Wednesday, January 05, 2005 - 3rd Place Finish At LSPR!!!

2004 SCCA ProRally Rookie of the Year!!!!



“By golly, we're bonified”! an excited Iorio was heard to exclaim. The young Paladin Rally Team, in conjunction with Cascade Autosport survived the swampy treacherous conditions to take their firsts legitimate 3rd place finish. The event was especially notable because it is the 10th anniversary of the LSPR, and the final time a rally event will be sanctioned by the SCCA.

The Cascade Autosport Lancer EVO VII stalwartly and sure-footedly braved the weekend: The car refused to succumb to the oldest, toughest, meanest rally on the calendar. Early on Matt took the strategy of running a clean, smooth rally. Trying to interfere in the Colossal battle of O'Neil and Burke would have been suicide. On the last two stages of Friday, Iorio Drove through the wreckage of  4 of the cars in front of him who had tried to compete with the dueling masters, and into hope of 3rd place.

Saturday was again about survival, Matt Reported. Unfortunately Doug Shepard had gained a minute lead in the last stage of the previous night, forcing some wreck-less driving. The team took a brief tour into the woods, sliding off the road's tricky clay surface, In a lucky break the EVO ended up in a clearing, and after a quick bushwhack to the road, continued on. There was good luck for Paladin Rally, and bad luck for Mopar when a half shaft broke, and left the Dodge with only one driving wheel. The resulting cushion left space for Matt to focus on bringing the Cascade car home with some steady driving. “Willens, OMP, and Piaa all helped to get me here. I especially have to thank Peter VanBogart and his Cascade Autosport. He built a car that held up where a lot of others didn't.”

At the SCCA year end Awards Banquet, it was officially announced that Matt Iorio and Philip Ho were the 2004 SCCA ProRally Rookies of the Year. The announcement coincided perfectly with the results of LSPR. “This is the greatest thing that could have happened to me right now. It feels so good to have all my hard work vindicated.” –Matt


-Paladin Rally Press