Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino of the Monster World Rally Team have claimed their fifth consecutive 100 Acre Wood Rally win. Block drove the Open Class Ford Fiesta to victory despite having a tough first day and starting the second leg over a minute behind rally leader, Travis Pastrana. The Ford driver was able to gain some ground after Antoine L’Estage dropped to third place due to a water crossing visibility issue and a puncture on the second stage of the day.

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana held a fast pace and a comfortable lead over Block and L’Estage until Pastrana broke his car’s left rear control arm on the Super Special Stage in Potosi and was unable to continue. With Pastrana out of contention, L’Estage pushed to catch Block and posted comparatively close stage times with him, but Block was able to maintain his lead to the end.

An ecstatic Block said, “This is the location of my first national rally win, so I have now won this rally five years in a row and it is a pretty good feeling to get the Fiesta home in first.”

Having secured his consecutive second-place finish this season, the Rockstar Mitsubishi Evo driver from Quebec now leads the Rally America Championship with 34 points. Privateer Bill Bacon joined L’Estage on the podium again despite having some difficulties with his Mitsubishi’s new set up, but Bacon’s consistency has now put him second in the overall championship standings with 28 points.

The father-son team of Travis and Terry Hanson had another remarkable performance, winning the Super Production class by over two and a half minutes over their closest rivals. Attrition was heavy in Super Production, with several crews retiring throughout the rally with various mechanical issues. Tim Rooney and Dennis Hotson placed second in class followed by Wazoo Racing’s Tim Penasack and Alex Kihurani.

In the 2-Wheel Drive Class, Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods remained dominant with another win in their 1990 Volkswagen Golf. Duplessis had reported alignment problems on the first day of the rally, but finished 10th overall with a nearly six minute spread over reigning Group 2 Champ, Dillon Van Way. John Conley and Keith Rudolph finished third in class.

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood also hosted the Rally America Regional Championship, where regional winners from 2009 gathered to shoot it out for top honors. This year, the husband-wife team of Henry and Cynthia Krolikowski won the showdown for the Central Region in an Open Class 2000 Subaru Impreza.

The next national event on the Rally America calendar is the Olympus Rally in Olympia, Washington this April 24-25.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

This year there will be six forest events from Maine to Washington, before X Games 16, plus three new European style rallycross events after X Games — all based in Southern New Jersey.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

All results are considered provisional pending official post-event race processes.

About Rally America
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2010, Rally America will conduct six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Wash., to Bethel, Maine, and three European style rallycross events in New Jersey.

Photo Credit: Neil McDaid/Monster World Rally Team

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photo from Rally-America.com

Mark Fox in the #54 National Guard rally car received the 2009 Rookie of the Year award capping an action packed rookie season in the Rally America Championship Series.

Fox joins the company of recent winners Ken Block, Kyle Sarasin, “Cowboy” Kenny Bartram, and Dave Mirra who have all gone on to successful rally careers.

Rally America presents the award to the driver who has made the most significant pro-gress in his first year of national competition and holds the highest overall year-end standings. Fox was a clear leader in the competition having nearly secured the title after Rally Colorado’s tie for third, resulting in a fourth place finish. Adding to the accom-plishment is the fact that Fox competed the entire season with rookie co-driver, Jake Blattner at his side. “It’s a real honor to be in the company of the past winners” said Fox. “It feels great to be rewarded for the hard work and difficulties that accompany a first championship season”.

“It’s a steep learning curve, and it couldn’t have happened without such a solid team”. “We learned continually throughout the season, and that knowledge insures we will com-pete successfully next year” The 2009 campaign was defined by change with team adjustments and Fox driving three different cars. The team finally purchased a 2007 WRX Impreza. In the new car he went on to place fourth, seventh, and tie for third in the last three races of the year.

We would like to thank our fans and everyone who helped make this season such a great success. See you next year!

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American rally and extreme sports star Ken Block is close to a deal to join the World Rally Championship in a new Ford team, this week’s AUTOSPORT magazine reveals.

Former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson has been lined up as Block’s team-mate in the all-new Monster Energy Drink World Rally Team.

The three-year deal, which is likely to be agreed in the next month, would offer the World Rally Championship the chance to break into the all important North American market – a move seen as pivotal to the sport’s development.

The deal, which is being brokered by Block’s management team Wasserman Media Group, is reckoned to be one of the most significant in the sport’s history.

to the rest of the article:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79442Autosport

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino will participate once again in the 2009 Colin McRae Forest Stages in Scotland this weekend. Block will be at the wheel of a sister car to his usual Rally America National Championship vehicle, a 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI built to Rally America’s Open Class specifications. As the high-powered Vermont SportsCar-prepared, #43 Subaru STI does not conform to any of the car specification classes featured at the McRae Stages, the final round of the Scottish Rally Championship, Block will run as course-opening car for exhibition only.

As well as aligning his name to the rally, the late Colin McRae for many years ran as opening car on the event. For McRae’s Scottish fans this was the only chance to see him drive on home-soil. After Colin McRae’s passing in 2007, the rally was transformed into a star-studded event in 2008 when former WRC champions and dozens of rally legends competed in the event to pay tribute to McRae. The 2008 edition of the event saw Subaru Rally Team USA teammates Block and Travis Pastrana compete in historic cars along with their mentor, American rally legend John Buffum.

Block thoroughly enjoyed his time at event last year and jumped at the chance to attend again in 2009. “Colin was a friend and mentor and is sadly missed by so many, so competing at the Colin McRae Forest Stages is a small tribute to Colin and his fans. It was an honor to be invited to compete last year with so many rally legends, the atmosphere was amazing,” explained Block. “This year I’ll be in my usual Subaru, it’s an extremely powerful car, and I’ll make sure to put on a good McRae-style show for all the fans!”

Block’s Gymkhana Subaru STI also made the trip across the Atlantic for a rare display appearance and as a bonus for the fans, Block is scheduled to perform a short driving demo with his course-opening Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car on Friday night at the Perth Racecourse, where the rally headquarters is based.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, DiRT2, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

Photo: Lars Gange | rally.subaru.com

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Piloting a lesser specification Subaru Impreza WRX STI at this past weekend’s Rally Colorado, Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) driver Ken Block hovered near the top of the time sheets throughout the event. Block was without his usual high-powered Open Class 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI and instead drove the Super Production (SP) class Subaru Impreza WRX STI of fellow SRT USA teammate Dave Mirra, who did not attend Rally Colorado due to a schedule conflict with a BMX event. Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino put in an impressive drive in the lower specification SP class car, running a majority of the rally in 3rd overall and winning three stages outright. Unfortunately for Block, the impressive drive was annulled on the penultimate stage after his Subaru developed an engine problem, forcing Block to withdraw.

“I had to change my driving style to adjust for the power difference between the SP and my usual Open Class car, staying much smoother and less sideways,” explained Block. “I thought it would take a few stages to get used to it and get up to speed but we won the first stage of the rally which was really surprising, that gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the event. It was satisfying that we were able to challenge for a podium position with the top Open Class competitors.”

