Larson/Cox Take 1999 Paris by Night II ClubRally Class Win

Photograph by Jerry Winker

I teamed up with my daughter Ashley Cox on November 27, 1999 for the 1999 Rallyes de Paris II in Paris, Texas. Ashley and I had run prechecks and a couple lead cars together, but this was our first time actually competing on a ClubRally together. The course was to be very similar to the Paris by Night rally the previous March, but was run in the daytime instead of at night.

We started second behind Arthur Odero-Jowi, a very good driver who I have never beat on a stage. Our goal for the event was to win PGT and beat Arthur on one stage. We were winning our class on Paris by Night when we hit a deer, knocking us out of the event.

The event started a little hairy due to a faulty mileage on an instruction. We came over a little rise, looking for a left turn that came up too soon. Fortunately, there was a road straight ahead which served as a runoff. Arthur had already knocked down the barricade across the road, so all I had to do was further obliterate it! Several following cars also took the escape road, as well.

We finished the stage in 3rd place, behind Odero-Jowi and Todd Jarvey, a friend of mine who had never before beat me on a ProRally. I had no idea how fast Todd had become since we last raced 6 months earlier at Headwaters.

On stage 2, Todd and I both spun out on the same corner. He beat me again, and again. We changed our goal from beating Arthur on one stage to beating Todd on one stage!

I finally did it on the last stage of the rally. The wind had died down, and the fog and dust were really bad. We had been on all the roads earlier in the night, and of course last March, so I tried to drive from memory. Ashley was spot on on the callouts, and I was able to remember some of the corners that weren't referenced. We ended up beating Todd on the stage, and won PGT, 3rd overall behind Arthur and Todd.

Paris by Night II was followed that evening by Wanderin' Star II. Ashley and I decided a worthy goal for that event was to beat Todd and his co-driver, Rich Faber.

Results