CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins took a big step toward achieving a third straight Rally America Championship by winning the Oregon Trail Rally this weekend. With the win, Higgins can likely now claim the Oregon Trail Rally as his event, having won the event all five times he has entered; including wins the past three years in a row. As his two key rivals faltered this year in Oregon, Higgins and his BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2013 Subaru WRX STI built an insurmountable lead on the opening stages and was able to drive conservatively for the majority of the competition stages.
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The Oregon Trail Rally is a three-day event that kicked off May 3rd with mixed gravel and tarmac stages at Portland International Raceway. The rally then moved to the scenic yet challenging gravel roads around the Hood River and Dufur regions east of Portland on Saturday and Sunday.
Higgins headed to Oregon fresh off a big victory at Round 2 in Missouri at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, which vaulted him to the top of the Driver's Championship standings. "Some rallies are won by what you don't do," explained Higgins. "We didn't experience any reliability issues or make any mistakes like some of our rivals did. I've got to thank Subaru for providing such a reliable, durable and fast car to Craig (Drew) and I," said Higgins at the podium celebration. "We drove smart, at our own pace, and just avoided trouble. Once we amassed a big lead it afforded us the opportunity to really dial back the speed on Sunday and reduce the risks. We didn't win stages outright but knew it was the right strategy for victory. This is a very challenging event and I enjoy the big mix of character among the stages."
The Oregon Trail Rally hosted over 70 entrants, the most for a rally in the USA this year. The event began Friday, May 3rd with several fan-friendly competition stages near downtown Portland, Oregon at the Portland International Raceway. The rally then headed east to the scenic Columbia River Gorge region and the town of Hood River, for eight gravel stages among the foothills of towering Mt. Hood, covering more than 50 miles throughout the day Saturday. The rally concluded on Sunday with five more stages covering another 50 miles through the area around Dufur, one of the most scenic in the championship.
The next Rally America event for Higgins and Subaru Rally Team USA will be the classic Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) on May 31st, 2013 in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.
For an inside look at Subaru Rally Team USA, David Higgins and what it takes to win in the Rally America Championship, watch episode's 1 & 2 of the team's new web series "Launch Control" on YouTube: http://subar.us/106wrxx
About Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), PUMA, Method Race Wheels, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Exedy, Race Proven, and MOTUL. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries, visit http://subaru.com/rally and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: @srtusa.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.
Dominic Infante
Subaru of America, Inc.
856-488-8615
dinf@subaru.com
Ryan Johnson
Subaru of America, Inc.
856-488-8520
rjoh@subaru.com
SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.
