SUBARU
SUBARU GLOBAL
Global Home
Topics Model Lineup About Subaru Motorsports Worldwide Network
FEATURE Rally America National Championship
Ken Block Wins the Lake Superior Performance Rally,
Pastrana is Rally America Champion!

Rd.8 Lake Superior Rally
Event Bulletin
23 October 2006

Copyright © Subaru Rally Team USA  
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.

Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom have dominated rallying in the USA this year driving their BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2006 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI prepared by Vermont SportsCar. He has earned three victories, four 2nd place finishes and a Gold medal at the inaugural X Games Rally event where he narrowly beat out his hero and WRC legend Colin McRae.

Copyright © Subaru Rally Team USA  
"It is just awesome to win the championship against such great drivers here in the Rally America Championship. We had some great battles this year and it's been a real challenge at every round," exclaimed Pastrana at the podium ceremony. "Rally is my future and this gives me a lot of confidence going forward."

Pastrana had led most of the rally but was caught by a hard charging Ken Block and Tim O'Neil, a veteran driver and rally school instructor. Both Block and Pastrana have been tutored by O'Neil and enjoyed competing against their teacher on LSPR's muddy and technical roads.

"We wanted to win here and we pushed really hard all day to do it," said Block. "I knew Travis wouldn't push as hard as we were because he had the championship locked up yesterday and had no reason to take risks." With the victory at LSPR Block is now just one point shy of second place overall in the driver standings heading into the final round, the Wild West Rally based in Olympia, Washington.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, STI (Subaru Tecnica International), SPT (Subaru Performance Tuning), Alpinestars, Motul, PIAA, Recaro, Meguiars and Vermont SportsCar.

Copyright © Subaru Rally Team USA  


Pos No. Driver Co-Driver Manufacturer Class Total
Time		 Diff
Leader
1 43 Ken Block Alex Gelsomino SUBARU O 1:32:37.0 -
2 29 Tim O'Neil Martin Headland SUBARU O 1:33:01.7 24.7
3 199 Travis Pastrana Christian Edstrom SUBARU O 1:33:07.7 30.7
4 27 Chris Gilligan Joe Peterson Mitsubishi O 1:36:47.0 04:10.0
5 46 Matthew Johnson Kim DeMotte SUBARU PGT 1:36:51.4 04:14.4
6 91 Jonathan Bottoms Carolyn Bosley SUBARU N 1:39:48.4 07:11.4
7 122 Dennis Martin Alexander Kihurani Mitsubishi O 1:40:23.4 07:46.4
8 52 Doug Shepherd Pete Gladysz Mitsubishi O 1:41:22.3 08:45.3
9 44 Henry Krolikowski Cynthia Krolikowski SUBARU O 1:41:56.9 09:19.9
10 67 Bryan Pepp Jerry Stang SUBARU PGT 1:44:05.3 11:28.3
11 26 Cary Kendall Scott Friberg Dodge G5 1:44:19.3 11:42.3
12 59 Patrick Moro Mike Rossey SUBARU PGT 1:46:33.0 13:56.0
13 690 Kenny Bartram Dennis Hotson Volkswagen P 1:54:23.5 21:46.5
14 521 Chris Czyzio Jeff Secor Mitsubishi O 1:56:09.3 23:32.3
15 572 James Robinson Andrew Jessup Honda G2 1:56:21.7 23:44.7
CLASS
A : Group A / N : Group N / O : Open Class / G5 : Group 5 / G2 : Group 2 / P : Production / PGT : Production GT

Venue Info
Formerly the last stop of the Championship, this rally is one of the most fun events of the year. It shares its seasonal characteristic with the other Michigan rally, taking place in late fall and surrounded by beautiful Lake Superior. Weather is a significant factor in this event, sometimes crippling the race with sudden snowfall. On the other hand, bluebird skies and leaf-covered roads could grace the event. From the town of Houghton, teams go north onto the tip of the Peninsula and into the forests. From the tops of some hills, majestic Lake Superior looms close with rally cars burning by. The mining heritage of the area is ever present throughout, with multiple stops at a famous local mine shaft that towers over the town.

SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
5:00pm- 7:00pm Practice Session/ Stage Note Calibration - Houghton County Airport

Friday, Oct. 20, 2006
2:00pm- 3:10pm Parc Expose - Copper Country Mall, Houghton
2:55pm- 3:10pm Driver's Meeting - Copper Country Mall, Houghton
3:15pm First ProRally Car Leaves
7:10pm Service and Reseed - Kenton

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006
2:00am (approximate time) First Car Back to Houghton MTC
9:30am-10:25am Parc Expose - 5th Street, Calumet
10:30am First car leaves Calumet
7:04pm (approximate time) First Car Back to Houghton - Copper Country Mall, Houghton
7:04pm (approximate time) Parc Ferme
8:30pm- 11:00pm LSPR 2006 Awards Ceremony - Franklin Square Inn, Superior Room, 7th Floor


DETAILS:
Houghton, Michigan
October 20-21, 2006
www.lsprorally.com
Stage Miles: 120
Total Mileage: 463
Total Stages: 15
Page Top