The Super Production (SP) class, a new category in the 2009 Rally America series, features minimally modified, production-based cars. The budget-minded SP class features much more restrictive regulations on modifications than the Open Class, where Block has been driving for the past three seasons. The SP Subaru Impreza WRX STI features a stock engine, stock gearbox and very limited body shell modifications. Block crashed his Open Class Subaru heavily at the previous event, The Ojibwe Forests Rally, he and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino walked away unharmed but their Subaru rally car was terminally damaged. With insufficient time to prepare a spare rally car, SRT USA opted to provide Block with the team’s Super Production class Subaru in Mirra’s absence at Rally Colorado.

“Ken drove well in Colorado and further displayed the performance potential of the Subaru Impreza WRX STI in SP trim,” mentioned James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “By creating the competitive Super Production class, Rally America has established an attractive and more economical alternative to fielding an Open class-specification car for the privateer entrant.”

The SP class is always highly competitive with closely fought battles amongst privateers fighting for nearly $13,000 in prize money per event offered by Subaru of America, Inc. Block, however, was fighting his battle amongst the faster Open class cars at Rally Colorado. The first half of the rally saw Block amass a lead of well over two minutes to the closest SP challenger.

Block’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Travis Pastrana was comfortably leading Day 1 of Rally Colorado when a minor driving infraction incurred the driver of the #199 SRT USA STI a 7-minute penalty.

“A disappointing scenario, essentially a matter of Travis hitting three traffic cones in a chicane placed by event officials on-stage, amounted to a time penalty which would have been very challenging even in optimal circumstances to overcome on the 2nd day,” said Han. “Given the lack of spare cars within the team’s inventory, a decision to save the #199 STI for the final round of the Rally America National Championship was a prudent one.” Travis Pastrana mathematically secured his 4th consecutive Rally America National Championship with a win at last month’s Ojibwe Forests Rally.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, DiRT2, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block will not be behind the wheel of his usual Open Class 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI at this weekend’s Rally Colorado and instead will pilot the Super Production class Subaru Impreza WRX STI of fellow Subaru teammate Dave Mirra. Mirra will not be competing at Rally Colorado due to a schedule conflict with this weekend’s Dew Tour BMX event in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Block crashed his Open Class Subaru heavily at the previous event, The Ojibwe Forests Rally. Although Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino walked away unharmed their Subaru rally car was terminally damaged. With insufficient time to prepare a spare rally car, SRT USA has opted to provide Block with the team’s Super Production class Subaru in Mirra’s absence at Rally Colorado.

The Super Production (SP) class, a new category in the 2009 Rally America series, features minimally modified, production-based cars. The SP class features much more restrictive regulations on modifications than the Open Class, where Block has been driving for the past three seasons. The SP Subaru features a stock engine, stock gearbox and very limited body shell modifications.

“It will be a big challenge to just get in and drive that car, the handling and power will be different and I won’t be able to be as aggressive with it,” explained Block. “But with Travis [Pastrana] having locked-up the Rally America Championship already, I have no pressure to win. We can treat this outing as an extended testing and development session for the SP car, but of course I’ll be trying my best to keep up with my usual Open class competitors!”

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana mathematically secured his 4th consecutive Rally America National Championship with a win at last month’s Ojibwe Forests Rally. Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom will enter Rally Colorado with no pressure and have vowed to drive flat-out to put on a show for their fans this weekend. Rally Colorado is based in the picturesque resort town of Steamboat Springs, just 150 miles into the mountains west of Denver. The rally includes over 100 miles of fast, high-altitude gravel roads that are dusty when dry and notoriously slick when wet. The action starts Saturday morning and runs through Sunday afternoon. Fans can follow the rally live at www.rally-america.com and view daily SRT USA photo and news updates at rally.subaru.com.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, DiRT2, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

Photos: Lars Gange | rally.subaru.com

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana has mathematically secured his fourth consecutive Rally America National Championship with a dominating win at the Ojibwe Forest Rally in northern Minnesota this weekend. Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom cruised to victory in their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI after several of their closest rivals hit trouble. The win, his fifth of the season, hauled in sufficient championship points to place Pastrana mathematically out of reach to his closest challengers and thus securing his fourth consecutive Rally America national title. Pastrana has won each of his Rally America championships (2006-2009) behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car.

“It is game-on for the next two rallies,” said Pastrana at podium. “It’s great to drive without any pressure. A lot of the other drivers have had hard a season and bad luck, but things have just gone my way. My Subaru Impreza WRX STI has been perfect all year. It just works for me at every rally, it’s easy to drive and lets me focus on winning.”

“Travis really has transitioned into rally like fish to water ever since his first event with Subaru in 2004,” said James Han, motorsports marketing manager at Subaru of America, Inc. “To think that he has earned four consecutive national titles under Subaru Rally Team USA is all testament to Travis’ skills as a rally driver, thorough preparation by our team partner Vermont SportsCar, and consistent performance capability of the Impreza WRX STI regardless of terrain or driving condition.”

The Ojibwe Forests Rally featured over 130 miles of technical, sandy gravel, forest roads in northern Minnesota, around the town of Bemidji. The event is a favorite amongst rally drivers for its demanding fast and flowing roads and numerous stages run in darkness of night.

The rally began with a duel between Pastrana and his Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Ken Block. Entering the Ojibwe Forests Rally, only Block had a mathematical chance to catch Pastrana in the standings but needed to secure a win to keep his hopes alive. After the first two stages, the highly competitive friends and rivals were separated by just seconds. The challenge however was cut short on stage three when Block impacted a large rock while cutting the inside of a corner that launched his Subaru off the road, hitting a tree and rolling to DNF. Both Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were unharmed in the crash. With Block out of the picture and several of his closest challengers experiencing small problems of their own, Pastrana found himself with a healthy lead early in rally. The driver of the #199 SRT USA car backed off his pace but was still able to win all but three of the event’s fifteen competition stages.

In 2nd place overall for the majority of the event was the third Subaru Rally Team USA entrant of Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer, driving a 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI in the Super Production class. Mirra drove one of his best events of his young rally career, consistently finishing each stage ahead of the rest of the field and chasing Pastrana while maintaining a healthy lead in the Super Production class. However, on the penultimate stage Mirra’s car suffered an electrical issue that brought his car to halt, ending his run to the podium prematurely. “Everything was going our way and I was driving really well so it’s unfortunate not to finish and get the result on paper,” said Mirra. “My Subaru was running great until that [electrical] problem forced me out of the event. But that’s rally, anything can, and does, usually happen.”

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, DiRT2, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

Photos: Max Lawton | rally.subaru.com

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As the United States Rally Championship (USRC) passes (www.usrallychampionship.com) the midpoint of its fifth season, competition is heating up in all categories on both sides of the country. The United States Rally Championship awards separate National Championship titles in the 2WD (Two-Wheel-Drive) category and in the AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) category. In addition, eligible crews compete for the 2WD Production Cup and the AWD Production Cup. Most USRC events provide for two-pass reconnaissance and allow pace notes.

