In this debut episode of Launch Control, Subaru Rally Team USA driver, David Higgins is preparing and training in Wales, UK for the upcoming season, while the Vermont Sports Car team is hard at work preparing the 2013 Subaru race cars. The day their season finished in 2012, was the day preparation for 2013 began. If there is a team that knows what goes into winning a championship, this would be it. Subaru's 2012 Rally America championship victory marked their 2nd in a row and their 6th in 7 years. Rallycross, on the other hand, is relatively new for the team. Competing against established rallycross teams from Europe, the learning curve for Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra, Sverre Isachsen, and the team has been steep. New venues. New race format. New Rules, New Cars. As quickly as the three Subaru STI's ran on-track, the pace of development at the race shop has been just as quick. This is everything it takes to win. This is everything that gets in the way of victory. This is Launch Control.
In episode 2 of Launch Control, Subaru Rally Team USA reunites in Michigan for the 2013 Sno*Drift Rally. For fans and competitors, the first day of the season is an exciting one. This is a new beginning, a chance for a fresh story starting from a blank sheet. The one-off ice and snow event provides a unique challenge for the team, where just a small mistake can be costly. Holding a slim lead into the night stages on Day 1, David Higgins and Craig Drew find out just how treacherous these roads can be. This is everything it takes to win. This is everything that gets in the way of victory. This is Launch Control
Episode 2 left off with the Subaru Rally Team USA facing an overnight rebuild after a crash on the first day of Sno*Drift Rally 2013. The mechanics had a long night ahead of them to get the car back in action. Would the car be ready? Could Higgins and Drew hold on to their slim lead? Episode 3 has the answers. Catch all the Subaru Rally Team USA and Subaru Puma Rallycross Team action at http://www.subaru.com/rally Produced by Formula Photographic Inc. This is everything it takes to win. This is everything that gets in the way of victory. This is Launch Control.
Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team driver, Bucky Lasek, drops in at Vermont SportsCar to check out his new rallycross car and show the team his gratitude. Lasek then gets sideways with Ryan Tuerck on some snow covered forest roads. Meanwhile Subaru Rally Team USA is in Missouri testing for the highspeed Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, where Mother Nature throws competitors a curve ball.
David Higgins and Craig Drew of Subaru Rally Team USA may be back-to-back champions, but at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Ken Block has been king. A win here at round two for Higgins would rock the boat and shake things up for the rest of the series. But, an overnight storm in Missouri has dumped snow on the high-speed stages, placing the whole outcome into question. Can the teams keep it on the road in the treacherous conditions? Can Higgins and Drew get their first career win at this event?
It's 9:36 PM on April 24th and the crew at Vermont SportsCar is putting in a late night loading the three Subaru PUMA Rallycross cars into the transporter for a final pre-season test. Three thousand miles away on the west coast, another part of the crew is preparing the Subaru Rally Team USA car for a final shakedown before the Oregon Trail Rally. Two teams, one week, one goal. In this episode, David Higgins and Subaru Rally Team USA are on the west coast for the Oregon Trail Rally, while Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra, Sverre Isachsen and the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team are hard at work in Connecticut testing the new cars in preparation for the first overseas event. Balancing two teams in separate championships is a logistical game of chess. Packing up for X Games Barcelona is just the next step in the long season ahead.
The Global Rallycross season kicks off for the Subaru Puma Rallycross Team, as Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra, and Sverre Isachsen head overseas for X Games Barcelona. After a test session in the picturesque Monterrat area of Spain, its time to hit the track in anger for the first time this season. However, nobody was expecting the sequence of events that would transpire on race day. Back in the Rally America championship, David Higgins and Craig Drew go to battle with Ken Block again at the Susquehannock Trail Rally. Subaru Rally Team USA suffers a major setback on stage 3, and puts in a valiant effort to keep fighting. Sometimes when it rains, it pours, but overcoming adversity is what makes rally so unique.
David Higgins and Craig Drew of Subaru Rally Team USA fight back from a Day 1 mechanical problem (see Episode 7) to salvage any Rally America Championship points they can, as their main rival heads towards a win. Can they possibly get a podium, after starting the day in 21st overall? It is maximum attack, and the pair are flying...but not everything goes smoothly. In Munich, the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team drivers, Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra, and Sverre Isachsen are finally getting the opportunity to race door-to-door in Global Rallycross competition. Sverre Isachsen makes it to the finals, and finds himself on two wheels through turn one. His ongoing rivalry with Ken Block gets heated only three turns before the finish. It's a dramatic finish to a busy month for the Vermont Sportscar and Subaru rally teams.
A season of racing for any team is filled with steps forward, and steps back. In the off-season, the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team took many steps forward. A complete redesign of the car leveled the playing field. But, the team was met with adversity at the first two events of the season - a canceled race in Spain and a take-out from behind in Germany. Now, the team is back on home soil at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and eager to accelerate their progress. Episode 9 takes you behind the scenes as Sverre Isachsen and Bucky Lasek advance to the finals, and the team puts in a huge effort to repair Dave Mirra's car after a freak mechanical failure left his car on three wheels.
The Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team was fighting at the top during Round 5 of the Global RallyCross Championship held July 20th at Bristol Motor Speedway. Team driver Sverre Isachsen, a former three-time European RallyCross Champion, won his heat race advancing him to the front row of the Final. An impressive start by the Norwegian saw him run as high as 2nd Overall before race-contact crushed his exhaust, robbing his Subaru STI of power and dropping him back to 4th Overall, the team's best finish thus far in 2013 after competing in three earlier events. Teammates Dave Mirra and Bucky Lasek showed impressive pace but narrowly missed out on advancing to the Final. On the other side of the country, at the New England Forest Rally, Subaru Rally Team USA is preparing for a different task. With a lead in championship points, an outsider would suggest the team could coast to a championship. The reality within the team is entirely different. One bad result and their lead is erased. Progress and pace are only found in hard work and constant attention to detail. Their speed is a result of every piece of the puzzle clicking together with perfection. With two events remaining after the New England Forest Rally, you wouldn't call this the home stretch, but everyone's focus is starting to shift to the bigger picture. The loss and gain of seconds, stage by stage, shows how close the battle is with their rivals. Day one ends with the Subaru team conceding 16 seconds to Block... but the dust is far from settled.
