Subaru Rally Team Canada Set to Tackle Rallye Défi with New Car and Driver

Subaru Rally Team Canada excited to debut all-new rally-prepared 2015 WRX STI at Rallye Défi. All-new 2015 Subaru WRX STI rally car developed by Rocket Rally Racing to best compete in the Canadian Rally Championship. Martin Rowe cannot wait to get behind the wheel as driver of the new vehicle; to challenge the competition.

MISSISSAUGA, ON -- Aug. 26, 2014: Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is excited to announce the return of Subaru Rally Team Canada (SRTC) at Rallye Défi in the 2014 Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) in Ste-Agathe, QC on September 5-6. To elevate the team to new heights and continue their long-time presence in the CRC, SRTC is excited to debut an all-new 2015 Subaru WRX STI rally car that has been meticulously developed by Rocket Rally Racing. Alongside Subaru's new rally car, SRTC has also named a new driver to challenge the competition: previous winner of the Production World Rally Championship (PWRC) in a Subaru, Martin Rowe.

Rocket Rally Racing, under the leadership of Pat Richard, spent countless hours developing the new SRTC 2015 WRX STI with state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) programs that effectively and efficiently produce calculated improvements. This also allows for the research, design and production of parts to be well documented, making it very easy for Rocket Rally to reproduce and replicate for future uses or their own customer vehicles. Extreme weight reduction and distribution has been achieved with the use of carbon Kevlar materials on large body portions, such as the doors. The 2015 Subaru WRX STI that was provided to the team was a solid foundation to use for this rally racing application. Modifications to the suspension, brakes, engine and transmission were made to handle the extreme nature of the sport. In terms of work that has been completed, the first priority and consideration for each modification was to ensure that the vehicle's high level of reliability, durability and quality were retained.

"We are very excited to see how the next generation 2015 Subaru WRX STI performs in one of the most extreme versions of motorsports and against the tough competition in the Canadian Rally Championship," said Shiro Ohta, chairman, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. "The underlying durability, quality and reliability that we inject into each and every one of our cars is evident as we compete and with the new Subaru Rally Team Canada car, which has been further enhanced by Rocket Rally Racing. I'm confident that the team will have a strong outing."

To coincide with the debut of the new SRTC WRX STI, the team will also be introducing a new driver behind the wheel. Previous PWRC champion for Subaru, Martin Rowe, will be commanding the 2015 WRX STI, while the highly decorated Nathalie Richard will be his esteemed co-driver. Originally from the United Kingdom, Rowe has an impressive rally racing history that spans back to 1990 and has been named a champion on 7 separate occasions. Rowe currently lives in Whistler, BC, with his wife and two children.

Subaru Canada, Inc. has a very rich and successful rally record as ten-time Canadian champions. The SRTC is eager to deliver even more heart-pumping action and looking to add to the trophy case with the next generation 2015 Subaru WRX STI. Rocket Rally Racing has been partners with SCI and leading the SRTC program since 2008, where they led the team to two CRC championship titles. Both Subaru Canada, Inc. and Rocket Rally Racing could not be more pleased with the collaboration on both sides and are very excited for the remainder of this year's events.

"I'm very excited to be in the driver's seat for Subaru Rally Team Canada - the all-new 2015 WRX STI looks amazing," said Martin Rowe, driver for SRTC. "Rallye Défi will hold a lot of challenges with a new car, team and co-driver, but I'm looking forward to each and every challenge. The competition is very tough in the Canadian Rally Championship, but with the new car I feel we will be in a strong position from the start of the event."