Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block is looking to defend his slim championship lead next weekend at the third round of the Rally America National Championship, the high-speed Olympus Rally (April 19-20).
But the driver, who is fresh from an early season win at Round 2, and success in a recent tarmac event in New York state, will have to watch his back.
Photo: Rally America
Andrew Comrie-Picard, who is now just a three points behind Block in the overall standings, is ready to do battle in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX that has been restored and improved after suffering significant damage during the challenging Round 2.
And Matt Johnson, who sits in a close third place overall, will debut his new Open class Subaru WRX STi. The 2007 Production GT champion has shown promise so far this season in the more aggressive Open class, but his competition vehicle hasn’t been up to snuff. With his new Hankook Tires Subaru, prepared by Rallispec, he’s a definite threat.
Meanwhile, Block’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammate, Travis Pastrana, is looking for redemption. Tough luck at the first round dropped him back in the points. Most recently, he found himself off the pace after a rollover at the recent Rally Argentina, where he is contesting the Production World Rally Championship.
It’ll be a busy weekend for Pastrana, who will also promote his documentary, 199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story, which airs in select theatres April 16 and 17.
Rockstar Energy drivers Tanner Foust and Andy Pinker, who have battled reliability issues so far this season, are hoping to reclaim positions at the top of the standings. Foust scored X Games Gold in 2007, and Pinker was the 2007 championship runner up.
Dark horse driver Pat Richard could also challenge for a top finish. The western Canadian driver who splashed onto the US scene several years ago to claim the 2004 and 2005 titles, has been running only selected events in recent years. It remains to be seen whether he will become a regular fixture in the US in 2008.
The storied Olympus Rally, which once featured on the World Rally calendar, moves from its traditional location near Olympia, Wash., 300 miles east to Pomeroy, Wash., for 2008. This year’s running of the Olympus Rally will feature fast, smooth roads that cross wheat and barley fields before dropping into gullies that drain into the Snake River. It is expected to return to its traditional location in 2009.
The third round of the nine-event Rally America National Championship, the Olympus Rally, runs April 19 and 20.
