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Paul
Choiniere dominated SCCA ProRally during the 1990s competition
in the U.S., earning six of his eight drivers championships.
Choiniere
returns to Libra Racing in 2002 as a Team Driver, with Jeff
Becker as his Co-driver. Together, they will drive a 2003
Hyundai Tiburon, marking the eighth year for the successful
Hyundai-Libra Racing partnership.
Choiniere
began his rally driving career in 1984 when he borrowed a
friend's Dodge Colt to compete in one U.S. Divisional race
and one National ProRally event. His "learning curve"
continued in 1986 and 1987 when he entered a Production Class
Audi in several national events.
Choiniere's
earned his first drivers championship the following year,
in 1988, winning the North American Rally Championship at
the wheel of an Audi Quattro coupe. Choiniere repeated his
NARC Championship in 1989, and also became the first American
driver to win the Canadian National Rally Championship.
In 1990,
Choiniere earned his first U.S. ProRally Championship while
debuting a new Open Class Audi Quattro Turbo. He is among
only four drivers-the others being John Buffum, Rod Millen
and Mark Lovell-to have accomplished this feat in the past
20 years.
After
finishing second in the 1991 ProRally Series Championship,
Choiniere began the 1992 season with new co-driver Jeff Becker.
The pair clicked instantly and won that year's championship,
while Choiniere regained the overall driver's title.
1993 and
1994 were once again winning seasons for Choiniere and Becker,
taking the National ProRally Championship both years with
an Audi S2. The pair became only the second team ever to win
three consecutive U.S. National Championships.
Libra
Racing and Choiniere continued their dominance in 1995, having
switched to Hyundai and debuting the factory-supported Elantra.
The combination repeated their success in 1996, and added
the Manufacturers Championship to their multiple titles.
In 1997,
debuting the all-new Hyundai Tiburon, the team again clinched
both driver and co-driver titles, as well as repeating their
Manufacturers Championship on behalf of Hyundai. Separately,
in only his second visit, Choiniere took the Pikes Peak Open
Category win at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill
Climb.
The following
year-1998-Choiniere's string of driver championships came
to a brief end when he finished third overall after missing
several races due to an injury to his ribs. The team, however,
managed to secure yet another Manufacturers Championship for
Hyundai.
Choiniere
finished second in the 1999 SCCA ProRally Drivers Championship
with one win at the Susquehannock Trail event.
In 2000,
Choiniere once again returned to championship form, dominating
the SCCA ProRally Drivers Championship with six wins in nine
events.
Choiniere
earned one win the 2001 SCCA ProRally Championship and also
took first place in the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, becoming
only the second driver in the event's nearly 100-year history
to exceed the 100-mph mark.
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Jeff
Becker marks his 11th season in 2002 as co-driver for
the Libra Racing team and driver Paul Choiniere, a winning
combination that has earned six National ProRally Championships
and five consecutive Manufacturers Championships for Hyundai.
Becker had his first experience with Rally racing in 1968
when he entered a local Time-Distance-Speed [TSD] rally
on Long Island. In 1972, he was introduced to ProRally racing
while working as part of the scoring team for the World
Championship Press On Regardless Rally in Michigan.
Becker's
ProRally career began in earnest two years later during
the inaugural SCCA ProRally Series season when he co-drove
for a friend in a Datsun 510. From 1976 through 1979, Becker
co-drove for Australia's Graham Thompson in a Volvo 142S.
Becker
teamed with Bruno Kreibich in 1980 to co-drive Kreibich's
Porsche 911 to first overall in the Atlantic 400, the last
ever event in the NARRA rally series.Paired
again with Thompson in 1982 and 1983, Becker competed in
a number of European events for Opel Team Holland, including
the 1982 and 1983 Rallye Monte Carlo World Championship
events.
Through
most of the 1980's, Becker focused his time on his business
interests, but returned to active co-driving in 1989 in
Kreibich's ex-works Audi Quattro. Together, Becker and Kreibich
enjoyed much success in 1990 and 1991, nearly winning the
National Championship in both years. They did win the Open
Class Championship in 1991, and took the North American
Rally Championship, a combination of U.S. and Canadian National
events in both 1990 and 1991.
