, please visit: http://www.rallyeperceneige.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing rally team began their 2011 season by sliding their Subaru STi onto the podium of the Ontario Provincial Rally Championship portion of the 46th edition of the Rallye Perce Neige, Round 1 of the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship.

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell drove through the forests of Quebec during the epic event that spanned approximately 15 hours. The weekend began on a difficult note for the crew when neither the rally car, nor the service vehicle would start while Cassidy and Getchell were out on recce. What was meant to be a fairly relaxed day for the LDR crew was spent troubleshooting both. "Each rally presents some sort of adversity-we'd find it all on the stages, but the crew had their fair share as well."

"To say that Rallye Perce Neige is a challenging event is an understatement," said Cassidy. "This was our first Canadian winter event in three years, and there was definitely a bit of rust. We struggled to find pace early on." The crew found tire choice to be difficult, using three types of tires during the day-with mixed results, eventually settling on . The stages were often just two clear lines of sheer ice with a small amount of snow in places. Adding to the challenge was that surface conditions changed often on the famously long stages.

Starting 17th on the road, the team dropped down the order before floating back up to an overall finish of 15th in the National field. "The field was extremely deep at Perce Neige and if there's one thing Canadian drivers know, it's how to drive in the snow!" On the second passage through the long Kitigan-Zibi stage, the crew passed cars, and were passed in turn. "It was surreal to spend 30 minutes concentrating-pushing as hard as we could, all the while looking at cars we were catching up and keeping an eye on the rear view!"

Last Ditch Racing's next event will be the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in New Richmond, Quebec in July, 2011

The team would like to thank the organizers, volunteers, fans and fellow competitors for the wonderful event. John and Dave would like to thank their onsite crew for the event: Duncan Matlack and Michael Rademacher. The Triple Caution Farm crew: Drew Gladu, Drew Simpson and Nathan Haskell.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2011 Partners for their continued support:

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us

For more information on Rallye Perce Neige, please visit: http://www.rallyeperceneige.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditch

For immediate release

Bangor, Maine USA

February 1, 2011

Maine's Last Ditch Racing will bring their Subaru WRX STi into the remote snowy stages of Northern Quebec this weekend for the Rallye Perce Neige. Headquartered in the town of Maniwaki, Rallye Perce Neige is the first round of the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship.

An extremely strong field of 42 crews have entered the event, ensuring that there will be competition throughout the field.

Although Perce Neige will be the team's only full-on snow/ice event of 2011, Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell are up for the challenge. Said Cassidy, "Snow and ice require patience and finesse. Combine those requirements with the demands of the technical stages of Perce Neige, and we have an extremely long day ahead of us on Saturday!" The team will also get to run the famous 32.95km Kitigan Zibi stage twice, once likely in the dark. "Other than some of the older stages run years ago at the Maine Forest Rally, Kitigan Zibi is likely the longest stage we'll run all season-it's one of the few stages we've done that I've actually asked Dave, "how much further!?"

The teams plans to stay quick and tidy and avoid deploying any snow removal equipment during the event. "Once the shovel is out of the car, you're bleeding enormous time that's very hard to pull back. We're not snow/ice experts, but then again, it's not our first rodeo(or snowball fight) either!" said Cassidy. The team has competed many times at Perce Neige, but only once when their current Subaru STi had been freshly built. "The car was suffering significant mechanical issues on that event and the results reflected it. She's had significant development since that time and all Dave and I need to do is try and keep up with her!"

The team is looking forward to a busy 2011 season, which will include all Eastern Canadian Rally Championship events as well as the New England Forest Rally. "We're going to push hard this season, focusing on Canada. We love the organization, the fans and especially the competition-we're very excited to be back!"

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2010 Partners for their continued support:

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us

For more information on Rallye Defi, please visit: http://www.rallyeperceneige.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

September 14, 2010

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing, consisting of Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell, overcame significant adversity to crack the top 10 at the Rallye Defi in St. Agathe, Quebec Canada this past weekend. Finishing 10th of 36 starters was not as easy a task as they had initially hoped.

The fourth round of the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship, the event is held in the Laurentian Mountains near scenic Mont Tremblant. Cassidy last competed in Canada at the 2008 Rallye Defi with guest Co-Driver Jennifer Daley. "We had a very difficult event in 2008 and suffered a DNF due to max lateness after having a tank full of contaminated fuel," said Cassidy.

Cassidy and Getchell headed North without their usual complement of crew. "The new laws requires we have passports to travel to Canada, and our current crew are all new since 2008, so were without the proper documentation to join us." Given how active the team is in social networking, offers of help in service came in by cell and internet. "Harry Boucher volunteered to help us and we would have been quite a bit more stressed without his calm presence in the service park-our hats/helmets are off to him!"

Day one saw the crew tackle the new Montcalm stage, run twice. A new, technical stage, Montcalm proved to set the tone for the event for many crews. "While not setting a blistering pace on Montcalm, we were still in the thick of things and feeling out the car and the recent changes we'd made to it." said Cassidy. On the second run through the Lac Brunet stage, the team sheared the teeth off first gear in the transmission. "I launched a bit too aggressively on the pavement and the tranny just couldn't take it," said Cassidy. Limping back to service without first gear, the crew drained all the large metal chunks out of the transmission, filled it with fresh fluid and pressed on.

"It's the third time we've lost a gear in our 11 years in the sport, so it didn't throw us too much. We don't carry a spare transmission on the truck, so just had to roll with it. Dave and I discussed it and decided if we had all the other gears, we'd soldier on as best we could. Unfortunately most of the stage starts are uphill at Defi, so it made for a somewhat slower weekend than we expected."

Day two arrived with Getchell and Cassidy acting as their own service crew and getting the car to the service park in Montpelier, an hour or so away from St. Agathe. After reversing the car off the trailer, Cassidy was unable to get the transmission into any gear. Realizing the tenuous nature of their drivetrain, they were about to concede defeat and withdraw from the event, but friend Iain Fraser of Planet Motorsport used a bit of Scottish persuasion to get the transmission unstuck. Game on! Cassidy/Getchell headed to the stages to have a go.

"The stages at Defi were very short this year, and Dave and I knew we'd be loosing time off the line of every stage without first gear. We'd try our best to make up that loss on stage, but also knew it would be near impossible." As if the challenges weren't already enough, stage 2 on Saturday saw the battery in the intercom die, leaving Getchell to yell at Cassidy for most of the stage. Managing two top 10 stage times during the day and driving quick and tidy, the team fulfilled their goal of finishing in the top 10. "Starting each stage in second gear was painful. Dave was counting the seconds before we'd finally hit a speed where we'd get boost-once we did, it was like someone lit a rocket. On a 4-5km stage, 8-10 seconds is a huge deficit."

Cassidy and Getchell were impressed with the depth and talent of the competition in Canada. "Everyone's getting faster. The quality of the cars and crews is the best we've seen in some time." Last Ditch Racing is working to put together a challenge for the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship if they can arrange sufficient support. The team is hoping to attend the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki to kick off their 2011 season.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2010 Partners for their continued support:

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com
Kartboy, http://www.kartboy.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Luke Dobie Designs, http://www.lukedobiedesigns.com/
Openpaddock.net, http://www.openpaddock.net

Special thanks to Harry Boucher and Iain Fraser for their support on event at Rallye Defi!

For more information on Rallye Defi, please visit: http://www.rallyedefi.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
LDR's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

September 7, 2010

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing is heading to Quebec, Canada for Rallye Defi, round 5 of the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship.

Having had a mixed 2010 season that saw a return to form at the New England Forest Rally in July, Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell arenxious to get back to Canada.

"We've always enjoyed competing in Canada, and given our geographic location here in Maine, it feels more like home to us than the US Championship," said Driver/Owner John Cassidy The team last competed at Rallye Defi in 2008, and suffered a premature end to their rally when the car was filled with contaminated fuel. "It was devastating-we had a max lateness penalty on the first day, despite having a car that was fully functional after the fuel was changed."

LDR is unfortunately familiar with french rallying term, "Force Majeure," and vowed to return again when the time was right. "We've developed the car to a point where we feel we can be competitive in Canada again." Although running a 2.0L engine in their 2003 Subaru STi rally car, the team feels they can challenge some of the crews with larger displacement motors. "We may be behind the curve a bit in terms of displacement and with our transmission versus other teams, but we have the skill to push and the maturity to know when to pull it back a bit."

Cassidy and Getchell have a history of success in Canada. 2004 saw Cassidy take second Open Class driver in the championship and fourth overall driver. 2005 saw Cassidy and Getchell take second overall at the Rocky Mountain Rally behind Thomson/Hendrickson, with Cassidy again taking second Open Class driver for the season. "We've definitely had the majority of our success in Canada. Concentrating on the Rally America Eastern Regional Championship for the past few seasons has really limited what we've been able to do in Canada, and we're happy to point the tow rig North again!"

The team plans to start 2011 with Rallye Perce Neige in Maniwaki. "It's been far too long since Dave and I have been to Perce Neige as a team and we're excited to start the season off with what is arguably one of the most difficult events of the championship for a driver."

