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2005 Rally News Archive

12/27
The Guardian (UK): The showers and the glory
Early morning starts, hours spent huddled under a bush in the pouring rain and the dangers of flying rocks: life's not easy for a rallying fan, says Dan Prosser
The list of things I enjoy doing at 3am is short. It contains just a few items - and standing outside a mate's house, wondering how on earth I'm going to wake him up, isn't one of them. He was supposed to be out of bed, ready and raring to go, with towels, food and a flask of tea waiting. After all, I was doing the driving.

12/19
SpeedTV:
Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom Wins Race of Champions
In the Nations Cup portion of the event, Heikki Kovalainen and Marcus Gronholm beat Travis Pastrana’s one-man Team USA. The Finnish pair won the final 2-1 against Pastrana, who had to uphold American honor by himself after original entrant Jimmie Johnson and his replacement, Scott Speed, were forced to skip the ROC due to injuries.
WOOD: Travis Pastrana's Wider World
Travis is ready for this step now, where he wasn’t before his mentoring began with McRae this summer. Even he admits to being “out of control” at the beginning of the 2006 U.S. season, even the beginning of the X Games in August. In fact, in those BC (Before Colin) rounds, Travis had never won a Rally America event. After Colin, Travis’ only loss came when he (shall we say) didn’t feel good at Lake Superior in Upper Michigan, thus allowing Subaru teammate Ken Block to win and solidify second place in the championship.
Eurosport.co.uk: Pastrana stars as USA make Nations' Cup semis
Travis Pastrana was the star of the quarter finals as the American eased his side into the final four of the Race of Champions’ Nations' Cup at the Stade de France in Paris.
Crash.net (UK):
We will push more in '07, says Atkinson
Subaru's number two driver, Chris Atkinson has said that he will be targeting regular podiums and stage wins in 2007, his third season with the Banbury-based outfit.
Atkinson's best result this year was a fourth place finish in Japan and while he showed good pace on other events, including in Australia, ultimately a mistake on day two in Oz while leading, dropped him down the order. Chris is determined though, that things will be different next year and is hopeful Subaru will provide him with a more competitive package to try and get the job done.
Subaru confirms Moya exit
Speaking after the news that Moya will no longer work with the team in 2007, SWRT managing director, Richard Taylor explained that the decision was taken after they opted to 'slim down the top management' and as Moya was employed as a 'consultant' and not a full-time member of staff, they have decided not to renew the deal. Taylor added though that they have really appreciated his efforts over the last few years.
Lapworth: Next year will be better for Subaru
We have known for a while that this was going to be a tough period, because of the lifecycle of the car [the Impreza]," he revealed. "Ford has got a new car this year and Citroen have got a new car for next year [with the C4]. Subaru's turn is really the year after - there is a nice step, an interim car next year, which will help
Belfast Telegraph (IR): Eugene eyes up his fourth title - but in an S12
Eugene Donnelly got an early Christmas present - the chance to drive the new car in which he will defend his Irish Tarmac rally title in 2007. He got behind the wheel of Subaru's latest S12 Impreza for a test session at Cooley Mountain near Omeath at the weekend and the three-time champion declared himself happy, not just with the car but the approach of the Prodrive team who have built and prepared it.
Motorsport.com: Subaru Rally Team USA lays out Pastrana's future
Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT-USA) announced today that it will enter its 23 year-old star rally driver, Travis Pastrana, in select World Rally Championship events in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Pastrana, in only his second season of rallying won the 2006 Rally America National Championship, becoming the youngest ever American champion. In addition to defending his Rally America title in 2007, Pastrana will drive a Subaru Impreza WRX STI--based rally car in three World Rally Championship (WRC) events in the Group N class. Then in 2008 and 2009 SRT-USA will officially enter Pastrana in the Production World Rally Championship (P-WRC), a support series that runs concurrent with the top tier World Rally Championship

12/06
Rally America: Pastrana Wins Final Rally And Is Crowned Champion
Travis Pastrana has won the Wild West Rally, the final round of the 2006 Rally America National Championship. The win caps off an amazing sophomore rally season for Pastrana, where he won four rallies, earned a Gold medal at the inaugural X Games Rally and became the youngest ever American rally champion when he secured the Rally America National Championship at the penultimate round.
Autosport.com (UK): Loeb back in action with C4
World champion Sebastien Loeb returned to WRC action for the first time since breaking his arm when he tested Citroen's new C4 car in Monte Carlo.
Crash.net (UK):
Pirelli to return in 2008?
Pirelli boss, Paul Hembery has hinted that they may return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2008, when the sport officially becomes a single-tyre formula.
Atkinson looks forward to better times ahead.
Chris Atkinson has been as much a victim of Prodrive's nosedive in form as Subaru team-mate Petter Solberg of late, but the Aussie says he is simply pleased to have ended the year with a finish in Cardiff and is confident of happier days in 2007.
Petter: We tried as hard as we could.
Petter Solberg admitted that he had done all he could to try and reclaim second place on the final leg of Wales Rally GB after an eventful conclusion to the Subaru drivers 2006 WRC campaign.
Motorsport.com: Elena to receive inaugural Michael Park Trophy
The trophy is a bronze bust which has been created by the French artist Francois Chevalier well known for his painting and sculpture in the historic sport cars' world (and also for his work as former director of the Paul Ricard Racing Circuit). It will be awarded at the end of each WRC season to the co-driver who has best shown the overall qualities associated with Michael through his sports results, general attitude, or a specific action.
Autosport.com: Subaru switch to BFGoodrich for '07
The Subaru World Rally team have announced that they will use BFGoodrich tyres from next season onwards. The move brings to an end a lengthy partnership with Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli, who has been their tyre supplier since 1994.
SpeedTV: Pastrana Renews with Subaru
Subaru of America announced that 2006 Rally America Champion and X Games 12 Rally winner Travis Pastrana has agreed to a new, three-year contract to race for Subaru Rally Team USA. Pastrana is the youngest driver to win the Rally America National Championship.
Wairarapa Times Age - Masterton,New Zealand: Mason rules in China!
"That super-slow stage was so tight and twisty-let alone boggy and rough- you were constantly using the handbrake to get round the hairpin bends," he said, a problem compounded by the fact their car wasn't fitted with a hydraulic handbrake. Highlighting the tightness of that particular 16km stage was the fact it had co-driver Randall working off no fewer than 19 pages of notes.
The Guardian (UK): Ask the expert: Colin McRae
Q:Why did you give it all up so early?
A: Well, I don't think I have given it all up yet! I believe I'm still very competitive. It wasn't really my choice to stop driving in the World Rally Championship, but the circumstances of the driver market meant that my last full season was 2003. Since then there have been one or two opportunities, but the commitment from teams and sponsors hasn't been there. When you've been used to competing at the very top it's difficult to take a step back and that's why I would only do something if it were done properly. I've got absolutely no regrets about that.
ICWales (UK): Motorsport: Wales in the fast lane
Having won the last four Wales Rally GBs, Solberg has had his worst season ever. Partnered by co-driver Phil Mills, from Newtown in Powys, they were hoping to win the world title for a second time, yet a catalogue of disasters have prevented them winning a single rally so far in 2006.
Turbo & High Tech Performance: Cage Fight - 2003 Subaru WRX Roll Cage
There are many reasons to install a roll cage in a vehicle. The most obvious is for safety, the less obvious is the chassis strengthening that goes hand in hand with the installation of a proper race-legal cage. One point that needs to be addressed immediately: a roll cage in a street driven vehicle can do more harm than good. Although some might think the look of having a cage adds eye candy to his/her ride, most compact cars leave very little space for the cage tubes to coexist with the vehicle's occupants — making the occupants quite vulnerable without a helmet. The bottom line: if you choose to do a full race cage, do it in a full race car. I've smacked my head pretty hard against the roll cage at track events, and that's with a helmet on — I can't imagine the world of pain, and spilled brains, without one

