Recollections of a Titan of US Rallying By Jon Scoltock The ARA series is a different place in 2020. Getting back underway at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally was awesome and it’s great to see the series growing, but it still feels like a very different championship without David Higgins. David is a force that has dominated US rallying for many years, racking up 10 titles since 2002 so, while he is absent from the series this year, it still seemed a good enough excuse to use my second article…
Read MoreTag: david higgins
Higgins and Drew Move Up As Wales Rally GB Heads Into Darkness
7 times USA Rally Champion David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew gained positions as those in front suffered in the stormy conditions during the day Saturday. Massive amounts of rain, low hanging clouds, slippery mud, and standing water were the order of the day as remnants of hurricane Kate battered the Welsh countryside. Wales is used to heavy rain, however in this case they issued flood warnings and many outdoor events including a beloved rugby match were cancelled. Not Wales Rally GB though. The gravel roads in these Welsh forests are quite honestly…
Read MoreHiggins and Drew Storm Through Day 1 of Wales Rally GB
Day 1 of the final round of the World Rally Championship is coming to a close and we have of course been following the progress of Rally America multi-Champions David Higgins and Craig Drew. Competing in a McRae liveried JRM built 2015 Subaru WRS STI Group N R4, the two have stunned many on the rain soaked and slippery Welsh stages with their pace. Higgins told WRC Live Radio that other than a little issue with the brakes after service the car has been great and he’s enjoyed moving up the field.…
Read More2015 Lake Superior Performance Rally – Driver Previews Open
Welcome to the final installment of Open Paddock’s Lake Superior Performance Rally Driver Previews. Today we are talking about the top tomatos – Open Class. In case you missed our 2WD class preview click here, or if you missed the Super Production preview click here. You need to ask yourself one question before you start to actively follow LSPR today. Do you know who the guys in those pretty painted cars are? If you answered no to that question please keep reading. If you answered yes keep reading anyway, hubris…
Read More2015 New England Forest Rally – OpenPaddock’s Ones to Watch
Many have called this weekend’s 25th Anniversary New England Forest Rally the “Super Bowl” for rallying in America or even an All-Star event. And the big stars are what is drawing the initial attention to this event, however there is a lot going down at NEFR that goes well beyond the big names we all know so well. Okay, let’s start with those big names and get it out of the way. Yes indeed we have the return of Ken Block in his HFHV (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle) Ford Fiesta…
Read MoreDay 1 – 2015 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
The best description I’ve heard of the 2015 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood with its varying conditions and grip levels was a gravel version of Rally Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is well known for on a single stage for drives to go from dry pavement to ice to snow and back to try pavement again. At the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood it isn’t much different. Tire choice was critical as up and down the paddock teams were saying that at some points they would have really good grip from frozen gravel, but…
Read MoreRally – Subaru Rally Team USA New Livery & Wide Body Kit
Subaru released images today of the updated body kit for the #75 2015 WRX STi rally car driven by David Higgins and co-driven by Craig Drew. Of note is the wider stance in the rear of the car adding stability and the narrowed and more aerodynamic front grill. The new livery is also much improved in our opinion. This updated edition of the Subaru Rally Team USA car will be competing at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood this Friday and Saturday outside of Salem, Missouri. What do you…
Read More100 Acre Wood Rally Gets Boost With Last Minute Entries
I’ve been watching the entry list for the 100 Acre Wood Rally pretty closely, especially after the low car count that came to Sno*Drift last weekend. Although as I said in my review of that event here, Sno*Drift is a unique rally and isn’t probably the best test of what the season will look like going forward. Sno*Drift had only 36 entries of which 13 were national entries. As of this writing 100 Acre Wood has almost double at 60 cars on their entry list and 19 of those are…
Read MoreRALLY – David Higgins Wins Sno*Drift in New 2015 WRX STi
Round one of the Rally America National Championship kicked off this last weekend with the iconic Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan. The snow covered and icy roads of Montmorency County played host to both national and regional competitors with just 36 entries this year. Although a little light in car count vs. some of the past seasons, this is an event that seems to have an ebb and flow of entrants from year to year. What makes Sno*Drift so unique isn’t just that it is a winter rally, but that it is…
Read MoreRALLY – Subaru Rally Team USA Releases 2015 Car and Livery
So we finally have the new livery that Subaru Rally Team USA will be using for the 2015 season. 4 time consecutive Rally America Champion David Higgins and co-Driver Craig Drew will be piloting the new 2015 Subaru WRX STi sedan in the white wintery conditions of the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan this Friday and Saturday. Sno*Drift is round 1 of the Rally America National Championship. Subarus new livery is more dramatic than what they’ve used in the past, but still contains plenty of Subaru Rally Blue. What do you fans think of it? Let us…
Read More