Scheible takes 3rd at the Rim of the World ProRally!
May 5, 2002
Reigning Group N Champion Karl Scheible made an impressive return to the ProRally Championship by finishing 3rd overall at the Rim of the World ProRally in Palmdale California, May 3-4 2002.
The Rim of the World ProRally is notoriously known as one of the toughest events in the SCCA ProRally Championship. The drivers must contend with scorching heat and dust along with rough and rocky roads and the infamous ‘water bars’ (dips in the road used for drainage) that can snap a car’s suspension. “The roads were incredibly rough” explained Karl Scheible, “at times there were rocks coming up over the hood and even into the roof vent!”
Karl was driving a newly built Subaru WRX STi prepared by Vermont SportsCar. “I was a little nervous at the beginning” states Karl, “it was a brand new car, with no shakedown or pre-event testing, and it was going to make its debut on the roughest most demanding event in the series!” To Karl’s surprise the car performed so flawlessly that the Vermont SportsCar service team needed to only add fuel, change the tires and clean the windows!
Karl ran the event with his father Wayne Scheible as his co-driver. The last time Wayne served as Karl’s navigator was in 1994 and was out to just have a good time this year at Rim. “My father had a great time” says Karl, “At times he was breaking out laughing because he was having so much fun!”
Karl truly impressed everyone with his quick and consistent driving. His car was basically a Group N car with a larger Open Class 40mm restrictor installed and had nearly 100hp less than the other top level Open Class cars. In addition to his power disadvantage Karl decided not to use pace notes. Not only was Rim his father’s first event in nearly a decade but also Wayne had never used pace notes before. “We knew this would be a tricky event” Karl explained, “but using the pace notes may have made it more complicated considering my father had never used them before.”
Next month Karl will be using the same car from Vermont SportsCar for the 2002 Susquehannock Trail ProRally (STPR). Karl will be re-uniting with his former co-driver Russ Hughes with whom he won the 2000 SCCA Group N Championship. “I love STPR” Karl says, “Russ and I will be reuniting and it’s an event that I have good amount of experience with”.