11/26
SWRT.com: Wales Rally GB Preview 1-3 December 2006
As the Subaru World Rally Team heads to south Wales this weekend for Rally GB, it is preparing not only for the final challenge of the season, but also one of the toughest events on the calendar.
The varied nature of the gravel stages and the traditionally unsettled Welsh weather makes the rally notoriously difficult to prepare for. Historically it has been an event where the Subaru World Rally Team has been strong. In all, Subaru has taken nine wins in the last 11 occasions on which Rally GB has been part of the WRC (it was not part of the 1996 championship).
icwales (UK): We'll all miss our mate Mike
HE boasts such a formidable record at his home rally, Phil Mills should be excited about this week's Wales Rally GB.
But the former World Rally champion co-driver is dreading it.
For the 'whole rally family' it'll be a poignant first return to Wales following the death of co-driving ace Michael Park, who was killed at last year's spectacle.
Crash.net (UK): Rossi plans Rally GB return.
After finishing eleventh in Rally New Zealand, Valentino Rossi has set his sights on returning to Rally GB - the event which he crashed out of after just 17 kilometres in 2002.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland:
Subaru Drivers Testing In Wales
It was just as well that Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson had a relaxing break between the WRC events in Australia and New Zealand, because there's been no let up for either driver since they flew back to the northern hemisphere.
Solberg And Mills Assist Britain's Rally Elite
The top level instructors explained how best to prepare for WRC events, and made sure all the members were aware of the specific rules pertinent to WRC events. Solberg and Mills continued by explaining the characteristics and surfaces relevant to each Rally GB stage, with the help of some of their in-car footage from last year. Mills and Reid explained the importance of preparation for both event and recce, and used examples of their documentation from previous years to show just how much detail the best co-drivers in the world go into.
Speedtv: RACE OF CHAMPIONS: 2006 Field Set
Reigning “Champion of Champions” Sebastien Loeb has been cleared to make his competition comeback after injury and will defend his 2005 ROC crown against a host of stars from F1, ChampCar, Rallying, NASCAR, Rally-Raids, WTCC, Endurance and DTM.

11/20
Rally New Zealand: Review
The Subaru World Rally Team’s focus for the final leg of Rally New Zealand was to get Petter Solberg to the end of the rally in a points-scoring position and gather data ahead of the final World Rally Championship round in Wales in two weeks’ time. Even though changeable weather made conditions difficult, Petter’s car ran reliably throughout the day and he consistently set top-five stage times on his way to a sixth-place finish.
Speedtv: Rossi Happy with WRC Rally Run
Valentino Rossi described his run to 11th place in this past weekend’s Rally New Zealand as “great fun” and declared himself content with his progress in his second World Rally Championship appearance.
Eurosport.co.uk: Solberg frustrated after New Zealand
Petter Solberg could not hide his frustration after finishing in a lowly sixth position on Rally New Zealand. The Subaru driver turned 32 on day two of the event, but there was little for the Norwegian to celebrate.
Crash.net (UK): Sixth was certainly not the target, says Petter.
Subaru number one driver, Petter Solberg has said that while this weekend's Rally New Zealand wasn't much fun, he is determined to stay positive and hopes that the small improvements they found will help them on the Wales Rally GB.
Stuff.co.NZ: F1 vs rallying according to Rossi
Driving a Formula One Ferrari is easier than a Subaru World Rally Car, according to Valentino Rossi. The seven times world motorcycling champion is the superstar of this year's Hamilton-based Rally of New Zealand, seeded 11th for the event, behind ten much more experienced drivers of WRC cars including former WRC champions Petter Solberg and Marcus Gronholm.
Crash.net (UK): Solberg: New Impreza will be tonic I need.
Petter Solberg has said that he is convinced the 2007-spec Subaru Impreza will be good and that this will allow the Banbury-based team to return to the front of the pack and challenge Ford and Citroen for event wins

11/12
New Zealand Herald: Gronholm gunning for Ford
Solberg said the current Subaru Impreza World Rally Car had been designed by someone schooled in Formula One who went the wrong way with the design. The aerodynamics were good but it had taken all season to improve the geometry.
automobilsport.com (Luxembourg): Subaru gets the jump - Propecia New Zealand Rally
The Subaru World Rally Team gained itself a valuable extra few days in preparation for next weekend's Propecia Rally New Zealand, arriving at the event's Mystery Creek service park first in the 'race' to prepare for the start of the event.
Channel4.com (UK): Naked rally drivers give choppers a lift
A group of rally-driving women have stripped off for a charity calendar.
The idea came about when Nicola Parker, a 28-year-old rally driver from Reading, suffered severe head injuries after her Subaru Impreza plunged 30ft down a ravine in Wales.
Channel News Asia: Singapore-assembled Subaru rally cars to be distributed regionally
Singapore's first foray into motor car assembly went into first gear on Monday.
The rally cars were put through their tests and passed with flying colours.
Its maker, Subaru, would ramp up production hitting up to 15 cars a month by next year.
Eurosport: Race of Champions set for speed increase
This year’s Race of Champions will feature a much improved course, with extra corners added and speeds set to increase to over 85 miles per hour. The race, which pits drivers from every area of motorsport against each other, will be held at the Stade de France in Paris for the third year in succession and will have it'squos track length increased to 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles).
Yahoo Sport! UK & Ireland: New Impreza WRC Delayed?
Starting the 2007 season with the Impreza WRC 06 is not something Petter Solberg is looking forward to: "I am pissed off about this, and I will be phoning David Richards (Prodrive's boss),” said the Norwegian to Autosport. “I know they need time, but we have to push things on."

10/30
SWRT: Subaru World Rally Team Summary
Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg finished Rally Australia in second place today after an excellent performance on the red gravel roads around Perth. Solberg’s Impreza WRC2006 ran perfectly over the final 103 kilometres and enabled him to win three of the day’s stages –and a total of six throughout the rally. After a small mistake on Leg one cost Chris Atkinson the rally lead and 25-minutes of penalty time, his focus switched to learning the stages and testing for the next WRC round in New Zealand. Nevertheless, another consistent and reliable run from Atkinson moved him up seven more places today and he finished inside the top ten. Overall the weekend was an encouraging one for Subaru, with both factory Imprezas showing an increased level of competitiveness after a relatively disappointing season so far.
Rally Australia Final leg news
Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed their maiden world rally victory in Australia today as the BP-Ford World Rally Team increased its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship. The Finns won Rally Australia in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car by 37.1sec. Grönholm's fifth place finish means that the absent Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) is crowned world champion for the third time (subject to the official publication of results by the FIA).
Loeb broke his right arm in a mountain bike crash last month and has missed the last two rallies. Grönholm needed a podium finish to keep the title race active. Petter Solberg (Subaru) claimed his best result since Rally Argentina in April by finishing second ahead of Manfred Stohl (Peugeot).
Belfast Telegraph (UK): STALLED!
The announcement in the past few days from the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association that the scoring system in next year's Pirelli international championship is to be changed to allow competitors in the production category to challenge for the overall title has shocked drivers like Donnelly and Derek McGarrity who compete in outright rally-winning WRC supercars.
Motorsport.com: Johnson, DeMotte Lake Superior summary
The weekend was not without it's drama however. On the infamous Brockway Mountain tarmac stage, Johnson took a jump a little "aggressively" and landed nose down and hard.
Northern Territory News (AU): Atkinson ponders ultimate joy ride
CHRIS Atkinson, Australia's sole representative in the World Rally Championship, was yesterday dreaming of racing his Subaru on the Brisbane streets surrounding Treasury Casino. Given that Queensland will host Australia's leg of the championship from next year, that may be a possibility, especially given the changing nature of the event.
Atkinson, 26, who swapped an office chair at a Brisbane stockbroking firm for a racing seat, has competed on a number of different circuits and varied circumstances in his second full year for Subaru.

