Los Angeles – The 2014 California Rally Series Championship is set for an exciting conclusion at the Prescott Rally October 3-4 in Prescott, AZ.  With over 110 miles of fast, flowing gravel stages, the Prescott Rally always delivers excitement.  With many class championships to be decided, this year’s event promises to be a nail-biter right to the very end.

hdt psFive of the top six placed drivers in the predominately turbocharged four-wheel drive Open class are making the trip to Prescott with hopes of securing the year end trophy.  Fresh off a win at the Gorman Rally last month, John Trucks and co-driver Christopher Fine have a narrow lead of just nine points over Todd McAllister and co-driver Trent Bateman.  With a total of 500 points up for grabs over the weekend, fourth place driver Chuck Wilson can’t be ruled out.  He’s competed in Prescott many times in both two and four wheel drive, so look to him to have the experience advantage.  Meanwhile, David Easter and David Ault, sitting in fifth and sixth place, respectively, will be fighting hard to move upwards in the standings.

 prescott 2014 4To call the competition tight in the small-displacement, two-wheel drive CRS-2 class would be an understatement. Prescott always brings out great competition, and this year five of the top seven drivers in CRS-2 will be there to do battle.  Coming in with the points lead are Markus and Alicia Saarinen who lead the driver and co-driver categories, respectively in their Mini Cooper.  However, their lead is vulnerable after an off road excursion took them out at the Gorman Rally.  Looking to knock the Saarinens off the top spot are son and father team Bret and Doug Robinson, who are in third place.  Their VW Golf was plagued by mechanical issues in the beginning of the season, but has proven to be very fast when working properly.  Just a few points behind the Robinsons are husband and wife team Erik Christiansen and Amy Floyd, also in a VW Golf.  They hope to capitalize on several years of experience at Prescott and gain as many championship points as possible.  Last year’s CRS-2 champs, Kris and Christine Marciniak have been sitting out most of this season, but will return at Prescott with a freshly built motor in their Dodge Neon.  Look to them to play spoiler in the CRS-2 points chase.  Also in the wildcard slot is Jason Lightner who can be very fast in his Porsche 911 as long as he isn’t having mechanical issues.

chavez hdt 2014Husband and wife team Tony Chavez and Raquel Salas have already wrapped up the production-based two-wheel drive Performance Stock (P-Stock) class championship in their VW Golf.  Without a points-race to worry about, they plan to fight for the overall two-wheel drive win at Prescott.  Chavez is a CRS veteran with decades of experience behind the wheel, so expect them to be pushing hard.  Rumor has it they will be switching to a freshly built CRS-2 car for 2015.

The Prescott Rally takes place on smooth dirt roads outside of Prescott, AZ on October 3-4, 2014.  The rally is a favorite among CRS competitors for its flowing stages and breathtaking views.  For more information on the Prescott Rally, visit http://www.prescottrally.com/.

The California Rally Series is the premier performance rally championship in the southwestern United States.  The Series incorporates events from various sanctioning bodies in order to create a meaningful regional championship for its members.  The Series celebrates more than 35 continuous years of performance rally, making it the longest running rally series in the United States.  To learn more about the California Rally Series visit www.californiarallyseries.com and follow @crspress on twitter.