Hayes earned his status as the heavy pre-race favorite based on both his early-season form (two wins, two poles, four lap leader points, and the championship lead) and track record in Sonoma (four of the last six SuperBike wins). The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha man proceeded to live up to that advanced billing by claiming the provisional pole aboard his #1 YZF-R1 with nearly a full second to spare on the strength of a fast time of 1:36.032.

However, despite the one-sided leaderboard in his favor, Hayes stated that he hopes to improve significantly overnight.

“All-in-all, we seemed to be able to put together some decent laps,” Hayes said. “We had a good run of laps in the ’36s. I think we’ll definitely go and sit down and see if we can make some improvements and make the bike a bit better.

“I’ve kind of been on about the same pace it seems like for three years and I definitely want to see if I can increase our pace a little bit and make some headway on what we’ve been doing for the last couple years. We’re going to sit down in the truck, take a look at things, and hopefully tomorrow morning we’ll go about implementing some of those changes.”

The double class champ managed his quick time despite the day’s windy conditions, which directly led to a red flag midway through the session. The wind repeatedly resulted in riders misjudging their corner entrance, forcing them to cut the course as they were pushed deep entering the chicane.

Hayes explained, “With a tailwind blowing you in there and then a couple of gusts, it’s actually really difficult getting it stopped. Even on my fast lap I missed the apex pretty bad and was pretty slow around the second part of it.”

While the lion’s share of the attention understandably centers on the rivalry of Hayes and last season’s AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike runner-up, Blake Young, the two were split up on the Friday order by another intriguing story.

The Yoshimura Racing Suzuki star was relegated to fourth on Friday by the twin EBRs of reigning AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Champion Danny Eslick and his teammate, Geoff May.

Eslick narrowly put the Team Hero Moto EBR 1190RS second on the day at 1:36.976, just edging ahead of May’s AMSOIL Hero Moto EBR 1190RS (1:36.983) and Young’s Yoshimura Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 (1:36.985).

Hayes praised the fast-rising EBR riders, who are quickly becoming a factor near the front of the National Guard SuperBike field: “The boys are riding them pretty well I guess. This might end up to be a good racetrack for them. I did see Geoff this morning — and the one thing I noticed is the bike doesn’t wheelie that much. He jumped off the last turn and actually had a really good run. If you can utilize a bike that does that well, there are a lot of areas of this racetrack that will play to your favor.”

In what proved to be an exceptionally tight qualifying session outside of the clear leadership of Hayes, Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom was pushed down to Row 2 despite running just two tenths off the runner-up at 1:37.193.

Bostrom was joined on the provisional second row by Kneedraggers.com/Motul/Fly Racing Suzuki pilot David Anthony, EvanSteelPerformance.com BMW’s Jake Holden, and National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden.

Attack Performance Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp and KTM/HMC Racing’s Chris Fillmore rounded out the top ten while Road Atlanta double-podium finisher Josh Herrin ranked in 11th. The rookie worked hard to acclimate himself to the difficult task of hustling a powerful 200+ horsepower SuperBike around the tight and twisty confines of Infineon Raceway.

Hayes will look to keep his perfect bonus point streak intact in Saturday morning’s final qualifying session, prior to shifting his focus to the day’s 22-lap AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike final.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

Castrol Triumph Latus Motors pilot Jason DiSalvo was tough at Infineon Raceway on Friday, leading the Daytona SportBike class with a time of 1:38.159. DiSalvo won both the class races at Infineon Raceway last year. On Friday, he said he felt like “a metronome” as he clicked off fast laps. “We’d made some small changes all throughout the session and I think that lap was the culmination of three or four adjustments,” said DiSalvo.

A strong wind was a factor on Friday, but Cameron Beaubier was second fastest in his first event back after an injury. Beaubier (Y.E.S. /Graves/Yamaha) was able to hold back series points leader Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki). Jake Gagne (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull) earned the provisional front row as the newcomer continues to impress.