In the Atlantic Division and overall, the Irish crew of Daniel O’Brien, a former Eastern States Champion, and Brendan McCabe in a Subaru Impreza is leading the AWD Championship at midseason. They have been steadily climbing in the standings by finishing fourth at Rally New York USA and second at Rally Tennessee. Another Irish team of Tom Lawless with co-driver Brian Sharkey, who flies in for the USRC events all the way from Ireland, in a Mitsubishi Lancer is second after winning Rally Tennessee. Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, in a Subaru Impreza, two-time winners of Rally New York USA are third in the AWD Championship. In the Pacific Division, Keith Jackson and Marra Estep in a Subaru Impreza are leading after winning Rally Idaho. Two more Subaru teams of Paul Eklund with Jeff Price and Byron Garth with Ron Crawford are second and third.

In the 2WD Championship in the Atlantic Division and overall, the Irishmen Dan Brosnan and Shane McCann in Nissan Sentra are leading after winning Rally New York USA and placing second at Rally Tennessee. They are the 2008 USRC runner-ups in the 2WD category. Josh and Jeremy Wimpey in a Volkswagen GTi are second with a second place at Rally Idaho. Wimpey brothers are the 2007 USRC runner-ups in the 2WD category. Brad Morris and Doug Nagy in a 2WD Mitsubishi Lancer are third. They won Rally Tennessee. In the Pacific Division, Lauchlin O’Sullivan, a former Mitsubishi USA Team driver, with co-driver Karen Wagner in a Dodge SRT-4 are leading after winning Rally Idaho. Aurimas and Amy Bakchis in an Eagle Talon are second and Cody Crane with Patrick Darrow in a Honda CRX are third.

Subaru driver William Petrow is leading the AWD Production Cup in the Atlantic Division with a win at Rally New York USA and a second place at Rally Tennessee. The leading co-driver is Austin Gager who has placed third and fourth in the previous events. Another Subaru crew of Byron Garth and Ron Crawford is leading the AWD Production Cup in the Pacific Division.

Michael Reilly and Josh Benthien in a Ford Focus SVT are in the first place in the 2WD Production Cup in the Atlantic Division. Alex Rademacher and John Stewart in a 2WD Subaru Impreza are leading the 2WD Production Cup in the Pacific Division.

The United States Rally Championship will continue with the remaining events that include Gorman Ridge Rally (www.gormanridgerally.com) in California, Prescott Rally (www.prescottrally.com) in Arizona and the final round of the Championship – International Rally New York (www.rallynewyork.com).

Pacific Division teams are competing for coveted cash travel subsidies that will be awarded to top six teams in the Division. The total of $12,000 in subsidies will be distributed to Pacific Division teams to assist them with travelling to the final round of the United States Rally Championship in New York.

The United States Rally Championship is taking bold steps to make national competition more affordable and accessible to a larger number of rally teams. This is the third season of the new Championship structure that minimizes or, for many teams, eliminates the need for repeated cross-country travel during the Championship season by providing competition on each side of the country. The final round of the Championship at the end of the year counts both in the Atlantic Division and the Pacific Division and together with the results from all previous rounds decides the top spots in the Championship.

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana captured his 15th career X Games medal in this past weekend’s ESPN X Games 15 Rally competition at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles where he won the silver medal. Pastrana, driving a BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car was the clear favorite after winning Gold at least year’s edition of the event. However, Pastrana’s bid for a second straight Gold was halted midway through the Gold medal race when he clipped a cement barrier with his right front wheel, nearly ripping the wheel from the car, thus handing former Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack the Gold medal. Pastrana’s X Games medals count now include nine gold, four silver and two bronze. Four of his 15 medals have been awarded in the Rally competition.

The premiere action sports event in the World, ESPN’s X Games 15 features a variety of action sports including BMX, Skateboarding, Freestyle Motocross and Rally car racing. The X Games rally event featured a large dirt gap-jump as the centerpiece of the approx 1.9 mile course laid out at the Home Depot Center Stadium in Los Angeles. The course included a dirt section within the stadium while the bulk of the course is a serpentine loop through the paved parking lots and access roads outside of the stadium.

Pastrana graciously acknowledged that his driving error in the final was a result of pushing hard to win against a very determined Kenny Brack, a former winner of the Indianapolis 500. “If Kenny [Brack] wasn’t so fast it would have never happened. I was really impressed by him,” said Pastrana. “On my first lap it seemed like we were dead-even, but I knew I could drive smoother and faster, so I tried to take a clean tight line through the very narrow turn that enters back into the stadium for the second lap. I just apexed too early and clipped the inside cement barrier with my front right wheel, I would have kept going but I had no steering and knew I wouldn’t make it over the large jump. It was a wild event as always and Subaru again provided me a perfect car that worked so well everywhere.”

Pastrana entered the X Games Rally Car final bruised and battered after attempting a seemingly impossible backflip with a 360 degree rotation in the Freestyle MotoX competition on Friday night. Pastrana landed hard on his right arm and hip leading to painful swelling. “As long as I can physically drive, everything is OK. The pain just goes away when I get in my Subaru, it didn’t slow me down,” explained Pastrana.

Pastrana’s Subaru teammate Ken Block was well on his way to winning his quarter-final match against Freestyle MotoX legend and Off-Road Truck racer Brian Deegan before a small mistake cost him the win. With a sizable lead on Deegan after the first lap, Block slid wide and hit his right rear wheel on a cement barrier. As Block powered through the turn and headed for the daunting 70ft-gap jump at the center of the stadium, he noticed the car was not getting power down to the ground (Block would later learn the impact had broken the right rear wheel and driveshaft). With just a split second to decide if he could gain enough speed to clear the gap-jump, a potentially dangerous situation for himself and the ESPN commentator riding along inside the car, Block decided against going over the jump. Instead Block swerved around the jump and went on to continue his lap with an ailing rear wheel, eventually finishing ahead Deegan. ESPN however disqualified Block for going off-course around the jump. “I had less than a second to make a decision, I didn’t know what was wrong with the car but I knew I hit that wall and I suddenly had trouble accelerating toward the jump,” explained Block. “I had an ESPN commentator riding in car and I just didn’t want to potentially hurt her; I would probably have gone for it otherwise.”

Subaru Rally Team USA’s third entry was BMX legend Dave Mirra, driving an identically prepared 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI to those of Block and Pastrana. Mirra was paired against eventual Gold Medal winner Kenny Brack in the quarter-finals. In a tightly fought match-up, Mirra drove smooth and mistake free but Brack edged him out for the win. “The course was a lot of fun and I’m glad I made a clean, mistake free run, but it was Brack’s day and his smooth driving style really worked well on this type of course,” said Mirra. Mirra didn’t leave the X Games empty handed. The BMX icon won a Bronze medal in the BMX Freestyle Big Air competition, bringing his lifetime X Games medal count to 22. Mirra is this most decorated X Games athlete with 14 gold medals, four silver and four bronze

“Although we fell just short of winning X Games Rally, the heightened competition certainly helped fuel this year’s spectacle,” said James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “I’m proud that every member of Subaru Rally Team USA including our three drivers worked tirelessly to meet the challenge, and leaving X Games unfulfilled makes us even more determined for the following year.”