10/24
Rally America:
Ken Block Wins The Lake Superior Performance Rally, Pastrana is Rally America Champion!
Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino have won the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR), the penultimate round of the 2006 Rally America National Championship. But the celebrations had already commenced yesterday when their teammate Travis Pastrana mathematically secured the overall driver's title after his chief rival crashed out of the rally early. Pastrana, at only 23 years-old and in only his 2nd season of rallying, becomes the youngest ever American rally champion.
Block stages come-from-behind win; Pastrana takes the title
It was a double victory for Subaru Rally Team USA this weekend at the Lake Superior Performance Rally, where driver Ken Block staged a come-from-behind victory to take the overall win and Travis Pastrana secured the 2006 Rally America Championship driver’s title.
Racer X Online: Monday Conversation: Ken Block
While there wasn’t much motocross racing this weekend, one well-known motocross rider did have a successful weekend, albeit in cars. Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana clinched the 2006 Rally America National Championship, while his teammate and sponsor Ken Block, the cofounder of DC Shoes, won the Lake Superior Performance Rally in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Since he won the race, we rang up Block this morning to see how he and his teammate were doing on the rally circuit. 
Crash.net (UK):
Pastrana crowned Rally America champion.
Former 125cc AMA Motocross and Supercross champion, Travis Pastrana, has become the youngest ever Rally America champion after clinching the 2006 title at the penultimate round.
BFGoodrich: Re-cutting vital in Australia.
BF Goodrich rally programme manager, Aime Chatard has revealed that they will need to re-cut their tyres this weekend, in order to ensure their rubber clears the countless marble-like stones that carpet the forest tracks of Western Australia
Fullnoise.com.au (AU): Pastrana wins The Rally America National Champion!
23-year-old Travis Pastrana has completed a stunning transition from two wheel racing to four wheel racing by winning the 2006 Rally America National Championship overall drivers title. With one round still remaining after the Lake Superior Performance Rally, round 8, in Houghton, Michigan, last weekend (Oct-23), Pastrana became the youngest winner in American Rally history.
Yahoo Sport UK and Ireland:
Block Wins, Pastrana Takes The Title
Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino have won the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR), the penultimate round of the 2006 Rally America National Championship.
Home bash for Atkinson
"Of course it's always special to compete on your home event, and the rally in Perth is one of my favourites - I've always enjoyed it," he noted. "We were fast there last year, but this time we have to be a realistic - we still have some work to do to get the whole package working together again. We came away from Turkey feeling positive about the way the development programme was shaping up, and the changes that have been made so far are encouraging. We'll just have to wait and see what we can do this week.
rallyaustralia.com (AU): World Rally Drivers ride the waves before taking to the stages
World Rally drivers from the Kronos Total Citroen and Subaru World Rally Teams dipped their toes in competitive waters before Telstra Rally Australia taking place 26 to 29 October.

10/21
Rally America: Teacher takes on students at Round 8
It is a battle between teacher and students this weekend at the Lake Superior Performance Rally as a veteran driver who has coached most of the leading teams in the series takes on the field. New Hampshire‘s Tim O’Neil – whose performance-driving students have included Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Travis Pastrana and Ken Block, among others – is making his return to competition at this northern Michigan contest after a two-year hiatus.
Crash.net :
Rossi to test Subaru before Rally NZ.
Subaru has told Crash.net that MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will be testing his Impreza in the UK, prior to his appearance in next month's Rally New Zealand.
Official: Orr will be fine for Oz, says Stobart.
The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team have confirmed that Matthew Wilson's co-driver, Michael Orr will be definitely be OK for the Telstra Rally Australia, which gets underway next week. Orr injured his back on the very first competitive stage on the Rally of Turkey last weekend, when he dislocated a vertebra after their Focus WRC car hit a large hole.
Powys County Times (UK): Runners up spot hands Higgins his third title
MARK Higgins (above) has won the British Rally Championship for a third time after securing a runners-up spot in the Rally Yorkshire.
The Mining Journal: Houghton hosts rally starting Friday
An X Games star will lead more than 60 teams when Houghton hosts the Lake Superior Performance Rally this weekend. An early October snow has made its mark on the Keweenaw Peninsula, the sound of high-modified motor sports cars will follow as Rally America presents the 2006 running of the Lake Superior Performance Rally.
Motorsport.com: Pacific Forest Rally summary
The Pacific Forest Rally was held this weekend, in the mountains of Merritt, in British Columbia. The event lived up to everyone's expectations and offered a never-ending battle between the two top contenders in the championship, Quebecker Antoine L'Estage, from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and American Matthew Iorio, from Massachusetts.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: BFGoodrich explain why McRae had tyre problems.
BFGoodrich have said that Colin McRae's long absence from the sport was to blame for his inability to select the correct tyres in Turkey.

10/15
Rally Turkey- Final Results
Subaru World Rally Team driver Chris Atkinson finished sixth on Rally Turkey
today after a tense final Leg of competition which brought multiple changes
to the top ten. Atkinson started the day in a realistic pursuit of third
place, but a small mistake on the second test dropped him into the frantic
battle for fourth instead. After 351 stage kilometres in some extremely
difficult conditions, Chris finished the rally just nine seconds adrift of
fourth place and 30.5 seconds off the podium. After retiring on the second
Leg, Petter Solberg restarted today to test different settings for the
forthcoming gravel events. Solberg set the quickest time on two of the three
stages.
Rally America: RALLY AMERICA CONTINUES the RACE for the 2006 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES at the LAKE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE RALLY
Rally America National Championship Series heads to northern Michigan for the eighth event in the 2006 series. With the fall weather conditions acting as a magnificent backdrop, the racers will be tested through an abundance of road conditions. The Lake Superior Performance Rally will be held in and around Houghton, Michigan from October 20-21.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: Official: Rossi to do Rally NZ.
MotoGP star, Valentino Rossi will compete on the Propecia Rally New Zealand next month, have concluded a deal to use a 2005 specification Subaru Impreza WRC.
Although the car will be run by Prodrive, the same outfit which runs the official Subaru World Rally Team cars for Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson, it will not be an official SWRT entry. Indeed the car, which is the same one that Atkinson used in Germany back in August, has been entered under the 'Valentino Rossi' banner and will be a privateer effort.
Crash.net:
Q&A: Jonny Milner.
Two-time British Rally champion Jonny Milner will tackle his local event, the International Rally Yorkshire this Saturday. Here he looks ahead to the round, the penultimate in the 2006 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship...
Isle of Man Today (UK): HIGGINS ENTERS THE HISTORY BOOKS
MANXMAN Mark Higgins won his third British Rally Championship title after finishing runner-up in Saturday's International Rally Yorkshire, round five of the Tesco 99 Octane-sponsored series. It makes Higgins the third most successful driver in the history of the British Rally Championship behind Jimmy McRae, who notched up five wins in the 1980s, and the late Roger Clark, who was similarly dominant in the 1970s with four titles
All Africa.com: Kenya: The Safari is Back
THE SAFARI RALLY WILL from next year, return to the international circuit through the newly introduced International Rally Challenge (IRC) series after a five-year absence from the world rallying calendar.