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport

In AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport, Dustin Dominguez set the fastest time of the session to earn provisional pole on his Castrol Triumph Daytona 675. Dominguez, who earned third place in the last events at Road Atlanta, set his fast time on his final lap. “We’re continuing to get better every lap,” said Dominguez.

Feld Motor Sports® announced today the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, schedule for the world’s premier indoor, off-road motorcycle racing circuit. The championship will once again feature a 17-race season, visiting the country’s most recognizable stadiums in 10 different states, in addition to an international stop in Canada’s largest city, Toronto.

Cross Club members will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets on May 7-8. Following the Cross Club opportunity a Ticketmaster pre-sale will take place on May 9-10 before going on-sale nationally on May 11. Joining the Cross Club is free and can be done by clicking here: http://www.supercrossonline.com/crossclub/. Cross Club member will receive an exclusive email before the Cross Club on sale on Monday, May 7 with on-sale information including presale codes for purchasing tickets online.

“The 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, schedule will once again showcase what will arguably be the sport’s deepest field ever inside the world’s premier stadiums,” said Charlie Mancuso, President, Feld Motor Sports. “After reaching milestones in 2012, with sell-outs at the two races at Angel Stadium and the Georgia Dome, Monster Energy Supercross also posted record numbers at the Edward Jones Dome and the tour is on pace to garner the highest attendance figures in the sport’s history. This success clearly identifies that the growing popularity of the sport and will serve as a springboard for 2013. From returning veterans like Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, James Stewart and Chad Reed to Supercross Class rookie Justin Barcia, who will make his premier class debut, fans will be treated to an epic season to look forward to in 2013. Cross Club Members should take advantage of the May 7-8 exclusive on-sale date to ensure they have the best seats for this highly anticipated season.”

“In 2012, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, has delivered competitive racing, several surprises and superlative highs, culminating with Ryan Villopoto’s successful defense of his AMA No. 1 plate,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “We are looking forward to working with Feld Motor Sports to produce another brilliant year of racing, and the 2013 schedule is perfectly suited to showcase what has become the most fan-friendly stadium-based motorsport event in the world. For many amateur racers around the country, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, represents the pinnacle of their professional dreams, and we’re proud of our work with Feld Motor Sports to elevate this professional championship, as well as our support of the AMA-sanctioned amateur competition that will get them there.”

“I had the pleasure of attending the Houston race of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and can easily understand why this championship keeps the many fans around the world thrilled,” said FIM President Mr Vito Ippolito. “Monster Energy Supercross offers great entertainment and top sport to all its aficionados. Ryan Villopoto was the dominant rider this year and has secured the championship at an early stage this season. But it did not stop the fans from attending the remaining races. This says it all about the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. A total of 17 races are on next year’s calendar that will start off again in Anaheim on January 5, 2013. Save the date!”

For the 22nd time in four decades of competition, Angel Stadium, in Anaheim, Calif., will serve as the site of the opening race of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season. The proverbial home of supercross will host two of the 17 races, on January 5 and February 2, signifying the first and fifth stops, respectively.

The most significant change for the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season is the championship’s return to the legendary Metrodome in Minneapolis, ending a four-year hiatus from the venue. The home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings has been a staple of Monster Energy Supercross, and with the emergence Belle Plaine’s Ryan Dungey in recent years, will surely be one of the most popular stops on the schedule.

In total, the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship will challenge the world’s best riders with 17 races over the span of 18 weeks. The schedule will run through all but one weekend in January, February, March, and April, before coming to a dramatic conclusion the first weekend in May inside Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, where three champions will be crowned across the Supercross Class, Supercross Lites Western Regional Class, and Supercross Lites Eastern Regional Class.

In addition to the aforementioned stops, Monster Energy Supercross will make stops at familiar cities such as Phoenix (1/12), Los Angeles (1/19), Oakland (1/26), San Diego (2/9), Arlington (2/16), Atlanta (2/23), St. Louis (3/2), Indianapolis (3/16), Toronto (3/23), Houston (4/6), Seattle (4/20), and Salt Lake City (4/27).