It's calm in sunny LA the week before the X Games, but on the other side of the country Subaru Rally Team USA is in the heat of battle at the New England Forest Rally. Sixteen seconds. It's all that separates David Higgins and Ken Block as the final day of the 2013 New England Forest Rally begins. The two teams have very different strategies. To stay in the hunt for the Rally America Championship, Block desperately needs the win today. Meanwhile, Subaru Rally Team USA is playing a longer game, banking on the significant points lead they've built by being on the podium at every event this year. However, if you were to suggest to David Higgins and Craig Drew that they should coast to second and bank the points, you'd quickly learn that this team has no interest in being runners-up! Next, we head to X Games Los Angeles with Sverre Isachsen and his family who have joined him at the event. The Viking Warrior is a patient man. Previous events have shown promise and given him confidence, but now is the time to deliver a result. The team knows that here, on the biggest stage of the season, a clear and obvious step forward is important. It wont be easy though as X Games Los Angeles features the deepest lineup of GRC competitors yet, all eyeing a coveted X Games medal!
Thirty minutes outside of San Diego, California, Bucky Lasek is home for a rare two days off before his next event. It doesn't take long for regular life to settle in, and Bucky enjoys a rare one-on-one day with his daughter. Bucky's passion for motorsports is only surpassed by his desire to prove himself. And he feels that with nearly two years in Global Rallycross, his goal can now shift from development to fighting for podiums. Two days later at the Atlanta Motor Speedway the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team is outside the oval doing a final shakedown. With temperatures expected to be in the mid 90s and extremely humid, the race will be very taxing on the drivers AND the cars. The track is a tricky one. With dirt sections that get very rutted and rough, some of Subaru's competitors are feeling the adversity. But for the Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team, things are looking up. All three subarus qualify well but Bucky Lasek lands a notable fifth fastest time, beating both his teammates. Its Bucky's best seeding position yet in GRC, proving that his track and karting racecraft is beginning to meld with the more raw world of rallycross. The true joy of rallycross is that predicting the outcome is simply impossible. A podium finish is never out of reach until three cars cross the finish line. And as the cars leave the start line for a 10 lap final, the script changes once again.... It's been a long month for the team. Zig-zagging the country in the hunt for success doesn't come without its toll. But when the toll is paid, you get to cross the bridge. A taste of success only makes you hungry for more.
If it was simple, anyone could do it. There would be no need for hours of toil. No reason for endless development. There would be no need to race. But instead, the pursuit of speed never ends. Race cars might run on fuel, but they are built and driven with heart. It's been a season full of highs and lows, but with just two rally events remaining, and a championship up for grabs, the time for heart is now. The 2013 Ojibwe Forests Rally features nearly 140 miles of technical sandy gravel roads around the western Minnesota town of Detroit Lakes. In rally, you race the elements as well as your opponents. The concern here at Ojibwe Rally is dust. Even a 3-minute dust window might not be enough to get a clear line of sight when racing at speed. Ken Block is first on the road, and evidence of a difficult event is already apparent. As David and Craig pull up to the start line behind Block, the dust still lingers around them. As expected the dust eats away at their visibility. Only seconds into a 2-day rally and the team knows they are losing time. Sections of clear vision build confidence only to have that confidence ripped away by a wall of dust. The team will end day one down by over a minute. Not exactly the race they had hoped for. However, as the cars set out to start the second day of racing, the wind has picked up which should help visibility. With over a minute to make up, David and Craig know they need to gain ground with every mile. Early on day two, Higgins loses the power steering, then shortly thereafter something in the road surface snaps the wheel which seriously injures his hand. After exiting the stage, Higgins and Drew pull over and work under the hood to try and repair the power steering when Higgins' foot is run over and injured by a passing SUV. Two injuries to the Subaru team driver in less than an hour could spell the end of their rally, putting their championship hopes in peril. On the season finale of Launch Control, Subaru Rally T
With an unbroken string of podium finishes, Subaru Rally Team USA has lead the Rally America championship for the majority of the season. However, with the competition stepping up their game and only two events remaining, the points gap has tightened. Hanging dust, power steering failure, and injuries to David Higgins at the penultimate event have put the Subaru team into damage control. Their ability to finish the event is now in question, but with bandages and ice David Higgins refuses to give up valuable championship points and finishes the Ojibwe Rally. The final rally will be a winner-take-all battle royale. Houghton, Michigan. Home of the Lake Superior Performance Rally - the final and deciding round of the twenty-thirteen Rally-America Championship. This is the closest championship race in years, and both sides have claimed their intention to win. The air of calm confidence and smiles is just a mask hiding the intense emotion and pressure these teams are facing. Ken Block and Ford must win to take the championship. Higgins and Subaru need to get in their way. As the cars arrive at the start of the first stage, the usual friendly banter and socializing is gone. The teams stick to themselves and focus on the task at hand. The speed is immense and the two teams trade seconds back and forth all weekend. Higgins and Drew in the Subaru dominate on the night stages to take an overnight lead, putting the pressure on Block to chase on Day 2. One team will end up finishing the rally, the other does not. It's a fight to the final hours of the 2013 championship season. Will Subaru Rally Team USA receive a trophy or a handshake? This is everything it takes to win. This is everything that gets in the way of victory. This is launch control.
You only truly know how to accomplish something once you have actually done it. Turning points and opportunities are only fully recognized with hindsight. So, for a team as experienced as Subaru Rally Team USA, reverse engineering a championship title should be straight forward. Except it never is. Thousands of circumstances and decisions led to this moment, and no two seasons will offer the same opportunities. Experience might form the road map to a title, but it's a road map already out of date. The 2014 championships bring new competition, new events, and new cars. A new road awaits. This is Season Two of Launch Control. ---------- At the Vermont Sports Car facility, the team is putting the finishing touches on a completely new rally car for David Higgins. But before this car is even finished, the next project is already waiting in the wings. Before it has even been revealed to the public, a brand-new twenty-fifteen STI has been delivered for initial engineering development. With only a handful of these in existence, the team is excited to get its first glance of what will eventually become their new rally and rallycross platform. It gets little attention for the moment, however. A complete tear down of the rallycross cars, and final testing of the 2014 rally cars occupies the entire team. ---------- Ice-covered roads, studless tires, and minus twenty degree temperatures greet the teams on race day at Michigan's Sno*Drift Rally. Cold is an understatement. Sno*Drift is once again the opening round of the 2014 Rally America Championship. For Subaru Rally Team USA, the challenge is doubled. Teething issues with new rally cars can easily ambush a team's event. The cold only increases the stress on the car and its parts. Despite the team's confidence, a degree of uncertainty lingers under the calm surface. Can the team start the season off with a win, or will problems derail their efforts?
