Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team to Compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 11

CHERRY HILL, N.J., July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 11^th, Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team drivers Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra and Sverre Isachsen will race head-to-head against a pack of International stars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Round four of the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship (GRC). The trio will each pilot their Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive 600hp 2013 Subaru WRX STI Rallycross cars on a custom dirt and tarmac course. The event will stream live on ESPN3.com at 5:30 p.m. ET. The event will also be broadcasted on ESPN July 13th at 7:30 p.m. ET. The team is eager for another run after team leader and three-time European Rallycross Champion Sverre Isachsen qualified 3^rd fastest and then 5^th fastest at the previous double-header round in Munich, Germany.  Isachsen was set to finish 4^th Overall in the Final at Munich before being spun out from behind by another competitor on the final lap.

The event will run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Affectionately named the "Magic Mile", the track is typically used for NASCAR oval racing.  The Rallycross course utilizes a section of the oval but also includes tight turns, a jump and will be nearly 40 percent dirt.  After globe-trotting to Barcelona and Munich in recent months, this race is in the backyard of the team. Subaru technical-partner Vermont SportsCar, based in Colchester, Vermont manages the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team for Subaru of America.

The Global RallyCross Championship pits drivers against each other for side-by-side racing in turbocharged 600hp all-wheel drive cars on surfaces that include dirt and asphalt as well as jumps.  Competitors progress through a series of timed heats to a final, winner-takes-all race. The GRC combines the best attributes of circuit, off-road, and rally racing resulting in intense competition.

"I'm looking forward to racing in the USA again," explains the Norwegian Sverre Isachsen.  "The Subaru was awesome in X Games Munich and I would have finished fourth, but Ken Block drove right into me in the final. Ken has apologized and I accept his apology and now I'm ready for a clean fight with him and all the other GRC drivers in New Hampshire! A podium is my aim."

Teammates Dave Mirra and Bucky Lasek had challenging events at the previous double-header round in Munich are eager to start fresh in the USA.  "New Hampshire can't come any quicker for me," said Bucky Lasek, who is in his sophomore year as a Rallycross driver. "I've been working hard on training and I'm really focusing on getting into the Finals now and onto the podium."

"It felt great to be back in the car at the Munich X games. Despite a few issues that kept me out of the Final on Sunday my Subaru felt very good. The team has really developed the car further in the off-season and we are all full of confidence," explained Dave Mirra.

Grandstand gates will open at 1 PM ET Thursday July 11th, with GRC Lites & Supercar Heats.  Additional activities include the popular NASCAR Hauler Parade, which will start at 4 p.m. plus a NASCAR driver autograph session and live band to follow the GRC racing at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available here. Please note, fans that already have tickets for the NASCAR events this weekend will be granted admission to the Global RallyCross race.

About Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team USA
The Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), PUMA, Method Race Wheels, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Race Proven Inc., and MOTUL.

For more information on the team, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries, visit subaru.com/rally. For the latest news follow the team on Twitter: @srtusa.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States.  All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

This press release, photos, and videos are available at media.subaru.com

"Subaru", "WRX STI", all model names, and the Subaru logo are registered trademarks of the Subaru subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd, Japan. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

Rob Weir
Subaru of America, Inc.
856-488-3453
rwei@subaru.com

Dominick Infante
Subaru of America, Inc.
856-488-8615
dinf@subaru.com

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.