“This is a good win,” said Higgins, “The conditions were the most treacherous I have ever seen.”

Higgins finished the event 1:49.9 ahead of Rockstar Energy Drink’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard. The Rockstar team never held the lead but they made considerable time on Higgins on the first leg of day 2 and looked like they would get closer to challenging the Subaru driver.

“We chose to use snow tires at the start of the day,” said L’Estage, “versus Higgins’ ice tires. We just gambled right and were making up good time until after the first service.”

Last year, Sno*Drift winners Travis and Terry Hanson made rally history by becoming the first Super Production (SP) team to win an overall event. This year the son and father duo took third overall for a consecutive Sno*Drift podium and secured the SP Class win in dominant fashion. The finish was all but miraculous as the team didn’t expect to complete the event due to engine problems before the second day began. Due to the sound of their engine, itappeared it could break at anytime. The team fought through the mechanical issues, however, and managed a highly respectable podium spot while continuing to prove the competiveness of the Super Production Class as a viable contender to the more powerful Open Class cars.

The SP battle for second and third place was fairly close, considering that the icy Sno*Drift conditions spread the field to greater-than-usual lengths. Lauchlin O’Sullivan and Scott Putnam, piloting an unfamiliar Mitsubishi EVO, held a 45.8 second advantage over newcomer driver David Sterckx and co-driver Karen Jankowski.

The Sno*Drift Rally is David Sterckx’s first Rally America National Championship event. Sterckx is a former 2001 Belgium Rally Group N DR2 Champ and has been preparing for his first national event since last year.

In the 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) Class, Chris Duplessis and Karl Atkinson once again topped the 2WD field in their 2011 Ford Fiesta R2 winning all the stages in class and consistently placed within the top 10 overall. His performance netted him the Sno*Attack title, a championship for 2WD cars run in conjunction with the Sno*Drift Rally.

Even though they didn’t win, it was the inspired drive of Andrew Comrie-Picard with Jeremy Wimpey in a 2011 Scion xD that caused plenty of buzz among the crowd. Comrie-Picard quickly adapted to the new car, having been down as far as 5th in class early in the event to place 2nd in 2WD, narrowly beating Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner in their 2011 Ford Fiesta by 21 seconds.

A record breaking 65 teams started the Sno*Drift Rally with a slew of new competitors making a big splash. Notably, Canadian Rally Championship regulars Leonid Urlichich and Carl Williamson entered Sno*Drift for their first U.S. event and instantly challenged Travis and Terry Hanson for third place overall, trading times throughout the event. At one point, Hanson passed Urlichich on stage only to give up the spot deep into Day 2. Urlichich did finish third overall in the standings, but the car failed post rally inspection and was penalized three positions to finish sixth overall.

Urlichich protested the Steward’s decision and the Sno*Drift overall results will remain provisional pending the outcome of the protest.

Erik Zenz and Dave Parps successfully swept the top spot at the Sno*Regional and Drift Regional Rallies in their 1988 Mazda 323.

The Sno*Drift Rally was streamed online for the first time in event history. The video stream brought snowy-stage rally action, driver interviews and analysis by Rally America host, Matthew Johnson. Camera crews used night vision technologies to give fans a never-before-seen glimpse of the late evening stages. 41 countries tuned in to view the broadcast on http://www.rally-america.com.

Next in the 2012 Rally America National Championship is the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood on February 24-25th in Salem, MO.

Full Sno*Drift Rally results: http://www.rally-america.com/events/2012/SNODRIFT/results/

The 2012 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by VP Racing Fuels – the Official Fuel of Rally America, Exedy Racing Clutches, Hawk Performance Brakes, ParkNBlend and RECARO seats.

About Rally America:

Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the premier performance Rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2012, Rally America will be conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about the Rally America National Championship Series and the sport of Rally can be found at www.rally-america.com and videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

Photo credit: Scott Rains

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Cline Racing Sports (CRS) driver Evan Cline to race Rally America 2012 Super Production Championship

Evan Cline of Brighton, MI with co-driver Greg Dorman of Sosnowiec, Poland, will be racing the Rally America National Championship Series starting with the first event, Sno*Drift Rally based in Atlanta, MI. This weekend’s event races on snow and ice covered roads among the areas of Atlanta and Lewiston. “As my local event,” Cline says, “the roads here are some of my favorite stages of the championship. The surface is the most challenging and I have had good success here.”

This year’s running of Sno*Drift rally will have a record number of competitors, with almost 70 cars entered to compete in the race. “Sno*Drift is a really popular rally with the fans, which is the most exciting part of the race. Fans line the snow covered roads and the enthusiasm they have for the sport is great for the teams to see. Saturday’s schedule includes a super special stage held for spectators to view at the quarry.

