Autoblog

Up close and personal with David Higgins' 2012 Subaru WRX STI Rally Car [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:58:00 EST

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

Riding Shotgun With The Four-Time Rally America Champ

There's nothing quite like the sound of a high-strung boxer engine in full rage. Each dip of the throttle sends the opposed four-pot barking and popping like some sort of caffeinated prehistoric beast as David Higgins shoots his very unique 2012 Subaru WRX STI through a tight section of chicanes on the back side of the DirtFish Rally School's 315-acre playground. He's traveling at the approximate speed of a Japanese bullet train, if bullet trains spent the majority of their time sideways and on ball bearings.

An hour ago, this car was cleaner than a sundress on Sunday.

The cacophony can likely be heard all the way from Snoqualmie Valley to the hipster bars in downtown Seattle, but situated as I am in the passenger side of the car, all I hear is the rush of gravel pelting the machine's underbelly and my own laughter. Higgins has just sent his hyperactive triceratops pirouetting around a teardrop-shaped hairpin, pivoting the nose on a group of photographers at the apex. He took time to give the group a friendly thumbs-up before grabbing another gear and leaving them all in a cloud of Washington State silt.

An hour ago, this car was cleaner than a sundress on Sunday, meticulously prepared by the guys at Vermont SportsCar. We caught up with the team who built the machine that Higgins drove to his fifth Rally America Championship win last month for a look at what makes this car so damn fast.

Continue reading Up close and personal with David Higgins' 2012 Subaru WRX STI Rally Car [w/video]

Up close and personal with David Higgins' 2012 Subaru WRX STI Rally Car [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:58:00 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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Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Travis Pastrana ruins two cars in 24 hours - Click above to watch video after the jump

A day in the life of Travis Pastrana is probably a bit more exciting than our own 24-hour standard stretch of day-in/day-out minutia. We don't race rally cars, do multiple back-flips on a dirt bike or try our hand at NASCAR. Interestingly enough, it's that last one that seems to be giving Pastrana some trouble. He's a man not used to failing, but so far his Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota racecar has an unhealthy attraction to the wall.

Travis was behind the wheel at the K&N Pro Series West NASCAR race when he crashed multiple times. The car went on the trailer and Pastrana headed for a waiting jet, which whisked him off to Salem, Missouri. There, Pastrana hopped into the more familiar territory of his Subaru rally car. Competing in the Rally America National Championship, things were looking good until Pastrana's Subie decided to dance with the tree-lined surroundings. Mother nature won but driver and co-driver, thankfully, walked away.

It certainly makes for an interesting 24 hours. We're glad that it was only cars that were hurt, and we're also glad the cameras were rolling. Click past the jump to spend 24 hours in Pastrana's Alpinestar shoes.

[Source: Vimeo via Alpinestars]

Continue reading Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana

Video: Just another day in the life of Travis Pastrana originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:59:00 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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Video: Travis Pastrana's last ever rally race

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Subaru

Highlights from Travis Pastrana's last race in a Subie - Click above to watch video after the jump

The last of a sideways era occurred when Travis Pastrana drove his final rally races behind the wheel of a Subaru this past weekend. We didn't know it at the time, but the U.S. Rallycross championship double header held at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday and Sunday would be the last time anyone got to see Pastrana drive his iconic Impreza rally car. The jack-of-all-tail-out trades is moving to NASCAR next year and will ditch his Subaru for a Toyota. He'll be driving in the Nationwide Seriesfor the newly formed Pastrana-Waltrip team.

Thankfully, we have some video highlights of last weekend's U.S. Rallycross races that focuses on Pastrana. So this is your last chance to watch the rally driver with the most X Games medals, the guy who jumped his car over 250 feet onto a floating barge last year, and the dude who recently smashed the Mt. Washington Auto Road record, do his thing behind the wheel of a 550-horsepower Subaru. Here on out, It's all left turns for Pastrana.

For those who care, Pastrana finished fourth in both Saturday and Sunday's races, which secured him enough points to finish third in the 2010 U.S. Rallycross Championship points standings. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Rally America]

Continue reading Video: Travis Pastrana's last ever rally race

Video: Travis Pastrana's last ever rally race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Event Alert: May 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Paris Motor Show, Event Alert

We've wrapped up our Beijing Motor Show coverage as April closes and May begins, signaling the end of the major international auto show season. We'll have a spring and summer full of concours, racing, meets, exhibitions and more to keep us busy though until the new car reveals pick up again in October at the Paris Motor Show.