With the 2014 Global Rallycross season still two months away, the Subaru team is in Atlanta testing the new cars for Sverre Isachsen and Bucky Lasek. After three full days, the team and drivers are happy with progress and hopes are high for the upcoming season. Flashback to 2010, and Launch Control revisits Travis Pastrana's last race in a Subaru before pursuing opportunities in Nascar. Fighting through the pain of a shattered leg, he makes the final race thanks to hand throttle controls fabricated by Vermont Sports Car overnight. This is Travis Pastrana, the never-say-never, in it to win it X Games Legend. In February 2014, Pastrana makes his return to the seat of a Subaru rally car. He joins David Higgins at the pre-event test before Missouri's Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. As the event starts, Travis arrives at Parc Expose and is instantly surrounded by media and fans eager to get their first glimpse of the returning star. But when all the autographs are done, and the fanfare has subsided, it all comes down to who is fastest on the road. Whether the motivation is simply a personal best... the top step of the podium... easing back into the sport... or defending a championship title...it all starts the same way. 5....4....3....2....1.....
The definition of success varies from one person to another. The same goes for Subaru Rally Team USA drivers, Travis Pastrana and David Higgins. Pastrana is making his return to rally, and is hoping to ease his way back into a sport that he once used to dominate. Higgins is out for victory. They are approaching the event with different benchmarks for success. But in a sport where so many things can go wrong, it is almost impossible for everything to go right. Travis Pastrana is racing a new car, with a new co-driver... nursing an injured ankle, and recalibrating to the intricacies of rally. It's a tall order. Add in the high speeds of the roads here in Missouri, and #199 can be excused for being off the pace early on. It's to be expected. David Higgins and Craig Drew need no time to adjust. They won this event last year, but the event favorite, Ken Block, suffered a DNF that cut the battle short. Both teams know their competition isn't going to ease into the day gradually, so it means driving flat out form the word "go". This is the battle for the 2014 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood...
With the first two events in the 2014 Rally America Championship complete, Subaru Rally Team USA has claimed two podium finishes; a win at SnoDrift Rally for David Higgins, and 2nd Place for Travis Pastrana at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Now, the team's focus shifts to the third round of the Rally America Championship, the Oregon Trail Rally, where the goal is to get both Subaru team cars on the podium together. The Oregon Trail Rally was the second event back with the Subaru team for Travis Pastrana after over three years away from the sport. Pastrana has been getting up to speed with his new 2014 Subaru WRX STI while working for the first time with veteran co-driver Chrissie Beavis. The duo were clearly another step faster in Oregon and took the lead of the event early, winning three of the four stages held on day one. David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew hit trouble early on the second day, dropping over a minute to Pastrana in the process. As Higgins began to charge back he was then hit with time penalties for hitting cones in a chicane, thus putting himself even farther behind Pastrana. Higgins found himself still nearly 40 seconds adrift of Pastrana at the start of the final day. Higgins and Drew had just six stages covering 40 miles to make up those 40 seconds and they went flat out to do so. The battle goes down to the final stages...who would emerge victorious in the battle of the teammates?
Hard Competition. Hard knocks. Hard work. This has been Subaru's learning curve thus far in Global Rallycross. But 2014 will be different. It has to be. Early season testing has given the team confidence and a hunger for results. In Barbados for the season opening round of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Sverre Isachsen enthralled a capacity crowd. In the Final, Isachsen in the #11 Subaru WRX STI became locked in a thrilling duel for third overall with rival Nelson Piquet Jr. The two drivers battled each other with tight door-to-door racing that brought the crowd to their feet. Top Gear Festival Barbados set the scene for relentless racing, and the team departs with just days to prepare for the next event back in America.
Iconic X Games Skateboarding athlete Bucky Lasek earned his 20th career X Games medal in Austin, Texas but it wasn't earned atop a skateboard. Instead, Bucky earned this medal behind the wheel of his 600hp Subaru WRX STI Rallycross car in a hard fought X Games Rallycross event held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The action was intense, from the moment the cars arrived back from GRC Barbados to the final chequered flag. In the same week, Subaru Rally Team USA was also in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania for the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally. David Higgins and Craig Drew were fighting a history of bad luck at this event, but the #75 car along with an armada of privateer Subaru teams took to the forests for round four of the 2014 Rally America Championship.
The third round of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship was held on a purpose built track outside of RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Subaru Rally Team USA drivers, Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen, began the event brimming with confidence. Nearly two years of development work on the team's Subaru WRX STI rallycross cars have begun to pay off and the team has now proven they have the speed to compete at the top. Lasek starts the weekend at the top of the timesheets, earning the #2 seed. Isachsen qualifies just .4 seconds behind. But in GRC, you never know whats going to happen in the final rounds... On the same weekend in Europe, the STI team from Japan is tackling a different challenge -- the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race in Germany. Coined the "Green Hell", the 15-mile ribbon of tarmac through the Eifel Forest has seen some of the most grueling racing known to man. Over 200 cars will take the start, and only half are expected to finish. The STI team prepares all year for this challenge, and has brought the 2015 WRX STI here to win.
This is where fate is decided -- 6,288 feet above sea level. Home of the world's worst weather. And one of the nation's oldest motor sport events. New Hampshire, and the legendary Mount Washington Auto Road where 7.4 miles of narrow, death-defying tarmac and dirt cling to the mountain's slopes. For over 100 years, the Climb to the Clouds race has seen heroes attempt to shatter old records. Today's benchmark to beat is 6 minutes 11 seconds... With an all-star cast of past and current record holders ready to push the bar one more time, including Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Travis Pastrana, the seventy-car field is primed. Will a new record be set, or will the field fall short?
Summer is in full swing in the forests of New England, and this weekend the border country between New Hampshire and Maine is filled with rally cars. David Higgins and Craig Drew of Subaru Rally Team USA are on a mission. A fourth consecutive Rally-America Championship title is within their grasp. They will have to negotiate a mix of twisty and tight forest roads filled with car-breaking rocks. But first, they’ll have to beat their teammates, Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis. On the same weekend, the Global Rallycross series is gearing up in New York at Nassau Colloseum on Long Island. Subaru’s Sverre Isachsen is having an outstanding weekend. Heat wins and unbeatable launches set him up on the front row for the finals. Can this be the team’s first real chance at a win?
