Subdriven | The Subaru Enthuisast Website

CHERRY HILL, N.J. – Subaru took its first ever road racing title at the 42nd annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs held on September 24, 2005 at the historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Team Subaru and its Impreza WRX STIs managed by ICY Racing of Phoenixville, Penn. finished 1-2 at the finale, besting a field of over 50 entries from around the United States, all of whom had to earn the right to compete in this annual, season-ending event. Winning driver Chuck Hemmingson of West Des Moines, Iowa led teammate Kristian Skavnes of Sparta, N.J across the finish line to cap off the history-making weekend.

Well known in international competition through WRC (World Rally Championship) rally racing, with a dominating five manufacturer titles to its name, Subaru is relatively new to road racing in the U.S. In only its second year of road racing competition with a Subaru Impreza WRX STI, ICY Racing had a dominating season in the T2 class with first place finishes in seven events and lap records at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. The only time the team failed to win a podium position was at Lime Rock, which also marked the first time for a DNF (Did Not Finish) for one of the cars.

“Reliability has been the key to our success,” said team principle Dave Rosenblum. “Often we aren’t the fastest car on the track, or the best in braking, but our cars tend to have the best balance of speed, brakes, handling and trademark Subaru reliability. What makes this championship more special for Subaru, is that we compete against cars found all across America.”

“The T2 classification in SCCA racing was attractive to Subaru because it is a class where very few modifications can be made to the vehicle. Outside of the addition of safety equipment, the only modifications allowed are the shock absorbers, the exhaust system after the catalytic converter and a reprogramming of the engine management computer,” explained Rosenblum.

Unlike other types of road racing in the U.S., T2 classification cars are closest to what’s available on the showroom floor today. Of the makes that compete in the WRC, only the Subaru Impreza and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution are available in the U.S. market. However, in SCCA T2 road racing, competition on the racetrack extends beyond the competitive set of the showroom floor. In addition to the Lancer Evolution, the WRX STI competes against the Cadillac CTS-V, Dodge SRT-4, Honda S2000, Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350-Z, Pontiac GTO and more.

Success of the Impreza WRX STI on the racetrack directly translates to Subaru core technology. A high-output, turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter Boxer engine is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission. These components are mounted longitudinally in the Impreza. This configuration helps give the car impressive transition response, not only because of this symmetrical layout, but also due to the low center of gravity inherent in a Boxer engine. Suspension tuning honed in the rugged WRC series, along with precise steering response and impressive braking, further add to the entirety of what makes the Impreza such an effective street, race or rally car.

“That’s the beauty of our core technology,” said Fred Adcock, executive vice president of Subaru of America, Inc. “Our engineers start from a basic vehicle architecture founded on Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and then create a design, a package, that works equally well in a harsh racing environment, or in unpredictable and hostile conditions like those found in a rally. This is also an advantage in day-to-day driving which, as we all know, can take on the air of unpredictability and harshness, too.”

Subaru chooses to compete in racing series that are restricted to production-based vehicles. This approach to motorsports allows Subaru to focus its technological efforts on bettering the brand through what it learns while competing against other car companies as well as the elements. WRC events are conducted in all kinds of weather and on all types of roads.

Starting in late January, it’s not uncommon for a WRC event to feature snow, ice and rain all in the same venue. Later in the season snow gives way to dirt, dust and extraordinarily high temperatures. The common denominator in all WRC events is that roads will be rough, and speeds will be fast.

While it is easy to see the advantage of All-Wheel Drive on a wet racetrack due to its slippery surface, on a dry track all-wheel drive contributes to the inherent balance of the Impreza WRX STI by helping with stability in a corner as the vehicle transitions from heavy braking at the entrance, through rotating the vehicle mid turn, to wide-open throttle and controlled acceleration out of the turn.

Subaru customers benefit directly from this rally and racing heritage. Active safety, a hallmark of Subaru core technology, comes directly from experience learned in competition. Subaru is one of the few manufacturers that can compete successfully in international rally racing or on the racetrack using the same car, with the same basic drive train, and the same suspension geometry. Those elements found in Impreza rally and racecars are the same ones that give the driver of any Subaru the control needed for accident avoidance maneuvers. It is said that racing improves the breed. At Subaru, All-Wheel Drive improves the racing.

Subaru of America, Inc. chose ICY Racing of Phoenixville, Penn. to manage its road racing efforts in the U.S. ICY stands for Inner City Youth, a program created by the team’s principle Dave Rosenblum in 1984. Rosenblum founded ICY on the idea that a way to communicate with inner city high school-age kids was by involving them in something that interested them. Working with the Swenson Skill Center in Philadelphia, Rosenblum put together a program where students could be active team members – working on the vehicle in the shop and at the racecourse – provided they stayed drug free, kept on the right side of the law and did well in school.

ICY Racing adds the SCCA T2 championship with an Impreza WRX STI to its long list of accomplishments both on and off the track. Featured on ABC TV Weekend News reports and in Sports Illustrated and AutoWeek magazines, ICY Racing has been successful in providing a valuable community service. ICY Racing’s chief mechanic Klevis Prifti, a recent U.S. citizen, is an alumnus of the Swenson Skill Center and now a member of a championship team.

“Little did I dream when I left my native Albania eight years ago that I would work on a championship racing team today,” said Prifiti. “Once I heard about the program in school I just knew I had to get on the team. Apparently I did a good enough job so that Dave asked me to stay on after I graduated. Thanks to Dave and ICY Racing, a wonderful opportunity has come my way. And now we are champions, which makes the opportunity that much better.”

“Subaru is an active member of the Philadelphia community,” said Rick Crosson, vice president of marketing for Subaru of America, Inc. “Once we heard about Dave and his fine efforts at helping kids find a better life through his racing team, we just knew that we would be a good fit for each other. And bringing us a championship at the same time is the icing on the cake.”
About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes All-Wheel Drive Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru is the only car company that offers Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive as standard equipment on every vehicle in its model line.