The team would especially like to thank VP Racing Fuels for their support in 2010. "The return to VP race fuels has a lot to do with our increased performance, and we've been amazed at what the Motorsport 109E fuel has allowed us to do with our engine tuning and we're looking forward to pushing the envelope a bit more in 2011!"

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com
Kartboy, http://www.kartboy.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Luke Dobie Designs, http://www.lukedobiedesigns.com/
Openpaddock.net, http://www.openpaddock.net

For more information on Rallye Defi, please visit: http://www.rallyedefi.com

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Please search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
LDR's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

July 25, 2010

Bangor, Maine USA

Bangor's Last Ditch Racing were challenged by the 2010 New England Forest Rally and persevered, taking to the podium in Saturday's race.

The sixth and final round of the 2010 Rally America Championship, this year's event saw more than 65 teams from across the USA step up to take on the notoriously rough stages in the woods of Western Maine.

LDR started the event with a new ECU in the car. The Link G4 Extreme ECU was tuned via the internet with the expertise of Dave Heerdegen of DTECH Motorsport in Tauranga, New Zealand. "Using Skype, we allowed Dave to remotely log into the laptop while it was connected to the car. We were able to get a very good tune on the car that saw it running the best it has in many events," said driver/owner John Cassidy. "The tuning was completed in three very long days. We had a great time working with Dave, but the 14 hour time difference, working my day job and working all night in the shop was a bit surreal and not the way we prefer to spend the week prior to an event."

Friday's stages saw the team having some shifting issues after the jump on the first stage, the Mexico Super Special. The transmission kept popping out of second gear and Cassidy was forced to drive with one hand while holding it in gear. The assumption was that the geometry on the shifter was keeping the shifter from fully engaging the gear. The crew trimmed the shifter surround and sent the crew back out. The issue progressed over the next couple of stages. Said Cassidy, "I knew something was wrong-the car would now stay in second, but would pop out of 4th. We had planned on making time over a stage that had several new miles added to it for this years' event, but I spent most of it holding it in 4th and driving with one hand, trying to do my best Sitg Blomquist imitation. Dave told me that was the fastest I'd ever driven with one hand."

At the second service, Cassidy asked the crew to check the engine and transmission mounts. The driver's side engine mount was indeed broken, likely letting go over the jump on the first stage. Without a spare mount, the crew used a ratchet strap to secure the engine for the final few stages of the day. WIth the engine no longer bouncing up into the hood, Cassidy and Getchell headed back out and set some competitive times, besting their personal record on the famous Concord Pond stage by 1 second with a ratchet strap holding the engine in the car!

With assistance from the Valley Tire team of Steve Quigley and Dana Nauss, a new motor mount was fitted for Saturday's stages. Not unexpected, the car shifted well and stayed in gear! The team were hampered by a mysterious lack of boost for the day. The problem was consistent though, and Cassidy and Getchell felt it better to work with what they had, rather than potentially create more issues by starting down a diagnostic pathway in the middle of the event.

"We pushed fairly hard and had a great time on the rough stages. Having proper anti-lag on the car was an eye-opener. We were taking some corners at speeds that were initially a bit unexpected, but we got used to it quickly. We haven't had ALS on our car since T-2, and that was a few years ago. We won three consecutive Regional Open Championships without it, but it sure is a lot more entertaining with it!"

The team already has parts on order for further development of the car in preparation for the remainder of 2010 and the 2011 season. "We're going to optimize some of the systems on board, and we'll be starting with the wiring system, and then focusing on the cockpit. The driver/co-driver interface with the car needs a little work. Having our office laid out efficiently increases our comfort level in the car, letting us focus on faster stage times."

Cassidy and Getchell are honored and proud to have the best crew in the sport: Bronson Crothers, Duncan Matlack, Drew Gladu, Drew Simpson, Erik Lee, Cullen Derepentigny. Special thanks to Sean Glenn for joining the crew for this event. Cassidy would like to thank his close friend and personal trainer Scott Kahkonen for all the punishment in the gym-it makes it all easier on stage!

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2010 Partners for their continued support:

VP Racing fuels, http://www.vpracingfuels.com
DTECH Motorsport, http://www.dtechmotorsport.com
Kartboy, http://www.kartboy.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Luke Dobie Designs, http://www.lukedobiedesigns.com/
Openpaddock.net, http://www.openpaddock.net

A special thanks to Mike at ACT clutch, Miles at Fine Line Import and Dave a Dtech for their support.

For more information on the New England Forest Rally, please visit: http://newenglandforestrally.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Please search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
LDR's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

Photo Copyright Pete Kuncis/Onalimbracing.com 2010

For Immediate Release

March 3, 2010

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's Last Ditch Racing had a mixed weekend at the recent 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri, ultimately claiming third overall of sixteen regional entrants and third in Open Class in Saturday's 100 Acre Wood Regional Rally.

The 100 Acre Wood Rally, round 2 of the Rally America 2010 National Championship, also comprised the Regional Rally Championship. As 2009 Eastern Region Open Class Champions, the team had come down to race again other regional champions in an attempt to take overall honors. The woods of Missouri had other plans for the team, however.

Friday's event was eventful, but not in a positive way. A slight off early on SS2 rattled Cassidy and Co-driver Adam Kneiip, and then halfway through the stage the team's exhaust manifold on their 2003 Subaru STi fractured, causing hot exhaust gases to blow onto components in the engine compartment. "In addition to not having any power due to lack of boost, we started to see smoke and smell burning rubber," said driver John Cassidy. "We were forced to make the decision to retire from Friday's event in order to save the car and ensure we'd be able to compete in Saturday's event."

Friday night saw the crew of fellow competitor Dillon Van Way weld up the team's header. As it was the second such failure in the same manifold in a couple of weeks, the team did not trust that it would hold and looked for an alternative. A local media person and Subaru enthusiast soon heard that the team was searching for a manifold and met the team at their hotel with the replacement. New part in hand, the crew replaced it in the early hours of the Saturday morning and the team were ready for Saturday's stages.

Morning came with the crew feeling fresh and confident in the car. The first stage saw Cassidy and co-driver Adam Kneiip continue to acclimate to each other's styles. At a low water bridge on the second stage, a slip joint in the exhaust system separated, creating worry in the car that they had another serious exhaust system failure. "Even with our noise canceling intercom, it was incredibly loud and I thought we had another hole on our hands. Driving a bit further on, I realized that, despite the noise, we still had full power and all systems were go."

Saturday saw the team chasing fellow Open Class crews of Henry/Cindy Krowlikowski in their ex-Prodrive Subaru and Chris Gilligan/Joe Peterson in their EVO 4. Said Cassidy, "I wish we could have pushed Henry and Chris a bit more, but we did all we could with the car we had. We'll continue to work hard to increase the performance of the car on our next outing!"

The 100 Acre Wood Rally saw Colorado co-driver Adam Kneipp sit with Cassidy for the first time. "It was obvious from the first time that we talked over the phone that Adam is meticulous and goal oriented. Adam slotted into the car and team seamlessly. We had a great weekend overall and perhaps we'll be able to get him back into the car later in the season."

The Last Ditch Racing crew were highly regarded in the service area at the event, and Cassidy/Kneipp want to thank them publicly. Drew Simpson, Zachary Sennett and Drew Gladu swarmed on the car each service and worked into the morning hours making sure that everything was perfect for Cassidy/Kneipp. "This event saw the crew really coalesce. I was amazed by the ownership and assertiveness the lads showed this weekend. Their strong work allowed Adam and I to maintain our focus on the race and developing our relationship within the car. Our helmets' are off to them!," said Cassidy.

Last Ditch Racing would also like to thank the Organizers for a fantastic event, as well as the fans/residents of Salem and Rolla, Missouri and all the towns the event travelled through. "The people of Missouri are some of the friendliest folks we've met in rallying and we felt right at home in Missouri. Maine feels a bit like Missouri, but without the awesome BBQ!"

2010 sees LDR with several new partners. LDR has partnered with VP Racing Fuels in the Northeast to run the new 109e race fuel. "We've run VP in the past, but rule changes meant we had to switch to another brand. Now that VP has come out with a newly formulated fuel, we're able to use our preferred brand. We'll soon be remapping our ECU to take advantage of the new fuel." Kartboy products, maker of short shifters, shift knobs, swaybar links and other performance oriented parts is also stepping up support this season. "We've run Kartboy decals on the car in the past, but now they're bigger! Kartboy makes products in the USA that are second-to-none in quality and performance. We'd only consider Kartboy for our mission critical suspension and driver interface parts."

Luke Dobie, of Luke Dobie Designs worked with California graphic artist Craig Woida to create a graphic design for Cassidy's Peltor helmet for 2010. "Luke has been doing custom paint at the pro level for some time. When he approached me about putting custom paint on my helmet, I jumped at the chance. Between he, Craig and I, we came with a design in short order and Luke made it happen incredibly quickly, even hand delivering the helmet to me here in Maine." Openpaddock.net is an online motorsport news clearinghouse and community. LDR has partnered with Openpaddock for 2010 to help share some insight with fans into what it takes to field a rally team. Cassidy has appeared as a guest on two Openpaddock podcasts to discuss rallying in the US as well as share his thoughts on the WRC as a rally fan and driver.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2010 Partners for their support:

VP Racing fuels. http://www.vpracingfuels.com
Kartboy, http://www.kartboy.com
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Luke Dobie Designs, http://www.lukedobiedesigns.com/
32North.com, http://www.32north.com/
Openpaddock.net, http://www.openpaddock.net

To view the Rally-America official highlight video, please visit, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8VnxwTu4OY

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: Please search for us on Facebook and Myspace.
To follow us on Twitter, please visit: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

July 26, 2009

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing overcame adversity to clinch the 2009 Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship at this past weekend's New England Forest Rally held in Bethel, Maine. Round 6 of the 2009 Rally America Championship, the New England Forest Rally is a driver's favorite and has a reputation for being somewhat rough and rocky.

