Day 2 of the Global RallyCross Championship's Round 2: Twin Peaks welcomed a sold-out crowd to the muddy grounds of the DirtFish Rally School at the Old Mill Adventure Park in Snoqualmie, Washington. Rally fans in the Pacific Northwest are known for their tenaciousness and this crowd was no exception as they withstood the cycles of wind and rain that punctuated the sunshine and racing in synchronicity with the event schedule. When the sun shone and the engines roared, the action was incomparable. There were close rivalries throughout the ranks and the drivers were relentless in their push to get ahead. The crowd witnessed everything from neck-and-neck drag races off the start line to overtakings, collisions, rolls, and even a forward somersault by one car who shorted the jump.

Subaru Rally Team USA's Dave Mirra placed fourth in qualifying, setting some excellent times on a course still soaked from the previous night's heavy rain. While battling with mud-obstructed visibility in the second heat race, Dave followed-through the warehouse's exit turn with too much throttle and spun into a concrete barrier, causing what seemed like game-ending damage. Through the absolutely heroic efforts of the SRT USA technicians and the impressive fact that the drivetrain was still in running order, the #40 WRX STI was welded, hammered, and bolted back in to race-ready shape. With a nod from the event's tech inspector, #40 was back on the starting grid of the B-Main race. Dave Mirra drove a clean race and pushed his way in to second place at the end of the B-Main. Advancing to the A-Main final race, Mirra once again lost a brawl with the barriers and was out of the running.

While it certainly wasn't the most successful seat-time Dave Mirra has had, the experience at GRC Round 2 has served to further build Mirra's confidence in the #40 WRX STI. "Thanks to Subaru and the entire team for all the hard work this weekend. The new STI is strong, very strong. We didn't end up on the podium this weekend but based on our lap times, we are there," said Mirra after the race. Though the hopes of a podium finish slipped away this weekend, Dave's lap times and aggressive performance have shown that the Subaru WRX STI has come into its own as a competitive RallyCross platform and is ready to take on all challengers at the next round of the Global RallyCross Championship. That event takes place mid-June at the Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

While the next GRC event is over a month away, Subaru Rally Team USA will be far from dormant as there are three Rally America National Championship events scheduled between now and June. The SRT USA program stays on the West Coast for the next two stage rallies, starting with the Olympus Rally in Ocean Shores, Washington from April 30th to May 1st. David Higgins and Craig Drew in the SRT USA #75 WRX STI will team up with Dave Mirra and Marshall Clarke in #40 in an all-out campaign through the woods of the Olympic Peninsula. Don't miss it!