Following his historic title run in 2012, back-to-back champion Ryan Villopoto will lead the field into action aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki, fending off the likes of former champions Ryan Dungey, James Stewart, and Chad Reed, along with past race winners Kevin Windham, Trey Canard, Davi Millsaps, and more.

Date Venue City
January 5 Angel Stadium Anaheim, Calif.
January 12 Chase Field Phoenix
January 19 Dodger Stadium Los Angeles
January 26 O.Co Coliseum Oakland, Calif.
February 2 Angel Stadium Anaheim, Calif.
February 9 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego
February 16 Cowboys Stadium Arlington, Texas
February 23 Georgia Dome Atlanta
March 2 Edward Jones Dome St. Louis
*March 9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.
March 16 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis
March 23 Rogers Centre Toronto
April 6 Reliant Stadium Houston
April 13 Metrodome Minneapolis
April 20 CenturyLink Field Seattle
April 27 Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City
May 4 Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas

*Not a Feld Motor Sports Race

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive and http://twitter.com/supercrosslive.

About Feld Motor Sports®
, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

###

The storyline and the results of the 2012 Oregon Trail Rally mimicked the 2011 edition of the event with Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins again leading from the start and pulling away for victory. The win, his fourth Oregon Trail Rally career victory, vaults Higgins even farther out of reach of his rivals in the points standings as he seeks to defend his 2011 Rally America Championship title. Higgins and his co-driver Craig Drew kept their mettle while at the wheel of their BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2012 Subaru WRX STI after their closest challenger dropped out of the event and Higgins ran nearly unchallenged for a large portion of the event.

The Oregon Trail Rally began Friday evening with short mixed-surface spectator friendly stages at Portland International Raceway where Higgins jumped to a nine second lead by winning all four stages. For Saturday and Sunday, teams moved on to the technical and fast gravel roads east of Portland in the shadow of Mt. Hood along the Columbia River Gorge.

Higgins’ dominating win at Oregon had its only hiccup early on the second day as he slid off a slippery, rain soaked, corner at high speed. The #75 Subaru WRX STI literally bounced back on the road but the encounter with the scenery inflicted moderate damage to the suspension along with mild body damage. Higgins was able to drive back to the subsequent scheduled service and a quick repair from his service crew put his STI back on the charge. Higgins soon learned that his arch rival Antoine L’Estage was out of the event with a mechanical problem which meant Higgins could set a more prudent pace for the remainder of the event, driving just fast enough to maintain and even extend his lead without taking any undue risks. He went on to win by a margin of nearly four and a half minutes plus won 12 of the event’s 16 special stages.

“This is a big win for us and gives us a really firm grip on the championship,” explained Higgins. “We took maximum points and Antoine [L’Estage], our closest rival, did not finish, so it couldn’t have gone any better really. Our Subaru was just perfect, it’s so well suited for these conditions and really proved this weekend to be equally as tough too.”

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., “We’re coming away from Oregon with a commanding points lead, but our team will continue pushing our technical development agenda forward through the balance of rallies in the 2012 season. “

Subaru Rally Team USA welcomes PUMA as a new sponsor. The sportlifestyle brand becomes the official supplier of team and racewear and an exclusive licensing partner to the team for footwear and apparel. PUMA also is the official team sponsor of the Subaru PUMA RallyCross Team of Dave Mirra, Sverre Isachsen, and Bucky Lasek.

Subaru Rally Team USA next travels to Wellsboro, Pa., for round four of the Rally America National Championship, the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally on June 2, 2012.

Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), PUMA, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Exedy, Motul, and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries, visit subaru.com/rally and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter:twitter.com/srtusa.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

This press release is available at www.media.subaru.com

After a successful debut last year, South Point Casino will once again host the world’s fastest amateur arenacross riders as they take center stage in Las Vegas this May. The 13th annual Amateur National Arenacross Championship (ANAC) will feature a loaded weekend of action from inside South Point Arena, on the famous Las Vegas Strip. On-track activities kick off Friday, May 4, with a full slate of competition on Sunday, May 6, when champions will be crowned. In all, 27 different classes of competition – from beginners to experts – will compose one of the single-largest weekends of amateur racing in all of motocross.

Through the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, hundreds of riders of all ages and skill levels have been competing for their shot at a chance to win an AMA national title. Over the course of the 12 rounds that compose the AMA Arenacross Series, riders have qualified from one of five different regions – North, South, East, West and Central – at the Amateur Day races that took place every Sunday following professional action. In total, 540 of the nation’s fastest amateur competitors will converge on Las Vegas, with a total of 26 riders ultimately emerging as an AMA National Champion.

In the highly-talented Experts class, the top 10 finishers from ANAC will receive the sought-after AMA Lites Class Endorsement, which makes them eligible to compete in the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.

Friday will serve as a day of practice and qualifying for the Amateur National Arenacross Championship, where each competitor will battle for their race day gate selections. The first four main events of the weekend will bring Friday night to a close. On Sunday, eliminations begin for the remaining 23 classes of competition until a rider is crowned as an AMA National Champion for each respective class.

Tickets for the 2012 Amateur National Arenacross Championship are on sale now. Gates and pits open promptly at 8 a.m. for Sunday’s action, with racing set to start shortly thereafter. All competitions will be hosted within the spacious South Point Arena, which has established itself as the new home for the Amateur National Arenacross Championship.

A full day of the most exciting amateur racing in the world costs just $35 for general admission seating (service charges, facility, and handling fees may apply). Pit access is free to all fans in attendance with a valid ticket.

Tickets are available for purchase at the South Point Box Office, by phone at 866-796-7111, or online at SouthPointArena.com.

The 2012 Amateur National Arenacross Championship weekend schedule is posted below:

Friday, May 4
1:15 PM First Session of Practice and Timed Qualifying Begins
3:15 PM Final Sessions of Timed Qualifying Begins
6:00 PM Main Events for 85cc (9-15), Expert, Pit Bike, and 65cc (7-11) Classes

Saturday, May 5
11:00 AM – 3:00PM Shuttles from South Point to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Finals
at Sam Boyd Stadium for ANAC riders, friends, and family
10:30 PM – 12:00AM Shuttles from Sam Boyd Stadium to South Point for ANAC riders,
friends, and family

Sunday, May 6
8:00 AM Final Practice, followed by Heat Races for Remaining Classes
12 Noon Opening Ceremonies, followed by Main Events for Remaining Classes

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series returns for the 2012 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

Never miss out on the latest news! Follow the AMA Arenacross Series on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!

About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

Santee, CA February 29, 2012 – FOX—the industry-leading ride dynamics company— equipped rock racer, Erik Miller, wins his first King of the Hammers, becoming one of three FOX drivers to win the race since its inception five years ago. FOX now has four of the five titles to its credit with Shannon Campbell’s two wins in 2008 and 2011, and Jason Scherer bringing home the win in 2009.

Erik Miller crossed the finish line after 6 hours of controlled chaos besting second place by nearly thirteen minutes. Miller previously finished fifth in 2010, fourteenth in 2011. The win-defining choice that attributed to his 2012 victory was his decision to purchase a set of FOX Bypass shocks and Coil-overs from his local dealer.

The 2012 edition of King of the Hammers (KOH) was the largest yet, drawing 134 competitors and thousands of spectators from across the globe to Johnson Valley, CA. As the event grows, so does the caliber of the competition and level of suspension technology to gain that competitive edge. KOH is a unique race in that it combines two disciplines of racing from both ends of the offroad spectrum, and everything in between, to pit man and machine against the most extreme, natural terrain the Mojave Desert has to dish out.