10/05
Game Infowire.com: X Games rally champion Travis Pastrana signs up for DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road
Codemasters today announced it has signed a non-exclusive agreement with U.S. pro racer Travis Pastrana, the star of this year’s summer X Games and winner of the first ever X Games Rally event, to feature in DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road, scheduled for release in 2007.
Channel4.com (UK): Aston Martin to go rallying
Aston Martin has revealed a rally version of the V8 Vantage that will be campaigned by independent teams. The Aston Martin Rally GT has been developed with help from Prodrive, the company that runs Subaru's World Rally team and Aston's own DBR9 racers.
Crash.net:
OMV Peugeot set sights on Subaru scalp.
OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally team boss, Jackie Bozian has revealed that they want to try and overhaul Subaru for third place in the manufacturers' during the remainder of the season.
Official: Atkinson stays with Subaru for 2007
The Subaru World Rally Team has announced that Chris Atkinson will remain with the squad next season, once again partnering number one driver Petter Solberg, who resigned for the outfit back in June.
No place for Sarrazin at Subaru.
Subaru World Rally Team managing director, Richard Taylor has confirmed that the outfit will not run a third car next season and as such, Stephane Sarrazin has been dropped.
Q&A: Chris Atkinson - EXCLUSIVE.
The Subaru World Rally Team confirmed on Tuesday that Chris Atkinson will again drive their number two car in 2007, alongside team leader, Petter Solberg. Crash.net Radio caught up with the Aussie to discuss his new deal and the remainder of the season and while he wasn't especially chatty, one thing is certain: he is hoping the Impreza will be a lot more competitive next year...
Howarth: Subaru keen to run M2 team but...
Subaru's rally operations director, Paul Howarth has revealed that several outfits are in contention to run a Manufacturer 2 team with the Impreza WRC car in 2007.
CNN.com Loeb uncertain on rallying return
World rallying champion Sebastien Loeb, who broke his arm in a bicycle accident last week, does not know when he will be able to compete again.
Yahoo Sport UK&Ireland:
Alister Mcrae Wins ‘Family' Rally
Alister McRae won his ‘family' event, the Colin McRae Stages rally this weekend, driving his Mk2 Ford Escort. Alister triumphed over both his brother Colin and father Jimmy, as well as more advanced four-wheel drive machinery on the gravel stages which made up the event.
Interview With Colin Mcrae
“What happened is obviously extremely unfortunate for Seb at this stage of the season,” said McRae. “I'm very pleased to have been asked to stand in for him though. It's a great opportunity to be back in a top car with a top team.
Itreland Online: Higgins wins Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally
British rally champion Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy in the Fitz Samuel Insurance-backed Subaru WRC have won the Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.
At the end of the 14-stage rally, Manx born Higgins and Kennedy were a minute and 17 seconds ahead of team mates, Markko Martin and his co-driver, David Senior also in a McKinstry prepared Subaru WRC.
Rally America: Pastrana wins – again!
A decisive win at the muddy Colorado Cog rally this weekend makes it two in a row for Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom.
AV Press: Rim winner Pastrana back in SoCal
When Travis Pastrana won the Subaru Rim of the World Rally in May, he was mobbed everywhere he went on the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.
"This is a great area for motocross," Pastrana said, as he looked across the Fairground parking lots toward the AV Motorplex. "I kind of feel drawn to taking a couple of jumps over there. It looks like a great course.
New Zealand Autocar: Rally driver escaped watery grave
Footage of rally driver Chris West crashing during the Rally of Nelson on Saturday shows he and his co-driver were lucky not to be sleeping with the fishes.

09/18
Rally America: Wild West Rally as the Final Event for the 2006 Season
Rally America Postpones the Reno Rally and Adds the Wild West Rally as the Final Event for the 2006 Season
Crash.net:
Subaru WRT looking for 'significant improvements'
Subaru World Rally team managing director, Richard Taylor has said that he wants to see the team make 'significant improvements' during the remaindered of the season.
Norway reveals route for first WRC event.
The organisers of the Rally Norway have released the details of the full route for their debut event in the FIA World Rally Championship, which will run from February 16-18 2007.
Motorsport.com: Rally Ireland 2007 update on route layout
Organisers today released concept drawings of a track layout they're planning to custom build which will see here two competing cars set off on two parallel tracks and race head to head. Rally Ireland's Super Special Stage will kick off and conclude three days of action that will see the cream of the world's rallying talent compete against top Irish drivers.

09/05
Crash.net:
Arai collects photographer in SS16 off.
Reigning Production Car World Rally champion, Toshi Arai hit a photographer on the second leg of the Rally Japan on Saturday, but thankfully the man, who is a friend of the Japanese driver, was not seriously injured.
Solberg: We need to work as a team to get answers.
Subaru team leader, Petter Solberg has admitted that the Banbury-based squad face a lot of hard work if they are to get back on terms with Kronos Citroen and BP Ford, following another disappointing event in Japan.

08/29
Yahoo Sport:UK & Ireland: More Emphasis On Engineering At SWRT
t's no secret that the Subaru World Rally Team is having a disappointing season. The Japanese team's Impreza WRC has not reached the level of performance and reliability that is required to win the World Championship.
Crash.net:
Solberg: I don't want to make any predictions.
Subaru number one driver, Petter Solberg has refused to predict how he or the team will do this coming weekend in Japan, after two miserable outings in Germany and Finland.
We'll be doing our best, says Atkinson.
Subaru's number two driver, Chris Atkinson returns to the scene of his highest-ever WRC finish in Japan this coming weekend, when he tackles the eleventh round in the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship.
Cyclenews: Pastrana Flips Over Letterman
X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana spent his day flying over Manhattan on his Cernic's Suzuki RM-250 at the request of talk show host David Letterman.
Rally America: Pastrana Wins The Ojibwe Forests Rally
Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana has won his first ever Rally America National Championship event, at the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Northern Minnesota. The 22-year-old Pastrana along with his co-driver Christian Edstrom led the Ojibwe Forests Rally early on and pulled away from the competition on day two to win by a comfortable margin of well over one minute. Pastrana and his BFGoodrich Tires shod 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car now have a commanding lead in the Rally America National Championship with just three rounds remaining.
Eurosport.com: Subaru chasing Galli for 2007
Subaru are chasing Italian Gigi Galli for 2007, should plans for a B-team come to fruition over the winter. Prodrive, who have run Subaru"s works team since they entered the World Rally Championship in 1990 want to run a second-string team alongside the current number one squad next year.
Squamish Chief (CA): Unhappy landing at X-Games: Local rally car champ Richard competes without brakes
Dogged by technical problems that left him using his handbrakes and inclines to control his speed, reigning North American Rally Car driving champion Patrick Richard of Squamish finished sixth out of 12 in the grueling X-Games in Los Angeles last week.

08/07
SpeedTV: The Next Best Trick
Once again, all is right with the world. NFL football is back and another North American rally driver has faced down some Euro rally muscle from a former WRC champion. And make no mistake. That dramatic double back flip for X Games Moto X Best Trick gold aside, Travis Pastrana IS a rally driver.
Subaru World Rally Team: Media Bulletin - Rallye Deutschland - Preview
After a nine-week break the FIA World Rally Championship roars back into life with Rallye Deutschland. Round nine of the 16 event series takes place from 11 to 13 August on the asphalt roads of the Mosel and Saarland regions in the far west of Germany, with Trier, the oldest city in the country, as permanent rally headquarters. The rally’s location in central Europe attracts spectators from all over the continent and an estimated 200,000 fans are expected to make the pilgrimage this year.
Crash.net:
Pirelli fine-tune asphalt tyres for Germany.
Pirelli have confirmed that they have tweaked their P Zero RX tyre for the Rallye Deutschland this coming weekend, in a bid to help the Subaru WRT improve their competitiveness on asphalt.
Solberg: We've found some improvements on tarmac.
Subaru number one driver, Petter Solberg has revealed that the important thing for them this weekend in Germany is to demonstrate that they have improved on asphalt after disappointing performances in Spain and France.
Pastrana beats McRae to rally gold at X Games 12.
Subaru's Travis Pastrana edged out 1995 World Rally champion and team-mate Colin McRae to win gold at the first X Games Rally on Saturday in his BF Goodrich-shod Impreza WRX STI rally car.
Q&A: Nicky Grist - EXCLUSIVE.
Nicky Grist was at the 2006 Rallyday recently and Crash.net Radio caught up with him there to chat to him about that event and his last outing in the WRC back in Australia at the end of last year. He also talks about the X-Games Rally, which gets underway this week in the USA, running from August 2-6 and the current state of the WRC...
Rally-America: Pastrana Wins Rally Gold at X Games 12
The first ever X Games Rally has ended in spectacular fashion with Travis Pastrana edging out WRC legend and Subaru teammate Colin McRae to win Gold at the wheel of his BFGoodrich Tires shod Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car. But it was Colin McRae who stole the show after he rolled his Sobe No Fear Subaru on the final jump of the course, landed on his wheels and drove to the finish for the Silver Medal. Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block, and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino, netted 3rd and the Bronze Medal. The event was broadcast live on ABC and thrilled thousands of new fans at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. It was a clean sweep for Subaru and Vermont SportsCar as all three cars on the podium were Vermont SportsCar prepared Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars.
Lat34.com: Rally Out of Control
The one event that has everyone talking at X Games 12 is without question Rally Car Racing.  With souped-up VW GTIs, Subaru WRXs and Mitsubishi Lancers all racing around hairpin turns and flying off jumps at speeds of over 70 miles per hour, the addition of Rally Car Racing to the X Games is something that should have happened a long, long time ago.  And while the action sports purists may give ESPN some heat for the addition of this new event, I can tell you firsthand that the rush you get from being in a Rally Car is definitely on par with catching a sick wave, stomping a clean kickflip to front board at full speed, or boosting a sky-high Kiss of Death out on the dirt.  Don’t believe me?  Read on…
SpeedTV: McRae Steals the Show at X-Games Rallying
Colin McRae swears it wasn't intentional, but anyone who witnessed the 1995 WRC champion's "roll & go" in the last run of the X-Games 12's Rally Car competition will forever have second thoughts.
LATimes: Pastrana Wins, but McRae Has Hot Roll
World Rally Champion, successful video game franchise, and now, Colin McRae can claim on his resume that he upstaged Travis Pastrana.
Christian Science Monitor: Paris. Dakar. Maine? Rally racing hits US |
First comes the sound - the wail of a redlined engine - from beyond the trees. And then, the fury: a Subaru WRX slashes into view, going airborne off a low jump as it passes by on the narrow dirt track. It scatters stones when it lands, then slides into a hard turn. Brake lights flash even as the driver accelerates, using left-foot braking as he goes "flat to the mat" with the gas.
USA Today: Motocross king adds another form of racing to his resume
T ravis Pastrana has a tough act to follow: his own.
Put the 22-year-old action sports icon on a motorcycle or dirt bike, and his go-for-broke attitude rules. He has already tamed motorcycles in several motocross disciplines with death-defying stunts that have given the Summer X Games some of its best footage.
So what does the only person who has ever landed a double back flip on a motorcycle do for an encore when the X Games get underway this week in Los Angeles?
He downshifts into rally racing, a timed event performed in street-legal cars that reach 130 mph and have roll cages with the driver wearing a helmet, a fire suit and a six-point harness seatbelt.