The team at Vermont SportsCar works flat out at the shop to prepare the rally and rallycross cars in Vermont before leaving for GRC Charlotte. Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen start the event off with heat wins, but can they convert that to a podium finish? It is hard to believe that, ten races in, Subaru Rally Team USA is only at the halfway point of their long season. The 2014 Rally America Championship and Red Bull Global Rallycross series combine to make a grueling and hectic year. Perspective can get lost amidst the chaos. Team owner, Lance Smith is responsible for maintaining that perspective. With the Rally America Championship clinched for another year, and podium finishes becoming more frequent in Rallycross, Lance must now shift his team’s year-long goals to the next phase.
Subaru Rally Team USA heads north to compete in the FIA World Rallycross of Canada to measure their progress against an international benchmark. In a new race format, amongst veteran rallycross teams, Subaru Rally Team USA found proof of their performance. Then, Launch Control travels with Sverre Isachsen to his hometown in Norway as he takes advantage of his limited time at home to take care of some business and retreat to the mountains.
The mid-season reprieve is over, and it’s all hands on deck at Subaru Rally Team USA with a two car rally team in Minnesota for the Ojibwe Forest Rally, and two cars in Daytona for Red Bull Global Rallycross. It’s a weekend of highs and lows, but the team pulls together across the States to bring Subaru a double header result.
Subaru Rally Team USA fights through a challenging Red Bull Global Rallycross double-header weekend in Los Angeles with team drivers Sverre Isachsen, Bucky Lasek and guest driver Travis Pastrana. After a long, hard weekend, and a promising result in their back pocket, the team drives north to Dirtfish Rally School near Seattle, Washington for their third rallycross event in two weekends. They are joined by David Higgins, and one turn into the Final, things are looking up for the team...
In Part Two of the season finale, Subaru Rally Team USA watches as Sverre Isachsen battles to the finish line against Joni Wiman - can he hold on for the team’s first Global Rallycross win? Then, in Las Vegas, Bucky Lasek, adds an exclamation mark to the season by coming back from a big crash in the Finals. It’s been a long journey and a tough season, but the progress and success is undeniable. Throw the old road map out the window, because Subaru Rally Team USA is heading into new territory.
After two years of development, Subaru Rally Team USA puts everything they’ve learned into the new 2015 WRX STI platform for the 2015 Rally America and Red Bull Global Rallycross seasons. David Higgins and Craig Drew debut the car in competition for the first time at the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan.
Subaru Rally Team USA rolls into Missouri for Round 2 of the Rally America championship, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, only to find the fast gravel stages turning into another snow event. The teams are watching the weather, and the approaching storm has everyone on edge. Higgins and Drew balance on the fine line between speed and control. In Norway, Sverre Isachsen is enjoying the last weeks of his winter break, before departing for Florida and the first Global Rallycross team test.
After a successful start to the rally season, the pace increases for Subaru Rally Team USA as the team’s focus splits. Refinement of the rally car will take another step forward at the Oregon Trail Rally, while the all-new 2015 Global Rallycross STI is about to receive it’s first shakedown test in Florida.
Subarus are in action on different sides of the world in this episode, as the Subaru Tecnica International team returns to the Nurburgring 24 Hours for redemption after coming up short of a win in 2014. In Shelton, Washington, Subaru Rally Team USA tackles the northwest’s iconic gravel rally stages at the Olympus Rally. Can Subaru bring home the double header wins?
Travis Pastrana takes a break from his Nitro Circus Tour to join Subaru Rally Team USA for one final test before the Red Bull Global Rallycross season opener. Three extended tests, spanning weeks, have consumed this team. Building a winning car requires pushing every component to the edge – and beyond. Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isacshen will lead the charge. Travis Pastrana will pilot a third car at select events. The all-new rallycross machines are a technical leap forward, and involve major system changes. While quietly confident, no one is short of nerves. Thinking outside of the box has its risks, and a whole new learning curve. There are so many unknowns...so much to prove. And the pressure is on to come out of the gates swinging when the cars take the start line... in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Being the best takes almost as much skill with a wrench as it does with a pair of driving gloves. Subaru Rally Team USA is faced with the enormous task of rebuilding the Global Rallycross cars before X Games Austin. In just four days, the team has new parts and three cars – including Travis Pastrana's – ready to race. With fifteen cars competing for just six spots in the finals, this event is even more cutthroat than normal. Meanwhile, on the same weekend in Pennsylvania, David Higgins and Craig Drew are aiming to continue their unbeaten record at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, round 5 of the Rally America championship. But massive trees and no room for error mean this rally can punish any mistakes.
It’s a perfect season in the making for David Higgins, Craig Drew, and Subaru Rally Team USA, but here at the 2015 New England Forest Rally, the stiffest competition of the season is looking to put an end to their winning streak. The return of familiar faces has elevated the game. Ken Block and an international powerhouse has brought new machinery to the fight. Teammates, Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis have something to prove. Plus, all the season-long contenders are aiming for the podium...and an outright victory. This weekend, championship points and titles take a back seat. Winning this event, against these rivals, is all that matters.
Billed as the biggest showdown of the year, Subaru Rally Team USA has a big challenge on their hands at the New England Forest Rally in Maine. Day Two brings dark clouds, slippery conditions, and a tenuous lead to preserve. Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis return to action today, but down in fifteenth place, they have a mountain to climb. It’s all or nothing on the final day of the rally, for outright victory and a climb back to the podium.
Ojibwe Forest Rally, the penultimate round of the 2015 Rally America championship. Subaru’s David Higgins and Craig Drew have already locked up the title, but their approach never wavers – they are here to win. Teammates Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis are determined to make them work for it. They’ve been working hard behind-the-scenes since their podium finish in New England, and plan to push. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, Bucky Lasek, Sverre Isachsen, and the Global Rallycross team are testing for the upcoming event in Los Angeles with all-new STI liveries.
Subaru Rally Team USA returns to Red Bull Global Rallycross action with four cars in Los Angeles. The Subaru Tecnica International-sponsored event is packed with fans, and there’s no better place for the team to show they’ve turned the corner on a difficult season.
With a promising start, Subaru Rally Team USA puts three cars into the finals on Day 1 of the Red Bull Global Rallycross double-header in Los Angeles. Day 2 dawns with another strong qualifying performance, but on- track battles leave the fan favorite, Travis Pastrana, nursing a damaged car back to the pits. The team rallies around him, fixing the car with just minutes to spare so he can carry the torch for the team into the Finals.