Friday's stages consisted of two super specials and the famous Concord Pond stage. Hoping to better their top 10 stage time from 2008, it became apparent to Cassidy and Getchell early in the stage that the car was down on power. The team did what they could to minimize time losses, with Cassidy driving the car a bit further into corners and trying to carry speed where possible. A failing driveshaft was later identified and fixed during the overnight service.

Saturday saw the start of the Berlin Rally and the first two stages saw the team setting competitive regional times. But it was not to last. Cassidy could see white smoke trailing(and entering) the car as early as stage three. In service, oil seen on the skidplate and the crew surmised that there was an internal engine issue that was overpressurizing the crankcase, forcing oil out under load.

The team were battling with the Team O'Neil team of Knox/Wilburn in their Group 5 Mazda Speed3 for the Rally America Eastern Regional Open Class Championship. Knox had been leading the Eastern Regional Championship after a strong run in an Open Class Subaru at STPR. But Knox was having issues of his own-a gearbox leak causing concern.

The situation forced Cassidy/Getchell to change their mental approach to the race - ignoring the smoke and whine from the engine under load while still pushing as hard as possible took all energy they had. They had to resort to carrying supplemental oil onboard to top of the car before and after each stage. The final stage saw the two teams separated by mere seconds. With a 30 mile transit back to the finish at the Sunday River Resort after the stage, Cassidy/Getchell were carrying a full fuel load and 6 liters or supplemental oil. "We were the heaviest we'd been all day, and we knew the car was sick. We also knew that we had to pull out the best run of our day on our third run through the short, tricky stage," said Cassidy.

The stage went without incident and the crew felt they were clean and tidy. Now the long transit back to Sunday River, and the final MTC, began. The crew stopped every 12 miles or so to pour more oil into the engine. "It was all we could do to nurse her home. Every time we'd put the engine under load uphill, I'd see a thick fog of smoke blowing out the back. I don't think the line of cars behind us appreciated it very much, but we were in survival mode."

The team arrived at Sunday River and Co-Driver Wilburn found Cassidy. Cassidy/Getchell were 5 seconds quicker their last time through the stage and secured the final podium spot for the day, and the Eastern Regional Open Class Championship by a mere 3.3 seconds! The regional competition was very close, and all of the competitors agreed that it made for some good drama during the day. "We all came to race, and having to fight for seconds at the end of a physically and mentally taxing day is something we soon won't forget," said Cassidy.

Cassidy ended the 2009 Rally America Eastern Regional season first Driver in the Open Class and second in the Overall driver points. Getchell took second overall Co-Driver and second in Open Class. Last Ditch Racing has secured the Eastern Regional Open Class Championship the last three years in a row and the Eastern Regional Overall Championship in 2008.

Once their engine issues are sussed, the team is looking forward to competing in Canada later in the season as well as returning to the Rally America Regional Rally Championship in Missouri in 2010.

And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2009 Partners for their support:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markflemingphoto.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com

For Immediate Release

July 13, 2009

Bangor, Maine USA

Maine's own Last Ditch Racing heads to the the mountains of Western Maine and Northern New Hampshire for the New England Forest Rally, July 17-18.

Round 6 of the 2009 Rally America Championship will see Last Ditch Racing's Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell celebrating their 10th anniversary in both the sport and the event itself.

"We've come a long way in ten years, and we owe it to our talented crew as well as all the talented crews that we've raced against that have shown us how to prepare a car, manage a team, and run an event. Very few people, other than fellow competitors, understand what we go through simply to get the car to the start of the first stage. We're thankful to still have a passion for the sport and a desire to strap in and push ourselves to the limit."

The event will see the LDR crew starting 16th amongst a field of 50 competitors from the US and Canada. 2008 saw the team place a career best 5th overall, narrowly missing out on a wildcard invite to the Summer X-Games in LA. "We had a dream race last year, and I'm hoping we can run a tidy and quick race. Above all, we're going to have fun!"

Rally America Eastern Regional Rally Overall and Open Class Champions in 2008 and Eastern Region Open Class Champions in 2007, the LDR team is excited to be in the hunt for yet another regional Championship, currently sitting second in the 2009 Eastern Regional Championship. "We found a snowbank in February at the Team O'Neil rally and then had a power steering pump fail in Missouri. Both incidents cost us valuable time, but that's what rally is about-keeping cool in the face of adversity and driving quick enough to scare yourself, but not quick enough to crash! We went on to finish both events and that'll be the priority at NEFR-to finish."

The team will pilot their Open Class 2003 Subaru WRX STi sedan, a car they've been continuously developing over the past few seasons. "The car's in great shape and she's ready to go play in the dirt!"

Friends and fans can find the team at the Phoenix House at Sunday River on Thursday night from 7-9PM. The crew will be signing posters and the team's car will be on display!

For more information on the New England Forest Rally, please visit: http://www.newenglandforestrally.com

And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2009 Partners for their support:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markflemingphoto.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com

For photos, videos, team blogs and more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: To follow us on twitter, please visit: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing or find us on Facebook and/or Myspace and sign up as a friend or fan!

For LDR Videos, check out out Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

March 8, 2009

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing, a Maine based performance rally team, enjoyed an epic journey to the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri to compete in the Rally America Regional Rally Championship as well as the National and Regional portion of the events. The team were invited to compete in the Regional Rally Championship based on their finish as the Rally America Eastern Regional Overall and Open Class Champions in 2008. The team were also Eastern Regional Open Class Champions in 2007.

The 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem Missouri is round 2 of the 2009 Rally America Championship. Known as a fast and flowing event, it is in contrast to to the tighter, more technical roads the team is used to seeing at New England and Eastern Canadian events.

After an epic two days, filled with much drama, the team took 2nd place in the Rally America Regional Rally Championship, and 3rd in Open Class in the 100 Acre Wood Regional Rally. The results are but a small part of the weekend's story.

With the rally located just over 1,500 miles from the team's home base in Bangor, Maine, just taking the start is an accomplishment! Adding to the stress of moving the team halfway across the country, the day prior to the departure saw Maine hit with a large Nor'easter storm that dumped about 16" of snow on the team's headquarters. "I had to get the tractor out and snowblow just to get us out on the road. We didn't see another car on the highway that morning for over an hour," said driver/owner John Cassidy.

Once on the ground in Missouri, Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell spent most of Thursday on one pass recce, while the crew fettled with the car and put it through technical inspection. A frantic call from the crew to Cassidy informed him that the turbo restrictor was 0.06mm too large for the regulations. Without a spare, the crew were on the phone in a matter of minutes and found a machine shop in Salem, MO that specializes in design and repair of equipment for the lead mining industry. The crew brought the old restrictor and within 2 hours, the enthusiastic crew at the machine shop put a new restrictor in the teams' hands, enabling them to start the event. "I had no idea why the restrictor was such a miniscule amount over," said Cassidy, "but our car is always legal and we didn't want anything to put our results in Missouri in question. The work by the machine shop was exceptional and our helmets and hats are off to them!"

Clear to start the race on Friday, Cassidy and Getchell were off to a relatively slow start. After two stages, they found themselves more than 30 seconds behind 2007 RRC winners Henry and Cindy Krowlikowski. Determined to pick up the pace, disaster struck. One of the power steering lines developed a crack. Forced to race 3-4 stages with manual steering, Cassidy knew they'd bleed time. "It was a huge blow to our confidence. We went from race mode to survival mode. Good thing it's not our first time in that position. In addition to the power steering loss, we had a crack in the exhaust manifold. I was worried that the exhaust leak might cause the dripping fluid to ignite in the engine bay. Luckily that didn't happen, but other things that we expected did."

At the start of the last stage, while waiting to start, the crew heard the telltale screaming of metal on metal in the engine bay. On stage, the now dry power steering pump seized, causing smoke and sparks to fly out of the engine vents/scoop as the pump also took out the alternator/power steering belt. Able to finish the stage, Cassidy and Getchell shut down all unnecessary electrical systems as they knew they were now running on battery. "We had about 25 miles back to service and weren't sure if we could make it on just the battery." The answer came shortly later, when the lights started to dim, then flicker. With the low power level, the engine control unit started to run erratically, so the crew was forced to pull to the side of the dark Missouri country road. Fellow Subaru driver George Georgakopoulos pulled over and offered to tow the team into the final MTC of the night. Said Cassidy, "Being towed in a quiet, cold car, just 10 feet off the back of another careening through the dark at 50mph was quite a surreal experience. It took all my concentration to keep the tow rope taut and be safe. Without George, we'd never have completed 100 AW!" The team of Fox/Blattner graciously loaned the team a welder to make repairs to the exhaust header.

