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Vaughn Gittin Jr HPI RC Drift Car Giveaway

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:31:06 MDT

Get in on this one ASAP.

2012 Tokyo Auto Salon

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:32:47 MDT

Our friends at GTChannel got some great footage from this year's Tokyo Auto Salon featuring the newest trends in the JDM world...

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2012 Acura NSX Big Game Ad

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:03:27 MDT

Jerry Seinfeld ❤ Acura.

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David Higgins Wins Slippery Sno*Drift Rally

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:13:12 MDT

January 29, 2012 (Lewiston, MI) -- Ice-covered roads were the story at the 38th annual running of the Sno*Drift Rally, the kick-off event to the 2012 Rally America National Championship, but it was Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew who managed the extreme conditions to take the overall win. Higgins and Drew are the reigning 2011 national champions, and they took the first step towards defending their title in the six-round 2012 Rally America National Championship by winning 15 out of 24 stages.

"This is a good win," said Higgins, "The conditions were the most treacherous I have ever seen."

Higgins finished the event 1:49.9 ahead of Rockstar Energy Drink's Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard. The Rockstar team never held the lead but they made considerable time on Higgins on the first leg of day 2 and looked like they would get closer to challenging the Subaru driver.

"We chose to use snow tires at the start of the day," said L'Estage, "versus Higgins' ice tires. We just gambled right and were making up good time until after the first service."

Last year, Sno*Drift winners Travis and Terry Hanson made rally history by becoming the first Super Production (SP) team to win an overall event. This year the son and father duo took third overall for a consecutive Sno*Drift podium and secured the SP Class win in dominant fashion. The finish was all but miraculous as the team didn't expect to complete the event due to engine problems before the second day began. Due to the sound of their engine, itappeared it could break at anytime. The team fought through the mechanical issues, however, and managed a highly respectable podium spot while continuing to prove the competiveness of the Super Production Class as a viable contender to the more powerful Open Class cars.

The SP battle for second and third place was fairly close considering that the icy Sno*Drift conditions spread the field to greater-than-usual lengths. Lauchlin O'Sullivan and Scott Putnam, piloting an unfamiliar Mitsubishi EVO, held a 45.8 second advantage over newcomer driver David Sterckx and co-driver Karen Jankowski.

The Sno*Drift Rally is David Sterckx's first Rally America National Championship event. Sterckx is a former 2001 Belgium Rally Group N DR2 Champ and has been preparing for his first national event since last year.

In the 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) Class, Chris Duplessis and Karl Atkinson once again topped the 2WD field in their 2011 Ford Fiesta R2 winning all the stages in class and consistently placed within the top 10 overall. His performance netted him the Sno*Attack title, a championship for 2WD cars run in conjunction with the Sno*Drift Rally.

Even though they didn't win, it was the inspired drive of Andrew Comrie-Picard with Jeremy Wimpey in a 2011 Scion xD that caused plenty of buzz among the crowd. Comrie-Picard quickly adapted to the new car, having been down as far as 5th in class early in the event to place 2nd in 2WD, narrowly beating Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner in their 2011 Ford Fiesta by 21 seconds.

A record breaking 65 teams started the Sno*Drift Rally with a slew of new competitors making a big splash. Notably, Canadian Rally Championship regulars Leonid Urlichich and Carl Williamson entered Sno*Drift for their first U.S. event and instantly challenged Travis and Terry Hanson for third place overall, trading times throughout the event. At one point, Hanson passed Urlichich on stage only to give up the spot deep into Day 2. Urlichich did finish third overall in the standings, but the car failed post rally inspection and was penalized three positions to finish sixth overall.

Urlichich protested the Steward's decision and the Sno*Drift overall results will remain provisional pending the outcome of the protest.

Erik Zenz and Dave Parps successfully swept the top spot at the Sno*Regional and Drift Regional Rallies in their 1988 Mazda 323.

The Sno*Drift Rally was streamed online for the first time in event history. The video stream brought snowy-stage rally action, driver interviews and analysis by Rally America host, Matthew Johnson. Camera crews used night vision technologies to give fans a never-before-seen glimpse of the late evening stages. 41 countries tuned in to view the broadcast on http://www.rally-america.com.

Next in the 2012 Rally America National Championship is the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood on February 24-25th in Salem, MO.

Full Sno*Drift Rally results: http://www.rally-america.com/events/2012/SNODRIFT/results/

The 2012 Rally America National Championship is proudly supported by VP Racing Fuels - the Official Fuel of Rally America, Exedy Racing Clutches, Hawk Performance Brakes, ParkNBlend and RECARO seats.