With seven victories in hand, the Lake Superior Performance Rally is all that stands between Subaru Rally Team USA and a perfect season. Perfection is unrelenting. An internal desire. An unobtainable goal. But here they stand… Subaru Rally Team USA began this season with a new chassis and a fresh sheet. Eight Rally America events on the calendar; eight opportunities to prove themselves. Sno*Drift brought a maiden victory for the new car, and one-by-one wins accumulated. Some victories, dominant. Others, a hard fought battle. Some nearly didn’t happen at all. But while the path taken might have been different, they all led to the top step of the podium for David Higgins and Craig Drew. Now, the Lake Superior Performance Rally is all that remains. A rare opportunity hangs in the balance: the chance to complete a perfect season.
Bucky Lasek takes a trip of a lifetime to Japan, and discovers the heart of Subaru Tecnica International. The trip culminates at Subaru’s top-secret proving ground, with Lasek getting behind the wheel of the race-winning 24 Hours of Nurburgring car.
Twenty years after their first WRC title with Colin McRae, Subaru returns to the Welsh forests with David Higgins and Craig Drew in a Group N WRX STI wrapped in a throwback tribute livery. Subaru’s rally spirit has remained alive in different corners of the World since that first big win with Colin in 1995. It was the spark that made rally so popular not only for Subaru but across the world for the sport.
Subaru Launch Control returns for Season Three on May 20th, 2015. Every two weeks, the award-winning documentary series takes you behind-the-scenes with Subaru Rally Team USA as they compete for the Rally America and Red Bull Global Rallycross championships.
Greatness is the work of many hands. Steely determination, focused on the future. Every year the bar is raised, and Subaru Rally Team USA digs deep to meet the challenge. Logging long hours to shave mere seconds, chasing speed with patience. At the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Travis Pastrana faces teammate David Higgins in equal machinery for the first time. It's just another day at the office. This is Launch Control, Season 4.
Travis Pastrana and Christian Edstrom hold a slim lead going into Day 2 of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Their teammates, David Higgins and Craig Drew, are relishing the role of the hunter. Trailing by just seven seconds, with seventy miles of competition remaining…the rally win is still up for grabs. Who will fire the opening salvo in the Battle of the Teammates? Meanwhile, closer to home, the Red Bull Global Rallycross team undergoes an initial shakedown of the new car. The concepts and improvements on paper must now be proven on the track.
Subaru Rally Team USA returns to the stages at Oregon Trail Rally to resume the head to head teammate battle. After Travis Pastrana’s first bout win, David Higgins is looking for redemption, but Pastrana continues to surprise with his speed. Trading tenths and hundredths over three days and 18 stages, it’s another nailbiting finish on the final day.
Domination is rare in motorsport. In America, Subaru has set the mark on the rally stages for years. In Germany, Subaru Tecnica International have become the team to beat at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. This year, they’re planning for a repeat. Higgins and Drew take to the Olympus Rally stages, and STI embarks on another round-the-clock challenge. The pressure is building, and expectations are high.
It’s a busy two weeks of intercontinental competition for Subaru motorsport programs. First, David Higgins and Travis Pastrana renew their head-to-head battle at the STPR Rally in Pennsylvania. Then, Higgins and Drew fly overseas to join Subaru Rally Team China at Dengfeng Rally, where they fill in for Mark Higgins, who is on the Isle of Man attempting to break his TT lap record.
Subaru Rally Team USA returns to Red Bull Global Rallycross for the first time this season at MCAS New River, North Carolina. Over an extended off-season, the team has done its homework. They’ve chased speed with patience. They’ve tested with analytical determination. Now it’s time to take the next step in the development journey, door-to-door against the competition. As thunderstorms loom overhead, Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen head into battle.
It’s a return to rally action for Subaru at the New England Forest Rally. Bucky Lasek makes his gravel debut alongside perennial champions, David Higgins and Craig Drew. Both teams have a podium finish on their mind, but only one will achieve it this weekend.
It’s all systems go as Subaru Rally Team USA campaigns five cars, in two events, on the same weekend. World rally star, Chris Atkinson joins Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen in Atlantic City to form a three-car Global Rallycross entry. On the same weekend, in Minnesota, David Higgins and Travis Pastrana go head to head at the Ojibwe Forest Rally. All hands on deck, and expectations are high.
Subaru Rally Team USA lines up all five team cars for competition across the country. All three rallycross cars are in the finals in Atlantic City, and David Higgins and Travis Pastrana return to service at the Ojibwe Forest Rally in Minnesota – one with a championship on the line, and the other looking to just continue. It’s all systems go for Subaru’s motorsport efforts, and anticipation is high.
Subaru Rally Team USA returns to Red Bull Global Rallycross action in Seattle with Chris Atkinson, and Dirtfish-sponsored David Higgins behind the wheel. The rally drivers are right at home in the slippery and muddy conditions. Through fire, rain, mud, and contact, the team takes another step forward in their quest.
In Los Angeles, at the final round of the Red Bull Global Rallycross season, Subaru Rally Team USA’s development year is coming to a close. Now, it’s time to face the final exam before moving on to the 2017 championship. Chris Atkinson is joined by David Higgins and Toshi Arai for the double header weekend, and the team is looking for continued evidence of their progress.
Solid performances by Subaru Rally Team USA showed promise on the first day of Red Bull Global Rallycross Los Angeles. But with only one day remaining, time is running out to put a stamp on this year’s progress. Chris Atkinson gives the team a boost in qualifying, proving they are on the right path for 2017.
With the rallycross season complete, Subaru Rally Team USA heads to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Lake Superior Performance Rally, the final round of the Rally America championship. With the championship already locked up, bragging rights are still on the line between Travis Pastrana and David Higgins. This event still matters, and neither driver wants to let the other one have it.
The championship seasons are complete for Subaru Rally Team USA, but Travis Pastrana and Robbie Durant take advantage of one more rally in Canada to improve their pacenotes. Meanwhile, the rallycross team is charging ahead with new cars, and a new driver behind the wheel. Find out who it will be in the Season Four finale of Launch Control.
Subaru’s award-winning Launch Control series returns for its fifth season. In Sweden, Patrik Sandell prepares to join the team, while David Higgins and Travis Pastrana start the rally championship with a head-to-head battle north of the border in Canada. Meanwhile, the rallycross program races full steam towards a new season with new cars and new drivers.
Travis Pastrana and David Higgins go head-to-head again at the Oregon Trail Rally, where the battle between Subaru Rally Team USA teammates is closer than ever. Meanwhile in Phoenix, Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell are deep into the last test week before the Global Rallycross race season starts.
