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Subaru Team FInishes 5th and 9th in Strong Inter-Manufacturer Rivalry at Lime Rock Grand-Am KONI Challenge Race
Subaru Road Racing Team to Defend Event Win at Lime Rock Round of Grand-Am KONI Challenge
Subaru Factory Team Suffers "Yellow Flag Fever" at Daytona
Racing Team Race Update SRRT Shows Early Promise at VIR during Final Race of 2007 Season
Subaru Road Racing Team Goes for Three in a Row at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Legendary Japanese Drifter, Time Attack Record-Holder and Road Racer Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada to Join Team as Guest Driver.
Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes capture a second consecutive win for Subaru Road Racing Team in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Subaru Team FInishes 5th and 9th in Strong Inter-Manufacturer Rivalry at Lime Rock Grand-Am KONI Challenge Race
May 24, 2008. Lime Rock, Conn. “We had two great cars today,” noted Kristain Skavnes, Sparta, N.J., after he and co-driver Chuck Hemmingson, Des Moines, Ia., sharing driving duties in their #111 Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B ,finished fifth in the 2 ∏-hour Grand-Am KONI Challenge race Friday on the 1.53-mile Lime Rock Park road course in Connecticut.
“Both of our cars were in the top three or top five nearly all day,” said Joe Aquilante, co-principal, along with David Rosenblum, Langhorne, Pa., whose company ICY-Phoenix, Phoenixville, Pa., preps the Subaru Road Racing Team cars.
“The finish positions for both cars were largely determined by luck-of-the-draw on pit stop timing during the full-course caution sessions.”
Skavnes and Hemmingson raced the Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Spec. B Sedans, as did teammates Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, Pa., and Don Knowles, Pittsboro, N.C., who finished ninth in their #141 Subaru.
“We had the right strategy for the race, and called the pit stops at the right time,” Aquilante added. “There were no mistakes.”
James Han, who supervises the program for Subaru of America, Inc., scanned the results of the 46-car Street Tuner class race and remarked on the variety of cars in the top 6: “Six different makes crossed across the line. That’s amazing to me and shows just how competitiveness this series is. Finishing both cars in the top 10 against a field of 46 cars in only our second season is something to be proud of. Our team put in an impressive performance and our Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B cars worked great and ran flawlessly.
The next scheduled race for the Subaru Road Racing Team is June 14-15 at Mosport Park, Ontario, Can.
The Subaru Road Racing Team is proudly sponsored by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STi), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), Automotive Racing Products, Lista, Rotary Lifts, JRZ, EcuTek, Perrin, Cusco, Carbonetic, Hawk Brakes, Quarter Master Industries, Disc Brakes Australia and Racing Radios. The cars are prepared by ICY/Phoenix. Back to Top
Subaru Road Racing Team to Defend Event Win at Lime Rock Round of Grand-Am KONI Challenge
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, May 20, 2008 – Four months have passed since the opening round of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge road racing season, more than sufficient time for the Subaru Road Racing Team to hone their Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Spec. B Sedans, prepared by ICY/Phoenix, and re-focus on the details that contributed to winning their first race as a KONI series team in 2007, at Lime Rock Park, Conn., site of Saturday’s second round of the 2008 season
“We operate as a team,” emphasized Joe Aquilante, Phoenixville, Pa., who is co-principal of ICY/Phoenix with Dave Rosenblum, Langhorne, Pa. “No one team member is greater than the sum of its parts. Both Dave and I, our crew, and all our drivers – we’ve all won races and championships. The main difference between now and a year ago is that the level of competition has measurably progressed forward. To their credit, Grand-Am has been vigilant in maintaining competitive parity within each class, which translates to exciting racing for teams and fans.”
The Subaru Road Racing Team’s driver lineup at the Lime Rock round comprises 2007’s Lime Rock Street Tuner class race winners, Kris Skavnes, Sparta, N.J., racing on his home track with Chuck Hemmingson, Des Moines, Ia. The second entry is 20-year old Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, Pa., paired with Don Knowles, Pittsboro, N.C., a four-time National Champion, winner of 35 professional endurance races and a world record 14 24-hour races.
“Don has been a huge help, assisting Chuck and the team in our unending process to continually develop and fine-tune our Subaru Legacy race cars,” added Aquilante. “Don was racing and winning at Lime Rock 15 years before Andrew was born. Over the years he has given back to the sport by taking many younger drivers under his wing and showing them the bigger-picture in racing.”
A series record 50 cars are entered in the Street Tuner class, which will feature a stand-alone race for the only time this year. “The KONI Challenge series has come to the point in its impressive growth that the margin for errors decreases at each race. To know we’ve won races in a series this competitive is a good attitude-adjuster for all of us. We’ve done it before, and always have to believe we can do it again,” noted Rosenblum.