07/23
San Francisco Chronicle: Smashing and crashing their way to a safer car
-- This is the place where newborn cars come to die a violent and premature death. Some are smashed to oblivion in big frontal collisions, others in horrendous side impact crashes. Not to mention the high-speed battering rams that smack into car seats, simulating a fatal rear ender.
This time, the instant destruction of a $31,000 Subaru B9 Tribeca SUV with only 110 miles is purely intentional, highly educational and, in its own way, thoroughly antiseptic.
Car and Driver: Upfront News: 2007 Subaru Legacy
A face-lifted Legacy won’t arrive in U.S. showrooms until later this year, but we’ve had a chance to put the car through its paces at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. Subtle visual changes — new headlights and taillights and a larger and more pronounced grille opening — give the car more presence.
Manila Bulletin (PH): Subaru is here!
Subaru, known for cars in which the driver can enjoy the sensation of motor sports and supreme driving pleasure, is now in the Philippines.
Nihon Car: Subaru Legacy Wagon 2.0GT Spec.B, HDTV
In our quest to find Japanese cars that are able to keep up or pass the nice German pieces of engineering, we already tested the Lexus IS250/350 and the Honda S2000... but we were still looking for a family car/estate to achieve that target. There are plenty of Japanese alternatives, but they were not really up to standard when compared to Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Until now that was, because a rather unknown manufacturer (to the general public that is) offers a very interesting alternative to our big German estates: here's the Subaru Legacy Wagon 2.0GT Spec.B !
Car and Driver: Long-Term Test Review: Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited
Car.co.nz: Subaru to sell cars in Ukraine
Subaru sales in Ukraine were about 1500 in 2005. By developing sales through Subaru Ukraine, the companies aim to achieve 3000 sales in 2007. The new structure will enable marketing strategies set by FHI. Marketing of the B9 Tribeca is scheduled to start in autumn, along with the other European regions, in addition to Legacy, Outback, Forester and Impreza.
CRM News: Subaru turbocharges customer research
It's not easy for an automotive company to hit on all marketing cylinders these days. At Subaru the solution has been to turbocharge its customer research. We research potential buyers constantly," said Rick Crosson, Subaru's vice president of marketing. "Let's face it, nobody buys a car on impulse anymore. We find purchases are extremely well-researched, so we try to keep up with that trend. It's hard to be smarter than today's consumer, so we try to be more targeted."

Susquehannock Trail
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07/23
Rally-America.com: Lagemann and ??? to X Games
Ex-factory driver Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Michael Fennel eked out a tight victory at the Maine Forest Rally to qualify for a starting position at the first-ever X Games Rally.
WRC.com: An X-tra challenge
Former FIA World Rally Champion Colin McRae is heading for the US in a couple of weeks to take part in the 2006 Summer X Games 12, an annual festival of extreme sports. McRae told BP Ultimate World Rally Radio that he's really looking forward to the prospect of rallying in America.
Boston Globe: This rally gets down and dirty
Well before you see them, you hear them coming, one at a time. They kick up dust, snarl with the high RPM whine of unmuffled 300-horsepower engines, and when one lurches into view, if you are smart enough to have a view at a turn, you will likely see the thing sliding through a corner -- or rather floating on top of the sand as the driver tries to pull out to the straightaway.
The Auto Channel: Hyundai Returns to Rally for First-Ever X Games Rally
From inside the cockpit of the Hyundai Tiburon rally car, eight-time U.S. champion driver Paul Choiniere and co-driver Jeffrey Becker will compete against top international rally talent including World Rally Champion veteran Colin McRae, 2005 Rally America champion Pat Richard and motocross superstar turned Pro Rally driver Travis Pastrana.
NZ Herald (NZ): NZ woman gets world rally champ drive
Emma Gilmour will take a major step towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional international rally driver when she contests the German and Finnish rounds of the world rally championship next month.Currently third in the New Zealand championship, the Vantage Team Subaru driver is Europe-bound after winning an international scholarship for young drivers.
SpeedTV: Colin McRae Ready for X Games to Begin
With the opening stage set to run on Tuesday, Aug. 1, in arid Palmdale, in Southern California’s Antelope Valley in the far northeastern reaches of Los Angeles County – final preparations are being made to the rally machines that will take to gravel sweeping the roads of the high desert community and, a few days later, invade the 35,000-seat Home Depot Center in West Los Angeles as part of the 2006 Summer X Games.
Crash.net:
Sarrazin asks Subaru for gravel chance.
Subaru's tarmac ace, Stephane Sarrazin has revealed that he is hoping to do at least one-gravel round with the Subaru World Rally team this season, despite the fact his programme is only scheduled to include the four asphalt events.
Subaru: Give Chris time and he will be champion.
Chris Atkinson's SWRT engineer, Richard Thompson reckons that the Aussie will be unstoppable once everything clicks into place and he has gained the necessary experience in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: Pirelli To Quit Wrc
Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli announced that it will end its involvement in the World Rally Championship at the end of this season, according to reports from Autosport.