The team is eager to get on the stages and show what they can do in their freshly upgraded Subaru STI. They compete in the hotly contested Super Production class where almost stock STI’s are the typical platform. In previous years the team competed with an underpowered WRX.

Evan Cline, CRS driver: “We are excited to start the new season with some upgrades to the car, which will help us compete in our class and hopefully have as much fun as last year. I am hoping to start off the season on a good note here and continue for the rest of the year as we plan to compete in the whole national series.”

Grzegorz Dorman, CRS co-driver: “The strategy at this event is to keep steady and clean, which has been said from past winners of the event to be the best plan. We have good experience from 2011 season and I’m excited to continue rallying with Exedy Rally Team in 2012.”

Cline Racing Sports is proudly supported by Exedy Racing Clutch, Disc Brakes Australia, Hawk, Recaro, Innovate Motorsports, Magnus Motorsports, Whiteline and Mobsteel.

Flat Out Promotions is Cline Racing Sports’s media partner.
For more information about the event go to www.Sno-Drift.org
For more information about the 2012 Rally America National Series go to www.rally-america.com
For more information about the team go to www.ClineRacingSports.com

Photos: WorldRallySport.com / Mike Proulx and Artur Partyka

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Organizers Post Record 70-Car Entry List

The 38th running of the Sno*Drift Rally in Northern Michigan will once again kick-off the six events that comprise the 2012 Rally America National Championship on January 27th and 28th, 2012. Based in Montmorency County, the Sno*Drift Rally is the only snow-covered event where high-powered rally cars will speed, jump, and slide down narrow ice-covered stages!

A record-setting 70 teams from across the U.S. and Canada will test their skills on the snow-banked roads which are sure to be an exciting setting to begin the 2012 Rally America National Championship. (See the full Sno*Drift Rally entry list here: http://www.rally-america.com/events/2012/SNODRIFT/entries/)

Topping the list of teams is 2010 Rally America National Champions, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard from Quebec, Canada, piloting what is expected to be a revamped 2010 Mitsubishi Evolution X. L’Estage and Richard finished with a solid 2nd place overall in 2011 and look to keep the pressure on as a favorite to win it all this year. L’Estage’s closest competition is the entry from Vermont SportsCar and Subaru Rally Team USA entry, is expected to field a 2012 Subaru WRX STI for 2011 Rally America National Championship overall winner David Higgins from the Isle of Man – but the official announcement has not yet been made as to who will actually be piloting the Subaru factory-backed machine.

The top story from last year’s Sno*Drift Rally was the history-making achievement of Traverse City, Michigan’s Travis and Terry Hanson piloting their Super Production (SP) 2007 Subaru WRX STI to an overall win. It was the first time an SP Class car won an event outright, which ultimately positioned them for a 2011 Rally America National Championship third-place overall finish. The Hansons will test their luck again in challenging the more powerful Open Class cars, but as everyone knows, the snow can be an equalizing factor giving anyone a chance for victory.

The Two-Wheel Drive category is always fun to watch and has been exploding with top talent over the past few seasons and the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally will continue the trend. Chris Duplessis from Whitefield, NH, who recently competed in WRC Academy at Rally GB, returns with a rally-prepared 2012 Ford Fiesta R2. He faces strong challenges from television host and longtime Rally competitor, Andrew Comrie-Picard, who will be piloting a 2010 Scion xD, as well as 2009 Rally America Rookie of the year, Dillon Van Way from Carencro, LA, as he returns in his always-fast 2011 Ford Fiesta.

The 2012 Rally America National Championship season opener will feature the entrance of a number of international competitors. Notably, Belgium Rally Champion, David Sterckx, will make his Rally America National Championship event debut driving a newly prepared SP Subaru WRX STI with co-driver Karen Jankowski. Chinese Championship driver, Tingwu Song, begins his full Rally America National Championship effort at Sno*Drift with co-driver Martin Brady in a 2009 Mitsubishi EVO X. Song first arrived on the American rally scene at the 2011 New England Forest Rally to test the waters. He placed as high as sixth in the Chinese Championship before shifting his attention to America.

Fans attending the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally will have plenty of opportunities to meet their favorite drivers and watch the rally action on more than 120 miles of competition roads and at the fan-friendly Ralph Thayer Mazda sponsored Super Special stage which takes place in the afternoon on Saturday, January 28th in Lewiston, MI.

The Sno*Drift Rally begins in downtown Lewiston, MI on Friday, January 27, 2012 at the 1:00pm Parc Expose where spectators will have a chance to view the rally cars on display as well as meet and get autographs from the many drivers and co-drivers prior to the start of the event. Fans will be able to pick up complimentary spectator guides that provide driving instructions to nearby viewing areas. It’s the perfect starting place for a day full of rally competition and an adventure in the beautiful Michigan woods.

