Ken Block Continues Win Streak at Olympus Rally

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block claimed his second victory in a row at the Olympus Rally this weekend to extend his championship lead.

“With two wins in a row? I’m stoked,” said Block at the finish line. “We’re definitely looking to win the championship this year.”

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were the clear favorites coming into this contest. They typically perform well on high-speed courses and drivers reported top speeds in excess of 130 mph on the long straightaways.

In second-place after two days of flat-out competition were Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and co-driver Derek Ringer. It’s the second U.S. contest for the pairing, and they put in another consistent performance together.

Pastrana entered this event sixth-place overall in the drivers’ standings after tough luck at the first round cost him valuable early-season points, but the second-place finish here puts him back into the championship chase.

Rounding out the podium were Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis in their Subaru WRX STi.

“It’s great to get a few stage wins and put Rockstar on the podium for the first time this season,” said Foust.

Despite a mechanical problem that cost the team 30 seconds early on Day 1, the duo had returned to podium contention by Sunday morning – nearly a minute ahead of their closest challenger.

Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and Marc Goldfarb drove to fourth place overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, to protect their second-place position in the series standings.

“It’s great for the championship,” said Comrie-Picard. “This event was about bravery and horsepower, and full points to the guys on the podium.”

In fifth place were Matt Johnson and Jeremy Wimpey in their brand-new Hankook-Rallispec Subaru WRX STi. Johnson, the 2007 Production GT champion, has proven competitive this season in the more aggressive Open class of competition.

Secure in their positions by the end of the day, a handful of drivers decided to put on a show for the fans. Johnson, Pastrana, and teenaged driver Kyle Sarasin all offered up showy doughnuts for the crowd gathered at a spectator location on the final stage.

Stephan Verdier and Scott Crouch earned the Production GT win with a 10th place finish, while Zibigniew Szewczyk and Tomasz Karzynski were the fastest team in two-wheel drive -- finishing 21st overall in their Group 5 Mitsubishi Lancer. The Production class went to Canadians Jan and Jody Zedril in their Mitsibubishi Lancer.

In addition to the championship title, drivers are vying for a chance to compete at the high-profile X Games this summer in Los Angeles. Top teams after the first five rounds of the championship are expected to receive an invitation to the contest, with a wild-card entry selected sometime in July.

The storied Olympus Rally, which once featured on the World Rally calendar, moved from its traditional location near Olympia, Wash., 300 miles east to Pomeroy, Wash., for 2008. It is expected to return to its traditional location in 2009.

Round 4 of the Rally America championship, the Oregon Trail Rally, takes place May 16-18 in Oregon.

[More Photos...]

Flatovercrest's coverage of the 2008 Olympus Rally is presented by DC Shoes.

Words: Rally America
Photos: Warwick Patterson

Comments

[Jon]

Great photos........always very good! What about PGT ? No pics or mention on highlight video, although we appreciate the footage of our car at the end.