Subaru Rally Team USA drivers, Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell are excited to take their rallycross STI’s to the start line at the season-opening Global Rallycross event in Memphis, Tennessee. Head-to-head against the competition, the team will learn more about their brand-new rallycross machines in one race weekend than all the pre-season testing combined. After a long off-season, the team is confident. Race day has finally arrived.
Tied with one rally win each, can Travis Pastrana and Robbie Durant keep their winning momentum, or will David Higgins and Craig Drew re-assert their dominance? With their GRC teammate, Patrik Sandell, looking on, both teams are gunning to take the championship lead at round three, the Olympus Rally in Washington State.
Subaru Rally Team USA is out in full force, with the rally teams in Pennsylvania for the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, and the rallycross team gearing up for their home event at Thompson Speedway, Connecticut. Travis Pastrana and David Higgins renew their fight with surprise results, while Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell aim for the podium at Global Rallycross.
The Global Rallycross series makes its first visit to Canada, as teams roll into Ottawa, Ontario for a double-header weekend. Subaru Rally Team USA is intent on backing up their podium finish with more top results and start playing the strategy game. Rallycross can be a bruising affair, but Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell are in the podium fight and won’t let a little bumping get in their way.
Travis Pastrana and David Higgins strap into the fastest cars ever made by Subaru Rally Team USA for the legendary Climb to the Clouds hillclimb event at Mount Washington Auto Road. With over six hundred horsepower and no co-drivers, the drivers are on the limit. One car will go faster than ever before, one won’t make it to the finish.
With just two events remaining, Travis Pastrana has to beat David Higgins at the New England Forest Rally to keep his rally championship hopes alive. An injury to Pastrana’s co-driver on Day 1 seems to hand Higgins the win, but the rally holds another surprise that could change the outcome again.
With one podium under their belt, Subaru Rally Team USA wants to claim the 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross season as their turnaround year. For that to happen, they need another standout result in Atlantic City at the halfway point of the season. But before the on-track action begins, Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson get a chance to drive two iconic cars from Subaru of America’s 50 year history.
For the past eight months, David Higgins and Travis Pastrana have battled back and forth for the American Rally Association championship title. With only the Ojibwe Forests Rally remaining, it’s a must-win showdown. And in rally, nothing is certain until the final finish line. No team orders, no holding back. It’s time to crown a champion.
Subaru channels the support of their Subaru Country fans in Seattle, Washington, as they build on this season’s momentum to make a serious run at the Seattle podium, not once… but twice.
With three podiums in the previous four events, Subaru Rally Team USA looks to the final Global Rallycross event of 2017 to finish their breakthrough season on a high. With David Higgins and Travis Pastrana’s epic rally battle, and a string of top finishes for Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson, this is where 2017 is put to bed, and the focus shifts to 2018. But not before one last run at the podium in Los Angeles.
In motorsport, evolution is the core challenge. Those who adapt, find success. Those who hesitate, fall behind. And this team hasn’t hesitated for a single moment. Subaru Rally Team USA kicks off the 2018 American Rally Association championship at the Oregon Trail Rally with David Higgins looking to regain the title facing new challengers from within the team. This weekend, it’s WRC veteran, Chris Atkinson. Back in Vermont, the hard work during the off season has set the rallycross team up for success. This is the season six premiere of Launch Control.
David Higgins and Patrik Sandell go toe-to-toe at the Olympus Rally, round two of the 2018 American Rally Association championship. It’s the first event in a hectic three week schedule of competition that takes the team across two continents with the debut of the America’s Rallycross series in England. It’s a symphony of logistics that the Subaru Rally Team USA staff will have to conduct perfectly.
Subaru Rally Team USA heads to Silverstone, England, where the newly formed America’s Rallycross championship takes center stage for the first time. With new cars and a new series, the team puts everything it has learned on the line with Patrik Sandell, Chris Atkinson, and David Higgins at the wheels.
David Higgins and Craig Drew face off on the rally stages against Chris Atkinson and Stéphan Prévot for the second time this season. The fast, technical stages of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally are challenging, and Subaru Rally Team USA is not alone at the top of the leaderboard this weekend. They’ll have to pick their moment to attack for their shot at the win.
Travis Pastrana joins Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson back on Subaru Rally Team USA’s home soil for round 2 of the Americas Rallycross season. To get all three cars into the Finals, the team’s strategy is put to the test on the new Circuit of the Americas track.
For the first time since winning the championship, Travis Pastrana returns to rallying for another matchup against teammate, David Higgins, at the New England Forest Rally. This event hasn’t been kind to Higgins in the past, but he’s carrying a healthy championship lead in 2018, and plans to defend his turf against a strong entry list, including Pastrana, Ken Block, and Barry McKenna.
Formula One Champion and Canadian hero, Jacques Villeneuve, joins Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson in Trois-Rivières, Quebec as Subaru Rally Team USA enters round three of the America’s Rallycross series.
Travis Pastrana returns to the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota, the scene of his championship win a year ago. David Higgins is out for redemption, but needs to keep his title chase in mind. The rally goes according to plan for one team, but the other is caught out early.
David Higgins and Patrik Sandell compete on new stages at the Idaho Rally. With Higgins on the verge of another championship, Sandell aims to take the event win. The Subaru fans are out in force to support the team, and then take Sandell on an overlanding adventure into the Utah desert.
Nitro Rallycross is an arcade game come to life, featuring banked turns, multiple lines, and a 100-foot gap jump built from the brain of Travis Pastrana. Subaru Rally Team USA faces off against the best teams in the World for the biggest evolution of rally in a decade.
Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson are joined by multi-time rallycross champion, Toomas ‘Topi” Heikkinen at Subaru Rally Team USA for the final round of the 2018 America’s Rallycross championship in Austin, Texas.
With David Higgins and Craig Drew already crowned American Rally champions, the Tour de Forest Rally in Olympia, Washington is the final showdown between teammates. Fresh off his third-place overall finish in rallycross, Patrik Sandell is hoping for a third straight rally win. It’s a level playing field and rally without limits. Both teams will leave everything on the stages. This is the season six finale of Launch Control.
It's the dawn of the 2019 season at the 100 Acre Wood Rally. Subaru Motorsports USA returns in the iconic blue and gold with a new driver lineup. The Solberg name is synonymous with Subaru rallying, but this is the next generation facing off against the defending champion, David Higgins.