The action continues in downtown Atlanta, MI at 8:00am, on Saturday, January 28, 2012, with another Parc Expose before heading to the Ralph Thayer Mazda Super Special Stage. The Super Special is a rally stage where spectators can watch all the rally action from start to finish from the comfort of one viewing location. The Super Special will be held at the Lewiston Sand & Gravel Pit located just off of Buttles Road – admission is just $5 per person. Due to limited on-site parking, organizers are providing free bus rides from the Atlanta, MI School and the Lewiston Ace Hardware store beginning at noon. Details of both opportunities are currently available on the event website: www.sno-drift.org.

In addition to the Super Special planned for Saturday, the Sno*Drift Rally organizers are proud to announce the return of the Ralph Thayer Mazda-sponsored Sno*Attack 2-Wheel-Drive Class competition supporting grassroots rally competitors. The Top 5 overall two-wheel-drive finishers of the Ralph Thayer Mazda Sno*Attack competition have a chance to split over $5,000 in prize money. Detroit area auto dealer, Ralph Thayer Mazda, is a long-time supporter of regional rallycross events in the Detroit area and has stepped up their involvement in stage rally in recent years. More information regarding both the Super Special and the Ralph Thayer Sno*Attack two-wheel-drive competition can be found at www.sno-drift.org and www.thayerauto.com.

Rally America will feature an online broadcast of the Sno*Drift Rally on www.rally-america.com beginning at 1:0pm EST on Friday, January 27th. The free live-streaming broadcast will bring you live stage racing, driver interviews, results, and analysis. This marks the first time that Rally America will live stream a National Championship event. The organization believes the increased exposure will help grow the sport and give greater visibility to all National Championship events, drivers, and their sponsors.

The 2012 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by VP Racing Fuels – the Official Fuel of Rally America, Exedy Racing Clutches, Hawk Performance Brakes, ParkNBlend and RECARO seats.

About Rally America:

Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the premier performance Rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2012, Rally America will be conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about the Rally America National Championship Series and the sport of Rally can be found at www.rally-america.com and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

Photos by Mike Proulx, www.WorldRallySport.com

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Business veteran takes the helm and navigates course for more fan and sponsor opportunities in the 2012 National Championship Series

Rally America, Inc., the premier sanctioning and Rally promotion organization in the United States, announced today the seamless transition of ownership to Vermont business professional, Bill Fogg. Fogg has twenty-five years of entrepreneurial success in distribution, manufacturing, software development, telecommunications and marketing. Fogg is also a founding partner in a business development company that invests in a number of technology start-up businesses.

Managing Director, J. B. Niday, will continue in his long-standing role along with Mike Hurst, Rally America’s Competition Director, Paul Giblin, Rally America’s Director of Business Development, and Ananda Siverts, the organization’s Marketing Director. The Rally America staff, new and old, is also quick to acknowledge the founder of Rally America, Doug Havir, for his many contributions to the development of the Rally America National Championship Series.

“First, I want to express my appreciation to Doug Havir for establishing and building Rally America,” said J.B. Niday, “Bill Fogg and his team bring great, new talents and resources to Rally America, as well as fresh ideas and perspectives.”

Fogg has been working with Rally America personnel as well as professionals from other companies to assist in planning for the expansion of Rally America’s reach into homes around the globe. “I want to expose as many people as possible to Rally and turn them into rabid fans,” said Fogg, “Rally America is in a unique position to put Rally and Rallycross in front of the mainstream public.” Fogg believes that Rally America’s future success will be built on the vision and depth of its management team and a history of producing safe and exciting Rally events.

As part of that vision, social networking, live streaming, and online video channel development will be enhanced or launched during the 2012 season. “I have spoken with top performers in the sport, team owners, sponsors and manufacturers, and they all agree that now is the time to bring Rally and Rallycross to the masses,” Fogg said.

Fogg first attended a rally three years ago with his sons Jon and Tom when long-time friend and Rally driver Chris Putzier suggested they give it a try. “We had no idea what to expect at the New England Forest Rally in 2009 but we had a great time, it was a wonderful family experience with the boys and an exciting introduction to the sport of Rally,” said Fogg. “I’m thrilled with the opportunity to put my years of business experience and entrepreneurial spirit to work for Rally America.”

The 2012 Rally America National Championship Series schedule has been created in partnership with local Rally event organizers. In the upcoming season, Rally America will make the series more accessible and build more excitement for fans, sponsors, drivers, and teams.