Pastrana and his Subaru Rally Team USA teammates Ken Block and Dave Mirra all entered the the X Games driving the same production-based 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars that they utilize in the 2009 Rally America National Championship. Pastrana is well on his way to earning his fourth consecutive Rally America National Championship after winning four of the six rounds run thus far in 2009.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, DiRT2, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

Photos: Lars Gange, rally.subaru.com

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana overcame a close battle with his Subaru teammate Ken Block to win the New England Forest Rally, Round 6 of the 2009 Rally America National Championship. The Subaru duo of Pastrana and Block, each driving identically prepared 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars, fought all weekend with former Canadian Rally Champion Antoine L’Estage. Mechanical trouble for L’Estage and a late spin and tire puncture for Block handed Pastrana the victory on the final stages. The win extends Pastrana’s points lead and puts him one step closer to winning his fourth consecutive Rally America National Championship.

The 2009 New England Forest Rally featured highly technical and rocky gravel logging roads near the Maine/New Hampshire border. Pastrana, partnered with his co-driver Christian Edstrom, entered the rally with a 21-point lead over his closest challenger and said his strategy from the start was to avoid taking unnecessary risks and get his car to the finish in one piece. “I wasn’t the fastest driver here this weekend,” said Pastrana. “It was hard to keep up with Block, but we were just close enough to capitalize when he hit some trouble at the end of the rally.” The win at New England is Pastrana and Edstrom’s fourth win from six events this year.

Ken Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were the pace setters for most of the 2009 New England Forest Rally, winning five of the eleven competition stages. However, a spin and a puncture on the final loop of three stages cost Block over twenty-five seconds and allowed Pastrana to slip into the lead. “It’s extremely frustrating,” said Block at the finish. “I put myself in the right position to win and it didn’t work out for us.” Although it wasn’t the victory Block had hoped for the strong 2nd place points haul lifts Block from 5th to 2nd Overall in the Rally America National Championship standings.

A highlight of the rally again this year was the Concord Pond stage, a favorite among drivers and fans for its numerous jumps and serpentine-like flow. Block was able to crush his stage record on the 5.6 mile stage by an impressive eight seconds. “Our Subaru was perfect and the grip was amazing,” said Block. “That stage means a lot to Alex (Gelsomino) and I so to break our record and by such a large margin was really exciting for us.”

In the Super Production Class, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Dave Mirra and his co-driver Derek Ringer were battling for the class lead all weekend when they were hit with an engine problem. With a long stage to go prior to the next service stop Mirra and Ringer opted to retire from the event in order to prevent further damage to the engine.

A contingent of Subaru Rally Team USA heads next to Germany for the Baja 300 Powerdays, where Ken Block will be in has been invited to compete in his Subaru Rally Team USA 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car. The event will feature a stadium style, two-mile stage in Lausitz, Germany that will feature side-by-side racing with jumps similar to the X Games Rally event. Invited drivers include WRC stars Petter Solberg, Gigi Galli, and Kris Meeke as well as off-road racing and motorcycle racing stars.

Following the promotional Baja 300 Powerdays event will be the much-anticipated X Games 15 to be held again at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The Rally Finals are scheduled to be televised live on ABC television on Sunday, August 2nd, from 3pm EST – 6pm EST.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit www.rally.subaru.com and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

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Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom sailed to their fourth win of the season at the New England Forest Rally Saturday, to further extend their lead in the national championship.

Pastrana entered Round 6 of the Rally America championship with a 21-point lead over his closest challenger, and said his strategy from the start was to avoid taking unnecessary risks and get his car to the finish in one piece.

“It’s hard to know you’ve got that little more speed in reserve and not use it, but it’s that little more that can get you,” he said. “We weren’t the fastest here this weekend, but I’ll take the win however I can get it.”

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino set a blazing pace at the start, but lost more than 20 seconds to a spin early Saturday afternoon, then had a flat tire. They were unable to make up for lost time in the final stages of the day and finished in second-place overall.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Block at the finish. “I put myself in the right position to win and it didn’t work out for us.”

Even so, the result moves Block into second place in the championship, behind teammate Pastrana.

Canadians Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard were also in the running for a win early in this event, but they lost time to a power steering failure in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Saturday afternoon and finished in third.

“It’s good to taste champagne again, but I really wanted to win,” said L’Estage after the ceremonial champagne spray. “I thought this morning we had a shot at it.”

L’Estage is developing a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X that debuted with Tanner Foust in the US earlier this season under a sharing arrangement. He hasn’t had much luck with the car so far, battling the teething problems that are typical with a new car build. But he says the car has potential and he’s looking forward to the next round.

Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt finished in fourth place; Art Gruszka and co-driver Lukasz Wronski rounded out the top five.

The Super Production class win went to Roman Pakos and Maciej Sawiki in their Subaru STi, while John Conley and Keith Rudolph took the two-wheel drive win in their 2003 Dodge SRT-4.

The roads on this event are generally wide and fast, but peppered with massive rocks that can do big damage to competition cars. As is typical, attrition claimed a number of contenders. Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer were out with engine trouble on Saturday, while Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski retired after Day 1, apparently with engine issues of their own.

It was tough luck for both drivers. This event presented a good opportunity for Mirra to make up some ground in the championship against Super Production rivals Piotr Wiktorczyk, Jimmy Keeney, Matt Johnson and Pat Moro – all drivers who are sitting out this round as they prepare for X Games.

The X Games contest is the biggest event on the calendar for invited teams and cars are due on the other side of the continent in just over a week. Open class drivers Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and Tanner Foust have also opted to sit this event out while they prepare for the Los Angeles contest.

The two-wheel drive competition was fierce this weekend, with more than two-dozen drivers running the weekend’s two regional events: Friday’s “Drive Your Future Rally,” presented by the National Guard, and the “I Can’t Drive 55″ Rally on Saturday.

Among those teams is the interesting last-minute entry of Lucy Block and Chrissie Beavis in a Volkswagen Golf. Block is married to Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and this was her first-ever event as a competitor. Chrissie Beavis is a regular championship co-driver for Foust and competes in California as a driver in the regional series. The duo swapped driving and co-driving duties over the weekend.

Twenty-one teams also signed up to run this event for the MaxAttack! subseries, designed to raise the level of two-wheel drive rally competition. Chris Duplessis and Catherine Woods set the fastest two-wheel drive times in their 1990 Volkswagen GTi during the weekend’s regionals.

For 2009, organizers will pay out a total cash purse of $15,000 USD to be divided among the fastest teams competing in the MaxAttack! events.