About Rally America:
Based in Williston, VT, Rally America, Inc. sanctions the premier performance Rally series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2012, Rally America will be conducting six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Seattle, Washington to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds of well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow. More information about the Rally America National Championship Series and the sport of Rally can be found at www.rally-america.com and videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/rallyamericaseries.

Higgins To Defend Rally America Crown with SRTUSA

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:27:47 MDT

David Higgins to Defend Rally America Crown With Subaru Rally Team USA in 2012 Championship

(Jan. 18, 2012) � Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) announced today that David Higgins, the 2011 Rally America National Champion will continue as factory driver for the team in 2012 in a bid to defend his title. Higgins and SRT USA begin the 2012 Rally America National Championship at the season opener Sno*Drift Rally in northern Michigan, Jan. 27 and 28 against a stacked field of over 70 entries. Co-driver Craig Drew will once again join Higgins; the duo will pilot a Vermont SportsCar-prepared 2012 Subaru WRX STI in all six rounds of the 2012 Rally America National Championship.

X Games icon Dave Mirra, Higgins� Subaru teammate in 2011, is expected to continue to drive for Subaru but will focus on the Global RallyCross Championship, because of several conflicting dates with the Rally America Championship event calendar. An announcement about the team�s rallycross plans will be made in the near future.

Higgins joined Subaru Rally Team USA at the start of the 2011 season, and had an impressive year at the wheel of his Subaru WRX STI, earning three victories and two-second overall finishes in the six-event 2011 Rally America National Championship; as well as claiming victory and a new record at the famed Mt. Washington Hillclimb. The 2011 Rally America driver�s title was the third for Higgins in the USA having won the SCCA ProRally Championship in 2002 and 2003. Higgins also won the British Rally Championship in 2004 after winning the Group N title in the British Rally Championship in 1997, 1999, and 2002. As a testament of his passion for the sport, Higgins and his family also operate a UK-based training facility, The Forest Experience Rally School. Higgins was born on the Isle of Man but resides in Wales with his wife and two children.

�I�m excited to defend my title with Subaru as we have made some great progress in the development of our STI rally car in the off-season, and so the confidence is high right now,� explained Higgins. �The Rally America Championship is a fantastic series with a great mix of events and conditions coupled with a very high level of competition. I expect 2012 to be a big fight but we have the right car and the right team, so I�m really looking forward to it!�

�Subaru Rally Team USA is kicking off the 2012 season with aggressive goals in place while maintaining a dedicated approach towards defending our Rally America title and contending for the Global RallyCross Championship,� indicated James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. �I�m encouraged to have the 2012 Subaru WRX STI serve as our technical backdrop and renew our ongoing partnership with Vermont SportsCar. Sno*Drift [Rally] will be a great measure of our current level of preparedness against what looks to be a healthy entry list.�

About Subaru Rally Team USA

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

Formula Drift Indonesia 2011 Highlights

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:26:45 MDT

Saw this posted up on the Formula Drift site. This will keep you pumped up until April 6-7th as FD opens their 2012 season on the streets of Long Beach, CA.

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WRC 2012 Monte Carlo Rally - Mini

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:21:37 MDT

Here are some images of the Mini WRC Team from Monte Carlo. Congrats to Danni Sordo for coming in 2nd in this one. Pretty amazing considering this rallye was only the team's 7th WRC event.

WRC 2012 Monte Carlo Rally - Ford

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:41:42 MDT

Here are some images from Monte Carlo of the Ford World Rally Team featuring fan favorite Petter Solberg who joins the team this season. Unfortunately, Jari-Matti Latvala crashed out earlier in the rally but Petter sits in 3rd place after SS16 to score some points for the team.

WRC 2012 Monte Carlo Rally - Citroen

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:04:34 MDT

New year, new season, new teams. Here are some images from the Citroen Total World Rally Team at Rallye Monte Carlo this week. Mikko Hirvonen joins World Champion Sebastien Loeb and the Citroen team this year and looks to make a big impact in the Citroen DS3 WRC car.

GReddy 35RX GT-R

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:30:10 MDT

Check out this video of the GReddy GT-R. Don't call it a comeback. BAM!

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Red Bull Formula One Austin, TX Track Preview

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:49:07 MDT

Pretty sweet Red Bull spot to showcase the new Circuit of the Americas F1 track in Austin, TX. Mark down 11.18.2012 on your calendar because this race is going to kick ass.

