100 Acre Wood - Rally America National Championship Rally
Apex, NC (March 2, 2006)
Carolina RallySport driver Matthew Johnson from Apex, NC, and co-driver Carl Fisher of Pittsboro, NC, earned a podium finish it the hotly contested Production GT class at the second round of the Rally America championship in southern Missouri.
The team’s second in class finish at the 100 Acre Wood Rally was a triumph of perseverance over adversity. They were challenging for the class lead after two days of tough driving when they suffered a gearbox malfunction in their Subaru that left them with only second gear for the crucial final four stages.
"I was on the attack from the beginning,” said Johnson. “It was frustrating to lose time when the gearbox failed, but I wasn't about to let up."
Locked in a tight battle with rival drivers Tanner Foust and Eric Langbein throughout the race, Johnson worked hard to secure top-tier times despite the mechanical trouble. The motorsport is notoriously hard on competition cars.
“Rallying is about pushing through obstacles and doing your best with what you've got,” said Fisher. “That’s what our sport is about."
Conditions at the rally were tricky and fast. The 100-mile course consisted of loose pea-gravel over a hard-packed base which saw competitors sliding through corners at speeds topping 100 miles per hour. But the team were on Hankook tires which held up well and provided much needed grip to give Carolina RallySport the winning edge.
In the end, Langbein also had gearbox issues and the PGT podium saw Foust in first place, Johnson in second and Langbein in third, as they took aim at each other with victory champagne.
Next, the team will take to the beautiful mountains of Tillamook, near Portland, Oregon, for the Oregon Trail Rally.
For more information or to arrange interviews with the team, contact Matthew Johnson matthew@carolinars.com
919.244.7502 and visit www.CarolinaRS.com
Carolina RallySport is a rally team based in Apex, NC which competes in the Rally America National Rally Championship. In 2006 Carolina RallySport will travel the length of the United States 6 times throughout the season and compete in 7 different states. More information can be found about rallying at:
http://www.rally-america.com/whatis.php
Our sponsors:
Hankook Tire Company - Providing a full line of passenger car and truck tires as well as highly competitive rally tires and racing slicks for motorsports.
Elite Performance - ElitePro offers a large catalog of aftermarket performance parts for your car. Check them out the next time you're ready to upgrade or replace parts on your car!
Flamecrusher USA is a race wear apparel manufacturer based in South Boston Virginia. They build comfortable, custom fitted, custom designed flame retardant driving suits for all types of racers.
DiF - Media Interaction for Motorsports - DiF offers online streaming video services for clients in motorsports and other action sports. Contact Wendy Nakamoto at wendy@dialitforward.com for more information.
PIAA - Professional Lighting Products - PIAA has been the acknowledged leader in innovative automotive products for decades. Check out their full range of performance products for your car or truck at www.piaa.com.
EventsLeader.com - New for 2006 is support from www.EventsLeader.com, an online where-to-go and what-to-do directory. Erin King of EventsLeader also organizes Unity06, a charity support organization whose focus for 2006 is called "Year of the Woman" at www.yearofthewoman.org You will see YearOftheWoman "YOW" and EventsLeader badging on the Carolina RS WRX in preparations for a charity fundraiser to be held in Cary, NC on March 26th.