All results are considered informational pending official race processes.

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A close championship battle will be contested by a deep field at the 2009 Rallye Baie-Des-Chaleurs in New Richmond, Que., third round of the Canadian Rally Championship presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama. Just six points separate the top four teams, with a win earning 22 points. Every move up the order is critical for the teams vying for the title of 2009 Canadian Rally Champion.

Subaru Rally Team Canada’s Pat Richard, of Squamish, BC, and co-driver Alan Ockwell share the championship lead and are defending 2008 Canadian Rally Champions.

“We really need to manage our speed at this event,” says Richard, “The championship is so close that you can’t really back off to save the car, but this event is rough and you need to be careful.”

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard of St-Jean-sur-Richlieu, Que., share the lead with Richard and Ockwell. The pair won the opening round of the series in the debut of their Mitsubishi Evolution X, but suffered development problems at the Rocky Mountain Rally in May.

“Baie-Des-Chaleurs is going to be a really interesting rally for the fans and teams, with so much competition,” said L’Estage. “I don’t want to let Ken Block win again!”

Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino both hail from California, U.S., and will be the entry from the Subaru Rally Team USA. The pair won the rally in 2008, their first time at Baie.

“The atmosphere is something very close to what you see in a WRC or European championship event and that makes Baie quite unique in North American rally,” said Gelsomino. “Those are truly world class roads, really enjoyable to drive but they don’t give much of a chance if you make a mistake.”

Canadian Andrew Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jen Horsey will be in their Mitsubishi Evolution X. Andrew is a close contender just four points behind the leaders in the Canadian Rally Championship.

“It’s great to have such a hotly contested event,” said Comrie-Picard. “The depth of the field will really enhance the pleasure of the event for teams and fans alike.”

Sylvain Erickson of Gatineau, Que., will also be mixing it up at the front, and sits just six points back from the championship leaders. Erickson has teamed up with veteran co-driver Brian Maxwell of Port Hope, Ont., in an effort to find more speed.

“This will be the first time working with a co-driver who is really good with stage notes,” said Erickson. “Brian has a lot of experience that should help me go even faster.”

This year’s entry nears 50 cars, and will be highlighted by Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau of New Richmond, Que., and Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy also of New Richmond, Que. Both have earned podium finishes in the past and are viable threats on their hometown roads.

Nick and Kelly Mathew of Caledon, Ont., will aim for more valuable championship points after a third place finish at the Rocky Mountain Rally.

Jan and Jody Zedril are entered after a bad crash at the Rocky Mountain Rally in late May left their two wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer in need of repairs. Currently second place in the Two Wheel Drive Championship, and their rivals not entered, the Zedrils have a great opportunity to move up in the standings.

“Work started on the car as soon as we got home from Rocky, and we’re all set to go,” said Jody Zedril.

The event, held June 26-27, 2009, includes 190 kilometers of competitive stages run near the town of New Richmond on the south shore of the Gaspe Peninsula.

Rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometres of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Full coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings.

For more information: www.CARSrally.ca and www.rallyebdc.com

PHOTO: Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino of the Subaru Rally Team USA fly over the infamous jump at the 2008 Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs. Photo by Andrew Harvey/Flatovercrest.com

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- Teammate Travis Pastrana Finishes 2nd and Retains Championship Lead -

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block earned his second Rally America victory of 2009 with a dominating win at the 2009 Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR). Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were untouchable in their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, leading from the very first stage and going on to win eight of thirteen competition stages at STPR, round five of the 2009 Rally America National Championship. Block’s Subaru teammate and defending three-time Rally America National Champion Travis Pastrana with co-driver Christian Edstrom made it a 1-2 finish for Subaru Rally Team USA by placing 2nd Overall. Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer, in Subaru Rally Team USA’s Super Production Class Subaru STI hit a large rock while battling for the class lead and were forced to retire from the event.

The win at STPR is sweet redemption for Ken Block who has experienced hard luck early in the 2009 Rally America season and at past STPR events. The two-day STPR takes place on high-speed, tree lined roads in northern Pennsylvania. “I’ve rolled here, and I DNF’d last year; the year before that I crashed in shakedown and then only made it a stage and a half,” explained Block. “So, to win here with a good clean run is really satisfying. I’ve also had rough luck this season, not finishing three rallies. The win here really helps.”

Block set a blistering pace early at STPR, taking the lead on the first stage and never looking back. After winning all three of Day One’s stages Block had accumulated an impressive one-minute lead. Block could have afforded to throttle back on Day Two but he continued his rapid pace winning five of ten stages to take victory over Travis Pastrana by one minute and twelve seconds. “I’m always pushing myself and always trying to become a better driver so we didn’t really slow down on the second day. Everything was going well and my Subaru was performing flawlessly, so we just kept the pace up and drove smart,” explained Block. “This is such a tough event with really fast roads; you can’t afford to make any mistakes, and winning here means a lot.”

Block’s teammate Travis Pastrana may have been able to challenge Block for the win but a broken right front suspension on only the second stage of the rally cost Pastrana nearly a minute of lost time. Pastrana quickly fought his way from third to second overall and pulled away steadily throughout Day Two to secure a second overall finish. “The goal was to win if you can but podium for sure so we can extend our points lead in the championship,” said Pastrana.

The third Subaru Rally Team USA entry of driver Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer were gunning for a Super Production class victory in their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The new Super Production (SP) class, a new category for 2009 that features minimally modified, production-based cars has showcased close battles at each rally thus far and STPR was no different. While battling for the class lead midway through the rally Mirra hit a large rock that damaged both left wheels of his Subaru, knocking him out the event. “It was like getting kicked out of a really good party early,” said Mirra. “We just hit a massive embedded rock on the inside of a turn and both left wheels were damaged.”

Vermont-based Subaru Rally Team USA stays close to home for round six, the New England Forest Rally (July 17-18), held on the dusty gravel logging roads along the Maine/New Hampshire border. Visit subaru.com/rally for all the latest team news and photos and follow the team on Twitter at twitter.com/srtusa. Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar.

Photos: Lars Gange | subaru.com/rally

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block set the fastest times on the opening stages of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally and never looked back, taking his second win of the season at this notoriously tough event.

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino have had their share of bad luck this season, with three DNFs in their previous four starts and Block said he was happy for the win – especially at an event that hasn’t been good to him in the past.

“STPR has been a struggle for me. I’m happy,” said Block. “I’ve rolled here, I broke last year, the year before that I crashed in shakedown and then made it a stage and a half.”

But he wasn’t ready to say he’d managed to shake off the season’s bad-luck streak: “I’m not going to say it’s over until I finish at least three or four more events.”

Block’s Subaru teammates Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom took second place. The duo lost a minute to suspension damage on Day 1, but managed to claw back into second place and hold it there to the finish.

Pastrana admitted the course was fast enough to be scary at times, but he was able to keep a cool head and extend his championship lead.

