Despite the fact two events remain in the 2009 Rally America Championship season, Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana has claimed this season’s driver’s title. In doing so, he becomes the series champion for the fourth consecutive year.

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Travis Pastrana and Christian Edstrom have won the 2009 Ojibwe Forests Rally! In what was an extremely challenging race for nearly the entire field of competitors, Pastrana and Edstrom piloted their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI to a dominating victory. After the dust settled on day two of the race, team #199 emerged with an astonishing lead of almost nine minutes. On top of winning every stage on the first day of racing, Pastrana and Edstrom amassed twelve consecutive stage wins after they conquered the first five stages of day two. With their Subaru running in perfect form, the duo’s conquest seemed effortless.

Pastrana and Edstrom didn’t just win the event, though; their success this weekend has marked Travis Pastrana’s fourth consecutive Rally America National Championship title win for Subaru Rally Team USA. With the championship in the bag, team #199 has two events remaining with absolutely no pressure to win. This will give the team an excellent chance to experiment with the setup of their Subaru Impreza WRX STI and develop an even more formidable rally platform with which to attack the 2010 season.

For many of the event’s other competitors, the 2009 Ojibwe Forests Rally proved to be an unexpectedly insurmountable challenge. Out of the thirty-six cars entered in the national event, only ten made it through to the finish. In a heated battle with teammates Travis Pastrana in Christian Edstrom, Subaru Rally Team USA racers Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino rolled their car on the first day of the event. Although this event has historically been unlucky for Block, his extraordinary win at this year’s Susquehannock Trail Rally showed his ability to conquer his less favored races and it was expected he might do the same at this event.

Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra and Derek Ringer in car #40 were among those the event chose not to spare. Dave and Derek started the day in second place with a whopping lead and set excellent times on many stages. In an unfortunate turn of events, Mirra and Ringer experienced an electrical issue on the second-to-last stage which left them unable to continue. After exhibiting such an impressive performance this weekend and with victory so close, this is a frustrating conclusion for Mirra and Ringer. Already under pressure in the extremely competitive Super Production Class, Mirra and Ringer now have their work cut out for them in the events to follow.

With only two more events remaining in the season, Subaru Rally Team USA looks forward to a guaranteed Rally America National Championship title as well as a persevering push for podium spots in both the Open and Super Production classes. Although it is impossible for any of Travis Pastrana’s challengers to usurp his championship crown, it’s just not in his nature to back down now. Pastrana and Edstrom will guarantee that Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino have fierce competition in the upcoming events.

Bulletin courtesy Subaru Rally Team USA.

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