This month racing fans will be busy with Formula 1 action from Spain and the legendary Grand Prix de Monaco. NASCAR stops at Richmond, Darlington and Dover before the two-week extravaganza that leads up to the Coca-Cola 600. IndyCar starts off with the Road Runner 300 from Kansas City, but the month of May means only one thing to open-wheel fans - The Indy 500.

The ALMS guys and gals head to Monterey for their annual crack at the corkscrew of Laguna Seca. WRC fans can see action from New Zealand and Portugal, while Rally America stages the Oregon Trail Rally. The NHRA schedule finds the Southern Nationals in Atlanta and the Summer Nationals in Topeka following the conclusion of the Midwest Nationals that start at the end of April.

Other racing action in May includes the Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports at the Mitty at Road Atlanta, Jefferson 500 at Summit Point, Historic Grand Prix of Monaco, Portland AHRMA Classic, SCCA Pro Racing at NJMP, SVRA Spring Vintage Weekend, 20th Annual Vintage Racing Celebration at NHMSNew Jersey Vintage Grand Prix and Family Festival, and the Olthoff Racing VIR Track Day with the SVT Cobra Mustang Club.

May auctions include two biggies - The RM Auctions Sporting Classics of Monaco and the Mecum Spring Classic.

Concours, meets and shows are beginning to fill out the calendar again as the weather improves and May is the month for the Newport Concours as well as Keels and Wheels, All-AMC Show in Gettysburg, Britfest 2010, Long Island Car Show, Pindar Vineyards - Run Out East, The Petersen Museum Discovery Days: Pop-up Greeting Cards, East Coast Boardwalk National Car Show, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, MOPARS in May, Meguiar's Orange County Get-Together, Saratoga Automobile Museum Spring Invitational and Auto Show, Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance, and Micro/Mini Car Cruise - Bear Mountain Silver Mine Roundup among many others.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don't forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

Continue reading Event Alert: May 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Event Alert: May 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dinner with Ken Block, Gymkhana coming to Top Gear and a surprise Fiesta at SnoDrift 2010 UPDATE

Christopher A. Smith — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford

Ken Block/Ford Fiesta at the 2010 Rally America Sno*Drift - Click above for high-res image gallery

The initial motivation for this piece was a pre-Sno*Drift dinner with Ken Block and members of the new Monster World Rally Team last Thursday, followed the next day by a ride in the shotgun seat of Block's new Fiesta rally car. As for the ride along, we were anticipating some no-holds-barred, looking-through-the-side-windows-to-steer, make-the-media-guy-puke action, but as is so often the case with most things regarded as insanely fun, some last-minute rule interpretations ruled out the scheduled media rides.

Whether or not there was some friction between Ford's media efforts and the Rally America staff was unclear, but it was all moot anyway when the Fiesta's broken suspension bits took Block out of the action late Friday, after just seven stages. At least the dinner went off without a hitch, save for some discrepancy with the waitress on whether or not a chicken Caeser salad was actually ordered by yours truly. If you're confused right now, you're not alone.

UPDATE: Ford assures us there wasn't any friction between the Blue Oval and Rally America, at least outside the normal race day jitters experienced at any event such as this. According to Ford Racing, Rally America was "awesome to work with" and given the crazy-icy conditions for the event, we can understand both the extra concerns for safety and the need to keep the playing field leveled.

We did have a chance to noodle around inside Block's cranium for a couple hours though, and we learned he'll be headed to the Top Gear studios in April to film, among other things, an all-new Gymkhana session with the rally Fiesta. The new car is actually the same Fiesta Rallycross car that Marcus Gronholm piloted up Pikes Peak last year, though the 800 horsepower has been tuned back to something in the 330 range. We also learned the new car has a healthy torque advantage from his old ride, and as good as Subarus sound with a tight exhaust, the Fiesta has a delicious wail that sounds suspiciously like the WRC-spec Focus he'll be campaigning in Mexico next month.

Is he excited about driving in the World Rally Championship? Absolutely, but he also confessed to having virtually no seat time in the Focus thus far, which Block describes as "night and day" from the Fiesta. It would've been nice to see the Fiesta again on Saturday, or any sort of Monster World Rally Team presence for that fact, and there were certainly an abundance of fans who would agree. Instead, the Fiesta team packed up the broken car and headed south in the wee hours of the morning, leaving the rest of us with nothing but Red Bull to drink.

