Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of rally at X Games 14

You can bitch and moan about the X Games version of rally racing being less pure than what you see on WRC, and while there are no trees whizzing by or bottomless pits in which to careen, the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA offered many opportunities for competitors to crash their cars in spectacular fashion. This year's event at X Games 14 was divided between driving on dirt within the stadium and pavement outside with a big jump smack dab in the center of the stadium giving fans the best view of the biggest car-nage.

The most spectacular example of mechanical mayhem from this past weekend's two-hour competition was during the quarterfinals in which Andrew Comrie-Picard didn't quite make the big jump and smacked his rear end on the lip of the receiving ramp, which flipped his car end over end (see above and more in gallery). His competitor at the time, Dave Mirra, who is an X Games alum competing for the first time in a car rather than on a bike, just had to finish to win. He tagged the wall halfway through the race, however, and was forced to finish without being able to turn left.

Find out what happened in the gold medal race, as well video of that race and the Mirra/Comrie-Picard duel after the jump, and view some photos of yesterday's Rally X action in the gallery below.


[Source: Expn]

Click above to view video after the jump

Already a certifiably insane pair, Travis Pastrana and Ken Block have upped the nuttiness yet again. Going after the money shot for the cover of RacerX Magazine, an Impreza and a MotoX bike took to the wild blue yonder in search of photographic gold. We think they managed, and we'd repeat the jumps over and over whether or not the perfect shot was already on the memory card, just like the airborne teammates. Hit the jump to watch video.

[Source: 0-60]

Click above for a few more pics of the hydrojump

Motocrosser, X-Game gold-medal winner and Subaru USA rally car driver extraordinaire Travis Pastrana has once again gone and done something so crazy that we wonder how the man can still be among the living. Previously, Pastrana became the first rider ever to land a double-backflip in competition, and now he's gone and done something else unthinkable: the hydrojump. After speeding to about 70 miles per hour, Pastrana hydroplaned his Suzuki dirtbike in five-foot deep water for 110 feet, ending after launching himself and his bike off a floating FMX ramp. According to his official site, they are still searching for Pastrana's bike at the bottom of the lake, a water-filled volcanic crater in Costa Rica. Apparently, the bike was bone-stock with no modifications in order to ensure that the hydroplaning was successful. We've made a gallery of a few more pictures, and the video of the jump will be available in November on the sixth Nitro Circus DVD.


[Source: Travis Pastrana via Hell For Leather Magazine]

The first person to perform a double back flip on a bike has to have some loose screws. Fortunately, that quality has benefited Travis Pastrana's medal collection, and his no-holds bared attitude has translated well from motorcycles into rally racing. Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom have won the Rally America National Championship for the past two seasons with their Subaru WRX. Now, after one event into the 2008 season, Edstrom has announced his retirement from the Subaru Rally Team. Pastrana's spectacular attempts to perform double back flips in the WRX may have played some part in the co-driver's departure, although he declared his desire to spend more time with his family and the need to put more focus into his day job as the real motivation behind his move.

With no lack of talent under its roster, Subaru Rally Team has pegged World Rally Championship winning co-driver Derek Ringer to step in and strap down next to the X-Games King. Ringer previously partnered with the late Colin McRae on numerous occasions, including 1995 when they won the WRC title. The new Subaru Rally Team of Pastrana and Ringer will see action this weekend at the second round Rally America National Championship event in Salem, MO.

[Source: Driving Sports]

Click above to watch the video.

After amassing a healthy lead over their competitors, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were able to play it cool for the second to last stage of the 2008 SnoDrift Rally last weekend. All was well as they made their way through the forest roads and fresh powder until one of God's creatures decided that now would be a good time to cross the ice-covered stage road. As the 2007 WRX STI careened down the road at over 60 mph, Bambi colliding with Pastrana's left front bumper, causing irreparable damage to the engine and ending the team's race as the Subaru coasted to a stop. We're not sure if it was Pastrana or Edstrom who let out the shriek just as the deer hit, but we've got to give them points for using far fewer expletives than we would've.

You can check the video after the jump and read a full account of the race over at Vermont Sports Car's website.

Thanks for the tip Chris!

We just saw Subaru's new lineup of rally drivers at the LA Auto Show last week, but little did we know we were in the presence of insanity. Ken Block, driver of the #43 car was on hand to show his team some support as they announced the contract extension of Travis Pastrana. It's hard to believe now, because Ken looked like a relatively normal guy, but he is certifiably insane. Who in his right mind would take a rally car, even one as capable as the WRX, and launch it 130 feet through the air?

Tipped to this story by 0-60 magazine, we managed to track down the YouTube video to show the jump in extremely poor quality, but in an attempt to prove that the still photos accompanying the story don't get taken for fakes. It seems cable fixture The Discovery Channel put this jump together for Stunt Junkies, "a TV Show where each episode revolves around a fearless feat never performed before," according to 0-60. Stunt Junkies shows how stunts are done, taking it from concept to completion. This particular episode is tentatively set to air in February. Click through the read link to hear what Block had to say about the jump, the X-Games, and fellow rallyers Colin McRae and Travis Pastrana. And to see some killer still shots too!

[Source: 0-60 Magazine]

At the LA Auto Show yesterday, Subaru of America announced that Travis Pastrana has agreed to a 3-year contract to race for Subaru Rally Team USA. Travis was an X-Games star and the youngest ever champion in Rally America last year. They used the LA show to hand out that trophy and announce the contract.

Subaru also had 2005 "Rookie of the Year," Ken Block on hand, confirming he will be back to drive the #43 STI in '07. Pastrana was joined by co-driver Christian Edstrom, who will stick by his slide (hardy har har) in the #199 Subaru. Although not at the show, Alex Gelsomino will also continue with co-driver Block in the #43 car. Should be a good season for Subaru and for rallying as Subaru has apparently committed to it for another 3 years at least.

Press release is after the jump.

[Source: Subaru]

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]