Autoblog

Puma becomes RallyCross team sponsor, releases obligatory Gymkhana vid

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Subaru

With a couple of high-level U.S. defectors from the RallyCross series into other motorsport disciplines there was a domestic vacuum at the top, and we know what nature thinks about that. Enter German shoe/sportswear Puma, which is throwing its sponsor dollars behind the factory-backed Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team.

Dave Mirra heads up the trio of drivers, joined by Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen, and they'll run all six RallyCross rounds this year in 2012 WRX STi's. Of course, you can't properly launch a team without some smoke and sliding action, so you'll find that in the video after the jump. And make sure to peep the "Zombie Cat" Puma skeletons on the cars while you're at it...

Continue reading Puma becomes RallyCross team sponsor, releases obligatory Gymkhana vid

Puma becomes RallyCross team sponsor, releases obligatory Gymkhana vid originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 May 2012 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru releases "Gunning for Gold" mini-doc on Rally America Championship

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Subaru

Though Subaru no longer competes in the World Rally Championship, the automaker is still quite active in other forms of rallying. In fact, Subaru Rally Team USA recently captured the 2011 Rally America championship with driver David Higgins at the helm. That marks the sixth time in seven years that a Subaru has been the ultimate Rally America machine.

Subaru created a mini documentary to highlight the 2011 run to the podium. It's called "Gunning for Gold," and it features both Higgins and teammate Dave Mirra discussing their cars and the season. Stay flat over the jump, and check out the clip.

Continue reading Subaru releases "Gunning for Gold" mini-doc on Rally America Championship

Subaru releases "Gunning for Gold" mini-doc on Rally America Championship originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru's reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Subaru, Racing

Sno Drift Rally - Click above to watch the video after the jump

After losing both Ken Block and Travis Pastrana last year, Subaru's American rally efforts are undergoing a bit of rebuilding. The factory-backed Pleiades team took to the stages for the first time this season at Sno*Drift 2011 in Atlanta, Michigan, and despite a solid effort, driver Dave Mirra found himself three minutes and 53.1 seconds behind the father and son team of Travis and Terry Hanson in their 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Their win made United States rallying history as the duo became the first Super Production class effort to win a National Rally America event.

Day one saw Sno*Drift favorites Antoine L'Estage and David Higgins both forced to retire, leaving the Hanson duo to widen the gap between themselves and their closest competitors. Mirra, meanwhile, was handicapped by a tire puncture that saw the factory Subaru team fall all the way to fifth place before clawing its way back to take the silver.

The Hanson team was joined on the podium by Joseph Burke, another Super Production class contender. Burke was last year's Rookie of the Year, and managed to give Mirra a solid fight for second place despite limited experience on snow and ice. Hit the jump for an excellent recap video.

[Source: Rally-America]

Continue reading Subaru's reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Subaru's reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru pegs David Higgins as new Rally Team USA driver [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Subaru, Racing

David Higgins joins Subaru Rally Team USA - Click above to watch video after the jump

The speculation over exactly who will be taking Travis Pastrana's spot in the driver's seat with Subaru Rally Team USA can officially be put to rest. David Higgins will be the new man in blue and yellow. Higgins has a résumé that's chock full of rally wins, from championship titles in SCCA rally here in the states in 2002 and 2003 to a British National Rally Championship title in 2004. The guy also managed to walk away with a championship wins in group N in the British National Rally in 1997, 1999 and 2002.

Needless to say, the guy's got the chops to keep the pace.

