March 15, 2019 – For the first time in 2019, River City Rally will hit the stages as part of an American Rally Association National Championship event this Friday and Saturday. 100 Acre Wood Rally, now in its first year under ARA sanctioning, will play host to the #423 Lexus IS350 of Michael Hooper and Claudia Barbera-Pullen and over 70 of the sport’s other top teams this weekend.
Hooper and Barbera-Pullen are currently scheduled to start the rally 18th, making them one of the first 2-Wheel Drive teams on the road. While the entry lists for this weekend’s event are deep in all classes, the team will look to build on February’s overall victory at the ARA Regional Missouri Ozark Rally, where Hooper and new co-driver Joe Vitrano took the win in a brand new event run by the same management group that puts on 100 Acre Wood.
As with Missouri Ozark Rally, River City Rally will also bring the #95 BMW 325i of Brian Katz and Matt Vaught out to play. Katz and Vaught will go for their second straight Regional victory in a row in the Limited 2WD class from 57th on the road.
This year’s 100 Acre Wood Rally will feature 16 stages over two days, beginning with a super special in Potosi, Missouri and ending on Saturday night with the second pass of the day on KP-Ollie Long. The two days of competition will total roughly 125 stage miles and 400 miles in total, with five different routes of over 10 miles making up the bulk of the event.
Fans looking to follow along with this year’s 100 Acre Wood Rally can download the American Rally Association app or follow ARA accounts on social media. Event updates will also be posted to americanrallyassociation.org, the official ARA website.
River City Rally is supported by Jarco Inc., FIGS Engineering, FK Rod Ends, G-LOC Brakes, SPEC Clutch, and Veterinary Care and Specialty Group of Chattanooga. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/RCRfanpage.