Subaru Rally Team Canada Scores Second-place Finish at Rocky Mountain Rally

• Subaru Rally Team Canada (SRTC) continues to perform exceptionally well with the all-new 2015 Subaru WRX STI rally car, which is proving to be extremely reliable.
• Martin Rowe and Nathalie Richard were able to compete confidently throughout Rocky Mountain Rally and held the quickest times in numerous stages.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) announced that the Subaru Rally Team Canada (SRTC) has achieved a second-place podium finish at Rocky Mountain Rally, which took place on October 31^st to November 1^st in Invermere, B.C. This was SRTC's third consecutive second-place finish, and only the third rally event where the team has competed with the all-new 2015 Subaru WRX STI. Rocky Mountain Rally proved to be the 2015 Subaru WRX STI's strongest outing to date, with SRTC achieving a mere one-minute gap to the rally leader. SRTC and Rocket Rally Racing continue to further enhance the vehicle and tweak it to the liking of Martin Rowe, SRTC driver, and Nathalie Richard, SRTC co-driver, providing them the best opportunity to gain time and have the best possible results.

Martin Rowe and Nathalie Richard drove the 2015 Subaru WRX STI to three stage wins throughout the rally and didn't have one issue throughout the entire event. At the end of the Friday stages the team was just over 40 seconds off the lead. Early on Saturday the team dropped slightly to about 50 seconds behind the lead, then was able to claw back quite a bit of time on the leader and win three of the last five stages, finishing the event just thirty seconds short, with two chicane penalties adding 30 seconds of time to their final score. The 2015 Subaru WRX STI rally car is proving to be very reliable throughout everything each rally competition throws at it and continues to get quicker. With the increased vehicle speed, the team is also becoming more comfortable with each other and the car, bringing positivity to the entire team that a first-place finish isn't far away.

"We've proven this weekend that the car is getting faster," said Nathalie Richard, SRTC co-driver. "We're winning stages. We won half of the stages on day two and we are setting really good times. Martin is really comfortable in the car, we're super comfortable together and we're that much closer to winning a rally – hopefully that will come at Tall Pines."

"It is only the third rally for the 2015 Subaru WRX STI and we're in a fantastic place – the car is reliable, fast and showing it's pace and potential," said Martin Rowe, SRTC driver. "From a driver's point of view, the car is amazing - I'm having a fantastic time driving the car and it is now in a place where I can tell the car what to do. We have some stiff competition, but it's not long until we win a rally outright."

Next up, the final event of the 2014 Canadian Rally Championship, Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, ON, on November 27^th to 28^th. SRTC is excited for what the last rally has in store and looking forward to making a statement at the final event of the season.

About Subaru Canada, Inc.
Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 90 authorized dealers across Canada. For more information, please visit www.subaru.ca or www.pr.subaru.ca or follow @Subaru_Canada on Twitter.

Image with caption: "Subaru Rally Team Canada finished Rocky Mountain Rally with a strong second-place finish in their 2015 Subaru WRX STI. Photo courtesy of Phil Ericksen / Radikal Videos (CNW Group/Subaru Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141103_C7741_PHOTO_EN_7444.jpg

SOURCE: Subaru Canada Inc.

For further information: Joe Felstein, [phone], [e-mail]; Daniel Ponzini, [phone], [e-mail]; Amyot Bachand, Media Relations, Quebec Region, [phone], [e-mail]

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