This Saturday, Kerhonkson's own John Domitrovits will be racing his 1987 Audi 4000 Quattro in the gravel portion of the Rally New York racing event. The ceremonial start will take place this Thursday in Ellenville's Liberty Square.

Domitrovits, who has lived in the area since 1980, is an auto mechanic at Han's Auto in New Paltz. His only other rally race experience came in 2004 when he competed in the Rally New York event that took place in Sullivan County.

“I have always wanted to do this. I just never realized it [a race event] was so close,” said Domitrovits.

As for safety concerns, Domitrovits says, “My wife worries about me, of course. But she supports it. She grew up with it since her dad used to race.”

Domitrovits's father-in-law, Bruno Kreibich, competed on the pro-rally circuit where he used to 'run' Audis.

“That's why I run Audi's,” he said.

Domitrovits had a professional navigator for his first rally race but said that he would be using his good friend, Christopher Pryslopski to occupy the seat next to him come Saturday.

Domitrovits will not be racing on the tarmac (or paved) sections of the race, electing instead to stick to the gravel portions of the event. This decision comes as a result of personal preference and engineering. Domitrovits said that his car's suspension is built for racing gravel, not asphalt.

He went on to say other competitors have the ability to change their suspensions from one day to the other but that costs time and money; money that Domitrovits, who races without any sponsors, would have to pay out of his own pocket.

Indeed, the majority of the car's mechanical work has been done by Domitrovits, his father-in-law and his friends. Domitrovits said he had to send the car away to have its role cage installed.

“My biggest concern is that the car makes it through. This kind of racing is tough on them,” said Domitrovits.

John Domitrovits will be just one of the drivers who will be appearing Thursday night in Liberty Square for the ceremonial start and again on Saturday for the race's closing.

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