Goodbye For Now

Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship, according to reports on the official World Rally Championship website and elsewhere. The decision makes Subaru the second major auto manufacturer, behind Suzuki, to make such an announcement in the past month

Prodrive, the company which fields Subaru’s factory effort, made the announcement today, citing the economic woes currently afflicting the auto industry.

“This is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world,” said Prodrive chairman David Richards in a release issued by the company. “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”

Subaru itself has yet to comment about the future of the driver/navigator pairings of Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot, or whether the company plans to return to the sport in the future, although the door at least appears to remain open for the manufacturer’s return to the series that spurred much of its success in Y2K and spawned a host of strong-selling, WRC-inspired models for the company.
Prodrive did state that it will definitely return to the series as early as 2010.

“2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success,” Richards said.

Prodrive also restated its commitment to its own customer rally in 2009. According to its release, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries.

In September, Subaru of America Inc., announced that it would continue to support Subaru drivers in the 2009 Rally America National Championship, releasing the following:

“The 2009 Subaru Rally Support program, which began in 2005, continues to represent the largest total prize payouts in North American rallying, with a total purse of nearly $115,000. The biggest change to the program for 2009 will be a shift of prize money from the Production GT (PGT) class to the newly announced Super Production class (SP).

“The all-new Super Production class was recently created by Rally America to offer a compromise between the top-tier Open class and the more restrictive Production GT class. This new category will provide a playground for 2002-2008 Subaru WRX and STI models among others and should prove to be the most hotly contested Rally America class championship in 2009. Nearly $13,000 per event will be available to participants, with the top finishing Subaru SP class finisher netting $3000. Prize payouts will be awarded to the top 10 finishing Subaru SP class registrants.

“The SP class will appeal to many Subaru drivers because it allows several key modifications to Subaru WRX and/or STI model rally cars to make them more affordable to prepare and run as well as more competitive overall compared to the PGT class. This includes allowing vehicles to be updated or backdated within a body style of the model. Additionally the rules allow the fitting of hydraulic handbrakes and allow for many more brake modifications compared to the PGT class. The SP class will also feature a larger turbo inlet restrictor than the PGT class, 34mm versus 32mm, allowing SP cars to produce potentially more power.

"’By creating this new class, Rally America acknowledges the growing field of rally-capable cars in the U.S. market and has made a substantial step forward in making the sport more accessible and inclusionary,’ explains James Han of Subaru of America, Inc. ‘Subaru is pleased to support the efforts of Rally America and proud to offer the most lucrative contingency program in U.S. rally to support the efforts of eligible Subaru privateers.’

“In addition to support to SP class participants at Rally America National Championship events, Subaru of America Inc., will also offer a $200 'start fund' to any class Subaru entered in a Rally America Regional rally that runs concurrent to a national event weekend.”