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GReddy FR-S Drift Car

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:14:40 MDT

Here are some images of the GReddy FR-S drift car introduced at the Detroit (rock city) Auto Show this week. Ken Gushi will pilot this 600hp beast in the 2012 Formula Drift season that will be kicking off in April on the streets of Long Beach, CA. Stay tuned for more info on this car.

Classic Mazda RX7 FC3S Drift

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:25:39 MDT

I'm getting old, which means I like to reminisce at times and watch some classic footage of badass drift cars like this FC get sideways...

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Dakar 2012 Stage 1 Highlights

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:43:38 MDT

Sure, it's not the same Paris to Dakar route but the new South American course is a little different this year and growing on us. Here are the highlights from Day 1.

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Mini WRC Team Season Highlights

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:35:11 MDT

Here are the 2011 season highlights of the Prodrive Mini WRC team. We expect great things from the team in 2012.

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Ken Gushi Scion FR-S Drifting

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:11:56 MDT

Saw this posted on Speedhunters as Ken Gushi takes the newly released Scion FR-S drifting in Japan. Will this Toyota built car live up to the legacy of the 86?

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BMW M5 Drifting on the Beach

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:34:54 MDT

In preparation for the 2012 Olympic games, the sponsors of the BMW London Team athletes take this M5 to the beach to send a message...

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DiRT Showdown Trailer

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:47:33 MDT

Dirt Showdown is the follow up from Codemasters bringing the Gymkhana video game hit along with Demolition Derby and other crazy car stuff...

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Honda - Toyko Motorshow

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:41:43 MDT

Saw this great video of Honda Concept cars on the GTChannel page...

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Rally America and VP Racing Fuels Announce Multi-Year Agreement

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:43:02 MDT

VP Racing Fuels becomes the Official Fuel of the Rally America National Championship for 2012 and 2013

Williston, VT (December 6, 2011) -- Officials with Rally America, the premier sanctioning body for performance Rally competition in the United States, announced today a multi-year agreement with VP Racing Fuels of San Antonio, Texas wherein the world-renowned racing fuel manufacturer will serve as the Official Fuel of the Rally America National Championship and VP's Rally Max, VP100 and MS109E racing fuels have been designated "spec fuels" for Rally America's Open Class for 2012 and 2013.

"We're both pleased and proud to make this announcement", stated Bill Fogg Sr., Owner of Rally America, Inc., "VP Racing Fuels is recognized around the world as a leader in the manufacture and distribution of competition blended fuels. Having this top-level fuel as well as VP's technical assistance available to Rally America competitors at each of our National Championship events for the next two years is a tremendous step forward for the sport of Rally and it will provide a great amount of convenience and support for the teams as well - something we're all very excited about."

The relationship between Rally America and VP Racing Fuels began in January 2011 with VP's presence at each Rally America National event. VP recognized the viability of the Rally racing market and both organizations opened a conversation with various teams to discuss the addition of spec fuel classes at the Rally America National Championship level for the 2012 season and beyond. VP will also be providing technical assistance to teams and engine builders who compete in the Rally America National Championship.

January 27-28 Sno*Drift Rally - Atlanta, Lewiston & Hillman, MI
February 24-25 Rally of the 100 Acre Wood - Salem, MO
May 4-6 Oregon Trail Rally - Portland & Dufur, OR
June 1-2 Susquehannock Trail Rally - Wellsboro, PA
July 13-14 New England Forest Rally - Newry, ME & Errol, NH
September 22-23 Olympus Rally - Seattle, WA

"The sport of Stage Rally in North America has continued to grow and we're excited to be a part of it. We have a strong presence in Rally racing in most other parts of the world, fueling many of the teams in the IRC championship in Europe and fueling the Proton Malaysia team to wins in the FIA Asian Pacific Rally Championship this year," said Jim Kelly, VP's Corporate Director-Sales. "In 2011, we gained valuable insight consulting with US and Canadian Rally teams regarding their fuel needs and tuning and were particularly pleased to see David Higgins win the Rally America championship using VP's RallyMax racing fuel. Working with Vermont SportsCar, Antoine L'Estage and John Buffum as well as other Rally America teams has really meant a lot to us. Going forward, we're confident Rally America competitors will appreciate the increased power and torque offered not only by RallyMax, but MS109E and VP100 as well."

Both Regional and National Rally teams have the option to either pre-order VP Rally Max, MS109E or VP 100 Racing Fuel from VP's regional distributors in advance of each of the six Rally America National Championship events or purchase the same fuel from the VP Racing Fuels truck which will also be at all National Championship events. The advantage of Rally teams ordering the fuel in advance is that it will be delivered to the event for them.