“The goal was win if you can, but podium for sure,” said Pastrana. “It was a good event.”

Third place went to Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt, their first U.S. podium result together.

“We tried to push right from the get-go,” said Bacon. “Until now, our best finish in the States was fourth, so we’re happy.”

Bacon is running a limited season this year but with a pair of top-five finishes early on, he has secured enough points to be awarded an X Games invitation. If he is able to attend, this will be his first time in the high-profile Los Angeles contest.

In addition to battling for championship points, many teams are vying for a shot at X Games gold in August. Four top points scorers in the Rally America series will earn an invitation after this event.

Polish driver Andi Mancin and co-driver Ryszard Ciupka – who are also expected to receive an X Games invitation – finished fourth this weekend. The event started poorly for the duo, who took a rock to a brake line on Day 1 and were forced to run a stage without brakes, then lost even more time to an ailing clutch on Day 2.

Piotr Wiktorczyk and Grzegorz Dorman took the Super Production class win, finishing in fifth place overall. Wiktorczyk is also expected to make the trip to X Games this summer.

STPR is typically tough and often becomes a battle of attrition as teams fall victim to the challenging course and tough roads. The 2009 event was no different.

Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard – who took the win here in 2008 – reported trouble with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X throughout the contest. After losing time on Day 1 to a blown turbo hose, the team continued to battle a variety of mechanical issues well into Day 2. Their transmission failed before the final stage but they pulled into the final service of the day on a tow-rope hooked to Andrew Comrie-Picard’s NOS Energy Mitsubishi and were able to finish in the top 10.

For their part, Comrie-Picard and guest co-driver Marshall Clarke found themselves out of the running for the podium right at the start after receiving a penalty for fueling procedures and then suffering a soft rollover on the fourth stage. They were able to continue after the roll and the team’s finish was enough to boost Comrie-Picard into second-place in the championship.

The rally ended early for BMX superstar Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer. The Subaru Rally Team USA’s Super Production class team took damage to their car after they struck a rock on Day 2 and were unable to continue.

The Swedish World Rally Team of Patrik Sandell and Emil Axelsson were out of the contest after only one stage with reported engine failure. It was tough luck for Sandell, who had been expected to challenge for the win at this contest. The driver has won two Production World Rallies so far this year, and was the Junior World Rally Champion in 2006.

Rally newcomer Brian Deegan and his co-driver Chrissie Beavis also had a tough event. The team’s crew repaired a broken driveshaft after a rough Day 1 stage, then the duo went off-road on Day 2 and did further damage before they lost their brakes on the second-to-last stage. But the team managed to cross the finish line and Deegan says he expects to receive a so-called “at-large” invitation to the X Games Rally competition.

“It was different than I thought but I like it,” said Deegan of his debut rally driving experience. “I thought trophy truck drivers were really talented but I think rally driving is where you really learn to drive – better than anyone else.”

Deegan made his name as a supercross and motocross star, and founding member of the Metal Mulisha group of riders. Deegan is the latest action sports star to try his hand at rally competition, joining the likes of Pastrana and Mirra — both series regulars.

The Susquehannock Trail event has been running since 1977, and has long been known as one of the most demanding events on the calendar. The 2009 running of the contest features a return to the popular two-day format, with a spectator-friendly daylight schedule and super special stages on each day.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events throughout the country in many different weather and road conditions.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

Six top drivers — Pastrana, Comrie-Picard, Block, Mirra, Foust and Matt Johnson – have already accepted first-round invitations to X Games. The results after the first five rounds of the championship mean that Mancin, Bacon, Wiktorczyk and Gruszka are expected to round out the field, with two other so-called “at large” drivers yet to be named.

All results are considered informational pending official race processes.

Among the marques typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

The next round of the Rally America championship moves east to the forests of New England for the New England Forest Rally July 17-18.

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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana is back atop the Rally America National Championship standings after winning the 2009 Oregon Trail Rally this past weekend. Pastrana, the three-time defending Rally America National Champion strode to victory in Oregon with a faultless drive behind the wheel of his 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, winning by nearly one minute. Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom have now won three of the first four Rally America rounds and are in prime position to challenge for a fourth consecutive championship with five rounds remaining.

The 2009 Oregon Trail Rally, round four of the 2009 Rally America National Championship, featured over 100 miles of competition on a course that included a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The event kicked-off with a night of fan-friendly mixed-surface stages at Portland International Raceway and then moved east to the Mt. Hood area for the remainder of the weekend. The conditions were sunny and bright, making for dry and dusty roads and a visibility challenge for teams.

Pastrana took the lead early on Day Two, and then set a blazing pace later in the day to increase his gap substantially. With a comfortable margin over challengers Tanner Foust and Andrew Comrie Picard, Pastrana was able to cruise to victory on Day Three while a battle ensued behind him for the remaining podium positions. “It was a near perfect rally for us, we fought hard early to establish a lead and then were able to take it easy through the rest of the weekend,” explained Pastrana. “Our Subaru was flawless again, and we have made good progress in finding more speed and drivability with our 2009 STI. My Subaru was an absolute blast to drive this weekend!”

Pastrana now vaults to the lead of the 2009 Rally America National Championship and is in an excellent position to challenge for his fourth consecutive Rally America National Championship. “In the past couple years I’ve had good success at each of the five remaining rounds, “said Pastrana. “The pressure is off just a bit now but this year the competition is much harder and the battles are tighter so I’m sure it won’t be easy!”

The pressure is now shifted onto the shoulders of Pastrana’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Ken Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino who ran into more bad luck at Oregon. The duo were forced to retire from the rally after sustaining damage to their front left suspension after going off the road due to a tire puncture. “Under braking after a high speed section the car suddenly didn’t want to turn and in an instant I realized it was due to a sudden, and very bad, front left tire puncture. I had no choice but to go off the road and over a ditch, which damaged the front left suspension,” explained a dejected Block. Block has failed to finish three of the first four events but his strong win at the 100 Acre Wood Rally and his commanding speed in each rally give him hope of fighting back. Block re-entered the Oregon Trail Rally on Day Three, for exhibition only, and won all five stages, proving again he has the speed to win.

In the Super Production (SP) Class the story was attrition. Nearly all of the top SP Class finishers encountered problems and failed to finish. But Subaru Rally Team USA driver Dave Mirra with co-driver Derek Ringer stayed trouble-free and drove a smart rally at the wheel of their 2009 Subaru WRX STI to finish first in the SP Class and 6th Overall. During post-race inspection, however, a minor specification infraction on Mirra’s car led race officials to penalize the #40 car of Mirra and Ringer one SP Class position, dropping him to 2nd in SP Class. “There were some great battles early on but then as everyone started to have trouble I just backed off and found a comfortable pace,” said Mirra. “I’ve gotten much more comfortable with the new 2009 STI and feel I was much more consistent with my driving. The best is yet to come.”

Subaru Rally Team USA now transits back to the east coast for the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (June 5-6) and then on to the New England Forest Rally (July 17-18).