07/06
Crash.net:
Improvements are coming, says Mills.   Petter Solberg's co-driver Phil Mills has confirmed that they will benefit from some modifications on the Subaru Impreza WRC 2006 during the second half of the season, which begins next month, with back-to-back events in Germany and Finland.
Mills: Citroen C4 will be a winner: Subaru's Phil Mills has said that he will be surprised if the 'new' Citroen C4 isn't capable of winning straight away, when it replaces the Xsara WRC.
Q&A: Phil Mills . Subaru's Phil Mills is one of the top co-drivers in the FIA World Rally Championship, having sat alongside Petter Solberg now since 1999. The Welshman played a critical part in guiding him to the title in 2003 and yet despite that, his role and that of the co-driver in general, is often neglected by the media and the fans. While the drivers' get all the attention and most of the glory, the co-driver is all too often a foot-note at the bottom of a story, at best.
Arai to drive Subaru WRCar in Japan. Reigning FIA Production Car World Rally champion, Toshi Arai has confirmed that he will use a World Rally Car on the Rally Japan in September, when he utilises the latest Subaru Impreza WRC2006 on the event, the eleventh round in the 2006 FIA WRC.
Subaru re-signs Solberg. The Subaru World Rally team has confirmed that number one driver, Petter Solberg will remain with the team in 2007, after the Norwegian inked a new deal. Although there were few specifics in the team's statement issued to the media, the squad added that the new deal will mean he remains apart of the Subaru set-up 'until at least 2009'.
Gulf Times: Feghali records third win in Rally of Lebanon
ICWales.co.uk: Rally: Hot stuff among flame spitters
I'M enjoying some free time at home near Newtown at the moment, but although there isn't a round of the FIA World Rally Championship at all in July, there is never a dull moment.

06/20
Rally America: Rally America drivers take it sideways in “Tokyo Drift”
- Rally America X Games qualifiers Rhys Millen, Tanner Foust and Lauchlin O’Sullivan were the true “drift kings” in the new movie release “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.”
BBC (UK): Park memorial unveiled in Estonia
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has unveiled a memorial to British co-driver Michael Park, who died during last year's Rally of Great Britain.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland:
Rally Ireland Boosts Economy By €6.7 Million
Research conducted by the University of Ulster on the Irish bid to secure a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) found that Rally Ireland generated an economic contribution to the country of more than €6.7 million during its event in March of this year. This figure represents a large increase on the €3.6 million that the October 2005 pilot event generated.
Solberg Set To Ink New Deal
Reports from Autosport claim that Petter Solberg has agreed terms to a new three-year deal with Subaru World Rally Team that will see him remain with the squad until the end of the 2009 season.
Crash.net:
SWRT set for trio of tests to sign off new parts.
Subaru's chief engineer for test and development, Pierre Genon has confirmed that the Banbury-based squad aim to introduce a number of new parts on the Impreza WRC during the second half of the season.
Prodrive offers access all areas for charity.
Engineering giant - and future F1 entrant - Prodrive is to open its doors in the name of charity, allowing motorsport fans to get up close and personal with some of the most successful cars in history.

06/11
Yahoo UK & Ireland: Petter Solberg Testing This Week
Belfast Telegraph (IR): Motorsport: A Hig task!
Come in No.19, you are the potential winner!
It just doesn't happen in rallying. Drivers who start so far back in the field don't win major events.
But it could happen next weekend on the Shell Donegal International.
Mark Higgins is the man at No.19 in the seeded starting list - and he says he is coming to win.
IcWales.co.uk: Phil Mills: We came Acropolis in Athens
I USED to believe that you make your own luck, but now I'm not so sure, writes Phil Mills. After a load of bad luck Petter Solberg and I came to the Acropolis Rally feeling pretty confident. Pre-event testing had gone well, our Subaru Impreza WRC2006 was flying, Petter was on top form and we knew that everything was in place for a really good result.
Subaru Global: Travis Pastrana taken 2nd overall at Susquehannock Trail Rally
Travis Pastrana/Christian Edstrom driven for Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) taken 2nd overall. Matt Iorio/Ole Holter made their victory and SUBARU entrants dominated top 4 of overall classificationl. Lauchlin O'Sullivan with Scott Putnam co-driving in a CPD Racing WRX took third place overall with Andrew Pinker and Robbie Durant also in a WRX taking fourth.
Motorsport.com: RAmer: Subura Rally Team USA Susquehannock final summary
Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom have finished 2nd Overall on the damp high speed gravel roads of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR). The 21 year old X Games star battled one of the strongest fields of rally drivers ever assembled at a North American event, while struggling to overcome severe illness which had him in the emergency room just hours prior to the rally start.
Elmira Star-Gazette: Iorio backs up talk with rally victory
You can call it brash or brag if you want to. But you have to call it fact.
During the meal break one-third of the way through the 30th running of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, the Westmoreland, N.H., man, in second place at the time, said he expected to win the event.
Elmira Star-Gazette: X-Games star leads at Pro Rally
Extreme sports champion Travis Pastrana was in the driver's seat - barely - when the evening stages of the 30th Annual Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally began Saturday.
Elmira Star-Gazette: Motocross champ thrills hundreds
Travis Pastrana really didn't want to be there.
Any other time, he would have; it's a blast signing posters, shirts and caps, he said.
But Friday, the extreme motocross champion, X-Gamer and U.S performance rally driver had a cold, a strep throat, a national event in the morning and a strong need to be somewhere else.
But he fought it off, and hundreds of folks are grateful that he did.
Elmira Star-Gazette: Increased publicity is X-factor for Pro Rally
The 30th running of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) this weekend is definitely x-rated.
X-Games, that is. And the result is a boon to racers and spectators alike.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: Colin Mcrae To Compete In X Games Rally
Colin McRae, one of the most successful and most popular drivers in rallying's long history, has accepted his invitation to compete at this summer's X Games Rally, a part of ESPN's X Games 12 in Los Angeles, California.
McRae will drive a Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car prepared by Vermont SportsCar, the same group that manages Subaru Rally Team USA for Subaru of America, Inc. The legendary World Rally Champion will team up with his long time co-driver Nicky Grist.
Crash.net: WRC star confirmed for Autosportif 24Hr assault.
Subaru WRC driver Chris Atkinson has finally been confirmed among the driver line-up for Autosportif's assault on the annual Nurburgring 24 Hours, following prolonged speculation.

05/13
Subaru World Rally Team: Preview Rally d’Italia-Sardegna, 18-21 May 2006
he FIA World Rally Championship moves from the grassy Pampas of Argentina to the dramatic Mediterranean landscape of Sardinia for round seven of the 16-event series. Rally d’Italia-Sardegna, starting on 18 May,with a ceremonial start in Porto Cervo, will be the third gravel rally of the year after Mexico and Argentina.
Jalopnik: Fists Turn Into Brave Ears: Scotto Hits the Track
Ken Block and Brian Scotto are nearing the end of their One Lap of America, and they’re celebrating in style by hooning it up in a Target parking lot in Sheboygan in preparation for their morning adventure at Road America tomorrow.
Crash.net:
Pirelli: Quitting only one option.
Pirelli have confirmed that they are 'reviewing' their position with regard to competing in the FIA World Rally Championship beyond 2006.
Reports in the latest edition of Autosport speculate that the Italian tyre manufacturer is considering quitting the sport and that they are less than happy now that Michelin is promoting its sister brand, BF Goodrich. However when contacted by Crash.net for clarification, Pirelli's rally manager, Paul Hembery added that quitting the sport is only one option and that 'many scenarios' are possible for 2007 and beyond.
Ford seeks Subaru's help in bid to beat Loeb.
Ford's Malcolm Wilson has revealed that he wants Subaru to be back fighting at the front of the field in order to take points off Sebastien Loeb and Kronos Citroen - and hopefully then to help them!
Subaru to sign Sordo in 2007?
Subaru sporting director, Luis Moya has revealed that upcoming WRC star Daniel Sordo is definitely on their list as a potential driver for the team - and that he could be apart of their line-up sooner or later.
Autosport (UK): Pirelli considering quitting WRC
Pirelli could be on the verge of ending its participation in the World Rally Championship, according to this week's Autosport.
Belfast Telegraph : Young drivers battle with Britain's best
The decision of the BRC organisers to ban the big WRC supercars which dominate Irish rallying has had the unexpected bonus of attracting back an array of British champions including Mark and David Higgins, Jonny Milner, Tapio Laukkanen and Gwyndaf Evans as well as Martin Rowe, the former World production champion and Alister McRae, who was runner-up to Fermanagh's Niall McShea in the 2004 PWRC series.
Rallysport Magazine (AU): Atkinson under pressure to perform
Chris Atkinson had a busy weekend, testing in Greece last Friday and Saturday. In total, the Subaru driver completed 370 km at the wheel of his Impreza WRC.
The SWRT squad worked on differential settings and the evaluation of different dampers on a 4.6 km course.
Crash.net: McRae: New BRC regulations smart move.
Alister McRae has revealed that while he was sceptical about the decision to move to Group N cars in the BRC, he now believes it was the right decision.
Channel News Asia: Motor-rally: Singapore possible leg for new Subaru Cup rally
The Subaru Cup will be a one-make car race where all competitors use the same type of vehicle.

