Pastrana & Mirra Battle Top European Rallycross Drivers at U.S. Rallycross Finale

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FROM ROUNDS 3 and 4 of U.S. RALLYCROSS
Pastrana & Mirra Battle Top European Rallycross Drivers at U.S. Rallycross Finale

Subaru drivers Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra battled the top echelon of European Rallycross drivers in an action packed U.S. Rallycross doubleheader event this past weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.    Pastrana, driving his Vermont SportsCar-prepared 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI achieved 4th place finishes in both the Saturday and Sunday events, which represented rounds three and four of the inaugural U.S. Rallycross series.  Dave Mirra, driving an identically prepared Subaru, was unable to advance to the A-Main on Saturday but an impressive drive the following day landed him a spot in Round Four’s A-Main where finished 6th place overall.

“These two events were a big challenge because the top rallycross drivers in the world shipped their cars over to compete,” explained Pastrana.  “It was a lot of fun to battle all of those guys, and for me it was a big accomplishment to reach the A-Main in both events and get so close to the podium.  I have to thank Subaru for building such a strong car, because I really beat it up out there this weekend and it just kept going.”

This weekend’s double-header was a successful finale to RallyCar’s inaugural Rallycross series with thousands of fans in attendance experiencing the thrill of European-style wheel-to-wheel Rallycross for the first time. Hosted at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, the Rallycross was held on a 0.6 mile course that was approximately 70% paved and 30% dirt.  The event was truly an international affair with top overseas competitors who compete regularly in the European Rallycross Championship (ERC), which represents the sports highest level.  Among the ERC drivers who crossed the Atlantic was two-time defending European Rallycross Champion Sverre Isachsen. 

A tire puncture during the C-Main on Saturday and a stall on the start line of the A-Main on Sunday prevented Dave Mirra from challenging for a podium position.  Mirra however showed impressive speed, setting the 4th fastest overall qualifying time on Sunday and an impressive Heat 3 run that vaulted him into the final spot of Sunday’s A-Main Final. 

“When I had a clean run I felt I had the speed to challenge the European teams but we had a few things not go our way,” explained Mirra.  “The car stalled on the start of the A-Main Final on Sunday and the time lost there was just too much to make up.  But for me and the whole team, we realized that getting into the A-Main against the best rallycross drivers in the World was a true accomplishment and it really shows the potential of our Subaru rally cars.”

Pastrana and Mirra were running modified versions of their 2010 Rally America National Championship stage rally cars, while the European Rallycross Championship teams utilized purpose built rallycross cars.  In Rallycross trim, Pastrana and Mirra’s 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI’s produced in excess of 550hp, feature sequential dogbox transmissions, as well as a radiator mounted in the rear of the car to shield it from mud and debris. 

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Vision X, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, VP Fuels and Vermont SportsCar. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries visit subaru.com/rally and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

transmitted by Willy Weyens