Follow Subaru Rally Team USA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/srtusa

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. Visit www.subaru.com/rally for Subaru Rally Team USA photo galleries, news and team information.

Photos by Lars Gange

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The battle for top points in the Rally America championship is heating up the Pacific Northwest as the series moves to Oregon for the fourth round, the Oregon Trail Rally (May 15-17).

A tight race at the top of the standings sees NOS Energy driver Andrew Comrie-Picard with a three-point lead over Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust — who are tied for second-place.

Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom could have the edge. The driver has scored two wins in three starts this season and scored the event win in 2008. Meanwhile, Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant, and Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, have shown they can set a top pace this season. Pastrana’s Subaru teammates Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, are always a threat for the win.

Block and the Polish team of Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski are hungry for points to boost their standings after a slow start to their respective seasons. Block has one win and two DNFs to his record this year, while Mancin has been expected to gain ground as the season progresses and he becomes accustomed to the U.S. style of rally competition.

The new, hotly contested Super Production Class will also see a strong field at this event, with drivers including Piotr Wiktorczyk, Matt Johnson and Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra expected to fight hard for class honors and maintain their top-10 standings.

Promising young Dillon Van Way is another driver to watch as continues his national campaign the for two-wheel drive title, while a number of popular competitors from the Pacific Northwest including Dave Hintz, Paul Eklund, and Mark Tabor are sure to put on a great show for their hometown crowds.

The event features over 100 miles of competition over a course that promises a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The Mount Hood area’s hilly terrain means plenty of elevation changes throughout the contest.

Rally activities extend over four days in mid-May, with a kick-off car show in downtown Portland on Thursday, May 14. Key series players and their cars will make an appearance Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square for a midday display where fans can meet their favorite drivers and check out their race machines.

Competition begins on Friday, May 15, with opening stages at the Portland International Raceway. There, teams will take on a mixed tarmac and dirt course before heading out to a challenging gravel course near Hood River, Oregon, for the second and third days of the rally (May 16-17).

Avid photographers will again have the opportunity to participate in Rally America’s popular photo contest where fans can submit their best shots for a chance to win great prizes. The rally area offers plenty of views of Oregon’s beautiful Mount Hood, giving photographers the chance to capture some truly spectacular shots of this exciting event.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship series consists of nine exciting events throughout the country in many different weather and road conditions.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. Eight top teams have already been invited to this August’s contest. Among the marques typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

Event Schedule:

Thursday, May 14

11:00 – 13:00 Rally Fan Appreciation Display Pioneer Courthouse Sq, Portland

Friday, May 15

18:00 – 21:45 Spectator Spectacular Portland International Raceway

Saturday, May 16

10:00 – 12:00 Parc Expose Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
11:00 First Car starts Day Two Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
11:00 – 19:00 Competition Stages (Free) Hood River Area
18:40 First Car Finishes Day Two Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell

Sunday, May 17

09:00 First Car starts Day Three Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell
09:00 – 14:30 Competition Stages (Free) Hood River Area
14:45 First Car Finishes Event Hood River Fairgrounds, Odell

Rally Headquarters: Best Western Hood River Inn, Hood River. 541-386-2200

Additional information on the 2009 event, including the spectator guide, is available at the event website, http://www.oregontrailrally.com .

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For the second straight year, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block has won Rally New York USA in dominating fashion, gapping the closest finisher by nearly three minutes in his Monster Energy 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were nearly untouchable on the slick, rain-soaked tarmac roads and won an incredible 18 of 23 stages. Rally New York USA featured over 100 miles of high-speed technical asphalt roads in the southern Catskill Mountains of New York, about 90 miles north of New York City.

Rally New York USA does not serve as a round in the 2009 Rally America National Championship, where Block currently sits tied for 3rd overall in the standings after winning round two, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Block entered Rally New York USA to extend his experience on tarmac, this being Block’s second full rally ever on the surface. The event also featured FIA style two-pass reconnaissance which Block and Gelsomino are always keen to gain more experience. Block entered the event with his older specification Open Class 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI because his 2009 spec Subaru STI is in-transit to the west cost for the upcoming Olympus Rally.

Rainy conditions throughout the weekend made for extremely slick conditions, but Block drove a mistake-free rally and was never seriously challenged. “This was only my second tarmac event and I think my experience here last year really helped,” explained Block. “We drove a clean and consistent rally and our Subaru was perfect as usual, so we were able to push when we wanted to. It all paid off with a great win.”

Subaru Rally Team USA heads next to the legendary Olympus Rally, round 3 of the 2009 Rally America National Championship, where Block will be in action with Subaru teammates Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra.

For behind the scenes news and updates please follow Subaru Rally Team USA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/srtusa

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. Visit www.subaru.com/rally for Subaru Rally Team USA photo galleries, news and team information.

Ken Block action photos please credit: Neil McDaid
Ken Block candid photo please credit: Lars Gange

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For the fourth year in-a-row, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block has won the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood event, hosting round two of the 2009 Rally America National Championship, in dominating fashion. Block was uncatchable behind the wheel of his 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI on the fast and flowing Missouri roads, cruising to victory by over forty seconds. Subaru teammate Travis Pastrana was Block’s only competition early on, but his challenge was cut short when he went off the road while pushing hard to match Block’s pace, leading to car damage forcing him to retire from the rally. Subaru Rally Team USA’s new third driver, BMX legend Dave Mirra, was the biggest surprise of the event with his debut in the new Super Production class, finishing second in class and leading the class for nearly the entire rally.

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The Salem-based Rally in the 100 Acre Wood event in Missouri is a high-speed gravel rally featuring fast and flowing roads that are a favorite of many rally drivers. Ken Block especially favors this event and it clearly shows with four straight dominating wins. The rally, set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, is known for highly variable weather conditions. Most of this year’s rally was dry and fast but a sudden flash snowstorm affected the final stages of the event.

As expected, Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino got off to a flying start winning three of the five stages on Day 1 to achieve a comfortable lead of over one minute. They maintained that lead throughout Day 2 with mistake-free driving, cruising to victory by over forty seconds. “I love the flow of the stages of this event, I love the high speeds,” exclaimed Block at the finish. “My Subaru was really setup perfectly and that gave me the confidence to go flat-out on the real high-speed sections.”

With four wins in a row at the 100 Acre Wood Rally Ken Block now shares a record with his mentor, American rally legend John Buffum, who won this event four times in a row from 1977 to 1980. “To share a record of any sort with [John] Buffum is incredible,” mentioned Block. “I don’t think I’ll come close to any of his other records though!”

