INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (March 9, 2022) – Following the class win in the RC2 class at Sno*Drift Rally last month, Era Motorsport is heading to 100 Acre Wood Rally presented by Cooper Tires for the second round of the American Rally Association Championship presented by DirtFish. The team is pleased to announce that the pairing of driver Mark Piatkowski and co-driver John Hall will be taking to the gravel roads to fill in for Kyle Tilley who will be driving in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the 12 Hours of Sebring in the Era Motorsport LMP2.
“Sportscar duty calls,” said Tilley. “100 Acre Wood was never on my calendar for 2022, and whilst I’ll be disappointed not to be at the event, I’m very excited to have the car out there in the capable hands of Mark Piatkowski and the very experienced John Hall.
“Giving the opportunity to someone like Mark, who is the reigning National Champion in the LN4 class, to step up into the RC2 class is an exciting prospect and one I’m thankful to all of our partners for being able to provide.”
The rally will be Piatkowski’s first time in a Ford Fiesta R5, an experience he is looking forward to immensely.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime, something I’ve always dreamed of,” said Piatkowski. “I’m in Era Motorsport’s Ford Fiesta R5 with John Hall calling the notes in his dashing accent. Someone pinch me, please. John and I have done our homework behind the scenes and now it’s just down to competition. There are admittedly several new things I must adapt to pretty quickly, but I’m ready for the challenge. Thank you to Era Motorsport for the opportunity and thank you to the rally community for all the generous support leading up to the event.”
“I’m really looking forward to running 100 Acre Wood with Mark Piatkowski in Kyle's Era Motorsport R5 Fiesta,” said Hall. “After a really successful season, winning the 2021 LN4 National Championship, and starting out with a win at Sno*Drift, Mark is stepping up from his usual NA Subaru to the R5. It’s great to have the opportunity to jump in with him and help out with the transition to a much different car. We’ll spend a couple of days getting familiar, then hopefully we’ll have a good weekend so that Mark can maintain his lead in the overall national championship.”
In addition to the behind-the-scenes homework, the team will head to Ohio beforehand for testing to become acclimated to the new vehicle.
The rally will take place March 18 and 19, 2022 in Missouri’s Washington and Dent Counties. 101 competition miles ranging from sweeping gravel roads to tight and twisty forest lanes will test the team’s skill and daring as they are cheered on by avid spectators and the sound of cowbells over fifteen stages.
A co-founder of Era Motorsport has deep roots in Missouri and some might even call it a home event. Competitors will drive by what were once family farms, the site of a schoolhouse where her grandfather went to school, campgrounds that were the site of many family weekends, and a town that bears a family name: Davisville. Era is proud to be headed home to support the sport of rally.
To stay up to date, follow timing and scoring at sneakattackrally.com and tune in to live viewing on Twitch: twitch.tv/100AWPRG. Visit the official event page for more information.
Rally 101:
In the discipline of rally, the event schedule is composed of reconnaissance, termed “recce” during which competitors write their own pace notes. Participants drive the course at slow speeds before the official competition stages begin, composing their own road map for the team to follow. Even with expert notes, competitors must always remain alert and aware as road conditions can change at the drop of a hat. During the competition, competitors are set off at minute intervals with the goal of setting the best time for each sector. To win the rally, the team must complete all stages in the least amount of time.