Seeing Steel Tulip-4 roll into the MTC on the hook, the service crew knew they were in for a long night. The crew sourced another power steering pump from fellow competitor Pat Moro. Again, without Pat's help, the team would not have completed the event. While the crew replaced the pump, Cassidy and Getchell headed to the local auto parts store for a replacement belt and power steering fluid. After dropping off the supplies to the team around midnight, Cassidy and Getchell headed back to the hotel while the crew worked through the cold night. Crack in the header welded up, Cassidy was awakened often by the crew with status updates on the repairs as well as for guidance on how to proceed. "It wouldn't have been so bad," said Cassidy, "but I had developed a nasty sinus infection that hit hard on Thursday night and was having trouble sleeping as it was. At one point, about 04:45, the crew called me and told me the Dodge Sprinter was dead on the side of the road! A deer had run out in front of them and they honked the horn. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the truck died and wouldn't restart. I fired up the laptop and went to the online Sprinter forums and found a post about someone having similar issues after using the horn. I told them to check fuse 7. It was blown as was the case in the forum post. The truck fired up and they continued on their way back to the hotel. They thought my ability to service the Sprinter over the phone out of a dead sleep was spooky! "

Starting Saturday over 3 minutes down on the first place Krowlikowskis, Cassidy and Getchell knew they needed to push. The crew assured them the car was 100%. On the transit out to the first stage of the day, the power steering hitched a few times and had Cassidy worried that he might not have it for long. Then the power steering pump began to squeal. Cassidy and Getchell played all the possible scenarios out in their minds. Replacement pump might be bad? High and low pressure lines might be swapped? Steering rack damanged? Belt too loose or too tight? They got to the next stage start a bit early and decided they'd take a late penalty if need be, if only to suss out the issue. Turns out the new belt was a bit loose and slipping, causing the squeaking. Tightened and good to go, they strapped back in.

The first leg of stages went well for the crew, but didn't see them setting any land speed records. Their close ratio gearbox, with the ultra short final drive-perfect for twisty Eastern events-was not working so well on the fast open roads in Missouri. "It was frustrating," said Cassidy, "We were pushing as hard as we could, but the drivetrain ran out of gumption just around 100mph. We needed another 10mph at least for Missouri." Temperature was also an enemy for the team. The team were running on Pirelli soft gravel tires for the first time at the event, and while Friday's temperatures were within the operating range for the tires, Saturday's temps were at the lower limit. At the second service, they decided to mount some Yokohoma AO-34 snow tires as the stage conditions from that point on were questionable with a winter storm warning posted for a possible 6-8" of snow. Competitor Krowlikowski was out with a blown turbo, so the team had an opportunity to push for another position at least. "There were no smiles when we heard that Henry and Cindy went out-they were having a fantastic event and to go out with a mechanical issue that is out of your control is always difficult."

To the team's surprise, the next 4 stages had no snow, but Cassidy found the Yoko's offered more grip than the Pirellis. "The Yokohama AO-34's have always been a favorite tire, and I love them more now. Although still not reaching the velocities they wanted, the team had power steering, a repaired exhaust header and sticky tires. "Although a bit late, things were as good as they could be for us! The last loop of 4 stages saw the team pulling into the finish control of each stage to find the car ahead still completing their paperwork-a sign we were making time. Each time we'd pull up and see them there, we'd high-five! It was a good feeling." It was a feeling that continued into stage 14. The stage was covered in about 4-5" of snow, and by this time, Cassidy and Getchell felt like they were at a Canadian Rally-familiar territory. "We were smiling like a couple of schoolboys with a naughty magazine. We knew this was our opportunity to have fun and go fast. The gearing of the car isn't really an issue in the snow, as it's about smoothness and commitment."

Stage 14 saw the team set the 10th quickest time, 1 second behind eventual event winner Ken Block. "We had a great time on that stage and passed one car and were catching a second, meaning we were clawing time back. It's the stage that represents the rally for us-the crew, local businesses and fellow teams had all worked together to get us to that point and we were standing on their shoulders in order to push through the snow in the dark-just a great feeling that'll we'll carry forward to the next event and beyond," said Cassidy.

The team ended their trip home just behind another snowstorm-the same that they had in Missouri-just now in the Northeast. Nine days and over 3,000 miles later, the team is ready for a bit of time off, but knows that assimilation back into, "normal," life won't be easy. Said Cassidy, "It's always difficult when you come back and friends and co-workers ask if you had a good time or a good trip-they just don't understand the depth of the answer we "could," give them! We usually say we had a good time and leave it at that!"

The team would like to thank their crew for their support prior to, and during, the event We couldn't have done it without you! Drew Simpson, Ken Anctil, Chris Boone, Bronson Crothers, Nate Haskell, Rob Sockalexis, Nate Sockalexis, Samantha Francis and Duncan Matlack.

The team's next event will either be STPR in Pennsylvania in June or the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in New Richmond Quebec in July. Check the team website for upcoming plans/events.

For more information the 100 Acre Wood Rally, please visit: http://www.100aw.org/

And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2009 Partners for their support:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markfleming.pixyblog.com/

For photos, videos, team blogs and more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
Social Networking: To follow us on twitter, please visit: http://www.twitter.com/lastditchracing or find us on Facebook and/or Myspace and sign up as a friend or fan!

For LDR Videos, check out out Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

January 28, 2009 Bangor Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing, a performance rally team based in Bangor, Maine travelled to the Team O'Neil Rally in Dalton, New Hampshire this past weekend. The first event of any sanctioning body for 2009, the event is held on and around the Team O'Neil Rally School in Whitefield, New Hampshire. Conditions were snow and ice, and Driver John Cassidy and co-driver Dave Getchell were set to defend their 2008 victory.

Rally is a fickle sport and this event was no exception for the LDR crew. The team found themselves off the pace for the first few stages, with Cassidy concerned that their turbocharger might be at risk due to unexpected noises under boost. The team had to resort to a spare turbo just prior to the event as their usual competition was found to be damaged. Said Cassidy, "We knew it was a gamble going with an unknown turbo, but we didn't have much choice. Once we realized, in spite of the noise, that we had consistent boost, we decided to try and ignore the fact that the turbo might grenade at any moment."

SS5 saw the team come into a L2 into R2 complex near the rally school. Cassidy cut the corner a bit too much and was sucked off the road when a combination of overplow, oversteer and debris in the ditch conspired against him. "It was an uphill right turn, and I cut it a bit too much. All of a sudden we had grip. The momentum we had carried us right off the road," said Cassidy. Coming to the team's aid were numerous spectators, including Mr. Tim O'Neil and Mr. Martin Headland, two of the most experienced persons with regard to rally car extrication. "I was sitting in the car and everyone was lifting the rear of the car, a few inches at a time, back onto the road. It was incredible. Then they all pulled on the tow strap and yanked us out."

The team set competitive times for the remainder of the stages, but fell down the order after the off behind some cars with less grip. "We caught a Mazda coming down a series of hairpins, which was quite fun," said Cassidy. "We didn't want to pressure them too much as weren't really in contention for an overall spot at that point, but T-4 doesn't like to go slow!" The Mazda crew graciously let LDR pass and finish the stage at speed.

Cassidy was hoping for more of a battle with X-Games BMX Superstar and Rally medalist Dave Mirra. "Dave is a fantastic guy and becoming very quick in a rally car. We've used each other over the last half of the 2008 season to gauge speed. We were clearly no match for Dave and Co-Driver Lance Smith at this event, but perhaps we'll see a closer race at the 100 Acre Wood Rally at the end of February." Rounding out the podium behind Mirra were fellow Mainer's Chris Duplessis in his VW Golf and Allen Downs in his Subaru Impreza.

"The event is fantastic, and it was great to see everyone come out and try their hand at what is the lowest grip surface we race on," said Cassidy. "To see 2 of the 3 podium spots filled with fellow Maine teams is very satisfying-we only wish we could have joined them!"

The team shifts its focus to the Rally America Regional Championship, held in conjunction with the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri in late February. "As Overall and Class Champions in the Northeast, we're invited to participate in the RRC," said Cassidy. "We showed good speed there last year, but lost the RRC due to a timing penalty. We definitely have some unfinished business there."

For more information on the Team O'Neil Rally, please visit: http://teamoneil.com/rally/
For more information the 100 Acre Wood Rally, please visit: http://www.100aw.org/

And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their Partners for their support:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markfleming.pixyblog.com/

For photos, videos, team blogs and more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
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For LDR Videos, check out out Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

November 25, 2008

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing clinched the 2008 Rally America Eastern Regional Championship in commanding form, taking top spots in both the Overall and Open Class rankings. Driver/owner John Cassidy and Co-driver Dave Getchell pulled off the best season of their careers so far.

The team maxed out their points total by winning three Eastern Regional rallies outright -- the icy Team O'Neil rally in New Hampshire, followed by the rough-and-dusty Mexico and Bethel regional events at the New England Forest Rally in Bethel, Maine.

