Subaru's Pat Richard leads driver's championship; Subaru tied for the championship.
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 10, 2013 /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) today announced its second-place finish in the third event of the Canadian Rally Championship season, Rallye Defi, held September 6-7, in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec. For Subaru Rally Team Canada driver Pat Richard and co-driver Rob Fagg, the best strategy was to push without pushing too hard in order to maintain a lead towards the driver's championship and a tied position towards the manufacturer's championship.
After tackling a small centre differential issue early on during the first day of action, Richard and Fagg would have had to take phenomenal risks on every corner of every stage to capture the win. Thanks to earlier performances this season and a strong lead entering the event, Subaru Rally Team Canada strategically secured their place on the podium without adding unnecessary pressure.
With its gruelling reputation, Rallye Defi requires clean driving and a strict management of pace in order to finish under such punishing conditions. In total, six Subaru vehicles finished in the top ten, including Max Riddle in a 2007 Subaru WRX. Though still only his second full year of competition, Riddle claimed a spot on the podium, finishing third in the event.
| Pos | Time | Vehicle | Driver/Co-driver |
| 1 | 1:33:48.7 | Mitsubishi EVO X 11 | Antoine L'estage - St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC Karl Atkinson - Dublin, Ireland |
| 2 | 1:35:07.0 | Subaru STi 08 | Patrick Richard - Squamish, BC Rob Fagg - Squamish, BC |
| 3 | 1:40:59.0 | Subaru WRX 07 | Max Riddle - Vancouver, BC Darren Garrod - Mynytho,Gwynedd |
| 4 | 1:42:03.3 | Mitsubishi EVO VIII 08 | Simon Losier - Blainville, QC Brian Maxwell - Port Hope, ON |
| 5 | 1:43:13.1 | Subaru WRX 02 | Maxime Labrie - La Prairie, QC Robert Labrie - Montmagny, QC |
| 6 | 1:44:01.3 | Subaru Impreza 04 | Marc Bourassa - Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC Daniel Paquette - Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC |
| 7 | 1:45:25.6 | Mitsubishi EVO VIII 03 | Jean-Sébastien Besner - Montréal, QC Yvan Joyal - Terrebonne, QC |
| 8 | 1:48:23.3 | Mitsubishi EVO V 98 | Martin Losier - St-Donat, QC Patrick Losier - Laval, QC |
| 9 | 1:56:14.2 | Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS 00 | Jeremy Norris - Kitchener, ON John Hall - Sherwood Park, AB |
| 10 | 2:02:12.7 | Subaru WRX 04 | Martin Bruneau - Ste-Béatrix, QC Anthony Bruneau - Ste-Béatrix, QC |
"We now have two rounds in the Canadian championship in my home province, British Columbia, coming up in the next couple of months," says Richard. "They're difficult mountain roads and that suits my style. I'm pretty excited and we'll see what it brings."
The next event in the Canadian Rally Championship season will be the Pacific Forest Rally on October 4-5, in Merritt, British Columbia.
About Subaru Canada, Inc.
Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of over 85 authorized dealers across Canada. For more information, please visit www.subaru.ca or www.pr.subaru.ca.
Image with caption: "Subaru Rally Team Canada at Rallye Defi. Photo credit: Philip Erickson(CNW Group/Subaru Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130910_C5958_PHOTO_EN_30631.jpg
Image with caption: "Subaru Rally Team Canada at Rallye Defi. Photo credit: Max Poirier (CNW Group/Subaru Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130910_C5958_PHOTO_EN_30629.jpg
Image with caption: "Subaru Rally Team Canada at Rallye Defi. Photo credit: Mat Janiak (CNW Group/Subaru Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130910_C5958_PHOTO_EN_30627.jpg
SOURCE: Subaru Canada Inc.
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