To finish strong—let alone win—teams must design their vehicles for optimum performance in the methodical and meticulous rock climb sections for the long, wide-open sections where they reach break-neck speeds of up to 120mph. This is where an intimate understanding of the wide range of terrain dynamics is crucial to getting a perfectly tuned suspension system for the driver’s vehicle is a distinct advantage. With every vehicle having its own distinct characteristics, there is no one-suspension-fits-all solution.

The Miller Rock Racing Team made the cross-country trip from Maryland to Johnson Valley, CA for a weeklong scouting and suspension-tuning mission with the aid of a fellow rock racer and KOH veteran, Wayne Israelson over the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday.

“I needed a suspension system that I could rely on. The advice I got from Lucas Murphy and Shannon Campbell was to make the move to FOX—they build a great product that has been proven time and time again,” said Erik Miller. “The improvements were immediately noticeable. I picked up 20mph in the desert, got rid of the rear end kicking, made the car fly level, and eliminated our bottoming issues.”

Larry McRae was another highlight out of the FOX camp by winning the Modified class and taking second overall in the first KOH Every Man Challenge. McRae was piloting a Jeep JK that was highly modified by Poison Spyder Customs.

“In just five years, King of the Hammers has grown to be one of the premier events in offroad racing,” said John Marking, VP of OFFROAD at FOX, “Erik Miller’s win marks our fourth KOH title and we’ll be working hard with our drivers to capture win number five in 2013.”

Drivers interested in riding on FOX may apply to the OFFROAD Race Program here: http://foxshox.info/orjoin

FOX redefines ride dynamics for ATVs, mountain bikes, motocross, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, trucks, and UTVs. In 1974, Bob Fox redefined the world of motocross suspension with the FOX AirShox and for over three decades, FOX’s team of enthusiasts and professional athletes have been uniquely committed to redefining ride dynamics that improve your performance. Global Headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Watsonville, CA, with its Offroad Division and manufacturing in Santee, CA, and a Midwest Service Center in Brainerd, MN. FOX distributes its products in more than 40 countries.

Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino piloted their 2012 Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. to a sixth Rally in the 100 Acre Wood title on February 24-25th, 2012, in Salem, MO. The team won 15 of the 17 stages in a hard-fought battle on the extremely fast Ozark Mountain roads and squeaked out a 29.3 second victory over Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins and Craig Drew.

From the very beginning Block set a blistering pace outpacing his rivals to lead after day one. On the first leg of the second day, Block lost time to Higgins with a pair of tire punctures and suspension damage. After service, the team made up their lost time and pushed hard during the last two stages to secure the victory.

“I’m stoked about winning my 6th Rally in the 100 Acre Wood,” said Block. “The battle against David Higgins was intense on every stage. He’s the current Rally America champ and one of the people who helped teach me how to race a rally car when I first got started, so to finally compete against him on this level was great, I really enjoyed it. I’m definitely looking forward to running against him again later this year in Olympus.”

David Higgins’ second-place overall finish keeps the team on top of the 2012 Rally America National Championship standings.

Three-time Polish Rally Champion, WRC and Dakar Rally driver, Krzysztof Holowczyc took the third podium position in his Art Logisitics Racing Team Mitsubishi EVO. The team was slightly off the pace after replacing an engine damaged during testing, but managed to take advantage of some key competitor retirements to make the podium.

Most notably, Rockstar Energy Drinks’s Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, last year’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood overall winners, broke a transmission on stage 4. The characteristically reliable team was battling with Block and Higgins, and within seconds of the factory-backed teams before their mechanical failure ended their run.

Deeper in the field, Canadian Rally Championship contender, Leonid Urlichich with co-driver Carl Williamson, broke a tie-rod on stage 9 to end their top-10 run. Chinese rally driver, Rick Song with co-driver Martin Brady, broke their engine on stage 8 leaving the race in the ninth overall position.

Lauchlin O’Sullivan and Scott Putnum won the Super Production Class coming from behind to snatch victory from current SP Class leaders Travis and Terry Hanson by 43.9 seconds. O’Sullivan overcame various car problems to overtake the Hansons when their car verged on the brink of overheating in the last few stages. The win is particularly sweet as the team adjusts to the only Mitsubishi EVO in the class.