Anticipation builds for Day 2 of the 100 Acre Wood Rally, and a surprise addition to the rallycross team brings a wealth of experience.
Higgins and Solberg face off again at the Olympus Rally in Washington, and the rallycross team conducts its final test before the season starts.
After years of trying to reach the podium, Subaru hopes their new rallycross car will carry them to top step at Mid-Ohio. But the weekend won't be without it's challenges.
Travis Pastrana returns to rallying at the Dirtfish Oregon Trail Rally. The high heat turns a straight battle into an extreme undertaking, and both Subarus fight to stay in contention.
Higgins and Solberg resume their championship battle at the Idaho Rally, while Scott Speed takes a crack at pacenotes with Travis Pastrana and Robbie Durant.
After a big first win in ARX Rallycross, Subaru is no longer the underdogs. The team faces a double-header weekend in Illinois, with three drivers eager to claim the top step.
Subaru Motorsports USA returns to their home event, the 2019 New England Forest Rally. Higgins wants to cement a championship lead, but Solberg still has more to prove. Petter and Oliver then share the stage at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Americas Rallycross heads north to Canada, where Subaru aims to continue their winning streak. The technicians and team have to rise to the challenge just to keep all three cars in the fight.
Travis Pastrana joins his Subaru teammates for Nitro Rallycross, but Scott Speed suffers a season-ending injury. In nearby Nevada, the Crosstrek Desert Racer tackles Vegas to Reno, the longest off-road race in America.
David Higgins faces off against Travis Pastrana at the Ojibwe Forests Rally, and renews his battle with Oliver Solberg at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally a month later. With a championship on the line, the two drivers face different missions.
With Scott Speed's injury putting him out for the season, the Subaru team must focus on getting Sandell and Atkinson their chance at the driver title. The Austin, Texas round of Americas Rallycross is a make or break weekend.
Subaru Motorsports USA lines up for the final two events of the year. Higgins and Solberg face off in Michigan one more time, while all four rallycross drivers are out for the win at Mid-Ohio. Part 1 of the Season Finale.
The last race day of 2019 for Subaru Motorsports USA. In rally, it’s the final leg of a unique story with uncertain futures. In rallycross, it’s the last chance to assert dominance. Part 2 of the Season Finale.
Picking up where the season left off, Subaru motorsports USA Celebrates a double championship season, But face is an uncertain future as the world his pause. Brandon Semenuk joins Travis Pastrana as the rally season resumes, while Scott Speed returns to his rallycross car after a long recovery from a broken back. https://youtu.be/r1rBk1UFYJg
After months of uncertainty, Subaru Motorsports USA takes to the rally stage fir the first time in 2020 at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. The team digs deep to save Travis Pastrana’s season after the car is destroyed, and new team mate Brandon Semenuk has to carry the torch to the finish. Meanwhile, Scott Speed joins the team for development testing. https://youtu.be/iWBMw5bFgjw
As the abbreviated season reaches its midpoint in Minnesota at the Ojibwe Forests Rally, Travis Pastrana is flat out to get his rally championship back on track. Brandon Semenuk once again impresses the team with his consistency and speed.
Subaru Motorsports USA is in a must-win situation at the Show-Me Rally in Missouri to keep their championship alive. Travis Pastrana looks for a second consecutive win to stay in the title fight, while teammate Brandon Semenuk turns up the pace in his third event with the team. But rally is a team sport, and this time the service crew steps up to save the day.
Subaru Motorsports USA heads to the Pacific Northwest for the final rally of the season, with Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk both aiming to end the year on a high note. Rally often involves battling the elements as much as the competition, and the rain-saturated roads throw up one more challenge to overcome.
Go under the skin of Travis Pastrana’s Gymkhana STI as he takes over Annapolis, Maryland for Gymkhana 2020. This is the behind-the-scenes story of the 862-horsepower WRX STI, a year of intense planning, development and testing, and the team that made it all possible. Part 1 of 2.
With a challenging first day in the books, Travis Pastrana and the Subaru team must bounce back fast on the Gymkhana set to execute some of the video’s signature stunts. Plus, a behind-the-curtain look at the advanced aerodynamics and testing that made the Gymkhana STI fly. Part 2 of 2.
Subaru Motorsports USA opens the 2021 rally season against tough competition at Sno*Drift Rally. The ice and snow-covered roads around Atlanta, Michigan give Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk their first look at the tight championship battle to come.
Subaru Motorsports USA faces old rivals and a new level of competition at Missouri’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk try to solidify the start to their rally championship with a second straight win, but are up against new challenges with the return of 7-time event winner Ken Block and the debut of a ruleset-pushing World Rally Car from defending champion Barry McKenna.
Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk head to Washington State for the Olympus Rally, where they face renewed competition from perennial rival, Ken Block. Pastrana eyes a third straight victory, but Semenuk knows this is his event to win. Meanwhile, after nearly two years since their last head-to-head competition, Scott Speed and the rallycross team put the finishing touches on testing before the Nitro Rallycross season begins.
Travis Pastrana straps into the Airslayer STI, his 862-horsepower monster from Gymkhana 2020, to attempt a Mount Washington Hillclimb record that will stand the test of time. But first, the team heads to the UK to give the Airslayer its first taste of world-class competition at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb Shootout.
Coming off a loss at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally, Subaru Motorsports USA is focused on maximizing their championship points at New England Forest Rally. But a familiar face returns to the championship to throw a wrench in the works. Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk face-off against McKenna, Higgins, and Block for a shootout in the mountains of Maine, and they've all got a point to prove.
Rallycross returns to America for the first round of the new high-flying Nitro Rallycross championship in Utah. It's been two years since Scott Speed left this track in an ambulance with a broken back. Speed and teammates Travis Pastrana and Andreas Bakkerud return to action to see where the Subarus stack up against the toughest competitors in the world.
After the highs and lows of the opening round, Subaru Motorsports USA moves with the Nitro Rallycross series to ERX Minnesota. On the all-dirt track, Travis Pastrana, Scott Speed and Andreas Bakkerud have their eyes firmly on the podium to climb Subaru Motorsports USA back into the championship battle. Knowing the rulebook inside and out is part of being a good racer, and the team makes a bold strategy decision in the heat of battle.