Subaru plans to campaign two cars next season, and while Higgins is the newest member of the team, the leader of the pack will BMX guru and rally beast Dave Mirra. Mirra managed to snag a Rookie of the Year award from Rally America for his efforts last season and took a slot on the podium during the Rally America Olympus event among others. Hit the jump for a look at a video of Higgins doing what he does best as well as the full press blast.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Subaru pegs David Higgins as new Rally Team USA driver [w/video]

Subaru pegs David Higgins as new Rally Team USA driver [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Subaru's new ads and their double-entendres

Zach Bowman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Subaru

Subaru take the public for a ride in the 2011 WRX STI sedan - Click above to watch video after the jump

Call us sadistic, but there's something undeniably hilarious about yanking random people off of the street and plopping them into the passenger seat of a sports car. Throw a talented race driver behind the tiller, and you've got an unmatched recipe for entertainment. Subaru has decided to take a stroll down that path with a slew of new ads designed to introduce the new 2011 WRX STI sedan to the public. The company asked rally driver Dave Mirra to shuffle a few folk around under an overpass in the 305 horsepower turbo four-door, filmed the whole thing and called it a day.

Subaru has unveiled a total of five 30-second spots with a variety of regular Joes (and Janes) riding shotgun in the winged machine. The company is calling the campaign Get More Gs, and Subaru is quick to point out that the phrase is meant to equally focus on g forces as much as that "oh geez" feeling you get from slinging the car through a slalom. We see what you did there, Subaru. Hit the jump to enjoy the videos. Now... where can we get a skull antenna topper?

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Video: Subaru's new ads and their double-entendres

Video: Subaru's new ads and their double-entendres originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 X Games Rally Car ride along

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, Subaru

2009 X Games Rally Car ride along - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've never been given a "hot lap" by a professional driver, let me try and convey what the experience is like. You're usually dehydrated and have been standing on a heat-soaked paddock for far too long. There's a track rat (or two) whose job it is to get a helmet and HANS device fastened on you and their default thinking is that you've never even seen a track before, much less driven on one. You're wearing your street clothes, and items like your wallet and cell phone make it even harder for them to get you shoehorned and belted into the seat. The passenger seats are typically much narrower than the driver's seat and you're typically much fatter than the driver. It can be pretty embarrassing. Once you're secured, the driver sticks his hand out, you shake it and then you're off.

Follow the jump to find out what happens next.

Gallery: 2009 X Games Rally Car ride along

Continue reading 2009 X Games Rally Car ride along

2009 X Games Rally Car ride along originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race results and gallery

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Scion, Toyota

We're not too concerned that we'll need a spoiler alert on this one, but just in case, consider yourselves warned. The 31st installment of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race was run yesterday, and it was another smashing success. Perhaps better known for its high-profile crashes than the more deserving close racing action it usually produces, the event always manages to get the crowd on its feet along Shoreline Drive. Blending an assortment of celebrities with a few charity drivers and a couple of professional racers, the race is always entertaining. This year's Grand Marshal was Hugh Hefner, which confirms right away that this is more about fun than real racing. The celebs do take the racing seriously, however. They spend a couple of weekends over the preceding months learning to drive the proper race line, and once strapped inside their identically-prepared Scion tCs, they unleash their inner Schumachers. Or Danica Patricks, considering that this year, there were eight women and six men in the celebrity field, tipping the balance towards the fairer sex for the first time in event history.

Polesitter Dave Mirra, pro BMX rider with fourteen X Games medals to his name, led the field from the green flag and held on to win the crash-shortened race. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Mirra, as tennis legend Martina Navratilova and actor Joshua Morrow were nipping at his heels until the yellow flag came out. That flag turned red as the course was, at that point, sufficiently messed up to warrant some major repairs to the tire barriers. That damage was caused when George Lucas and charity ride winner Annamarie Dean collided going into turn one. Although both were uninjured, the force was definitely not with them, nor with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner. One of three professional drivers in the field, Skinner had started 20 seconds behind the celebs but had managed to work his way up to fourth, just behind Morrow, when the accident occurred. So, Mirra gets the win with an assist from Skywalker. Official results are pasted after the jump and a big high-res gallery of the cars from Friday's practice session is available by clicking the image above.

Gallery: Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race '07

Continue reading Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race results and gallery

Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race results and gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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