The Subaru team and in-class competitors will practice Friday, May 23. They qualify and race Saturday at 3 pm ET for 2 ½ hours. The race is televised by Speed TV and will air May 31 at 8 pm ET. Back to Top
Subaru Factory Team Suffers "Yellow Flag Fever" at Daytona
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania - January 25, 2008 - Eleventh and twelfth place finishes were ultimately the places in which ICY/Phoenix Racing's Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Spec.B Sedans finished in Friday's Grand-Am KONI Challenge series three-hour road race at Daytona International Speedway. The simple reason: bad luck-of-the-draw on when full-course caution flags came out.
"Our cars were in fifth and sixth places with 45 minutes to go," said team co-Principal Joe Aquilante, of Phoenixville, Pa.
"We needed a refueling stop to make it to the finish, and no sooner did we complete it for both cars than somebody crashed and the safety car came out. We pitted while the cars were running at full speed, and our competition did it while the field was at reduced speed. It was a deficit that no one could have overcome."
"Our finishes weren't the fault of our great Subaru cars or fault of the drivers. It was something we couldn't control," added Dave Rosenblum of Langhorne, Pa., Aquilante's partner and one of the drivers on the Subaru Road Racing Team.
"I'm happy the team accurately determined the proper qualifying set-up and gave us competitive cars for the race," he added. "When we get to the next event in Lime Rock over Memorial Day, our Street Tuner class cars will be running separately from the Grand Sports field, so it'll be an even fight."
Finishing 11th were Kris Skavnes, Sparta, N.J., and Chuck Hemmingson, Des Moines, Iowa.
In 12th place, as Rosenblum's co-driver, was 20-year old Andrew Aquilante, driving his first professional race in a Subaru. "This was fun," said Andrew. "If you forget the yellow flag situations, I think both of our cars were top three material."
"I'm proud of the team and drivers, and happy with the mechanically trouble-free weekend the Subaru cars gave the team," noted James Han of Subaru of America, Inc. "The entire team performed well. Today, we were just passengers in the odd things that happen in racing. To give you an idea how consistent our cars and drivers are, late in the race, the fastest single race laps recorded by both team drivers were separated by only two-thousands of a mile per hour. Simply amazing."
The race was televised by Speed TV and will air Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. EST. Back to Top
Racing Team Race Update SRRT Shows Early Promise at VIR during Final Race of 2007 Season
Phoenixville, PA October 12, 2007 - Most of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series ST class teams, including the Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT), contested the 6-hour finale at Virginia International Raceway this weekend. After campaigning a successful limited schedule in the series, SRRT was hoping to earn a third victory in only its sixth race this season with their #111 and #141 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B cars. The team is hopeful in returning in 2008 with a similiar if not expanded event schedule with Grand-Am.
Unlike most races of the season which run for 2.5 hours, the final round at VIR is even more of an endurance race as teams run their cars for 6 continuous hours on-track into and through the darkness with race start scheduled at 3PM EST and finishing at 9PM EST. Considered one of the most exciting and prestigious race tracks in the country, Virginia International Raceway is historically a coveted track by many road racers worldwide for its challenging corners, dramatic elevations, high straightaway speeds and demanding braking zones.
Teams were greeted on Saturday with dry and warm conditions for Qualifying. After the session, Kristian Skavnes (#111) had earned a 3rd place spot on the grid with a 2:11.661 while teammate Davy Jones (#141) was close behind finding himself in 7th. Polesitter Shane Lewis blistered the class track record with a 2:10.313 in his HART Hond Accord V6 coupe leaving all other teams furiously calculating pit strategies and evaluating tire management to last the full 6 hours.
Against a starting grid of 36 total cars in the ST class, Davy Jones started the race in his #141 Legacy with the intention of running a double stint and passing off driving duties to teammate Dave Rosenblum; unfortunately, prior to his scheduled 2nd pit stop to fulfill the mandatory driver change, Jones' shifter suffered a terminal failure which kept him from shifting beyond 4th gear. The sister car (#111) ran higher up on the leader board with a seamless driver change from Skavnes and Chuck Hemmingson and then back to Skavnes after 4 hours of racing. On Lap 112, nearly 4.5 hours into the race, Kristian Skavnes dove into the pits while circulating in 4th and hunting down the HART Honda running then in 3rd for an unscheduled stop to address cooked front brakes that proved unresponsive. After the extended stop, the team soon opted to park the #111 car due to continuing brake pad issues. Although the team was disappointed with the double DNFs, the cars proved very competitive against the field with the team collecting useful data and gaining greater insight into the Legacy platform under extended racing conditions.