5/03
Telegraph Digital (IR): World champ's Subaru up for grabs on eBay
Fancy owning rally driver Colin McRae's first World rally championship Subaru Impreza?
Try eBay.
Crash.net: Subaru: We can win next two rounds.
Subaru sporting director, Luis Moya has made a bold prediction following the Rally Argentina - and he reckons there is no reason why they shouldn't win the next two gravel events in the FIA World Rally Championship, coming up in Sardinia and Greece.
Jalopnik: Travis Pastrana Chalks Up First Rally Win
The former motocross superstar won his first race Saturday at the Rim of The World Rally outside of Los Angeles. Pastrana won by a significant margin, but that’s probably because this wasn’t part of the WRC circuit.
Motorsport.com: Subaru Rally Team USA Rim of the World summary
Travis Pastrana Wins His First Rally!
X Games and motocross phenom Travis Pastrana has now officially made his mark in professional rally racing by winning the Subaru Rim Of The World Rally. The Subaru Rally Team USA driver won in convincing fashion, leading from the very first stage and driving faultlessly on nearly 100 treacherous miles of mountain roads within the Angeles National Forest outside of Los Angeles, California.
Crash.net:
FIA fines Loeb and co for donuts.
The FIA, the governing body of the World Rally Championship has apparently fined Rally Argentina winner, Sebastien Loeb and three of his colleagues for performing a donut for the crowd prior to driving over the finish ramp at the Cordoba stadium on Sunday.
Crews praise Argentina organisers.
The Rally Argentina has been given a resounding thumbs-up by the competing crews following the 26th running of the event at the weekend, the sixth round in the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship.
Scotsman.com (UK): Rally driver killed in race
A LEADING British rally racer has died after he was struck by another competitor's car during the 37th Granite City Rally in Aberdeenshire.
Daily Record.(UK): VETERAN RALLY DRIVER KILLED
A RALLY co-driver was knocked down and killed after his car broke down in the middle of a race.
Pitpass.com (UK): Richards aiming to make Prodrive an all-British affair
Prodrive boss David Richards has revealed that he intends to make his Formula One team an all-British affair, news that will surely be welcomed by upcoming British drivers.
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: Post-event press conference - Argentina.
Drivers / co-drivers: Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena (Kronos Citroen), Petter Solberg and Phil Mills (Subaru WRT) and Gigi Galli and Giovanni Bernacchini (Pirelli-Bozian Peugeot). Team principal: Marc van Dalen (Kronos Citroen).
CNN.com : Prodrive to join F1 ranks in 2008
Prodrive, run by former Benetton and BAR team boss David Richards, will enter Formula One in 2008 as a new 12th team on the starting grid.
ITV (UK): DR relishing 'enormous' challenge
David Richards has spoken of his delight after his Prodrive team secured the coveted 12th entry for the 2008 world championship – but admits there is an “enormous” task ahead. FIA president Max Mosley revealed on Friday that Prodrive was chosen over 10 other hopefuls because of its established track record and pedigree, as well as Richards’ experience as an F1 team principal.
Autospectator: Subaru Turkey Rally Team Scored Its Second Consecutive Win
ord Kocaeli Rally (21st - 22nd of April) was an historic event for Ercan Kazaz, as his first ever consecutive win since 2002. Kazaz had won Hitit and Anatolia Rallies in 2002 which brought him his second Turkish Rally Championship title with a group N Subaru.
Rallysport Magazine (AU): Aussie wins in the US of A
Australian Andrew Pinker earned his first overall North American win this weekend at the Oregon Trail Rally, a challenging three-day race through the state’s Coast Mountain range.
He said fans can expect he'll take more outright victories in the series and predicted “it's the first win of a hat-trick.”

Rally America: Oregon Trail
Pinker takes first Rally America win
Australian Andrew Pinker earned his first overall North American win this weekend at the Oregon Trail Rally, a challenging three-day race through the state’s Coast Mountain range.

Rally America:
Who will rally at the X Games?
Word that there will be a rally in this summer’s X Games in Los Angeles has prompted intense speculation about who will compete. The answer is: nobody knows – yet.
Subaru Global:
Dual podium finish for SRT USA!
Pastrana 2nd, Block 3rd
The final leg of the 2006 Oregon Trail Rally went off without a hitch for SRT USA. Although not able to claim a win at this event, the team had a dual podium finish with Travis Pastrana & Christian Edstrom
Interview with Subaru Rally Team USA Driver - Ken Block
Ken Block, founder and CEO of DC Shoes, is no stranger to success. In business, he has built up a globally recognized brand; and now in his latest venture, rallying, he is reaching similar levels of achievement.
Crash.net: Pirelli roll out new tyre for Argentina.
Pirelli have confirmed that their drivers will benefit from a new tyre in Argentina this weekend, as they look to break BF Goodrich's strangle hold on the sport.
Eurosport.com:
Yahoo Sport UK & Ireland: Tech Talk: Tyre Pressures
Racing and rally drivers pay a hundred times more attention to the pressure of their tyres than the average motorist. In world class rallying, for example, pressures are adjusted prior to the start of every stage, for the very good reason that optimal tyre performance depends on running with the ideal pressures.
XtraMSN: Tajima Wins Race To The Sky
The King of the Mountain 'Monster' Nobuhiro Tajima of Japan exceeded all expectations at the Silverstone Race to the Sky on Sunday, when he smashed his own record set in 2003 by nine seconds, to win the title for the seventh time clocking 8. 01.17.

Tour De Corse

Preview | Leg One | Leg Two | Leg Three
SWRT
Tour de Corse Stage Summaries with Phil Mills

04/08
Khallej Times (AE): Nasser Al Attiyah extends lead
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Ulster co-driver Chris Patterson extended their lead in the 2006 FIA Middle East Rally Championship to 13 points by taking a commanding victory in Rally Oman, round three of the regional series, yesterday.
Yahoo Sport- UK & Ireland: PCWRC: Dauncey joins VSC
Vermont SportsCar - who run the Subaru Rally Team USA, have announced that they have signed former Mitsubishi WRC team manager, Derek Dauncey, ahead of plans to enter the Production Car WRC with Travis Pastrana in the 'near future'.
BBC (UK): Prodrive among 22 F1 applicants
Prodrive, the company run by former BAR and Benetton team boss David Richards, is one of 22 teams to have applied for 12 places in Formula One in 2008.
Yahoo Sport- UK & Ireland: An Interview With Aaron Burkart
Following the tragic death of his co-driver Jörg Bastuck at the Rally of Spain last weekend, young German Aaron Burkart talks for the first time about the accident, the help and support and about the future.
Eurosport (UK): Subaru blame Pirelli
Subaru have blamed tyre suppliers Pirelli for their disastrous performance on this weekend's Rally of Catalunya. The fact that Subaru are the only team running, and therefore testing the Pirelli tyres could be the reason for their performance, but the Rally of Catalunya was clearly a difficult experience for the drivers as they complained of a lack of grip, too much wear and oversteer after most stages.