For 2012, the six Rally events will stretch from coast to coast and are scheduled to run through September. Rally America organizers have moved the Seattle, Washington-based Olympus Rally to September from April and have pushed back the Portland, Oregon-based Oregon Trail Rally by a few weeks to allow more time between it and the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Wellsboro, PA in early June. This new National Championship schedule for 2012 accomplishes two goals. First, it extends the Rally season into the fall, and secondly, it eliminates the compacting of half the Championship into less than two months. Rally America is in the process of evaluating the addition of a seventh National Championship Series event in 2013.

The 2012 Rally America National Championship Series dates and locations are as follows:

Sno*Drift – Atlanta, MI – January 27-28
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood Salem, MO – February 24-25
Oregon Trail Rally – Portland & The Dalles, OR – May 4-6
Susquehannock Trail Rally – Wellsboro, PA – June 1-2
New England Forest Rally – Newry, ME – July 13-14
OIympus Rally – Seattle, WA – September 22-23

The company also announced it was reverting back to its original name Rally America, Inc.

About Rally America
Based in Golden Valley, MN, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the premier performance Rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2012, Rally America will be conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about the Rally America National Championship Series and the sport of Rally can be found at www.rally-america.com and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

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-5th Rally America title in past six years for Subaru Rally Team USA-

Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins has won the 2011 Rally America National Championship with a 2nd Overall finish at the season finale, the New England Forest Rally, this past weekend. In a hotly contested season Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew piloted their BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car to three victories and two 2nd Overall finishes in the six-event Rally America National Championship. The 2011 driver’s title is the third for Higgins in the USA having won the SCCA ProRally Championship in 2002 and 2003. Higgins also won the British Rally Championship in 2004.

“It’s amazing and hasn’t really sunk in yet,” explained Higgins at the podium celebration. “The level of competition was really fierce all year, and it was a big challenge for me to come back to the USA after seven years away and adjust to new events, a co-driver I had never worked with before as well as new car. But everything meshed really well and our Subaru STI was a joy to drive fast. Driving for Subaru is every rally driver’s dream as the brand is so famous for rallying, so this is something really special for me.”

“Both David and Craig have done a stellar job the entire season extracting the utmost performance from their STI, supported by the solid car preparation by our team,” noted James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “With the championship comprised of only six rounds against defending titleholders Antoine [L'Estage] and Nathalie [Richard] with their experience on those events makes SRT USA’s successful effort in regaining the championship that much more special. The effort of our team members and supporting sponsors has been exceptional, and the superlative performance of our STI was properly showcased.”

Higgins joined Subaru Rally Team USA at the start of the 2011 season, replacing longtime Subaru team driver Travis Pastrana who had earned the Rally America National Championship from 2006 through 2009. A season-long rivalry quickly ensued between Higgins and Canadian rally ace Antoine L’Estage, the defending Rally America Champion and Canadian Rally Champion. Higgins and L’Estage were at each other’s heels at every rally with the rivalry coming to a dramatic head last month at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally where Higgins came from behind late in the event to beat L’Estage by a mere 1.3 seconds.

The victory last month in Pennsylvania earned Higgins enough of a points lead over L’Estage that Higgins only needed to finish fourth or better at the New England Forest Rally this weekend to secure the driver’s title. A tactical fight ensued in New England with Higgins maintaining a 2nd overall position behind L’Estage while driving just fast enough to keep the chasing pack comfortably behind him.

In addition to three event victories and the driver’s title in the Rally America series, Higgins recently won the re-born Mt. Washington ‘Climb to the Clouds’ Hillclimb. He smashed the course record by over 30 seconds, driving the same Subaru STI he utilized in the Rally America Championship. Higgins has little time to celebrate, earlier this month he was invited to compete at ESPN Summer X Games 17 in Los Angeles. He will compete in both the Rally Car Racing and RallyCross competitions taking place on July 30th and 31st respectively.

Follow the Subaru of America Facebook page and subaru_usa on Twitter

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

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Photos: Lars Gange | subaru.com/rally

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Travis from Littleton, NH and his father/co-driver Terry from Williamsburg, MI stunned themselves and the the Rally America community with a win in the season opener at January’s Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan. It was a U.S. rally first putting the team on the top of the points standings for half the season, another U.S. rally first for a Super Production category team.

The Hansons continued to rack up top five overall finishes throughout the season to maintain third place in the championship even after Suburu Rally Team USA’s David Higgins started winning events in his faster Open category machine to take over the championship after the Oregon Trail Rally in May. The Hanson dominance in the Super Production category kept the team in the

top three in overall points going into the final event of the season, the New England Forest Rally (NEFR) in Newry, Maine July 15 & 16. They’ll enter NEFR with the SP title in hand but still a brass ring to reach for.

“The SP class championship has been our main goal since the inception of the class,” said Travis Hanson, “It means the world to me to be able to win in a class that is so competitive and a true driver’s class. Having my dad as my co-driver makes this championship so special. Being able to do this with my dad makes this much more than just a championship, just a trophy, it’s a relationship that no one else has.”

Now, the Hansons can focus on defending their third place overall standing knowing that the SP Class is wrapped up. They can enjoy being the highest placing SP team since the class was introduced in 2009.

“At NEFR we have to keep doing what we have done for the whole season, be consistent, be fast and finish. If something happens to one of the top teams and we have a great race there is a chance that we could even score better than 3rd. Who knows? This is rally. Anything can happen,” says Travis Hanson.

Even with the SP championship decided there’ll still be drama in the category in New England. Second and third place in the SP Class promises to be a battle to watch in New England. Only one point separates Ramana Lagemann, Somerville, MA, in second from Lauchlin O’Sullivan, San Francisco, CA, his teammate in third place. Lagemann, in fact, is coming on strong in the second half of the season. He’s won the last two SP class events to move into second in the category.

Both Ramana and Lauchlin are experienced rally racers and very familiar with each other’s driving style and racing pedigree. They’ve faced each other as factory drivers (Ramana drove for the Subaru Rally Team USA and O’Sullivan drove for the Mitsubishi Rally Team) during the SCCA ProRally days nearly ten years ago. Now they’ll stare each other down heading into a difficult and predatory New England Forest Rally.

“Lauchlin and I are great friends,” Lagemann explained, “and after NEFR last year, we talked about how awesome it would be to compete together in the same class this season. Unfortunately that plan hasn’t really worked out. Either I’ve had car troubles or he has. But now we have a few weeks to prepare for NEFR, and we’re both looking forward to getting on those stages.”

Be sure to catch all the NEFR action on www.rally-america.com via live updates and RAM TV video reporting featuring rally action and driver interviews. You can check stage results on your mobile at m.rallyam.com or www.twitter.com/RallyCar_Series.

Travis and Terry Hanson’s Season Accomplishments:

Championship Super Production
Sno*Drift Rally – 1st Overall – 1st Place
100 Acre Wood Rally – 4th Place – 1st Place
Olympus Rally – 5th Place – 1st Place
Oregon Trail Rally – 4th Place – 2nd Place
STPR Rally – 4th Place – 2nd Place

About RallyCar
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., RallyCar sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2011, RallyCar is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Newry, Maine. RallyCar competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, RallyCar sanctions the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship featuring rally cars racing door-to-door on tricky tarmac/dirt race tracks. More information about rally and rallycross can be found at www.rally-america.com, and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

RallyCar’s 2011 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., VP Racing Fuels, Best Buy, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Danza del Sol Winery, Ford Racing, Team O’Neil Rally School, RECARO USA, Hawk Performance Brakes, Exedy Racing Clutches, Racewatches.com and Rally-Tire.com.

Photo: Aaron Kathman/WorldRallySport

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The Rockstar Mitsubishi crew of Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard finished in a close second place after controlling the rally lead up until the second to last stage. The privateer driver set a blistering pace from the start despite being down on power and went on to win six of the event’s fourteen stages including both passes of the Super Special at the Tioga Fairgrounds.

The Susquehannock Trail Rally is round five of the six-round Rally America Championship and is based in Wellsboro, PA. STPR features some of the fastest, roughest gravel stages in the Series with technical sections and ‘gotcha’s’ scattered throughout. Severe dust caused visibility issues until about Stage 8, when heavy rains in the area challenged teams with slippery roads. The changing weather conditions contributed to an already heavy rate of attrition, putting several of the top crews and many regional competitors out of the event or out of contention.

The podium was rounded out by Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, who once again placed third overall and first in the Super Production (SP) class. Lagemann nearly retired from the rally early on day two after running out of fuel on Stage 7 only three miles from the finish. Lagemann’s Subaru sputtered to a stop on the following transit, but rival SP class driver Travis Hanson displayed excellent sportsmanship by towing him back to Service. Travis Hanson and co-driver Terry Hanson placed fourth overall and second in class, clinching the 2011 Super Production title at STPR. The remainder of the Super Production field fell victim to attrition, leaving Lagemann and Hanson as the only crews in the class to finish the event.

In Two-Wheel-Drive (2WD) competition, Chris Greenhouse piloted his 1995 Plymouth Neon to his first-ever National class victory. Greenhouse and co-driver Billy Mann finished sixth overall with a 38 second lead over the second fastest team in their class and were the quickest 2WD crew on both passes of the Super Special. Brian Gottlieb and co-driver Pat Darrow placed second in class in their 1989 Honda Civic with a comfortable cushion of over one minute on Dillon Van Way. Van Way and co-driver Jake Blattner placed third in 2WD despite losing time on Stage 7 after rolling their 2011 Ford Fiesta.

2010 Two-Wheel-Drive champion Chris Duplessis is the first in North America to build and field a Ford Fiesta R2, which made its U.S. debut at STPR. Duplessis and co-driver Catherine Woods’ rally came to a disappointing end after breaking a control arm tie rod near the finish of Stage 12. Duplessis was sitting sixth overall and was well over 8 minutes ahead of his 2WD rivals when he retired.

The 2011 Rally America National Championship comes down to the wire at the sixth and final round, the New England Forest Rally based in Newry, Maine this July 15-16.

About RallyCar

Based in Golden Valley, Minn., RallyCar sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2011, RallyCar is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Newry, Maine. RallyCar competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, RallyCar sanctions the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship featuring rally cars racing door-to-door on tricky tarmac/dirt race tracks. More information about rally and rallycross can be found at www.rally-america.com, and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

RallyCar’s 2011 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., VP Racing Fuels, Best Buy, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Danza del Sol Winery, Ford Racing, Team O’Neil Rally School, RECARO USA, Hawk Performance Brakes, Exedy Racing Clutches, Racewatches.com and Rally-Tire.com.

Higgins and Lagemann photo credit: http://WorldRallySport.com | Mike Proulx
Greenhouse photo credit: http://WorldRallySport.com | Mat Janiak

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More than forty teams are scheduled to compete on some of the best roads in the nation for rallying at the 100 Acre Wood Rally based in and around Salem, MO on February 25-26th, 2011. The fast, tight, twisty, and normally dry roads will create some excellent opportunities to see the driver/co-driver teams challenged in their battle for National Championship points. Two of those teams have one goal: re-establishing their preseason favorite status!

2010 Rally America champion Antoine L’Estage of Montreal, Canada will once again look to do battle with former British and American champion David Higgins who commutes to the events from Trefeglwys, Mid Wales. L’Estage and Higgins both went out with mechanical problems at the Sno*Drift Rally last month leaving the top step of the podium to Hanson who grabbed his first national overall victory in a Super Production car, another first for the Rally American National Championship.

Looking to improve on another first at Sno*Drift is BMX legend and action sports star David Mirra from Greenville, NC. Mirra had his highest finish to date with a second overall at Sno*Drift. He’s in a good position to put the Subaru Rally Team USA on the top of the Championship standings. Mirra has exhibited remarkable improvement in his fourth year of rallying and is within striking distance of nabbing his first overall event win.

David Higgins, Mirra’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate, was considered a heavy favorite for the 2011 Rally America Championship having won the 2004 British Rally Championship and multiple SCCA ProRally titles. But his return to U.S. competition was marred by a mechanical setback. Now he needs valuable points at 100 Acre Wood. The championship only has six events so there are few opportunities to stumble in the short season.

The same is true for L’Estage, the 2010 Rally America, Canadian and North American champion. The Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team driver, Antoine L’Estage, uncharacteristically overheated at Sno*Drift after getting stuck in a snow bank. It was his first DNF since 2008. His second place finish at 100 Acre Wood last season catapulted him to the top of the standings and started him on his way to one of the most successful rally seasons in North American history.

Much of the North American rally community, however, remains abuzz over the Hanson win at Sno*Drift; a near four-minute victory in a Super Production (SP) Class car against more powerful Open Class machinery. Hanson set a blistering pace in the Michigan cold and he hopes to continue a strong showing in Missouri where he won the Super Production category last year and finished fifth in the overall standings.

In the National 2 Wheel-Drive (2WD) Championship, 2009 Rally America Rookie of the Year and 2WD Champ, Dillon Van Way from Carencro, LA held off charging 2010 2WD National Champ, Chris Duplessis from Mason Township, ME at Sno*Drift. Both were campaigning never been tested rally vehicles. Van Way brought RallyCar’s first 2010 Ford Fiesta entry to a national event win in a close, hard-fought battle with Duplessis in a 2010 Scion xD. They’ll bring that same drama to 100 Acre Wood.

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood will see a contingent of local teams vying for regional rally honors. Topping the list is 100 Acre Wood former event chairman, Kim DeMotte from Webster Groves, MO a long time 100 Acre Wood organizer and co-driver who enters this year as a driver in a historic 1972 Datsun 510.

It was DeMotte who was around when rally organizers first took on the name 100 Acre Wood, the forest home of Winnie the Pooh, the fictional stories favored by generations of children worldwide. In fact several of the regional events that run concurrent to the National Championship take on names from the Pooh series including Trespassers Will, a legendary sign in the Pooh story. It’s also the name of one of the weekend regional events.

