PRESS RELEASE: 7 May 2012

Subaru Rally Team USA Driver David Higgins Dominates Oregon Trail Rally for second year in a row

Win in Oregon Stretches Points Lead for Defending Rally America Champion Higgins

Portland, Or., May 7, 2012 - The storyline and the results of the 2012 Oregon Trail Rally mimicked the 2011 edition of the event with Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins again leading from the start and pulling away for victory. The win, his fourth Oregon Trail Rally career victory, vaults Higgins even farther out of reach of his rivals in the points standings as he seeks to defend his 2011 Rally America Championship title. Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew kept their mettle while at the wheel of their BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2012 Subaru WRX STI after their closest challenger dropped out of the event and Higgins ran nearly unchallenged for a large portion of the event.

The Oregon Trail Rally began Friday evening with short mixed-surface spectator friendly stages at Portland International Raceway where Higgins jumped to a nine second lead by winning all four stages. For Saturday and Sunday, teams moved on to the technical and fast gravel roads east of Portland in the shadow of Mt. Hood along the Columbia River Gorge.

Higgins' dominating win at Oregon had its only hiccup early on the second day as he slid off a slippery, rain soaked, corner at high speed. The #75 Subaru WRX STI literally bounced back on the road but the encounter with the scenery inflicted moderate damage to the suspension along with mild body damage. Higgins was able to drive back to the subsequent scheduled service and a quick repair from his service crew put his STI back on the charge.

Higgins soon learned that his arch rival Antoine L'Estage was out of the event with a mechanical problem which meant Higgins could set a more prudent pace for the remainder of the event, driving just fast enough to maintain and even extend his lead without taking any undue risks. He went on to win by a margin of nearly four and a half minutes plus won 12 of the event's 16 special stages.

"This is a big win for us and gives us a really firm grip on the championship," explained Higgins. "We took maximum points and Antoine [L'Estage], our closest rival, did not finish, so it couldn't have gone any better really. Our Subaru was just perfect, it's so well suited for these conditions and really proved this weekend to be equally as tough too."

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., "We're coming away from Oregon with a commanding points lead, but our team will continue pushing our technical development agenda forward through the balance of rallies in the 2012 season. "

Subaru Rally Team USA welcomes PUMA as a new sponsor. The sportlifestyle brand becomes the official supplier of team and racewear and an exclusive licensing partner to the team for footwear and apparel. PUMA also is the official team sponsor of the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team of Dave Mirra, Sverre Isachsen, and Bucky Lasek.

Subaru Rally Team USA next travels to Wellsboro, Pa., for round four of the Rally America National Championship, the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally on June 1-2, 2012.

Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), PUMA, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Exedy, Motul, and VP Racing Fuels. 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.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: February 26, 2012

Subaru Driver David Higgins Extends Rally America Championship Points Lead with Second Place Finish at the 2012 Rally In The 100 Acre Wood

Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins, the defending Rally America National Champion, has significantly extended his 2012 championship points lead with a second place finish at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Higgins' two primary season-long rivals failed to finish the event thus providing even more impact to Higgins' second place points-haul. The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, round two of the 2012 Rally America National Championship included over 100 miles of extremely fast and flowing gravel roads that traversed the foothills of Missouri's Ozark Mountains. Higgins, joined by co-driver Craig Drew, competed in a BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2012 Subaru WRX STI rally car.

Higgins began the event with a three-way duel with Antoine L'Estage, his archrival in the Rally America Championship, and Ken Block, a five-time winner of the 100 Acre Wood Rally. The trio was separated by just seconds after running the first three stages when L'Estage exited the rally with a mechanical problem, leaving just Block and Higgins in a fierce battle at the front of the field.

Dry conditions meant this year's edition of the 100 Acre Wood Rally was an extremely dusty affair, and Higgins was slowed considerably by hanging dust as the winds dissipated on the evening stages. Higgins ended the first day of competition 18 seconds adrift of Block.

With Higgins' chief championship rival L'Estage out of the event and mindful that Block is not committed to running the full Rally America Championship, Higgins took the measured approach to find a balance between catching Block and driving prudently enough to ensure a solid finish which would net valuable championship points towards retaining the title. Higgins capitalized on a tire puncture that Block suffered on day-two and was able to close the gap to briefly take over the lead. The rival drivers were separated by just over 12 seconds heading into the final two evening stages of the rally. A final push by Higgins wasn't possible though, as Higgins, running behind Block on the road, encountered Block's hanging dust and was forced to slow considerably and eventually accepted a solid second place overall finish.

"The pace here was just amazing," explained Higgins. "It was a great battle and ultimately I'd like to have been able to win but Ken [Block] is very fast here, and it simply became a matter of safety to push too much in the dust. However, this result is huge for our championship defense since Antoine [L'Estage] and Leo [Urlichich] didn't finish. We now have a very good cushion atop the standings and our Subaru will excel on the more technical gravel roads in the upcoming events."

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., "David and [co-driver] Craig [Drew] confirmed the pace capable from our Subaru WRX STI and drove a smart rally to consolidate our championship points position under very challenging driving conditions. Both David and Ken [Block] put on an incredible performance for spectators this weekend."

Higgins and Subaru Rally Team USA head next to the Oregon Trail Rally, May 4-6, 2012 based in Portland, Oregon.

About Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Motul, and VP Racing Fuels.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: 31st January 2012

Subaru Driver David Higgins Defends Title with Dominating Win at the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. Defending 2011 Rally America National Champion David Higgins launched his 2012 title defense with Subaru Rally Team USA by achieving a decisive victory this past weekend at the Sno*Drift Rally. Higgins, driving a 5-door 2012 Subaru WRX STI rally car, dominated the rally leading from the start and winning 15 of the event's 24 competitive stages. Higgins finished nearly two minutes clear of his closest rival. The Sno*Drift Rally was not easy by any respect; David's biggest challenge was keeping his STI on the event's treacherously icy roads. Higgins proclaimed the variable and slick road conditions as the toughest rallying he has ever encountered.

The Sno*Drift Rally, round one of the six-event 2012 Rally America National Championship, challenged nearly 70 top rally teams with over 130 miles of snow and ice-covered roads in northern Michigan. Constant changes in weather and road conditions coupled with several stages run in total darkness make this rally notoriously challenging. Drivers will attest that the biggest challenge of the rally is that spiked or studded tires are not allowed, making traction extremely elusive when conditions are icy. Drivers this year were greeted with exactly that; a recent thaw and subsequent freeze turned many of the stage roads into sheets of smooth ice.

Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew were up for the challenge from the onset and all but sealed their victory with a commanding performance on the first loop of stages where Higgins posted several blisteringly fast stage times while his rivals struggled with the icy conditions. After winning the opening four stages, Higgins had amassed a nearly two-minute lead on his rivals before the first service halt. However, maintaining that lead on the treacherously ice-covered roads was one of the biggest challenges the veteran rally pro Higgins has ever tackled.

"The icy roads combined with lack of spiked tires makes this one of the toughest rallies and a challenge I think that is unique in rallying anywhere in the world," explained Higgins. "Mentally it's very draining, as you are constantly on the edge all weekend with the knowledge that any small mistake could just end the rally. The grip levels would go from variable to non-existent in a flash."

The lead Higgins had amassed on the opening day of competition was only briefly under threat for the first loop of stages on the morning of day-two. Higgins, running on ice tires, encountered fresh snow on the stages allowing his chief rival Antoine L'Estage, who had chosen a snow tire, to claw back some time. After switching to snow tires at the first service, Higgins responded to the threat and won five straight stages to regain nearly all of the time lost in the morning while sealing his victory.

"This was a great victory and a strong result to start our title defense," explained Higgins. "Our Subaru was perfect all weekend and allowed Craig [Drew] and I to just concentrate on the job under these wild conditions."

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., "David and Craig drove prudently to a tremendous result, and Subaru Rally Team USA prepared a car in our 2012 Subaru WRX STI that has proven to be the class of the field this weekend. Having to constantly assess traction levels under such difficult road conditions within the context of competition driving rapidly takes a mental toll, and our #75 driver pairing truly rose to the occasion and ultimately prevailed."

Higgins and Subaru Rally Team USA head next to the high-speed gravel roads of The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Feb 24-25, in central Missouri.

PRESS RELEASE: 30th January 2012

Subaru Rally Team USA Chooses PIAA as Lighting Partner for 2012

(January 27, 2012) Subaru Rally Team USA announced today that PIAA will join the team as an official equipment supplier for the 2012 season. PIAA will supply the team with powerful HID driving lights for use on defending Rally America Champion David Higgins' 2012 Subaru WRX STI rally car. The team will begin utilizing the latest HID competition driving lights from PIAA this weekend at the 2012 Sno*Drift Rally, round one of the 2012 Rally America National Championship, where over a third of the rally is run at night on icy forest roads in northern Michigan.

PIAA remains the recognized leader in the manufacturing of innovative high performance automotive lighting and aftermarket products for decades. PIAA will supply Subaru Rally Team USA with powerful HID lights that are fitted to the team car for night rallying and will supply the team with PIAA Super Silicone Wiper blades.

Subaru Rally Team USA will begin the 2012 Rally America National Championship at the season opener Sno*Drift Rally in northern Michigan, Jan. 27 and 28 against a stacked field of over 70 entries. The Sno*Drift Rally features over 130 miles of snow and ice-covered roads in northern Michigan. Constantly changing weather and road conditions coupled with many stages run under total darkness make this rally extremely challenging. Rally America rules also prohibit the use of spiked or studded ice tires at Sno*Drift, placing a premium on road traction.

The Subaru WRX STI of team driver David Higgins will cut through the darkness of Sno*Drift's night stages with the help of between four and six PIAA Racing Series HID lamps housed in carbon fiber light pods mounted to the hood and front bumper. The PIAA Racing Series HID lamp is a competition-specification driving light used by top rally and race teams across the world including PIAA partners in the World Rally Championship, Dakar, Grand Am Racing and Le Mans Series.

Subaru Rally Team USA will be looking for another banner year from team driver David Higgins, who joined Subaru Rally Team USA at the start of the 2011 season. Higgins' impressive 2011 season at the wheel of his Subaru WRX STI included winning the Rally America National Championship, claiming victory and a new record time at the famed Mt. Washington Hillclimb and earning a Bronze at the ESPN X Games SuperRally event. The 2011 Rally America driver's title was the fifth in the last six years for Subaru Rally Team USA drivers in the Rally America Championship (2006-2009, 2011).

About Subaru Rally Team USA

Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Motul, and VP Racing Fuels.

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 PIAA

PIAA has been the acknowledged leader in the manufacturing of innovative high performance automotive lighting and aftermarket products for decades. Visionary design, inspired engineering, and quality components are the hallmark of PIAA's reputation with drivers of distinction. PIAA supplies Subaru Rally Team USA with powerful HID lights that are fitted to the team cars for night rallying as well as PIAA Super Silicone Wiper blades. For more information please visit piaa.com.