Chris Duplessis and Karl Atkinson repeated their 2WD Class success with another first-place finish after winning the season-opening Sno*Drift Rally in dominant fashion. Andrew Comrie-Picard and Brian O’Kane pushed hard on the second day to snatch second in class, besting third-place finishers, Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner by a narrow 2.8 seconds!

Four 2WD Class cars placed in the top 10 overall as evidence that Rally America’s 2WD drivers can beat cars with twice the horsepower and place in the upper third of the 65-car field.

The husband and wife team of Henry and Krolikowski piloted their Open Class 2000 Subaru Impreza to the Tresspassers Will Regional Rally victory, and Justin Pritchard and Ryan Scott took their Open Light Class Subaru Impreza to the 100 Acre Wood Regional Rally finish.

Fans who couldn’t attend the event were able to watch tape-delayed driver interviews and stage rally action on www.rally-america.com.

The third round of the Rally America National Championship takes place at the Oregon Trail Rally May 4-6 in Portland, OR.

Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins, the defending Rally America National Champion, has significantly extended his 2012 championship points lead with a second place finish at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Higgins’ two primary season-long rivals failed to finish the event thus providing even more impact to Higgins’ second place points-haul. The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, round two of the 2012 Rally America National Championship included over 100 miles of extremely fast and flowing gravel roads that traversed the foothills of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains. Higgins, joined by co-driver Craig Drew, competed in a BFGoodrich Tires-shod 2012 Subaru WRX STI rally car.

Higgins began the event with a three-way duel with Antoine L’Estage, his archrival in the Rally America Championship, and Ken Block, a five-time winner of the 100 Acre Wood Rally. The trio was separated by just seconds after running the first three stages when L’Estage exited the rally with a mechanical problem, leaving just Block and Higgins in a fierce battle at the front of the field. Dry conditions meant this year’s edition of the 100 Acre Wood Rally was an extremely dusty affair, and Higgins was slowed considerably by hanging dust as the winds dissipated on the evening stages. Higgins ended the first day of competition 18 seconds adrift of Block.

With Higgins’ chief championship rival L’Estage out of the event and mindful that Block is not committed to running the full Rally America Championship, Higgins took the measured approach to find a balance between catching Block and driving prudently enough to ensure a solid finish which would net valuable championship points towards retaining the title. Higgins capitalized on a tire puncture that Block suffered on day-two and was able to close the gap to briefly take over the lead. The rival drivers were separated by just over 12 seconds heading into the final two evening stages of the rally. A final push by Higgins wasn’t possible though, as Higgins, running behind Block on the road, encountered Block’s hanging dust and was forced to slow considerably and eventually accepted a solid second place overall finish.

“The pace here was just amazing,” explained Higgins. “It was a great battle and ultimately I’d like to have been able to win but Ken [Block] is very fast here, and it simply became a matter of safety to push too much in the dust. However, this result is huge for our championship defense since Antoine [L’Estage] and Leo [Urlichich] didn’t finish. We now have a very good cushion atop the standings and our Subaru will excel on the more technical gravel roads in the upcoming events.”

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., “David and [co-driver] Craig [Drew] confirmed the pace capable from our Subaru WRX STI and drove a smart rally to consolidate our championship points position under very challenging driving conditions. Both David and Ken [Block] put on an incredible performance for spectators this weekend.”

Higgins and head next to the Oregon Trail Rally, May 4-6, 2012 based in Portland, Oregon.

About Subaru Rally Team USA

Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, PIAA, Motul, and VP Racing Fuels. For more information on Subaru Rally Team USA, as well as exclusive photo and video galleries, visit subaru.com/rally and for the latest news follow the team on Twitter: twitter.com/srtusa.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Follow the Subaru of America Facebook page and subaru_usa on Twitter.

