Nerves and anticipation ran high this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) as BFGoodrich® Tires made an impressive splash at the first ever U.S. RallyCar RallyCross event. BFGoodrich Tires dominated the marquee All-Wheel Drive (AWD) class as drivers took advantage of the grip, acceleration and toughness of their BFGoodrich tires sweeping all three podium spots, with X Games champion Tanner Foust (Ford) coming in first, closely followed by Travis Pastrana (Subaru) and Dave Mirra (Subaru).

The heart pounding, high-flying, side-by-side action known as Rallycross is ready for its inaugural debut this coming weekend and BFGoodrich® Tires is once again ready to dominate.  After rocking the Rally Car Racing and SuperRally Car competitions at X Games 16, BFGoodrich Tires is looking to make championship traction again at America’s newest motorsport, the RallyCar U.S. Rallycross Championship.  Taking place at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) on Aug. 28-29, the blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition will give fans high-impact action and excitement, as well as give BFGoodrich Tires another opportunity to truly show its stuff.  NJMP’s jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel will allow BFGoodrich Tires to showcase the grip, acceleration and toughness that has led to 17 of 20 X Games Rally Car Racing and SuperRally medals.

Crawford Performance is pleased to announce a spectacular final for X-Games 16 Rally Cross. Stephan Verdier and his Crawford Performance Powered Rally Cross Car / Drift Car / Gymkhana Car debutted for the first ever Rally Cross held by X-Games. Currently Verdier’s car competes not only in Formula D, but also in various Gymkhana event held around the country in RWD format. When X-Games invited Stephan for the Rally Cross event, the car was converted to AWD format and a 45mm restrictor installed to restrict the power levels to equal the playing field for all competitors.

Side-by-side dirt racing action, big jumps and some of the best off-road drivers in the world will come to America in 2011 for an exciting new national championship series: RallyCar Rallycross. Organizers are planning a 2011 Rallycross national championship series that includes six events at racetracks across the country. The sport will debut in America on Saturday at X Games, under the name SuperRally, with three initial events held later this year at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Top drivers including Subaru Rally Team USA competitors Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra, as well as drift and rally stars Tanner Foust, Samuel Hubinette and Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard are set to compete in Rallycross.

PMR Motorsports’ duo, Patrick Moro and Ole Holter, won the 2010 Rally America Super Production (SP) Class Championship after overcoming a slow start to the season and acquiring the points needed at the recently held New England Forest Rally in Newry, Maine to secure the Super Production Class Title!  All year the Super Production Class has been a source of excitement with a dramatic lead change in the standings, new competitors entering events, and top teams overcoming, or succumbing to, mechanical failures that changed the course of the SP battle.

Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Team’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, both from Quebec, Canada, became the newest Rally America National Champions after a spectacular drive at the drama filled New England Forest Rally! This is Antoine L’Estage’s first Rally America title and Nathalie Richard’s third co-driver title. She co-drove for her brother, Patrick Richard, on his way to win the 2005 Rally America and 2004 SCCA ProRally Championships.

The 2010 New England Forest Rally (NEFR), the sixth and final round of the 2010 Rally America National Championship, ended with spectacular drama that kept fans and competitors riveted. Once the champagne popped, it was Rockstar Energy Drink’s Canadian duo, driver Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, celebrating a New England Forest Rally victory and their claim to the 2010 Rally America Championship title. Heading into NEFR, L’Estage held a 13 point lead over Nashua, NH’s hometown favorite, Bill Bacon. Both had a shot of winning the Championship at NEFR, but L’Estage just needed to finish 5th place or better to cement his place at the top. Bacon fell back after a changing a flat tire on Stage 9 and lost 5 minutes to the event leader.