Twin brothers from St. Louis, MO, Mark and John Huebbe, who also organize the 100 Acre Wood Rally, will compete against Demotte in addition to splitting the “Honey Jar Challenge” $1,500 cash prize reserved for the top 5 Volkswagen teams to finish the weekend. Honey Jar Challenge information can be found at
http://www.100aw.org/press_release_honey_jar_challenge.html

The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood will begin with a Parc Expose, a meet & greet with the drivers before competition starts for the day, at the Potosi Lions’ Park at 1:00pm Friday, February 25th. Fans can arrive to seek autographs and pick up spectator information before heading to various spots in the woods to watch the rally action.

Another Parc Expose on Saturday, February 26th will be held in downtown Salem at the intersection of 4th & Main Street at 8:45am.

For a complete event schedule and to download the official 100 Acre Wood Rally spectator guide please visit www.100aw.org.

About RallyCar
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., RallyCar sanctions the premier performance rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2011, RallyCar is conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Newry, Maine. RallyCar competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, RallyCar sanctions the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship featuring rally cars racing door-to-door on tricky tarmac/dirt race tracks. More information about rally and rallycross can be found at www.rally-america.com, and videos can viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

RallyCar’s 2011 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Ford Racing, VP Racing Fuels, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Danza del Sol Winery, Team O’Neil Rally School, RECARO USA, Hawk Performance Brakes, Exedy Racing Clutches and Racewatches.com.

BMX action sport legend Dave Mirra in action at the Sno*Drift Rally, photo by Lars Gange

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra suits up, photo by Lars Gange

2011 Sno*Drift Rally winner Travis Hanson, Photo by Mike Proulx/WorldRallySport.com

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Click here to view the embedded video.

The Sno*Drift Rally featured nearly 130 miles of snow and ice-covered roads in northern Michigan with nearly one third of the miles run at night. Constantly changing weather and road conditions historically make this rally one of the most difficult in the Rally America Championship. The event is made even more challenging due to Rally America rules that prohibit the use of spiked or studded ice tires, placing a premium on traction.

Mirra started the rally cautiously, as he grew accustomed to working with his new co-driver, the experienced Marshall Clarke, as well as the difficult conditions that the Sno*Drift Rally is notorious for. However, the duo would encounter a major setback when they were forced to stop on stage late into day one and change a punctured tire, losing nearly five crucial minutes in the process. But Mirra stayed composed and patient, slowly increasing his speed on day two and began to leapfrog up the leader board from 5th to 3rd position. Then on the final two stages Mirra moved into 2nd Overall position and held on for his best ever stage rally finish.

“I had a game plan for Sno*Drift to start slow and stay composed and mistake free, while not worrying much about stage times,” explained Mirra at the podium. “So much can happen here, the conditions and the traction change from turn to turn. As things progressed I felt more and more comfortable with the car and the notes, plus Marshall and I were working perfectly together. It feels great to earn a podium here after having stuck to my strategy and staying patient. My Subaru ran great in these tough conditions.”

Mirra’s new teammate, multi-time British and American Rally champion David Higgins made his competition debut with Subaru Rally Team USA at Sno*Drift. An expected battle for overall victory between Higgins and 2010 Canadian and Rally America Champion Antoine L’Estage never materialized as L’Estage retired after sliding off the road on the opening loop of stages. Higgins then inherited a strong lead of over two minutes heading into the final night stages of day one. However Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew had their rally abruptly cut short when their Subaru experienced an engine issue forcing them to retire.

“Although my debut with the 2011 Subaru STI was cut short, I had a really good feeling with the car and came away from Sno*Drift with a very bright outlook on the 2011 season,” explained Higgins. “I’m really looking forward to driving on the high speed gravel stages at next month’s 100 Acre Wood Rally.”

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

Chris Yandell
Marketing Manager
Vermont SportsCar / Subaru Rally Team USA

The Mt. Washington Hillclimb: www.climbtotheclouds.com

office: 802.655.3533 ext16
cell: 802.233.7633
email: chris@vtcar.com
www.vtcar.com

Subaru Rally Team USA
subaru.com/rally

Follow the team on Twitter: www.twitter.com/srtusa

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All year the Super Production Class has been a source of excitement with a dramatic lead change in the standings, new competitors entering events, and top teams overcoming, or succumbing to, mechanical failures that changed the course of the SP battle.

Throughout the season the SP Class became harder and harder to predict the outcome, but it was Dublin, Ohio’s Pat Moro driving a 2005 Subaru WRX STI that prevailed as the Super Production Class winner as well as 5th overall in the Rally America National Championship.

