Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew took their second straight win of the 2015 Rally America Championship season driving their 2015 Subaru WRX STI to victory at a snow and ice laden Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. The typically high-speed Salem, Missouri based event turned treacherous as a mix of snow and ice blanketed the gravel roads. Higgins, equipped with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive®, handled the difficult conditions in stride and led from the start, winning all but one of the event’s stages.
“These were some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever driven on,” explained Higgins at the podium. “There was a mix of everything. At a snow rally you at least know you are dealing with ice or snow, but here we also had gravel, frozen gravel, icy gravel and everything in between to go with the snow. Our 2015 Subaru WRX STI was perfect again and Craig (Drew) did a fantastic job on the notes. This was a huge challenge.”
Named after the storybook home of Winnie the Pooh, The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Representing round two of the eight round 2015 Rally America Championship, the rally typically features very high-speeds on smooth and flowing gravel roads that are a favorite of many rally drivers. Wintery conditions at this year’s event left the gravel roads covered in sheets of ice and frozen gravel, and a late rally snow storm further complicated matters, forcing the cancellation of several stages as medical crew vehicles were unable to move into location due to deteriorating road conditions.
Higgins and Drew masterfully handled the conditions and dominated the rally, by winning all but one stage. A spin on an extremely icy section of road during the second day cost the duo some time, and the stage win, but they had already accumulated a sizable gap to their pursuing rivals, going on to win by over five minutes.
For the second straight event Subaru vehicles swept the podium; a true testament to the road gripping performance of Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive® on the most demanding of road conditions.
“We concentrated really hard on the recce (pre-race Reconnaissance) to note the slippery spots,” said co-driver Craig Drew. “I’ve never seen anything like this before, it was so slippery in places. We built a good lead on Friday and were able to take it easy on the final day that was the plan. I’m really looking forward to a dry gravel rally now!”
The2015 Rally America Championship continues with the scenic Oregon Trail Rally on April 24-26th.
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About Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Method Race Wheels, Royal Purple, DMACK Tires, RECARO, PIAA and Race Proven. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/rally