Debuting an all-new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Dave Mirra finished an impressive fourth overall in round one of the newly announced three-event Global Rallycross Championship in the debut event’s A-Main Final.  The BMX icon and full time rally driver for Subaru enjoyed the first event of the new rallycross series which was held this weekend at California’s Irwindale Speedway and will be televised April 17th on ESPN2.  The event featured a field of world class rally and rallycross drivers who raced wheel-to-wheel on a short action-packed course consisting of a mix of tarmac and dirt as well as a 70ft dirt gap jump.  Mirra debuted a new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI specially prepared for rallycross competition.

“This was awesome, the course was fun and challenging but it was the wheel-to-wheel racing with a field of great drivers and cars that made it special,” explained Mirra. “My team just built a new Subaru meant just for rallycross and it’s a beast, an amazing machine. This new car is a lot different from our stage rally STI with many new components, so we have a lot of work and testing still to do.  I’m really looking forward to the next rallycross where I hope we can battle for a podium spot.”

Mirra was slowed in the preliminary heat races with a rear suspension problem but his results were still sufficient to place him in the B-Main race where he finished in a close 2nd place.  Mirra would have needed to win the B-Main to have advanced to the final race, the A-Main, but was advanced on to the A-Main via the ‘promoter’s option’ rule which enables the event promoter to add a 6th car behind the five-car main event grid. With just five short laps in the A-Main Mirra went on maximum attack and fought his way up to fourth overall, just short of a podium position.  As a stipulation of reaching the A-Main via the promoter’s option Mirra will receive 6th place points.

“Dave [Mirra] adjusted quickly to his new rallycross car and drove an exceptional event to give Subaru a solid result upon which we can build upon”, added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc.  “As this is a debut event for our current competition car, I’m confident that our Subaru WRX STI will be a regular contender for podium finishes with some further development and testing.”

Full race coverage will air April 17th on ESPN2 (check local listings). The series has a multi-year programming relationship with ESPN, with Global RallyCross Championship broadcasts slated to follow NASCAR Nationwide and NHRA shows on ESPN and ESPN2. Round two of the Global Rallycross Championship will be in the Seattle area April 15-16 at the Old Mill Rally Park near Seattle, Washington.

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Vision X, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, 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.