Fresh from her latest top 10 finish in January’s Drift divisional rally, reigning 2wd USRC Champion, Erika Detota takes her talents to the twisty, tarmac roads of Delaware County, New York. The driver, in her second year of competition, has competed previously at this event and is ready to face the unique challenges of the paved road surface. “Most of my experience is on gravel and dirt roads,” said Detota. “Here in the U.S. we don’t have many opportunities to race tarmac rallies. I’ll need to change my car set up and driving techniques to adjust to the different surface” Rally New York USA is the first event of the year in both the New York Rally Championship and the United States Rally Championship where Erika began her racing. “I got my start in the New York series as a driver but also a worker and spectator. The events here will always be special to me” says Detota.

Photo: Andrew Pascarella

For this event Erika will have the unique opportunity to have her friend and mentor Travis Hanson co-driving. He is the current Rally America overall points leader, which is a historic place for a driver of a Super Production car, which he campaigns in the national series. “Travis has been a huge help to me since I started in the sport, I’m really looking forward to working with him this weekend” said Erika about her surprising navigator.

Photo: R. Plafta

Rallying is a form of motorsport unlike any other and involves real cars traveling at breakneck speeds down closed off sections of public roads. Cars are generally started at one minute intervals and the shortest cumulative elapsed time to complete each section of closed road, wins. Each team consists of a driver and co-driver, whose job is to instruct the driver where to turn and warn them of potential obstacles ahead. In between the competition sections, the teams transit along public roads, while obeying all traffic laws, en route to the next closed section.

Erika would like to thank everyone at Broken Motorsports (http://www.brokenmotorsports.com), The Keep a Breast Foundation (http://www.keep-a-breast.org/) and Big Boulder Park (http://www.bigboulderpark.com/) and Rally Armor (http://rallyarmor.com/) for
their continued assistance and support.