After a hard fought snowy battle, David Higgins and Craig Drew ended the 2013 Sno*Drift Rally in second place. In the lead for most of the event, Higgins and Drew were confident headed into the final two stages. At the start of the penultimate stage the #75 WRX STI was 20 seconds ahead. Craig Drew commented after the event "We had just gained six seconds on the previous stage, so we figured if we did the exact same thing we would be ok". Surprisingly hard charging rival Antoine L'Estage gained back most of their advantage on the long 15 mile stage (Camp 30 - 2). After every twist, turn and icy road they had driven over the past two days it had come down to the very last stage. David Higgins and Craig Drew launched their Subaru WRX STI off the line at 6:06pm. The stage appropriately named Bonfire Alley was only six miles long with a massive spectator point in the center. At an average speed of 66.12 miles per hour it was over in 5 minutes and 26.7 seconds. Higgins knew a mistake would have been unacceptable and drove the hard line of pushing his limits without risking too much. David and Craig were hugely disappointed when they realized they had lost the stage and slipped to second place in the overall standings. SRT USA did not win this event, but 2nd place is as close as you can get!

In the big picture, this sets the stage for an excellent 2013 season and is a perfect start. The bitterly lost battle from this event will certainly fuel David Higgins' desire to go all out for the win at 100 Acre Wood Rally next month. Former SRT USA driver Ken Block has been undefeated for an amazing six years in a row...will David Higgins and Craig Drew finally break Block's winning streak?

The 100 Acre Wood Rally is based in Salem, Missouri and takes place February 22-23. Stay tuned to Subaru.com/rally for updates as SRT USA prepares for the highest speed event in the Rally America Series. Hope to see you in Missouri!