RALLY CARS RACE BY ROUGHING IT; RIM OF THE WORLD ROUTE TAKES DRIVERS INTO BACK COUNTRY.Byline: Romy Jacobson Daily News Staff Writer Dave White makes a nice save as his 180-horsepower Volkswagen GTI GTI Gas Technology Institute GTI Global Taxonomy Initiative GTI Good Time Interval GTI Guelph Turfgrass Institute GTI Green Theme International GTI Gordon Training International GTI Georgia Transportation Institute GTI Group Travel Insurance fishtails on a patch of mud left from Tuesday's rain. Bringing the red-and-white rally car back under control before it spins, White accelerates up the El Nino-eroded fire road, a 150-foot drop on one side and a rocky hillside on the other. ``We got airborne there,'' says the lanky 44-year-old dentist from Benica as he guides his car through each turn with the precision of a dental drill A dental drill (or dentist's drill) is a small, high-speed drill used in dentistry to remove decayed tooth material prior to the insertion of a dental filling. Dental drills are used in the treatment of dental caries. . ``To finish first, you first must finish'' is the 15-year rally car racing veteran's motto. ``It's very difficult to do well, like dentistry. I like doing things well.'' White is one of 46 drivers competing in the Rim of the World Pro Rally, which began Friday and runs through tonight along the back roads of the Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los . The event is staged by the Sports Car Club of America as the fourth stop on its Michelin PRO Rally Championship. Rally driving pits two-person crews against one another and the clock. Drivers must navigate dirt roads by day and by night - as fast as possible, with speeds reaching up to 120 mph on long, straight stretches. The routes are kept secret until race day so drivers can't practice in advance. ``At night it's like tunnel vision tunnel vision n. Vision in which the visual field is severely constricted. tunnel vision, n a defect in sight in which a great reduction occurs in the peripheral field of vision, as if one is looking through . You can only see the road in front of you,'' says White. ``But we use hideously powerful lights. Rally headquarters for this year's event is be the Holiday Inn at 38630 5th St. W., Palmdale. Spectators can follow the racing from designated spots along the rally route in the mountains between Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, and Lake Hughes. A list of public viewing areas for the rally will be available today at the starting area at the Holiday Inn and at America's Tire Company, 44616 Valley Central Way, Lancaster. For the first time, the general public can buy rides in the rally cars in heat races this morning on a dirt course just north of the Palmdale headquarters. The Charity Rallysprint will begin at 9:45 a.m. and rides are expected to sell out quickly. Minimum donation is $20. The money will go to the South Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Emergency Services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' food bank and Antelope Valley Child Abuse Prevention Council. Passengers must be at least 12 years old. Spectators can watch crews repairing cars, talk to drivers or buy a hamburger dinner for $5 at tonight's break at the Lake Hughes Community Center, 17520 Elizabeth Lake Road. The racers will arrive around 5:30 p.m. and will begin the last section of racing at 8:15 p.m. None of the racers have professional driver status, but some have full backing from car manufacturers. Those include five-time Rim of the World Rally winner Paul Choiniere, a seven-time national champion. He drives a 371-horsepower, all-wheel-drive turbocharged Hyundai Elantra The Hyundai Elantra (sold in South Korea as the Avante) is a compact car from Hyundai of South Korea launched in 1991. The Elantra was formerly sold as the Lantra and the Avante in some Australian and European markets. . Other teams have sponsorships from parts manufacturers or other businesses and some have enough money of their own. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) John Buffum John Buffum (born October 4, 1945). is the most successful U.S. rally racing driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 108 victories. References Rally Racing News. John Buffum Biography. Retrieved Dec 31, 2004. kicks up some road in his Hyundai Tiburon The Hyundai Tiburon (a.k.a. Hyundai Coupé) is a compact coupe produced by Hyundai since 1996. The name itself means shark in Spanish. Tiburon is the name given to the current North American, Australian, New Zealand, South African, and Austrian production of the vehicle, though it while racing through the Angeles National Forest during Friday's leg of the rally. (2--Color in AV Edition only) Ralph Kosmides guides his Toyota on the back roads of the Rim of the World Rally. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
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