Similar to last year, the Grand-Am race at VIR over the weekend was combined with a GT Live event which offered XDL stunt bike and drifting demonstrations along with a round of the Redline Time Attack series, drawing a broader than typical audience. Different this year was Subaru South Central Region's partnership with GT Live offering local Subaru owners special parking, free go kart sessions, rides in the SRT USA Gp N STI with guest driver Matthew Johnson and rides with guest driver Tarzan Yamada in last year's SRRT Legacy race wagon. A big hit with Subaru owners and a draw with non-owners, all the sponsorship elements worked well to bring both Subaru owners and the import performance crowd plus traditional roadracing enthusiasts an opportunity to witness and experience the full complement of Subaru Motorsports.
Stay tuned for future related events and announcement relating to 2008 plans for SRRT.
Sponsors for ICY/Phoenix Racing include Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STi), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), Automotive Racing Products, Lista, Rotary Lifts, JRZ, EcuTek, Perrin, Cusco, and Racing Radios. Back to Top
Subaru Road Racing Team Goes for Three in a Row at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah
Legendary Japanese Drifter, Time Attack Record-Holder and Road Racer Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada to Join Team as Guest Driver.
Phoenixville, PA, September 12, 2007 - The Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) heads for Utah to compete in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge race on September 14. This new Grand-Am team has been spectacular in its first four outings, taking pole position in its season-opening effort at Homestead-Miami, chasing a podium finish at Laguna Seca, then following that with 1st-place finishes at Lime Rock and at Mid-Ohio.
The event at the new Miller Motorsports Park represents the 12th round of the Koni Challenge this season - the fifth in SRRT's 2007 schedule. Of interest is the length of the track - 4.486 miles, which makes it the longest road course in America.
SRRT campaigns two race-prepared Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.Bs in the Koni Challenge Street Tuner (ST) class. Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes pilot the #111 Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B, while teammates Dave Rosenblum and Davy Jones share driving duties behind the identically prepared #141 Legacy. The Hemmingson/Skavnes pairing has been responsible for the team wins to date.
Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada will join the SRRT as guest driver. Over the last 25 years, "Tarzan" has competed in a variety of motorsports in his native Japan. These include Formula 3, sedan racing, drifting, and time attack. Yamada is a driving superstar in Japan and his driving prowess plus unique personality have gained him notoriety beyond Japan including in the United States. You'll be able to see him at the wheel of a Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B in the Koni Challenge at Miller Park.
The Koni Challenge ST Class features close, spirited competition, with mandatory driver changes at mid-race for each event. Come watch SRRT go for three in a row at Miller Motorsports Park! Read more about SRRT at www.icyracing.com.
Sponsors for ICY/Phoenix Racing include Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STi), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), Automotive Racing Products, Lista, Rotary Lifts, JRZ, EcuTek, Perrin, Cusco, and Racing Radios. Back to Top
Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes capture a second consecutive win for Subaru Road Racing Team in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, June 24, 2007 – In its fourth outing this year, Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) garnered its second 1st-place finish today at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Once again, Hemmingson/Skavnes drove the #111 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B to the top spot on the podium in the Street Tuner (ST) class.
Throughout the weekend, team car #111 performed well, thanks to its meticulous set-up by the team. Qualifying in the 4th grid position, Hemmingson and Skavnes drove a successful race utilizing insightful pit strategy. Early full-course cautions extended the window for the driver-change pit stop, enabling the Hemmingson/Skavnes driver pair to remain atop the entire ST field with one pit stop. That and stellar driving by Hemmingson and Skavnes gave car #111 the victory with less than a gallon of fuel in the tank at race end.
“We gambled on fuel with the #111,” said James Han, from Subaru of America, Inc. “The car was running well and our drivers navigated the car ahead of the pack. Our pit strategy was spot on; we decided to roll the dice and go for broke!”
Meanwhile, Dave Rosenblum and Davy Jones continue to chase down car set-up in their #141 SRRT entry. But despite scant practice time and a flat tire during the race, the Rosenblum/Jones pairing was able to finish in the top half of the 33-car field, placing 12th. Jones coasted into the pits “on fumes” at the checkered flag.
According to team principal Dave Rosenblum, “In a year of testing the waters in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge racing series, we’ve already gone beyond expectations. On a limited schedule, the team has won two of the four races that we’ve entered, placed in the top 10 consistently, plus earned a pole position.”
The team expects to enter at least two more events this year. Look for SRRT in the Koni Challenge ST races at Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, Utah) September 12-15 and at Virginia International Raceway (Alton, Virginia) October 5-7. Back to Top