The Team O'Neil Rally in Franconia, New Hampshire saw the LDR squad earn its first overall win. The LDR lads had some demons to exorcise at this event, especially after the 2006 O'Neil's rally where Cassidy slid wide on a greasy crest and center-punched a birch tree at 60mph. This year, things were different, despite exceedingly icy conditions on race day. "Those were some of the slippiest roads I've ever ridden on, much less raced on," says Getchell, "so I give John extra credit for not lifting into what's now known as Cassidy's Corner. Heh, I don't think he even looked at his tree!"

LDR arrived at their home event, the New England Forest Rally, with plans to push harder than they had in the past. "NEFR has become the centerpiece of our calendar over the past 9 years of competition," says Cassidy, "and it's where friends, family and team supporters always look for us to do well and we always strive to deliver." LDR traded stage times all weekend with PGT stars Pat Moro/Scott Crouch, BMX legend Dave Mirra/Alex Kihurani, and the late Jeff Moyle and his codriver Scott Putnam. "It was as if the stars aligned for us on this event," says Cassidy, "those sort of perfect rally days don't happen very often, and that made NEFR very, very special. The team and car were running at 110%. Dave and I clicked all weekend, and the team knew that my intensity level was cranked up a few notches." In addition to wins in both Regional events, NEFR brought the team a stellar fifth overall, their best-ever result in an American national rally.

2008 also saw LDR venture to Canada, where they've run for many years. At Rallye Baie des Chaleurs in Quebec the team ran conservatively to preserve the car for NEFR, a scant 10 days later. "We couldn't risk the car, but still wanted to put on a show for our Canadian fans and friends," says Cassidy. "Rallye Baie features a famous big jump at the end of the Camp Brule stage. We really like to push over the jump for the thousands of fans that gather there, but on the first pass we limped over lip on a flat tire. The second time we launched at the top of fifth gear with foot to the floor!" That second-pass jump involved some serious air time, and the LDR car landed off-camber so hard that co-driver Getchell was nearly knocked unconscious. The consolation was that they won the Longest Jump of the Rally Award--116 feet--besting the Subaru USA crew of Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino by a full 12 inches!

As a follow-up to the Eastern title, LDR will travel to the 100 Acre Wood rally in Missouri next February to battle top regional teams from around the country at the annual Regional Rally Championship. This will be LDR's second trip to the Regional Championships. 2007 saw them loose out on the title due to a penalty. "There definitely is unfinished business in the woods of Missouri," says Cassidy, "we'll load the rig up in a few months and head South to do what we can to get some closure. But this is rally, and we take nothing for granted."

The LDR team would like to thank their families, friends and fellow competitors, without whom this season would literally not have been possible. The Eastern Championship truly belongs to the crew that kept LDR going full tilt all season: Bronson Crothers, Duncan Matlack, Ken Anctil, Drew Simpson, Michael Rademacher, Rob Sockalexis and John Cassidy V.

The team would also like to express very special thanks to photographer Mark Fleming and videographer Kevin Sennett.

And finally, Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2008 Partners for so much support:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Mark Fleming Photography: http://www.markfleming.pixyblog.com/

For photos, videos, team blogs and more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com

For LDR Videos, check out out Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LastDitchRacing

To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing

For Immediate Release

September 11, 2008

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing headed to the beautiful Laurentian region North of Montreal for round 4 of the Canadian Rally Championship, Rallye Defi-St. Agathe.

Driver/owner John Cassidy was joined by co-driver Dr. Jennifer Daly for this event. Recce went smoothly, and Friday's smooth, short stages were seeing the crew get used to each other and some recent modifications to the car.

It all went pear shaped when the team refueled the car prior to embarking on the last few stages of the evening. Shortly after exiting the refuel area, the car died. Cassidy attempted to trouble shoot, but other than cranking the car and popping the hood to look for loose wires, there wasn't much to do.

Being just outside the service area, the crew opted to get pushed back in for repairs/troubleshooting and take a penalty for illegal servicing. Hoping to get back to the parc expose in downtown Ste. Agathe on time, members of several rally teams swarmed over the car. It was determined that the the recent fueling was to blame and the fuel tank was drained, showing a large amount of water in the fuel. A new fuel filter was sourced from the Subaru Canada support truck and the team was on their way to expose. The team had filled some fuel jugs from a half full barrel back at the shop, and the only explanation was that rain water found it's way into the drum.

Unfortunately for the team, although they had arrived at parc expose 22 minutes prior to their assigned out time, they had accrued maximum permitted lateness for the entire event. The Stewards informed the team that they would not be able to restart the second and final portion of the event on Saturday.

Said Cassidy, "Fielding a rally team is a huge endeavor on many levels for all competitors. Crew had flown in for the event from opposite ends of the continent, 100's of hours of car prep had gone into making sure the car was perfect. Te be struck down by something that was essentially non-rally related was heart wrenching for me as a team principal. Telling the team we were out was one of the most difficult announcements I've made to them in some time. We loaded a car that was ready to race back on the trailer and headed out for a late dinner. There was no other alternative, and at the end of the day, that's rally."

Not a team to dwell on the negative, the LDR service crew volunteered to fettle the Washpa Rally Team's Toyota MR2 for Saturday's stages. Cassidy hit the stages with pro photographer Mark Fleming and found out how difficult it is to catch rally cars in action-especially on a rainy day!

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank Jen Daly for strapping in the right seat and bringing chocolate chip cookies! We'd also like to thank Iain from Planet Motorsport, Karl Sprongl and Steward Ho from CanJam Motorsports for their help in the service park Friday night. We'd also like to thank crew on hand for the event: Duncan Matlack, Dave Getchell and Ken Anctil.

The team's next event will be Rally of the Tall Pines and possibly the LSPR rally in the UP of Michigan in October.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2008 Partners for their support:

Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com
Mark Fleming, http://markfleming.pixyblog.com/

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing
For more information on the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe, please visit: http://www.rallyedefi.com/

For Immediate Release

July 16, 2008

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing, defending 2007 Rally America Eastern Open Class Champions, took the overall and Open Class wins in both the Mexico Regional Rally and the Berlin Regional Rally at last weekend New England Forest Rally. Their performance was enough to earn them a fifth place overall in the national portion of the event, after starting 16th. The team set several top 10 stage times and set personal team records on seven stages. The New England Forest Rally, held in Western Maine and parts of New Hampshire, is Round 6 of the 2008 Rally America National Championship and regarded as one of the roughest and difficult events in the Championship.

The team began 2008 by taking the overall win at the Team O'Neil Rally in New Hampshire in icy conditions. The team continued on their winning streak by taking an award for the longest jump at the recent Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in Quebec and finishing 10th overall in the national event. The recent wins at the New England Forest Rally give the team a commanding lead in the Rally America Eastern Regional Rally Championship.

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell drove a tidy and quick event and brought their 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX STi home relatively unscathed. Said Cassidy, "This result is the equivalent of a win for us. To be 5th overall after a past production car world rally champion and two series contenders is amazing. Maine is known as a rough event and this year was no exception. We kept out of the scenery and had only one puncture, with the tire going flat after we were done with the stage. Dave and I were at the top of our game and reached a new level of performance in the car. We were definitely pushing and this is an event we'll remember for a long time!"

Some not familiar with the team were surprised with their impressive finish, but Cassidy expects more of the same in their remaining events this season. "We really struggled with development of our current car early on, leading to some poor finishes and a season where we went from fourth in the Championship to not scoring any points at all. Since last fall, we've hit our stride with the car and recent additions to our service crew have bolstered our confidence."

The team had close battles with Dave Mirra and Jeff Moyle, both piloting Subaru STi's prepared by Vermont Sportscar. "The cars we were racing are quite advanced relative to ours. Our ace in the hole was our experience and perhaps our advancing age! Both Dave and Jeff were right there throughout the event and our ability to avoid drama put us in a position to take 5th. On the final stage, we caught two cars near the end and literally had to stop in the thick dust because we just couldn't see the road. Mirra told me when he came through he didn't have any dust to contend with and that made me worry that he had perhaps caught us. He took 30 seconds out of us, but it wasn't enough and we held station."

The Maine Forest Rally 1999 was Cassidy's first event in a Honda CRX. "The team has made obvious significant strides over the last 9 years. We've still got plenty of room for improvement, but our hard work over the years as a privateer team is starting to pay dividends when we achieve a result like this. To have our career best finish at home after such a long time in the sport is a dream come true. It definitely fuels us to strive for bigger things in the future. We've been asked recently if we'd consider a full US national schedule next year, and while we'd love to do that, we'd need far more external support to do it properly. TIme will tell!" The team's next event will be the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe in Quebec, Canada.

John and Dave would like to thank their crew for their hard work and support, both on and off event: Bronson Crothers, Duncan Matlack, Ken Anctil, Drew Simpson, John Cassidy V and Rob Sockalexis.

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2008 Partners for their support:

Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing
For more information on the New England Forest Rally, please visit: http://newenglandforestrally.com/
For more information on the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe, please visit: http://www.rallyedefi.com/

For Immediate Release

July 4, 2008

Bangor, Maine USA

Last Ditch Racing flew high and far at the recent Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs, in New Richmond Quebec. Round three of the Canadian Rally Championship, the event, is known for it's driver's stages, combining technical sections with fast flowing sections. Conditions this year were especially difficult due to recent rain.

Finishing 10th overall, the team set 8 top 10 times out of 17 stages. A record 46 competitors took the start of the event, 27 finished and 19 DNF'd, attesting to the difficulty of the stages.