Kyle Busch was looking to lead his new Nationwide Series team down a winning path in Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and was inches away from accomplishing his goal. The owner-driver started from the 24th position and overcame several obstacles early in the race to put his team in a position for the win on the final lap. Just as the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry appeared to have narrowly cleared an accident off Turn 4, Busch was clipped from behind and sent spinning down the fronstretch. With severe damage to his Toyota, he was unable to make his way to the start-finish line and completed with an 18th place finish.
Upon race completion Kyle described, “I don’t know where to start. I don’t know what happened, but a great race car. Phenomenal job by the guys. We kind of battled back from being behind much of the day. Ran up front for much of the day too, so we were kind of back and forth a little bit. Just a great race pushing with Kurt (Busch) and working with him an awful lot and being able to get up there. I thought we had the race won and then those guys were coming on the top and I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s see where we settle in here.’ I thought when they all crashed up high that I was clear. I shot low — as low as I could and then somebody tagged me in the back and just hooked me dead right. It was a really, really hard hit and then there were a few more after that. It just seemed like they kept coming. I swore when they all went up high — I was the leader for a second and I was like, ‘I won this thing, it’s over — I can see the checkered flag.’ Then within a split second of that I was in the fence and wrecked. I can’t say enough about Monster Energy and everybody there — all the guys that built this thing. It was a fast Camry. It was fun.”

Team spirits were high upon completion of Thursday’s practice session when Kyle visited the top of the speed chart. Through various tandem draft segments with Kasey Kahne and then with his brother Kurt, Kyle felt the race car was prepared to see it’s first on-track race activity and to be competitive. While the windy conditions influenced a 24th position qualifying run on Friday, the driver and team were still motivated for a positive race outcome.

Upon race start and with typical pack racing at Daytona, the Monster Energy Camry found itself separated from the pack by lap seven. “Those guys are crazy up there,” explained the team owner-driver as he watched lead cars bumping early. Although he lost some speed, Kyle and spotter agreed the position was safe for now, considering the aggressive behaviors up front. Kyle hooked up with the No. 27 car of David Ragan and started to work his way forward. The No. 54 Monster Energy Camry was running the fastest lap times of the field at this point, but had to work towards joining the front pack of cars.

With an early race caution on lap 29, Kyle reported to the crew members his right window was loose and it appeared a broken flap would require maintenance. Initial discussion was to tape the piece but with a subsequent pit stop the team replaced the whole window. This extra time on pit road yielded a four-tire pit stop with fuel and a window tear-away replacement.

The field went back to green on lap 35 with the No. 54 scored in the 31st position. By lap 42 the Monster Energy team was in the sixth position and by lap 45 in the fourth position, Kyle came over the radio to his spotter, “are we going to do this or what?” He was referring to making a tandem connection rather than continuing in the three-wide pack racing he was experiencing. In a superspeedway race such as Daytona, it’s important for the race team spotters to have communication with other driver’s spotters, in order to be the “eyes” on potential draft partners. Kyle ultimately hooked up with the No. 12 of Sam Hornish, Jr. and started to work together until another race caution presented at lap 49. Kyle talked on the radio during this break, reminding his spotter to assist with more verbal description of the cars around him in order to avoid a race incident.

The No. 54 team pitted during this time and conducted a fast pit stop for two right-side tires and fuel. However, leaving the pit box the team was presented with pit road traffic that resulted in damage to the car upon hitting the No. 88 and others speeding towards the pit-road exit. This damage caused the Kyle Busch Motorsports team to come back down pit road to fix the front right bumper and a small hood bubble. It turned out that a fender replacement was necessary since the previous damage had knocked in the nose so far it couldn’t be pulled out and the aerodynamics had been ruined. Seven laps later with the next race caution, the team was back on pit road to replace the front right fender and to make sure the tape job was secure.

