With this year's 12th edition of the X Games adding rallying to the competition for the first time, multiple U.S. ProRally champion Hyundai Motor has announced its support of Paul Choiniere and co-driver Jeff Becker in the nine-stage event.
Choiniere and Becker will pilot their Hyundai Tiburon against 11 other teams, including WRC ace Colin McRae and Subaru rally pilot (and X Games motocross legend) Travis Pastrana.
The event includes eight road stages in the Los Angeles area, and a ninth Super Special stage at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
Choiniere and Becker's Tiburon has been fitted with AWD and is driven by a 298-hp, turbocharged Hyundai Beta engine. Hyundai's rally cars are prepped by Libra International Racing, owned and operated by rally legend John Buffum.
The X Games rally event runs from August 2 through August 5, and will be televised in the U.S. by ABC and ESPN, with the Super Special broadcast live.
[Source: Hyundai]
Early Look: £1million Aston Martin One-77
Andrea Pininfarina killed in motorcycle accident
BMW owner tapes black car to white
Nissan confirms G37 Sedan, G37 Convertible and G37x Coupe
2009 Honda Ridgeline introduced early to internet
First Drive: HUMMER H3T
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy![In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/VIDEO]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/amg-s63-1280-11_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/VIDEO]
Project Track Slut Update: Prepping for the big 
Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vinny @ Jul 19th 2006 4:48PM
I hope this sparks interest in WRC here in the states! Then hopefully SPEED TV will carry it again.
But I'm sure SPPED will create another needless NASCAR talk show instead.
David @ Jul 19th 2006 4:52PM
Oh my gosh, this means I can finally watch rally racing!!
Jay @ Jul 19th 2006 4:53PM
Now if only Hyundai could bring us an AWD 298-hp street version of the Tiburon :D
mike @ Jul 19th 2006 5:10PM
i hope it generates enough interest to bring the WRC back to broadcast here. as a WRC fan, it's been interesting having to scour bittorent for european coverage.
that said, i think most of the WRC-enabled world will widely regard this as a joke (kinda like "football" is to "soccer" in the USA).
maybe the x-games can be used as a tool to 'legitimize' rallying in this country, much like they did to help promote snowboarding from a backwoods pastime to olympic competition.
James Fabin @ Jul 19th 2006 5:33PM
This is great news - Paul & Jeff are great drivers and great guys all around. I used to love going out with them to the Rally events back in my days with Hyundai. Go Hyundai!!!
James
ed @ Jul 19th 2006 6:57PM
Gotta love Hyundai. First, their WRC effort was pretty much a full-custom awd car stuffed (barely) into a Hyundai Accent shell (homologation be damned). Second, they ended up tossing out their WRC program after not doing particularly well in the standings, this after pulling out of supporting its SCCA ProRally team altogether.
The following years, Hyundai ends up completely redesigning its cushy sedan lines and subsequently becoming media darlings in the process. The Hyundai Sonata becomes a surprise hit and they announce their plans to compete with the top three world automakers.
In short, Hyundai obviously learned what Audi and Toyota did in the eighties - rally competition doesn't sell cars!
Lucas @ Jul 19th 2006 8:05PM
i agree with you guys. hyundai needs an awd 300bhp rally monster, then maybe nissan would have an interesting car. The thought of rally racing becoming accepted in the US is promising... maybe itll get accepted like Drifting did. i guess heres the basis for a new fast and furious movie ---> Fast and the Furious: SLOW DOWN WERE ON DIRT GOING 100mph SIDEWAYS!!
cars specifications @ Oct 7th 2006 8:31AM
Lucas, Hyundai Accent WRC has 300hp.