Block’s new Subaru teammate, BMX legend Dave Mirra raised eyebrows with his debut in the recently introduced Super Production (SP) class, a new category for 2009 that features minimally modified, production-based cars. Mirra showed impressive speed at the start of the rally in his Subaru WRX STI, finishing Day 1 in third Overall and leading the SP class comfortably. Mirra was the fastest in-class on eight of the event’s fourteen competition stages. Unfortunately, Mirra narrowly missed out on a class win when he slowed on Stage 14 to ensure he stayed on the road due to a flash snowstorm in that area. Fellow SP class challenger and veteran Subaru privateer Matt Johnson capitalized on the treacherous road condition and beat Mirra for the SP class win by just three seconds. “I felt really comfortable in the SP-spec Subaru, and it was really encouraging to see our stage times were right up there with the Open Class cars,” explained Mirra “I’ve got a lot of confidence now and I know I can fight for the SP class championship this year and maybe even mix it up at the top of the standings for some Overall points too.”

Three-time defending Rally America Champion Travis Pastrana vowed to challenge Block this weekend, and it looked as if the two drivers would be locked in a tight battle. After taking the early lead from Block on stage three, Pastrana made an error on Stage 4 that sent his Subaru off the road. Although Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom walked away unharmed, their Subaru was too damaged to continue.

The next rally scheduled for Ken Block is the all tarmac Rally New York USA, April 3-4 2009 where he will defend his 2008 victory. All three Subaru Rally Team USA drivers will be back in action at the Olympus Rally, round 3 of the 2009 Rally America National Championship, April 18-19 2009. Please visit www.subaru.com/rally for event details, photos and more team information.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy and Vermont SportsCar.

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Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and Ken Block have hit the cover of the September 2008 issue of Racer X Magazine! The jaw-dropping cover-shot features Pastrana flipping his freestyle moto-x bike over his teammate Ken Block’s airborne 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, the two crossing in the air after taking off from separate jumps. The issue of Racer X features an extensive article about Block and Pastrana regarding their success rally racing in the USA and across the World. The issue also features a stunning pull-out poster of the jump from DC Shoes. The September 2008 issue of Racer X will be on newsstands this week.

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The cover story is a massive accomplishment as Racer X is one of the premier motocross publications in the US. Both Ken Block and Travis Pastrana are very pleased and honored to be featured on the cover, and excited with the progress and popularity rally is exhibiting as a growing sport in the US. Pastrana being the reigning two-time Rally America National Champion and Block having earned Silver at last year’s X Games Rally competition, the Subaru Rally Team USA teammates are no strangers albeit relative newcomers to the rally racing scene. “We are honored to have a rally car on the cover of one of the top moto magazines in the world. The photo shoot was so much fun and it was great to showcase the skills of our multi-talented and very dynamic team. Plus I never turn down a chance to jump my rally car!,” said Ken Block. The Racer X issue marks the 7th time that Ken Block as graced the cover of a major magazine.

The cover shot was taken during a two day video shoot on a jump built for the newest of Travis Pastrana’s line of videos aptly named Thrillbillies Double Wide. The videos feature motorized antics and stunts intertwined with outtakes from the lives of action sports athletes. Pastrana leaping from an airplane with no parachute was among stunts in last year’s video, Thrillbillies. The newest Nitro Circus video will include this motocross-over-rally-car jump just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. A video clip of this historic feat can be viewed at DC Shoes website. Click here for the video!

Pastrana and Block will be seen in action jumping again at the biggest event of the year for North American Rallying, the ESPN X Games 14 in Los Angeles, Aug 3rd. The X Games will be broadcast live on ABC with highlights and preview shows on ESPN. Visit subaru.com/rally for complete details and more news and photos.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, Boost Mobile, Recaro, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, PIAA and Vermont SportsCar. For team news and information please visit www.subaru.com/rally

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BMX legend and burgeoning rally driver Dave Mirra got his
first chance to drive a top specification Open Class Subaru rally car in
competition on the final day of last weekend’s Oregon Trail Rally, after
swapping cars with Monster Energy teammate Ken Block. Mirra was northing
short of impressive at the wheel of Block’s BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2007
Subaru Impreza WRX STI, netting a 3rd and a 4th fastest overall stage
time on two of the four competition stages run on Sunday. Block, who
was leading the Rally America National Championship points standings
entering Oregon ’stepped-down’ to drive Mirra’s lower spec, non-turbo
Subaru Impreza.

The swap was possible only after Block and Mirra found themselves
officially out of the Oregon Trail Rally, round four of the Rally
America National Championship, after they each slid their usual rally
cars into ditches and became stuck off the road. Neither rally car
sustained damage and the duo had the option of re-starting the event the
following day for the final four stages of competition. Although they
could not score national championship points the roads and the
competition would be the same.

So the two friends kept things interesting by arranging a car swap with
each other! Block literally signed his top-spec Open class rally car
over to Mirra on Sunday with a message on the hood that read; “Congrats
Dave, it’s graduation day here’s your new car. Keep the shiny side
up!” Block then spent some time with Mirra pointing out a few of the
differences and unique features of his car before handing over the keys.
Block’s Subaru Rally Team USA backed Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car is
built to the limit of the Rally America Open Class rules, with nearly
double the power of Mirra’s ‘rookie spec’ Subaru. Block’s car is also
lighter and features a dog-engagement transmission enabling quicker,
clutch-less gear shifting.

Mirra was slated to begin driving this higher-spec rally car at the next
round in Pennsylvania (the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, June
6-7th ) after having started off his rally career with a much lower
specification, non-turbo Subaru Impreza. After competing in five rallies
over the past six months Mirra recently earned a full unrestricted Rally
America competition license, allowing him the opportunity to drive a
much more powerful machine such as Block’s Subaru.

With a huge grin, Mirra and his co-driver Alex Kihurani jumped into
Block’s rally car and cautiously attacked the four remaining competition
stages on Sunday. “That Subaru was just amazing to drive, it’s a whole
different ball game than the car I’ve been learning with,” explained
Mirra. “I had to be really careful because I kept getting stuck in the
dust of cars that I was catching up with ahead of us, but we had a clean
run on one of the stages where I got 3rd fastest overall. It was an
amazing opportunity to get to test this car on some real rally stages
ahead of the next rally in Pennsylvania, where I’ll be driving this car
again. I’m still buzzing from this drive, it was incredible.”

Ken Block, with co-driver Alex Gelsomino, will debut the much
anticipated all-new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the next round,
making his 2007 Subaru available to Mirra for the remainder of the 2008
season. Mirra will run a limited number of the remaining 2008 rally
events due to BMX competition schedule conflicts.

While Mirra was learning to tame Ken Block’s wildly powerful rally car,
Block had to contend with driving Mirra’s much slower Subaru through the
technical loose gravel roads of Oregon. “We had a good time with it,
even if it was painfully slow!,” said Block. “It was a good lesson in
how to keep momentum up through the turns, because the car just lacks
the raw acceleration of my usual ride. Most of all it made me really
appreciate my own Subaru! I was glad to see Dave didn’t put a scratch on
my car and he set a few very impressive stage times, so it was very
encouraging.”

Dave Mirra’s rally program is made possible with support from Monster
Energy, Vermont SportsCar, DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Exedy,
PIAA, Motul, Greddy, Alpinestars and Subaru of America.

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