The team took the DC Shoes sponsored, "Longest Jump Award," after flying their 2003 Subaru WRX STi 116 feet off the famous jump at the end of the Camp Brule stage. Said driver John Cassidy, "The first time through Brule, we had a flat on the rear so couldn't take the jump with any speed. We only had one more pass and wanted to give the fans something to remember, so took the jump in fifth gear!" The team landed hard, nearly knocking co-driver Dave Getchell unconscious. Said Getchell, "That's the biggest hit I've taken without crashing!" DC Shoes principal Ken Block, suggested the award and won the rally outright in his 2008 Subaru Impreza STi, driving for the Subaru USA Rally Team. Block's jump was 115 feet. "Ken has really progressed in his driving over the past few seasons and devoted himself to the sport. His progress has been impressive and I think we'll see a lot more of him in the years to come," said Cassidy.

The event was universally praised by the crews. "We've been coming to the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs and have encouraged other US teams to do so. It's almost like one of those secrets you don't want to share with anyone, but we love the event and encourage all our fellow US teams to come up. It's clearly the top event in the North American calendar at the moment. We'll be back in 2009 and I'm sure more US teams will as well!"

The team's next event is their home event-The New England Forest Rally. Held in Rumford, Maine and based out of the Sunday River ski resort, the event is known for it's fast and flowing roads that are also filled with car breaking rocks. Said Cassidy, "This was our first event in 1999, and we've been there every year since. Because it's our home event, we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Coming so soon after Baie adds another degree of difficulty as there's car re-prep to do as well. The Fourth of July weekend will be a work weekend here at Triple Caution Farm!"

The team is hoping for a repeat of their 2006 10th place finish. "Erik and I finished 10th that year after a really clean run over the two days. We're hoping for a repeat and will do our best to give the home fans something to cheer about this year!"

Last Ditch Racing would like to thank their 2008 partners:
Triple Caution, LLC, http://www.triplecaution.us
Hydra EMS, http://www.hydraems.com
Team O'Neil Rally School, http://www.teamoneil.com

A special thanks to Planet Motorsport for their on site support at Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs. Thanks to Subaru Canada for their support of the Canadian Rally Championship in 2008.

Dave and John would like to thank their crew for the event: Duncan Matlack, Ken Anctil, John Cassidy and Drew Simpson

For more information on Last Ditch Racing, please visit: http://www.lastditchracing.com
To Purchase Last Ditch Racing Gear, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/lastditchracing
For more information on the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs, please visit: http://www.rallyebdc.com/
For more information on the New England Forest Rally, please visit: http://www.newenglandforestrally.com/

A big congrats to Mark Fleming for his recent win at the Adobe Photoshop World 2008. conference. He won the Best in Show Prize/Guru Award for his photo of T-4 airborne at the 2006 New England Forest Rally. He also won in the photography category for a separate photo.

Photoshop World Winners

To see more of Mark's fantastic work, check out his blog site at:
Mark Fleming

Congrats Mark, and thanks for making us look soooo sexy! :-)

Cheers! John

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing is readying for their home event, the Maine Forest Rally, July 30-31 in Rumford Maine. Known as both a rough rally with both fast and flowing and technical sections, the event has been among the most popular rounds of the SCCA ProRally Championship series and is often heavily subscribed.

The team is no stranger to the event, the 1999 edition being driver/owner John Cassidy's first ever competitive event. "I can't say enough good things about the event. The roads are awesome and it's one of the few events close enough for our fans and family to attend." Historically one of the most popular rounds of the US Championship series, relatively few Maine residents know of it's existence. "I hope we see more Mainers out on the stages this year to experience this awesome event!"

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing brought home second place overall and first place in Open Class in the Ontario Provincial Rally Championship portion of the 40th edition of the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki Quebec. The team placed seventh overall, and fourth in the Open Class in the national event.

The one day event saw driver John Cassidy and co-driver Dave Getchell cover 233 km of special stages and 435 km of total distance over the 13 hour event. The event challenged the competitors with one of the longest stages in North American rallying at 50.40 km. "To drive a stage that long is exciting," said Cassidy. "It speaks to the way rallies used to be and really tests our ability to maintain focus over a long period of time. It's a challenge Dave and I enjoyed."

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing has completed the 2004 season with a point scoring run at the Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario.

The team completed the 2004 Canadian Championship in second place in both Open Class driver and co-driver categories, behind Canadian Champions Patrick and Nathalie Richard. The team stands 7th overall in the Canadian Championship among all drivers.

"To say that we're pleased is an understatement," said driver/owner John Cassidy. "The crew and the team set a goal of being a top 10 team in the Canadian Championship this year. We were able to do that by being consistent and finishing in the points. To be second in the Open Class is a monumental achievement for our grassroots team. We couldn't be happier."

Last Ditch Racing, a Maine based performance rally team is set to participate in the Rally of the Tall Pines, the final round of the Canadian Association of Rallysport Championship season. Held in Bancroft Ontario, the event features cold temperatures and often slick road conditions.

The 2003 edition of the event saw the team find the first ditch, putting their Impreza WRX into the woods shortly after starting the first stage. Said driver John Cassidy, "We learned a hard lesson about running the wrong tires for the conditions and were lucky we didn't damage the car or ourselves more."

The team has had an outstanding 2004 season, and is currently sitting third in the the Open Class and 8th overall in the championship. The team also sits 4th overall in the North American Rally Championship.

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing overcame substantial adversity to bring home multiple awards at the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe/Duhamel in Quebec Canada this past weekend. The rally was round four of the Canadian Rally Championship.

Just starting the event was an achievement for the team. Their Open Class Subaru Impreza WRX was not running the day prior to the event. On the way to St. Agathe, the team delivered the car to LaChute Subaru Performance for diagnosis and repair. While LaChute worked on the car, the team participated in recce for the event, not knowing if they'd have a car to start the next day.

The hard work of the LaChute crew paid off as the car was done one our before the deadline for technical inspection. Driver/owner John Cassidy said, "The efforts of LaChute and the Last Ditch Racing crew were Herculean. We toiled over and worried about the car for quite some time. Dave and I ran recce as we normally would, checking in with LaChute mechanics when we had cell phone service. I really don't want to see my cellphone bill!"

Maine based peformance rally team Last Ditch Racing is set to contest round 4 of the Canadian Rally Championship at the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe/Duhamel, September 10-11.

The 2003 edition of the rally saw the team take their first top 10 in a Championship event, taking ninth. The team had previously placed as the top American team in 2002.

The team is coming off a solid finish at the SCCA Maine Forest Rally ProRally. "We had a spin into a ditch at Maine, but were able to drive out of the stage. By that time, we had lost a lot of time," said Cassidy. The team then had to stop and change a flat, leading to more time. "It wasn't the way we would have liked the rally to go, but it's typical for Maine Forest!"

The team has been making some improvements to the team infrastructure as well as the car. John Cassidy, driver/owner, is pleased with the team's progress. "We always push ourselves to improve some aspect of the team between events." The team has made some improvements to the car as well as a new car trailer they recently acquired.

The Bangor Maine based Last Ditch Racing ProRally team had an eventful debut of their new 1998 Subaru WRX rally car.

The team started Friday's stages in 52 position, and ended the day in 27th position. The team completed the ProRally in 29th position and 15th in class. They completed the ClubRally in 17th position, 12th in class.

Saturday saw driver/co-driver John Cassidy and Dave Getchell run wide on a corner 4/10s of a mile from the finish of Special Stage 5-Magalloway.

Said Cassidy, "I got a little too wide on a turn near the end of the stage and the right rear of the car entered the ditch hard, breaking our Revolution rally wheel off the hub on some rocks. I thought the whole rear suspension was gone, but we drove it out-that's what we do on our team, drive it until it won't go."

Cassidy and Getchell put a new wheel on the car and limped back to the 11 minute service stop without brakes. "We radioed the team that we had significant damage. We knew we couldn't repair it completely in the allotted 11 minutes," said Cassidy. The service crew pulled the wheel and found that the brake disc had shattered, and the brake pads were gone. The trailing arm was cracked halfway through and a lateral link was quite badly bent.

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing completed the hot and dusty Maine Forest Rally, Round Six of the 2004 SCCA ProRally Championship Presented by Hot Wheels®.

Friday's stages saw the team climb from a 24th position start to 14th at the end of the night. Said driver John Cassidy, "We were pushing, as we knew the stages were rough and we thought we could put a little distance between ourselves and some of the other teams."

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing completed the fast and flowing Rocky Mountain Rally, May 28-29. The rally was round two of the Canadian Rally Championship and saw the team finish in 15th position overall and 5th in the Open Class.

The team's speed suffered due to a progressive boost leak in their turbo system. Driver John Cassidy said, "We knew that we'd be down on power with the combination of the altitude and the required turbo restrictor, but what we experienced was beyond our expectations. As the day progressed, the car seemed to progressively loose power." Despite the mechanical issues, the team persevered and was pleased to take home another finish and 5th in class.