Subaru driver Travis Pastrana dominated the majority of the New England Forest Rally this past weekend at the wheel of his BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI before a problem with his engine stopped him on the penultimate competition stage, forcing him to retire.  Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were able to pull away convincingly from the competition early and built a lead of over three minutes on the event’s technical gravel roads that snake through the forests along the Maine-New Hampshire border.  Then unexpectedly, with under fifteen competitive stage miles remaining, Pastrana experienced an engine problem which forced him to stop on stage, ending his run to victory.

Subaru of America, Inc. is inviting fans to participate in an hour-long interactive conference call featuring Subaru Rally Team USA drivers, Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra, Monday, July 26 at 6 p.m. EST. On the call, fans can ask questions and hear Travis and Dave talk about their preparation and plans for X Games 16, their love of Rally and the launch of the all-new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and STI. “Travis and Dave love their fans and this is a unique way to connect with them on a more personal level,” said Todd Lawrence, promotions and sponsorship manager, Subaru of America, Inc. “They are looking forward to talking about what’s going on with the Subaru Rally Team and are eager to drive their Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars at X Games in Rally Car Racing and the all-new SuperRally event.”

With the first five rally events of the 2010 Rally America National Championship in the record books, the top Regional and National rally teams from across the United States and Canada will soon be making their way to the tiny resort village of Newry, Maine for the New England Forest Rally - home to the Sunday River Resort, for the final round of the 6-event 2010 Rally America National Championship. Set for Friday and Saturday, July 16 & 17, 2010, as many as 65 or more top-level rally teams are expected to be competing on some of the fastest gravel and forest roads in the country for top honors at this always-popular rally event.

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana wins his second event of the 2010 Rally America National Championship Series on the tricky gravel roads of the Olympus Rally held on Washington State’s picturesque peninsula.  Pastrana started strong from the very first stage of the event and maintained his lead over Rally America points leader Antoine L’Estage. By the end of the weekend Pastrana won 8 out of the 13 stages and built a 1:42.8 minute cushion over L’Estage. 

Subaru Rally Team USA is pleased to announce today the selection of VP Racing Fuels products for their 2010 rally campaign.  The partnership includes VP Fuels being designated the Official Fuel of Subaru Rally Team USA.  Subaru Rally Team USA, managed by Subaru technical partner Vermont SportsCar, is headed by four-time defending Rally America National Champion Travis Pastrana and BMX legend Dave Mirra. The team is scheduled to compete in the six event 2010 Rally America National Championship, ESPN’s X Games 16 Rally Car Racing event as well as Rally America’s three all-new European-style RallyCross exhibition events this fall.

For the first time since its inception in 2006, the Team O’Neil Rally (TON Rally) will be held in the Spring. The competition will take place Saturday, May 8th. The TON Regional Rally has typically drawn between 15-30 competitors and 250+ spectators each year. However, with this year’s event taking place at a much more hospitable time of year, Team O’Neil is expecting their biggest turn out ever. “Winter rallies are fun, but we’re expecting the warm weather to be a bigger draw for both competitors and spectators,” explained Kathy Moody, organizer of the Team O’Neil Regional Rally.

The nation’s top teams are coming to the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood set in the beautiful woods of the surrounding Salem, Steelville, Potosi, and Viburnum areas of southern Missouri. The 100 Acre Wood Rally is the second rally in the Rally America National Championship Series. Fans can expect a fierce battle for the overall lead.  Four-time defending champion Travis Pastrana of Subaru Rally Team USA comes to the 100 Acre Wood Rally as the overall National points leader after winning the Sno*Drift Rally last month in Atlanta, Michigan.

Rally Car Racing returns for X Games 16 as one of the most exciting events on the schedule. With increased ticket sales and television ratings, Rally Car Racing is a fan favorite. Drivers from the Rally America National Rally Championship series will once again be invited to compete in ESPN’s Summer X Games 16 competition, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ESPN. Rally America, Inc. will be the sport organizer for the X Games 16 Rally Car Racing event. The selection criteria for the twelve athletes receiving an invitation for Rally Car Racing at X Games 16 is as follows: