This is one rally where victory heavily depends upon road conditions, and with the ever-changing Pacific Northwest weather as a factor, this race truly keeps its drivers on their toes! Set in the woods outside of Portland, a city with thriving festivals, outdoors and dining scenes, the Oregon Trail Rally is a spectator favorite due to the ample amenities that are sprinkled along the course. Twisting turns of old logging roads combined with the wet conditions persistent in May create an exciting rally that is not to be missed!
Approximate Schedule / Subject to change
Thursday, May 3, 2012
11:00am - 1:00pm Rally Fan appreciation Day Pioneer Courthouse Square, Downtown Portland, Oregon
Friday, May 4, 2012
6:00pm - 9:00pm Parc Expose and Spectator Stages Portland International Raceway
Saturday, May 5, 2012
10:00am - 11:00am Parc Expose The Dalles, Oregon
11:00am - 7:00pm Day 2 Stages
Sunday, May 6, 2012
10:00am - 11:00am Parc Expose Dufur, Oregon
11:00am - 3:00pm Day 3 Stages
Please visit event website for detailed schedule. http://oregontrailrally.com/
The storyline and the results of the 2012 Oregon Trail Rally mimicked the 2011 edition of the event with Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins again leading from the start and pulling away for victory. The win, his fourth Oregon Trail Rally career victory, vaults Higgins even farther out of reach of his rivals in the points standings as he seeks to defend his 2011 Rally America Championship title. Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew kept their mettle while at the wheel of their BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2012 Subaru WRX STI after their closest challenger dropped out of the event and Higgins ran nearly unchallenged for a large portion of the event.
Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew have raced their #75 Subaru WRX STI to an outstanding victory at the 2012 Oregon Trail Rally. At the Sunday morning Parc Expose in Dufur, Oregon, David and Craig had a relaxed demeanor afforded to them by the comfortable lead they earned the day before. Road conditions were significantly better and the team's 2012 Subaru WRX STI performed flawlessly as it rocketed along the scenic Oregon farmland under clear blue skies. Averaging two seconds per mile faster than their closest competition, Higgins and Drew pulled up to the podium with an astonishing lead of four minutes and twenty-six seconds.
Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew have accrued a phenomenal lead during day 2 of the 2012 Oregon Trail Rally. Winning five of the day’s seven stages, SRT USA #75 is two minutes and fifty-four seconds ahead of the competition. While they’ve done well overall, the day got off to a rough start with a dramatic surface change that resulted in a nearly race-ending off. With teeth clenched, Higgins kept the throttle pinned while his 2012 Subaru WRX STI clawed itself back onto the road.
The third event of the 2012 Rally America National Championship brings teams to the Pacific Northwest for the Oregon Trail Rally. As in years past, fans flocked to Portland International Raceway to see the action on the first day of racing. Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew are off to a fantastic start, winning all four stages of the day and gaining a lead of nine seconds in just eight stage miles. Running BFGoodrich rallycross tires was an excellent choice as it allowed the Vermont SportsCar prepared 2012 Subaru WRX STI to put down all of its power on the mixed tarmac and gravel surfaces at the track.
This week grab action images from the 2011 Olympus Rally and Oregon Trail Rally events. The images correspond to June 2012 - August 2012 in the printed SRT USA Wall Calendar.
A cold calm set in as teams prepared for another day of racing near Salem, Missouri. Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew were 18.6 seconds behind first place at the start of Day 2 of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. The plan was simple: proceed with normal effort through the first two stages; and if the gap starts closing, push for the rest of the race. With their major Rally America National Championship rivals out of the running, any finish on the podium would suffice and excessive risks would be futile.
The 2011 Oregon Trail Rally has culminated in an outstanding win for Subaru Rally Team USA. Piloting the #75 WRX STI, David Higgins and Craig Drew have scored a crushing victory and leapt to the top of the Rally America National Championship standings. After heavy rains drenched the roads to the point of stage cancellations Saturday afternoon, Sunday's schedule was up in the air. The precipitation abated just in time for the first stage, and conditions improved steadily throughout the day.
Keeping the pace set in their successful racing the previous day, David Higgins and Craig Drew won three of Sunday's stages.
At the conclusion of Day 2 at the 2011 Oregon Trail Rally, Subaru Rally Team USA's David Higgins and Craig Drew have amassed a staggering three-and-a-half minute lead. Starting the day in first place, the duo were in the best spot on the road, staying ahead of the dust clouds being kicked up on the dry stage roads. That advantage was, however, diminished by a minor brake issue which left them with front brakes only for three stages. Unwilling to relinquish their lead, SRT USA #75 kept pushing and lost minimal time. The issue was quickly resolved when the car returned to service and Higgins and Drew set out again as the weather began to turn.
The 2011 Oregon Trail Rally got underway Thursday morning at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland, OR. Fans and enthusiasts flocked to the square for a chance to meet the drivers and check out this weekend's lineup of top rally cars. Immediately following the Parc Expose, teams headed to Portland International Raceway to give press rides to journalists and other media. SRT USA's busy day concluded with a visit to Dick Hannah Subaru in Vancouver, WA, where the #75 WRX STI was on display and David Higgins and Craig Drew were on-hand to mingle with fans and sign autographs. The real action kicked off Friday evening as teams ran the first four stages of the rally at Portland International Raceway.
The 2010 Oregon Trail Rally opened up to blue skies and dry roads in the scenic vicinity of Mt. Hood. Unfortunately for Subaru Rally Team USA, their campaign at this event was cut short when Dave Mirra and Martin Headland rolled #40 in a very difficult turn on Stage 6. That same turn also claimed former SRT USA teammate Ken Block later that day. Although the vehicle was too damaged to continue the race, Mirra was eventually able to transit his 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI out of the stage. He retired with four flat tires, a flattened roof, and a missing bumper. The crew is okay...
Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana is back atop the Rally America National Championship standings after winning the 2009 Oregon Trail Rally this past weekend. Pastrana, the three-time defending Rally America National Champion, strode to victory in Oregon with a faultless drive behind the wheel of his 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, winning by nearly one minute. Pastrana and his co-driver Christian Edstrom have now won three of the first four Rally America rounds and are in prime position to challenge for a fourth consecutive championship with five rounds remaining...