That is, until another Fiesta showed up...

Gallery: Ken Block/Ford Fiesta at the 2010 Rally America Sno*Drift

[Driving shots of Fiesta: Mike Prouix/www.worldrallysport.com/Rally America]

Continue reading Dinner with Ken Block, Gymkhana coming to Top Gear and a surprise Fiesta at Sno*Drift 2010 *UPDATE

Dinner with Ken Block, Gymkhana coming to Top Gear and a surprise Fiesta at Sno*Drift 2010 *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rally America Sno*Drift 2010: The Aftermath

Autoblog Staff — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Rally America Sno*Drift 2010 - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the ~~dust~~ snow settling from the inaugural event of Rally America's 2010 season, four things are certain. This year's Sno*Drift will go down as one of the slickest events in the history of U.S. rally racing. It will also be remembered as one of the highest-attended Sno*Drifts in the event's 24-year history. More than a few people are questioning Ken Block's new Fiesta after it broke less than halfway through the event. And with four Sno*Drift trophies since 2006, Travis Pastrana now officially owns winter time rally racing.

Based in Atlanta, Michigan, the Sno*Drift is actually three events in one. There is of course the Sno*Drift national rally, spanning two days and 20 stages. Running simultaneously, however, is the Sno Regional on Friday, followed by - wait for it - the Drift Regional on Saturday. Thirty three cars were signed up for the whole enchilada, but factor in the regional events and the car count swelled to 55 entries. And lest you think these are all high-dollar race teams - grassroots racing doesn't get more grassroots than the likes of '80s Volkswagens, or pretty much any turbocharged Chrysler front-wheel-drive machine. Sure, it's cool to watch Evos and Subies in four-wheel power slides, blow-off valves chattering like steam locomotives. But then a bright yellow Acura Integra Type-R comes screaming around the corner, followed by a mint condition 1980 Volvo 242, and suddenly everything is right with the world.

Gallery: Rally America Sno*Drift 2010

Photos by Christopher Smith / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Fiesta images by Mike Prouix/www.worldrallysport.com/Rally America

Continue reading Rally America Sno*Drift 2010: The Aftermath

Rally America Sno*Drift 2010: The Aftermath originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Latest '10 Unleashed winner gets his rally on

Drew Phillips — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

The '10 Unleashed "Mustang Rally" - Click above to watch the video after the jump

We don't think of the Ford Mustang as a rally car. In fact, a Mustang doing anything but drag racing doesn't represent its customer base very well, but that doesn't mean we don't like to see it compete in all kinds of motorsports. So who would turn a brand new 2010 Ford Mustang into a rally car? J.B. Niday would. He's the managing director of Rally America, and he unleashed his inner Mustang by pitting his two rally driving friends together for a head-to-head competition.

Using a fairly stock 2010 Ford Mustang GT - only a roll cage, race seats, rally computer, off-road tires, and an HID light bar were added - Mike Hurst and Mark Utecht raced back-to-back over four stages of the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota, with the winner taking all. And by all, we mean the Mustang. Watch the video after the jump to see who wins.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: Latest '10 Unleashed winner gets his rally on

VIDEO: Latest '10 Unleashed winner gets his rally on originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More stars for Subaru: Travis Pastrana signed on for 3 years

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Motorsports, Subaru

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]

Continue reading More stars for Subaru: Travis Pastrana signed on for 3 years

More stars for Subaru: Travis Pastrana signed on for 3 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2006 X Games add Rally Car Racing

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

ESPN's X Games will add some rally car action to this year's extreme sports event in Los Angeles. ESPN VP Ron Semiao announced the addition to the X Games 12 lineup, saying, "Rally Car Racing is a sport we have been watching for some time now," and calling the sport "incredibly dynamic and exciting."

ESPN appears to be ramping up its four-wheeled motorsports coverage as it gets ready to air NASCAR races in 2007.

The X Games rally will be organized by Rally America, and include two days of competition over six road stages and a stadium-based Super Special stage.

X Games motorcycle legend Travis Pastrana recently made the switch to four wheels, signing with Subaru of America to lead the Subaru Rally Team USA in the 2006 Rally America National Championship series. Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom placed second in February's Sno*Drift Rally (pictured at right), and we expect him to play a big part in the introduction of rallying to the X Games this summer.

[Sources: Rally America, Subaru] Thanks for the tip, Chris!

2006 X Games add Rally Car Racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Mar 2006 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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