When Kreibich chose to run a more relaxed schedule in 1992,
Becker opted to join Libra Racing as co-driver for Paul
Choiniere in an Audi Quattro. The pairing was instantly
successful, winning the U.S. National Championship for three
consecutive seasons (1992-1994).
The victories continued in 1995 - this time in a factory
supported Hyundai Elantra - as the team won five events
and, again, claimed the National ProRally Drivers Championship.
Similar results followed in 1996 when the team won the drivers
and co-drivers championships as well as the manufacturers
championship. The following year-1997- witnessed a repeat
of the previous season, with the team claiming all three
titles yet again.
In 1998, the team won its third consecutive SCCA ProRally
Open Class and Overall Manufacturers Championship, and Becker
finished third overall in the Co-Driver Championship.
Libra
Racing earned a fourth consecutive SCCA ProRally Open Class
and Overall Manufacturers Championship, and Becker finished
second in the Co-Driver Championship in 1999.
In 2000,
Choiniere and Becker returned to championship form, taking
the SCCA ProRally Overall Drivers Championship with six
wins in nine events.
Choiniere
and Becker earned one win in SCCA's 2001 ProRally Championship
(Sno*Drift Rally) and a second 2nd place finish at the Maine
Forest Rally, but are prepared to return to championship
form in 2002 with an all-new '03 Hyundai Tiburon.
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Career
Highlights:
1988 North American Rally Champion
1989 North American Rally Champion Canadian National
Rally Champion
1990 SCCA/ProRally National Champion
1991 Second place overall in the SCCA/ProRally National
Championship
1992 SCCA/ProRally National Champion Paul teams up
with current co-driver Jeff Becker
1993 SCCA/ProRally National Champion Winner and record
setter at the Mt.Washington Auto Hillclimb Nominated by
the American Auto Race Writers and Broadcasters as driver
of the year in his category
1994 SCCA/ProRally National Champion
1995 SCCA/ProRally National Champion Paul, with Libra
Racing, team up with Hyundai in the SCCA/ProRally series
Winner Mt. Washington Auto Hillclimb
1996 SCCA/ProRally National Champion Second Place,
Pikes Peak Auto Hillclimb
1997 SCCA/ProRally National Champion Paul clinched
his sixth straight national title, tying stepfather John
Buffum, who won six straight titles 1982 - 87.
1998 Second place overall in the SCCA/ProRally National
Championship
1999 Third place overall in the SCCA/ProRally National
Championship
2000
Six wins in a Hyundai Tiburon to win drivers championship
2001 One win in a Hyundai Tiburon in the SCCA ProRally
series, plus top honors in the oldest motorsports event
in the U.S., the Mt. Washington Hillclimb in New Hampshire.
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Career
Highlights:
1974 Co-Driver in the Happiness in Sunrise ProRally
1976-1979 Co-Driver for Australia’s Graham Thompson
1980 First overall, Atlantic 400. This was the last
event ever in the NARRA Rally Series
1982-1983 Becker ran several events in Europe for
Opel Team Holland, including the ’82 and ’83 Rally Monte
Carlo World Rally Championship events. Becker is still today
the U.S. president of the "Drivers of the Monte Carlo Rallye."
1989 Becker returns to active competition in the
US in Bruno Kreibich's ex-works Audi Quattro.
1990-1991 North American Rally Series Co-Drivers
Champion both seasons Becker continues with Kreibich both
years, and the team nearly wins the SCCA/ProRally National
Championship both seasons.
1992 Becker joins Libra Racing SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers
National Champion North American Rally Series Co-Drivers
Champion
1993 SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers National Champion North
American Rally Series Co-Drivers Champion
1994 SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers National Champion North
American Rally Series Co-Drivers Champion
1995 SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers National Champion North
American Rally Series Co-Drivers Champion
1996 SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers National Champion
1997 SCCA/ProRally Co-Drivers National Champion
1998
Three wins in Hyundai Tiburon to finish third in Co-Drivers
championship
1999
Became winningest co-driver in US history with 7 national
titles, 33 overall victories, and the only co-driver with
more than 1000 total career points (Grand Master)
2000
National ProRally Co-Driver Champion
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