Rally Catalunya
Live Results
Preview | Leg One | Leg Two | Leg Three
03/24
Crash.net: Moya: WRC deeply saddened by Bastuck's death.
Subaru's sporting director, Luis Moya has sent a message of support to the friends and family of Aaron Burkart's co-driver, Jorg Bastuck, who was killed on the Rally Catalunya on Friday.
wheels24.co.za: Rally car starts forest fire
Fire fighters are battling to contain a blaze in the Cape's Franschoek forests started when a car taking part in a national championship rally left the road.
ChannelNewsAsis.com: Singapore to produce Subaru rally cars
Singapore, which has been without an automotive industry, will begin producing rally cars, Subaru has said.  The project aims to produce five rally cars a month at the Singapore Subaru Hub facility which opened Thursday.
Rallysport Magazine (AU): Millen a scratching from Race to the Sky
Former winner Rod Millen and his son Rhys are late scratchings from the field for Eatser’s Race to the Sky Hillclimb in the New Zealand’s Cardrona Valley.
Rod will be missing the event for the first time, having previously competing in both his Pikes Peak Toyota Celica special, and more recently in a spectacular Toyota racing pick-up. Rhys, who has previously finished third on the climb, was scheduled to make his first appearance in several years.

03/21
Subaru Global:
SWRT Rallye de Catalunya - Costa Daurada
Five months after its last visit to the country, the FIA World Rally Championship returns to Spain for the first of two consecutive asphalt events, the Rally Catalunya-Costa Daurada. The fourth of the 16-round series is considered to be the first ‘true’ asphalt event of the year and has little in common with the earlier sealed surface rally in Monte Carlo. Rally Catalunya is paired with Corsica’s Tour de Corse and the same cars will contest both events with one week in between for re-preparation.
UP FOR THE CUP WITH NEW IMPREZA
Service park chatter has been rife for weeks, as drivers and teams have debated at length the announcement of the 2006 Subaru Cup UK. "It's a standard road car with a roll cage", "it's hasn't got anti-lag", and "there's no hydraulic handbrake!" were just some of the 'expert' comments being aired.
Reuters (UK): Martin makes race return after fatal crash
Estonian Markko Martin has competed in a rally for the first time since a crash that killed his British co-driver Michael Park last September.
Rallysport Magazine (AU):
Markko Martin comeback unsuccessful
Martin's reappearance behind the wheel of a rally car was popular but fruitless. 
Atko ready for Spanish challenge
Atkinson impressed in Monte Carlo, finishing sixth, but Rally Catalunya is considered the first 'true' asphalt event of the year and has little in common with the earlier sealed surface rally. The smooth, wide roads of Rally Catalunya make it the fastest sealed surface rally of the year.
Sunday Life (UK): New world order? Ireland awaits big decision
"He's the best tarmac driver in the world - but he has never seen tarmac like this," he said slyly, insisting his identity stay secret. "This is not Corsica or Catalunya and the Citroen guys would be tearing their hair out trying to figure out the bumps and jumps."
Crash.net:
Subaru roll-out re-worked Impreza for Spain.
Subaru's director of engineering, Steve Farrell has revealed that the Banbury based squad are feeling 'optimistic' ahead of the Rally Catalunya this weekend.
Speaking in the count-down to the first proper asphalt event of the season, Farrell added that since last year, they have been pulling out all the stops to adapt the Impreza WRC so that it runs well on tarmac and so they can compete with the Citroen Xsara WRC, which has been the dominant car in recent years on seal-surface events.
Solberg feeling 'pretty confident'.
Subaru team leader Petter Solberg is targeting a podium finish on the Rally Catalunya this weekend, the fourth round in the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship.
Atkinson: Points would be nice.
Subaru's Chris Atkinson is hoping to try and build up his speed on the Rally Catalunya, which begins this Friday.

03/12
Crash.net:
Martin confirms rally return in Portugal.
Martin, who will be partnered by Alister McRae's former long term co-driver, David Senior, will be joined on the event by a number of WRC regulars, including 2005 winner, Daniel Carlsson, as well as young Finn Janne Tuohino. Sweden's Patrik Flodin and Martin's young protege, Martin Rauam will also compete, all at the wheel of identical Group N Subaru Imprezas.
McRae warns: Don't discount Petter.
Former WRC works driver, Alister McRae has warned those writing off Petter Solberg that they would be stupid to underestimate him.
Subaru RT USA completes Mexico reconnaissance
Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Travis Pastrana and Ken Block successfully completed the reconnaissance portion of the Corona Rally Mexico - round three of the FIA World Rally Championship, last week.

03/06
Yahoo Sport (UK):  Drivers critical after animal trouble.
The Kronos co-driver's views were echoed by Subaru co-driver Phil Mills. “On every stage we saw a dog, a donkey, a goat, cow… everything. I actually got quite concerned at one point.
FoxSports (AU): Atkinson rolls but scores points
Atkinson, from the Gold Coast, was an uncertain starter for the second day after a rollover destroyed the back of his car, but his mechanics worked throughout the night to repair the vehicle.
Subaru Global: Toshi Takes First Win of the Season in Triumphant 1-2 for SUBARU
Maintaining a consistent and incredibly quick pace over the course of the three days, reigning PCWRC champion Toshi Arai was uncatchable on the rock-strewn roads of Mexico, taking his first win of the season by 48.9 seconds, but was challenged all the way by a hard-charging Nasser Saleh al Attiyah.
Yahoo Sport (UK): Mexican Victory To Kick Start Arai's Title Defense
An excellent drive by defending PCWRC Champion Toshi Arai (J, Subaru) and co-driver Tony Sircombe (NZ) rewarded the duo victory on a tricky Corona Rally México, the second round of the 2006 FIA Production car World Rally Championship, marking a great start for the Japanese in protecting his title this year.
Eurosport (UK): Prodrive plan F1 facility
British motor racing company Prodrive has taken a giant step towards entering Formula One by announcing plans to build a state-of-the-art facility in Southern England.
Yahoo Sport (UK): Pastrana set for Mexican recce.
Travis Pastrana, the 21-year-old X-Games star turned rally driver will head to Corona Rally Mexico this weekend to perform two days of reconnaissance ahead of the third round of the WRC season. Pastrana will lead Subaru Rally Team USA in the 2006 Rally America National Championship, and the decision to take part in the recce in Mexico is part of a longer term plan to prepare Pastrana - who competed against WRC champion Sebastien Loeb in the Race of Champions - for WRC competition, with the team already looking at a possible Production Car World Rally Championship campaign in 2007.

03/01
Subaru World Rally Team: SWRT TV!
Launched last week, the Subaru World Rally Team now has a free to access video and audio portal live on SWRT.com. Brought to you courtesy of our new media partners Stream UK, NTT Communications and Bluhalo, visitors to SWRT.com will be able to watch action highlights after every event in the WRC calendar and listen to sound bites and audio features from members of the team throughout the season.
Crash.net: Atkinson chasing top-five finish.
Chris Atkinson has his focus firmly fixed on a top-five finish this weekend as Subaru aim for an upturn in fortune in Mexico.
Rallsysport Magazine (AU): Food poisoning lays up Subaru co-drivers
Subaru World Rally Team co-drivers, Glenn Macneall and Phil Mills, embark on reconnaissance for the Rally of Mexico today, despite being layed up with food poisoning yesterday.
Rally Live via Yahoo: A New Project Within Prodrive For David Lapworth
Richard Taylor, Subaru World Rally Team's managing director commented, "As one of the founding members of the team, David's contribution to its success over the past 17 years has been invaluable and we owe him a big debt of gratitude. In advance of this move, the team has, over the last four months, made a number of management and organisational changes, including significantly increasing the level of technical collaboration with Subaru in Japan. More and more effort is being devoted to the parallel development of Subaru road cars and the World Rally Car and we will see the benefits of this on both stage and road in the coming months and years. We have a formidable team of people and are very confident that we are fully equipped for the challenges ahead".
SpeedTV: Suzuki Confirms WRC Entry in '07
After months of speculation, Suzuki confirmed this Tuesday at the Geneva auto show in Switzerland that it will step up to the World Rally Championship in 2007.

02/24
SWRT: Preview - Rally Mexico, 3-5 March 2006
Three weeks after leaving the snow-bound forests of Sweden, the FIA World Rally Championship heads to the warmer and sunnier conditions of central Mexico for the next event.
Speed TV: Subaru Rally Director Lapworth Leaves Team
Subaru Rally Director David Lapwort