Travis Pastrana faces off against his long-time rival Ken Block at Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota. With McKenna's championship hopes fading due to schedule changes, Pastrana has a chance to lock down the American Rally Association championship with a victory. Meanwhile, Semenuk needs a win to stay in the title fight - but hits trouble early in the weekend
The Nitro Rallycross season reaches its mid-point in Phoenix, and the battle lines are drawn. It's Subaru versus the Hansens, but Travis Pastrana has some catch-up to do if he wants a shot at the title. Full of jumps and banked corners, the Arizona track suits Pastrana's style but he needs to execute the plan to perfection to capture his first rallycross win in nearly a decade.
After a double-podium weekend, Subaru and the Nitro Rallycross series moves to Glen Helen Raceway near Los Angeles for the penultimate round. With Hansen still in the championship lead, Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed need a big result to stay in the fight, and Bakkerud returns to help seal the deal.
The Nitro Rallycross season boils down to the final event in Florida, and Subaru is on the cusp of achieving a decade-long goal. Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed both know what’s at stake. This race matters. Only one can emerge the champion, and first they have to fend off the best in the world. While everything is to be determined in this moment, it represents the summit of a mountain that took years to climb. Each step, a chapter in that journey. Every evolution, a building block. This is everything it takes to win. This is everything that gets in the way of victory. This is the Season 9 finale of Subaru Launch Control.
Subaru Motorsports USA’s 2022 rally season hits full stride at the Olympus Rally in Washington. Brandon Semenuk is riding a wave of momentum, while Travis Pastrana is on the road back from injury and defending his 2021 championship against rival Ken Block. With all three drivers facing off in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, Olympus is the first opportunity to see who’s on the championship pace. Subaru Launch Control returns with the first volume of the Rally Rundown event recap series.
Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk go head to head against their rival, Ken Block, at one of the fastest rallies in the championship - Oregon Trail Rally. The flat out stages put bravery and pacenotes to the test, while the technicians have their work cut out swapping from tarmac to gravel spec at the services. Can Semenuk keep his winning streak alive, or has Pastrana found his championship form?
As the American Rally championship approaches the mid-season at Southern Ohio Forest Rally, Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk are fighting for every championship point available. Teams are flat out on the fast mix of tarmac and gravel stages, and the powerstage plays a deciding role in shaking up the championship points.
Travis Pastrana, Brandon Semenuk and Ken Block leave everything on the line in the forests of New England, leading to one of the closest rally finishes in recent memory. The team pulls off a big thrash in service to keep both Subaru Motorsports USA cars in the fight, and then it all boils down to the final stage of the rally.
Travis Pastrana debuts the latest Gymkhana car at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. In front of a massive gathering of automotive enthusiasts, Travis tackles the Hillclimb Shootout in the 862hp modified 1983 Subaru GL Wagon dubbed the 'Family Huckster'. Up against highly-specialized vehicles, Travis lays down some impressive times. But on the rally stage, things don’t go as planned.
Subaru Motorsports USA starts the second half of the season with both cars at the top of the championship tables. But with three events remaining, and three drop scores allowed, it’s still anyone’s title. Searching for his first win of the year, Travis Pastrana knows he has to win here at Ojibwe Forests Rally, his favourite event. Gaining confidence as his results pile up, Brandon Semenuk aims to keep hold of his points lead. However, things don’t always go as planned in rally, and the scoreboard changes dramatically on Day 2.
With just two events remaining, the ARA championship fight is going down to the wire at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally near Wellsboro, PA. Brandon Semenuk leads Ken Block by a slim margin, while Travis Pastrana can still play a major role in determining who wins the title. But when one car slides off the road early in the rally, the mechanics have to put in an all-night effort to get the battered Subaru back in action to keep championship hopes alive.
It's the final rally event of the season at the Lake Superior Pro Rally in Michigan. Brandon Semenuk and Ken Block face-off for a winner-take-all showdown for the American Rally Association championship title, with Travis Pastrana hoping to chalk up his first win of the season. With the snow falling just as fast as the leaves, the roads are treacherous and slippery. Driving flat out comes with huge risks, and not every team will make it to the finish.
Subaru Motorsports USA sets out to develop their first new clean-sheet rally car in over 8 years. In this 6-part series, Next Stage takes you behind closed doors as Vermont SportsCar and Subaru of America Inc. put everything they've learned into the new WRX rally car. Join the team for a journey spanning more than a year, from initial design meetings all the way through testing and debut competition. The team must navigate an evolving rally rulebook, changing competitors, supply chain issues, and the technical challenges of developing a new car from scratch. Reigning ARA Champion, Brandon Semenuk, also steps into a new role, shouldering the responsibility as development driver. It's an all-consuming task and everyone's focus is on one result - to continue the legacy of rally-winning Subarus.
Just as fabrication begins on the new WRX rally car chassis, Brandon Semenuk's 2022 car suffers extensive damage at the STPR Rally. The team must press pause on fabrication progress while all efforts are focused on getting Semenuk's car rebuilt in time for the nail-biting 2022 ARA championship finale.
Subaru Motorsports USA and Brandon Semenuk begin the 2023 season at Sno*Drift Rally, while the team back at Vermont SportsCar is racing to get the new WRX completed. Despite supply chain and regulatory uncertainty, fabrication is completed. After a final dry build check, the new car emerges from the paint shop ready for the final details to fall into place. Excitement builds as the WRX is ready to fire up and head out for its first shakedown.
The new WRX rally car hits the ground running as Subaru Motorsports USA shifts into the testing phase of development. After a short tarmac shakedown, the team heads to Ohio for the car's first taste of gravel, and Brandon Semenuk's initial look at the car. With a new car built from the ground up, the team inevitably runs into its first mechanical failure and has to find a solution hundreds of miles away from the Vermont SportsCar shop.
Brandon Semenuk and the Subaru Motorsports USA team get down to business, with multiple rally tests in different locations to fine tune the new WRX rally car. From the technical and jump filled roads of Quebec to the fast and flowing Kentucky gravel, the team puts extensive miles on the car to develop the setup and pinpoint any lurking weaknesses. As its competition debut approaches, the iconic blue and yellow livery is applied and the WRX is revealed to the public for the first time at Boxerfest.
After an intense 18 months of design, build, and testing, the brand new 2023 Subaru WRX rally car makes its competition debut at the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota. With Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams already crowned as ARA Champions for the second time, the Subaru Motorsports USA team is focused on proving the new car under the harsh conditions of competition.
With the championship locked up, Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams aim to make it a perfect season at the 2023 Lake Superior Performance Rally. With the new rally car still in development, the muddy conditions in Michigan pose a new challenge for the team as they try to dial in the setup.