Early in the 2010 season, Hanson Motorsports’ father and son team, Terry, from Michigan and his son Travis Hanson, from Littleton, NH, were the team to beat when they took significant wins at January’s Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan and 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri in March and set the tone in Super Production.

It appeared that the Hanson’s were unstoppable as other competitors in the class struggled to string along consistent finishes. The Super Production Class podium saw a mixture of drivers in 2nd and 3rd place during the first two events of the season with Travis Hanson the only consistent finisher in 1st place.

However a string of mishaps plagued Hanson Motorsports thereafter. The team secured a 2nd place finish at the Oregon Trail Rally in Portland, Oregon in May, but they weren’t able to finish the other three events remaining in the season.

“I was happy for Travis (Hanson) with his early wins,” said Moro, “I seriously thought Travis was going to walk away with the SP Championship this year and we were already in the mindset of winning 2nd place.”

But the SP winds changed drastically and Patrick Moro saw his chance materialize following a successful West Coast tour combined with Hansons’ unfortunate difficulties. Moro went on to secure a class win at the Oregon Trail Rally, gain 2nd place points at the Olympus Rally in Washington and Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Pennsylvania, and secure the points needed to secure the class championship at the New England Forest Rally in Maine.

“This SP Championship was won by perseverance. This is what makes this season so special,” reflected Moro. “Last year we were just 1 point away from winning the Super Production title. We were so close that we worked even harder this year building our own cars and running the whole team by ourselves. This win validates everything we worked so hard for.”

“We could not have gotten through this Championship without the support of Subaru’s contingency program,” continued Moro. “The award money really helped, but we also owe Rallyspec a lot of credit for crewing with us and providing technical expertise. Exedy Racing Clutches also stepped in with parts, that was a big help.”

The Super Production Class is only two years old, but it has seen a slew of notable and extremely competitive team entries that Pat Moro had to fend off for his title. At the end of the season a spread of only 3 points separated 2nd through 4th place!

Last year’s returning SP Champion, Jimmy Keeney from Colorado Springs, Colorado, used consistency to win his 2009 SP title and relied on the same strategy again this year. Though, Keeney only finished once on the podium all year, he was reasonably within striking distance of Moro at the New England Forest Rally. At season’s end, Keeney settled for third overall in class and 10th in the Rally America National Championship.

Rally America’s Super Production class attracted new teams this year that challenged the podium, most notably ex-Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ramana Lagemann, who returned to competition after a two year absence driving a Subaru WRX STI for the RallyTire.com team from Maryland.

Lagemann from Boston, MA, arrived almost halfway through the 6-event season and immediately began nabbing SP 1st place finishes at the Olympus, STPR, and New England Forest Rallys. He suffered mechanical problems at the Oregon Trail Rally, which could have cost him the SP Championship, instead settling in for 2nd overall in class for the year. Lagemann’s strong showing in an SP car got him on the overall Rally America Championship podium at the final two events of the year. Though, Lagemann came in 2nd to Moro in the Super Production Championship, he beat Moro in the overall standings by taking 4th place overall.

The Super Production class will be well represented at the Summer X Games 16 in Los Angeles this year as well. Returning to “Rally Car Racing”, Moro, Hanson, and Keeney will rely on previous X Games competition experience to challenge for an X Games medal. New to X Games in 2010 will be fellow PMR Motorsports teammate and Subaru WRX STI driver Timothy Rooney from Dublin, Ohio, making his X Games debut in “SuperRally”.

SuperRally is a new rally event being added to the X Games docket featuring 4 cars racing wheel-to-wheel in fast 4-lap heat races on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum floor. Fans can catch the live Rally Car Racing and SuperRally action LIVE on ESPN, Saturday, July 31st from 4:00pm – 7:00pm PT, and 7:15pm – 8:00pm PT.

About Rally America, Inc.:

Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2009, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Portland, Ore., to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street-legal rally cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow.

Rally America is introducing “Rallycross” to America for the first time on August 27-28, October 9-10, and November 6-7 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Fans will be able to watch two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive rally cars compete wheel-to-wheel on a closed-loop 1.3 mile tarmac and gravel circuit in timed heats from the comfort of grandstands and special viewing areas.

Rally America is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., BFGoodrich Tires, the Team O’Neil Rally School, Able Planet, Hawk Performance Brakes, Rally-Tire.com, RaceWatches.com, Exedy Racing Clutches, RECARO, Mazda and the Danza del Sol Winery.

New England Forest Rally recap video available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbI3W0yNUS8

For Results from the New England Forest Rally visit:
http://rally-america.com/events/2010/NEFR/results

Photo: Mike Proulx/World Rally Sport/Rally America

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