Last Ditch Racing drove their normally aspirated Subaru Impreza to eighth place in the Sherwood Forest ClubRally this past weekend at the Susquehannock Trail ProRally in Wellsboro Pennsylvania. Just four seconds out of seventh place, the team were the highest placing normally aspirated car in the ClubRally behind a gaggle of Subaru WRX's and Mistubishi Evolution's. The team were third of the Seed 4 drivers.

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell pushed their Impreza to the limit over the fast and slick stages. Cassidy and Getchell usually drive a turbocharged Impreza in the Open class, but having raced it last weekend in the Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary Canada, the team chose to run the normally aspirated car in order to compete in Pennsylvania. Steel Tulip, as the car is affectionately known, was up to the challenge.

Maine based performance rally team Last Ditch Racing is making final preparations to their Open Class Subaru WRX in anticipation of attending round two of the Canadian Rally Championship - the Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary, Alberta, Canada May 29, 2004.

The team is coming off a 10th place overall and sixth in Open Class in the snowy Rallye Perce-Neige-Maniwaki. The team also took their first rally podium in the concurrent Ontario Regional event and a third in Open class. The team is currently 10th in the CARS Championship standings.

Last Ditch Racing, comprised of driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell, piloted their Subaru Impreza WRX to a 10th overall finish at the Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki, the first event of the Canadian Association of Rally Sport Championship series. The team finished 5th in the high-power Open Class.

The team also brought home their first career podium finish, placing 3rd in the Ontario Regional Rally Championship event and third in the Open Class.

Conditions were perfect with several inches of fresh snow falling the day prior to the event. The event also saw some of the longest stages in North American rallying with two stages exceeding 45 kilometers in length.

Last Ditch Racing, a Maine based ProRally team comprised of driver John Cassidy and co-driver Dave Getchell, is poised to begin the 2004 Canadian Association of RallySport Championship in Maniwaki, Ontario at the Rallye Perce-Neige-Maniwaki February 6-8. The first event in the Canadian Rally Championship, Perce-Neige is a snow/ice event and will see the team covering 212 kilometers of special stages and 409 kilometers overall in their turbocharged Subaru Impreza WRX.

The team is anxious to get back on the stages, after a poor tire choice led to an, "off," in November at The Rally of the Tall Pines. Said LDR drive John Cassidy, "We went out on hard compound gravel tires in the cold weather and it's a lesson we won't soon forget!" The team was not injured in the incident and the car has been repaired for the 2004 season.

Last Ditch Racing, Maine's premiere ProRally team, displayed their two Subaru Impreza rally cars at the 16th annual Northeast Motorsports Expo in Augusta Maine, January 2-4. The team was pleased to receive a, "Best in Class," trophy. The show drew thousands of racing fans over its three days.

The team was kept busy during the show introducing the cars and the sport of rally to the predominately circle track/drag racing/pulling crowd. Said owner/driver John Cassidy, "We were both surprised and pleased with the reception the team and the cars received at the Expo." Cassidy attributes part of the warm reception to a higher general public awareness of rally as well as the fairly recent introduction of four cylinder cars in the world of circle track racing.

Performance Rally team Last Ditch Racing will be displaying the team's two Subaru Rally cars at the upcoming Northeast Motorsports Expo, January 2-4 2004 at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine. The show, now in its sixteenth year, attracts thousands of fans of motorsport from all over New England. Last Ditch Racing's appearance will mark the first time a rally team has displayed at the Expo since the late Carl Merrill displayed his Chevy S-10 rally truck there many years ago. Said team driver/owner John Cassidy, "We're very proud to be a Pro level team from Maine and are eager to share our sport with fans at the show."

The 2003 season saw the team participate in six event across the country and Canada. The team enjoyed their first ever top 10 finish at the Rallye Defi. Ste-Agathe/Duhamel, a Canadian National Championship event. 2003 also saw the team's first entry in the North American Rally Cup. Cassidy was fifth in the Overall Driver standings and Getchell took seventh in the Overall Co-Driver standings.

Last Ditch Racing found the first ditch at the 2003 edition of the Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario, claiming the dubious honor of being the first DNF at the rally this year. This is the team's first DNF of the 2003 season.

Driver/owner John Cassidy and Co-driver Dave Getchell had several successful shakedown runs on Friday prior to taking the start on Saturday. Said Cassidy, "The car was awesome-the recent improvements were made were significant and the feeling in the car was very good."

Maine based Pro Rally team Last Ditch Racing heads North to Canada to compete in the Rally Of The Tall Pines, November 21-22.

As noted on the event website, "Dirt, snow and ice routinely mix together on the roads to provide a supreme test of driving skill. As the final event of the Canadian Rally Championship, the Rally of the Tall Pines also features tight year-end battles which make for hard driving and great spectating." Attended by more than 8,000 fans in 2002, the event is the last in the 2003 Canadian Rally Championship.

Maine based Last Ditch Racing scored its first top 10 career finish at the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe-Duhamel in Quebec this past weekend, contesting a close battle with many top Canadian drivers. Defi is the seventh round of the Canadian National Rally Series. The team clinched the tenth spot after starting as the lowest positioned Open Class car in 29th position.

Driver/Owner John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell drove their Open Class Subaru Impreza through the challenging stages with the consistency and increasing speed that has become their trademark over the 2003 season. Said Cassidy, "We always get faster as the race progresses, and we were pushing quite hard to bring home our first top ten finish. This is our second race with a fairly stock Open Class car and the potential looks substantial for future events as we continue development of the car."

 Last Ditch Racing is making a return to Canadia and the Canadian National rally series for the Rallye Defi-St. Agathe on September 5-6, 2003. At Defi in 2002, the team won top US team honors as well as an entry into the inaugural Targa Newfoundland. Targa saw the team bring home a class win.

The team recently upgraded to a 1998 turbo-charged Subaru Impreza that saw its first outing at the recent Maine Forest Rally. Despite a fairly hard hit after an excursion into a rock filled ditch there, the car will be in fighting shape for Defi. "We broke and bent a couple of things at Maine Forest, but that's not unusual in the life of a rally car-we don't pamper them," said Cassidy.

Last Ditch Racing, a Maine USA based ProRally team known for their consistency and sense of humor is pleased to announce that the team is growing!

The team will be taking delivery of a T.A.D Motorsports prepped 1998 Subaru Impreza to race in the Open class. The car features a Version 3 STi engine and drivetrain. Said driver/owner John Cassidy, "Despite all the challenges we've been faced with this season, we're striving to be as competitive as possible on a privateer budget." The car will feature a closer ration gearbox with limited slip differentials and far more horsepower than their current Impreza.

The car will replace the team's stalwart 1994 Subaru Impreza, affectionately named, "Steel Tulip." After shopping the car around for the team, co-driver Dave Getchell decided to buy the car himself to drive in select club events in both the US and Canada. Said Cassidy, "Tulip has been all the way from Newfoundland to California. She's a great car, and I'm ecstatic that she'll remain in the Last Ditch Racing stable-especially now that we have all the bugs worked out!"

Last Ditch Racing drove their normally aspirated Subaru Impreza across the finish line at the Susquehannock Trail Pro Rally in Pennsylvania to earn a second place finish among Seed 5 drivers, a ninth place finish in the hotly contested Open Class and 26th position overall. The team started the event in 54th position.

Last Ditch Racing campaigned the only normally aspirated cars in the top ranked Open Class at the event. Driver/owner Cassidy is pleased with the effort. "The weekend was a very strong showing for the team, demonstrating once again that we're improving with each race." The event saw high attrition due to the wet and slippery conditions. Said Cassidy, "There were sections of some stages where I thought the steering wheel wasn't connected to the wheels anymore!"

Last Ditch Racing, a Bangor Maine based ProRally team, is making final preparations to attend the Susquehannock Trail ProRally(STPR) in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania June 7-8.

STPR is round 3 of the SCCA ProRally Championship.

Last Ditch Racing recently completed the Rim of the World ProRally in Palmdale, California. The team posted their best finish to date, gaining 19 positions positions to finish 24th in the Pro event and 12th in the ClubRally. The team also posted two top 10 stage times in the ClubRally event, another first. The wet and muddy conditions suited their all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza.

Last Ditch Racing posted their best finish to date, finishing 24th after starting 43 in a field of 80 cars in the SCCA sanctioned Rim of the World ProRally, in Palmdale California this past weekend. The team was the furthest continental entry to the event.

In the ClubRally portion of the event, the team finished 12, posting two top 10 stage times, another first for the team. Throughout the event, the team bested some turbo-charged all wheel drive cars in their normally aspirated 2.5L Subaru Impreza. Cassidy attributes their performance in the mud to aggressive driving and their recently installed PhantomGrip rear limited slip differential unit. “Even with all wheel drive, we often found the car going in un-intended directions,” said Cassidy. “Without the PhantomGrip unit, our weekend would have been much less enjoyable!”

Last Ditch Racing, a Performance rally racing team from Bangor, Maine is making preparations for the 3,500 mile journey to the The Rim of the World Rally in Palmdale, CA, May 3-5.

Rim of the World rally is the second round of the 2003 SCCA(Sports Car Club of America) ProRally championship series, and the first gravel event on the calendar. Last Ditch Racing finds itself in an 80 competitor field comprised of factory teams from both Subaru USA, Mitsubishi USA, international and domestic entries.

