Subaru Rally Team USA announced today that team driver Bucky Lasek will make his gravel rally debut at the New England Forest Rally (July 15-16). Lasek has driven for Subaru in the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship since 2012 but has not competed in traditional stage rally until this year when he entered the ice and snow laden Sno*Drift Rally in January.  Lasek will drive a 2016 Super Production class WRX STI presented by Subaru Parts Online with Co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino at his side. 
 
“My first rally I watched in person was last year at New England Forest Rally, so it will be a special experience to return there as a driver,” said Lasek.  “Driving in my first stage rally earlier this year at Sno*Drift was intense and thrilling experience. Snow and ice are very difficult to learn on so I’m definitely looking forward to slaying some gravel! Subaru has such a strong heritage in rally, and it’s just great to get a taste of it and be a part of it.”
 
Joining Lasek at the New England Forest Rally will be defending Rally America Champion David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew in their #75 Open Class 2016 Subaru WRX STI rally car.  Higgins will play the role of coach and mentor to Lasek at the rally and the two will spend some time together prior to the event testing and training.  Higgins currently leads the Rally America Championship as he aims to earn his 6^th straight Driver’s Championship in the series. Subaru driver Travis Pastrana will miss the New England Forest Rally due to previously scheduled commitments to his Nitro World Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

“Through his race experience and testing with our partners at DirtFish Rally School, we know Bucky is well prepared to challenge this stage rally event,” stated Rob Weir, Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We’re excited to bring two SRTUSA drivers to New England Forest Rally.”
 
The New England Forest Rally consists of 100 miles of rugged gravel roads that snake through the forests near the Maine and New Hampshire border. The event is headquartered at the Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.  Subaru driver David Higgins is a three-time winner of the event, including the last two years in a row.  For more information on the event visit www.newenglandforestrally.com.
 
Full coverage of Subaru Rally Team USA is available on the Subaru Motorsports App. To download from the iTunes App store, click here, for Android App on Google Play store, click here. Follow the team on Instagram @srtusa and Twitter@srtusa. 

About Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Method Race Wheels, DirtFish Rally School, DMACK Tires and PIAA.  Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/rally
 
About Subaru Parts Online
Subaru Parts Online is the official source for Genuine Subaru Parts, Accessories, and Subaru Gear.  Shop Subaru’s entire catalog of 150,000 part numbers complete with factory diagrams, part application cross reference lists, and factory recommended maintenance kits for many models on parts.subaru.com.
 

About Subaru of America, Inc. 
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States.  All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit media.subaru.com.
 
Additional information and news from Subaru is available at http://www.media.subaru.com.