SUBARU MOTORSPORTS – 2006/2007

FOR ALL THE SUBARU MOTORSPORTS TEAMS, 2006 WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR. NOW 2007 PROMISES EVEN MORE!

2006 IN REVIEW

Congratulations to all three national Subaru Motorsports teams for winning championships in their respective racing series.

SUBARU ROAD RACING TEAM – SCCA CLUB RACING

Kristian Skavnes, Dave Rosenblum, and Chuck Hemmingson.

In their respective regions, the three factory Subaru team drivers placed well in their divisional Touring 2 (T2) series. Driving Subaru Impreza WRX STIs, Kristian Skavnes was T2 champion in the SCCA Northeast Division, Dave Rosenblum was champion in the Southeast Division, and Chuck Hemmingson finished 2nd in the Midwest Division. By virtue of their divisional standings, all were invited to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs^® held in Topeka, Kansas. It was the first time the Runoffs were held at Topeka’s Heartland Park road course.

For the second consecutive year, Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes drove to 1st- and 2nd-place finishes, respectively, earning the team back-to-back SCCA T2 National championships.

Last May, the ICY/Phoenix team also debuted the #111 Subaru Legacy Wagon in the Grand-Am Cup Series at Lime Rock, where it placed 6th in the ST Class. The team also raced the Legacy at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June (9th) and Barber Motorsports Park in July (2nd).

Julie Stepan.

SUBARU/SPT/ESX – NHRA SONY XPLŌD SPORT COMPACT DRAG RACING SERIES
In 2006, the Subaru/SPT/ESX team fielded a Subaru Impreza WRX STI in the Sport Rear-Wheel Drive Class. The team was victorious in five NHRA Sport Compact events and runner-up in one. The end result was the East Coast National Championship for Easy Street Motorsports’ driver Julie Stepan and crew. The team then went on to win the Series finals in Pomona, California.

SUBARU RALLY TEAM USA – RALLY AMERICA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Campaigning the Vermont SportsCar-prepared Subaru Impreza WRX STIs, Travis Pastrana/Christian Edstrom (#199) finished 1st in points, and Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino (#43) finished 2nd. Between them, the teammates accounted for five wins in the Rally America Championship’s nine points-paying events.

Ken Block and Travis Pastrana.

With his 1st-place finish, 23-year-old Travis Pastrana became the youngest driver to win a Rally America National Championship.

In August, Pastrana/Edstrom added momentum to their rally year at X Games 12 in Los Angeles, where they won gold in the rally competition. Subaru counterparts Colin McRae/Nicky Grist finished with silver, and teammates Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino completed a Subaru sweep of the podium by earning bronze.