Driver/owner John Cassidy and co-driver Dave Getchell are coming off a successful finish at the Rallye International de Quebec, where they gained 9 spots over the two day event and looking forward to heading West.

The team is putting the finishing touches on their Subaru Impreza. "Rim of The World is known as a rough and usually dusty event," says Cassidy, "but our home event, the Maine Forest Rally has a similar reputation."

Last Ditch Racing, a Bangor, Maine based performance rally team has initiated the entry process for 20th edition of the renowned Rim of the World Rally in Palmdale, California May 3-5, 2003.

Rim of the World Rally is the second rally on the 2003 SCCA ProRally Championship calendar. From the Rim of the World website, "Rim 2003 will consist of twelve stages in the Angeles National Forest that are from four to twelve miles in length. Competitors will run five stages on Friday night and eight stages on Saturday. Rim's roads are notorious for their tight, twisty, undulating character and the fact that they run along cliffy ridge-top roads. "Waterbars" - dips and rises built into the roads to divert water across into culverts, test a car's suspension severely and demand a precise line ... but then, so do the "exposures" (cliffs)!"

Last Ditch Racing is pleased to announce the addition of two substantial team sponsors for the 2003 season. www.mainehost.com and www.phantomgrip.com

Mainehost.com, a Maine based internet company, has partnered with the team to provide them with reliable, high bandwidth website hosting. This will allow the team to continue to build their growing internet presence and following. Mainehost.com offers hosting, e-commerce solutions as well as web design and promotion services.

Team owner/driver John Cassidy says of the support, "We're very excited to be partnering with a Maine company for our web hosting. Internet presence is paramount for rally teams today, and our site has always been heavily trafficked by fans from all over the world." Cassidy sees the partnership with Mainehost.com as natural. "As native Mainers, we feel very strongly about seeking local support for our efforts in achieving podium results."

Last Ditch Racing gained nine positions to finish 20 overall in the FIA sanctioned Rallye International de Quebec this past weekend. The team finished third of the seed 5 drivers.

The rally was the most intensive effort for the four year old team yet, with one day of recce and pace note creation, and two full days of racing combined with extremely long transits. The team was one of only 23 finishing teams out of a starting field of 38 National entries.
Last Ditch Racing was entered in the Open class, which included Subaru and Mitsubishi factory teams and an ex-factory Hyundai entry. "Our car isn't really an Open car mechanically," said Cassidy. We have a stock engine and gearbox with open differentials. With sponsorship help, we hope to continually develop the car into something more competitive."

Driver John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell enjoyed the event and only broke out the shovels twice. Said Cassidy, "I was hoping to not put us in a position to have to get out the shovels, but as the day wore on and temperatures dropped, the conditions became more slippery. We simply understeered off the road." The team was pulled out by other teams, namely the two Subaru Justy teams. "That's the spirit of the event," said Cassidy. "You pull someone out and someone else pulls you out. Half the field wouldn't have finished without their tow straps!"

The Last Ditch Racing equipe de service performed well in the cold conditions, keeping the car, "Steel Tulip," fresh and ready for Cassidy and Getchell to attack the stages. The team and the crew look forward to their next event, the STPR rally in Pennsylvania in June.

Last Ditch Racing(LDR), a Bangor Maine based ProRally team, is ready to make snow fly at the 10th annual, FIA sanctioned Rallye International Quebec (www.rallyedequebec.com) February 26-March 2. This will be the team's second appearance at the event and their inaugural event of the 2003 season.

Last Ditch Racing is putting the finishing touches on their 1994 Subaru Impreza, now updated with a 1999 Impreza RS 2.5L engine with LINK PLUS engine management provided by www.i-speedusa.com. The engine management system will allow the team to "tune," the engine for reliability and performance and allow them to monitor critical engine functions.

Team owner and driver, John Cassidy, anticipates a good showing. "We've gone through the car and it's in fighting form! With new kevlar underbody protection and our LINK PLUS engine management system, we're on track for a solid finish at RIQ."
Joining Cassidy as co-driver will be fellow Mainer Dave Getchell. This will be Getchell's second event in the right seat, having completed the Maine Forest Winter ClubRally with Cassidy in December 2002. They are hoping to leave the shovels in the trunk at this event! This will be the pair's first exposure to, "recce," and they will create their own pace notes for the event.

Coming off a very successful 2002 season, the team is looking forward to running in the Open class, which is filled with turbo-charged all wheel drive. "We're currently looking for one or two key sponsors that can help us reach our goal of running a competitive car in the Open class, both in the US and in Canada," says Cassidy.

Last Ditch Racing welcomes www.i-speedusa.com as a new team sponsor. The company will be supplying the team with the well known LINK PLUS ECU stand alone engine management system. The LINK will allow the team to tune their engine for maximum reliability and performance. Prior to their last event, the team spent several weeks wiring up their stock engine control unit to run a transplanted 2.5 litre Impreza RS engine into the car. John Cassidy, team owner and driver says: "It was terrible-we kept Eric busy for at least two weeks straight trying to get it to run. Although the engine runs at present, it's not optimized. The LINK PLUS will allow us to have performance and reliability, which are two things all rally teams strive for!"

I-speedusa.com is a California business specializing in engine managment and tuning, as well as the installation of the the USDM WRX drivetrain into older Imprezas. Turbo installations into the venerable Impreza RS is another offered service.

Bangor, Maine (12/10/02) - Last Ditch Racing, a Bangor, Maine team, consisting of Driver/owner John Cassidy and Co-Driver Dave Getchell, completed the 5 stage snow event despite two off-road excursions.

The event was the first outing for their updated Subaru Impreza, now considerably lighter and more powerful. "We spent the week before the event trying to make the engine run correctly-it wasn't the way we like to prep for an event," said driver/owner John Cassidy. "The car refused to start the night before the event, so we just winched it into the trailer and headed to Rumford anyway."

To the relief of the team, the car started on race day. The team found the stages comprised of packed snow with some loose snow on top and the occasional ice. "We were basically road testing the new version of the car," said Cassidy. Grip was a scarce commodity, but the snow experience will stand the team in good steed for upcoming Canadian and US snow events.

The Maine Forest Winter rally, once a staple on the ProRally calender, has not been held for a number of years. "I started rallying the year following the last Maine Winter event, so running this event is a dream come true for myself and the team," said Cassidy. Cassidy and Getchell posted the 11th fasted time on SS 5, ending the day on a high note.

Last Ditch Racing completed 9 events in 2002. With two podium finishes at Canadian national events and a first in class at the inagural Targa Newfoundland, the team is poised to build next year. The team only experienced one DNF this season at Charlevoix after running out of spare tires.

“I’m very pleased with the car, the team, and the way my driving is progressing,” said Cassidy. The team plans on running select National Canadian events and SCCA ProRally events in the Open class.

Last Ditch Racing, a performance rally team based in Maine is pleased to announce Primm Motorsport as a new sponsor for 2003.

Primm has supplied product to the team in the past, but not in as a sponsor. Last Ditch Racing is one of four teams picked by Primm for the 2003 season sponsorship. "We're very pleased to welcome Primm on board for 2003," said team owner and driver, John Cassidy. "In order for us to be competitive, we need quality equipment at competitive pricing, and that's why I've been a Primm customer in the past-the product, pricing and service are outstanding."

Last Ditch Racing is bringing their Subaru Impreza to Open Class compeition for the Maine Forest Winter rally Dec. 7 and 2003. Cassidy welcomes the increase in power and the ability to strengthen the car. "We've run the car in PGT in the states and P-3 in Canada for the last few events. "We've done quite well, but we're driving the car to the limits of the stock drivetrain." For 2003, the car will be lightened, strengthened, and get a boost in power by way of an Impreza 2.5 RS engine. "The RS engine will give us nearly 60bhp more than we have currently-combined with some weight reduction, we should have some fun!," says Cassidy.

Last Ditch Racing is welcoming Dave Getchell into the Co-Driver's seat for the Maine Forest Winter rally on December 7. "Dave has been an integral part of the team in a service capacity, and I'm excited to show him what a stage looks like from inside the car!," said Cassidy. Getchell co-drove in Ski Sawmill 2002, but his race ended prematurely after a spectacular roll.

Last Ditch Racing completed leg one of the 16th edition of the Rallye International Charlevoix, ending it's day on a lonely stretch of road with only three wheels on the car.

Stage six claimed two tires on the passenger side of the car. Equipped with one spare, the team changed the tire, and soldiered on for nearly 25km with three tires. The tire began to delaminate and the team decided to call it a day rather than damage the car.

Day one saw 12 of the 30 entries retire for a multitude of reasons. The stages were extremely slippery, often comprised of both snow and gravel surfaces, making tire choice difficult for all the teams.

Despite the flat tires, the team found their P-3 Impreza to be working well in the snow. "It took me awhile to get used to the rough and slippery conditions, but we go into a groove after having a minor off on SS 1 and loosing some time," said Cassidy. "It was difficult accepting a retirement because of tires, but we drove on the rim until it became impossible. We were starting to post some better times and move up in the standings by the end of the day as we adjusted to the conditions."

Charlevoix marked the team's seventh event for 2002, and is the team's first DNF this season. Last Ditch Racing's next and final event for 2002 will be the Maine Forest Winter Rally, held in December.