The halfway point of the race showed the Monster Energy Camry team in the 35th position due to time spent on pit road. Once back on track and with car damage fixed, the team could see Kyle was still fast. The next challenge was to find a “dance partner” and when the No. 12 of Sam Hornish, Jr. presented itself again around the No. 54, they “engaged” and started to move forward. On lap 73, Kyle brought the Monster Energy car across the start-finish line in the first position, one of two total race lead laps he would make through the event.

Another race caution appeared on lap 74 with subsequent pit stops by the teams. At this point the No. 54 driver was anxious to align with his brother Kurt in the No. 1 Phoenix Racing Nationwide Series entry. The team crew chiefs agreed to take four tires during the pit sequence in order to put them together for race restart. Kyle explained to his spotter, “Tell Kurt I’ll leave him a hole and he can come up in front of me.” His intention was for Kurt to take the lead position in their two-car tandem upon race start at lap 80.

Over the next nine laps, the duo battled within the top ten among drivers such as previous Daytona winner Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano. Kyle advised the crew his water temperature gauge was broken at this point, so he had to watch fuel “spit” and switch positions with his brother in order to cool down the engine. On lap 89, the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry and the No. 1 Kurt Busch car were in positions one and two across the line.

A late race incident forced another yellow flag on lap 93. During a final pit stop for the day, the No. 54 team took fuel only and a clean window tear-off. Unfortunately, the team pitting in front of the Monster Energy car boxed us in leaving little room for exit. Kyle had to back the car up in order to maneuver leaving the pit area which put the team back in race position 19 on restart lap 98.

The last moments of the 120 lap event saw two big wrecks and a red-flag delay for track cleanup. This gave Kyle and brother Kurt one last chance to strategize which part of the track they would protect from the other tandem leaders. The final race restart on lap 118 scored Kyle and the No. 54 in the fourth position before being tagged from behind ending hopes of a history-making race finish for his KBM team’s NNS debut.

Upon exiting the infield care center, and physically okay, Kyle talked with the media, “We battled back. We had some adversity that we really didn’t want to see, but we had a good race car. The guys did a good job. I wish we would have finished this thing. We didn’t need a tore up race car like that. That one’s pretty much done.”

James Buescher of Turner Motorsports won his first Nationwide Series event followed by Brad Keselowski. Elliott Sadler, Cole Whitt and Austin Dillon completed the top-five finishers. There were eight caution periods for 35 laps of the race along with 38 lead changes, two of which were led by Kyle.

The next event on the NNS schedule is the March 3rd, Basha’s Supermarkets 300 with the race starting at 4:30 p.m. and pre-race coverage beginning at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2. Kyle will make his second start of the season behind the wheel of the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 54 Monster Energy Camry.

About Monster Beverage Corporation:

About Mad Media:

Mad Media (www.madmedia.com) is San Diego based marketing and creative agency offering professional print, web, and film production. They specialize in producing culturally relevant brand messaging using professional athletes, musicians, and artists. Mad Media focuses on sports and cultures that they are passionate about, including skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, motocross, FMX, BMX, off-road racing, rally racing, Hip-Hop, Punk Rock and Mixed Martial Arts. Mad Media has produced over twenty major commercial and viral film projects this year for clients such as Subaru of America, DC Shoes, Monster Energy Drink, and Harley-Davidson. Mad Media has been executing immersive marketing campaigns since 1996.

We Rock had their western season opener this week end in Congress Arizona. For those of you who are not familiar with Congress it is just north of Wickenberg. This town is so small that it you are trying to find a station on your radio and slightly distracted you could early miss it. I like the town the people are very nice and real, what you see is what you get. The actual event is just west of the town just remember to turn left just after passing a huge boulder that looks like a frog on to Cty Rd 62 (Date Creek Road) – just past mm 8 it is a right turn in to Thunder Rock Off Road Ranch.

We arrived just in time to meet the dedicated crew that is WE ROCK. Big Rich and Josh England gave us some great advise to keep us safe on these exciting and unpredictable courses.

I personally like natural courses over man made and I will tell you why. The natural courses change shape with every run as dirt and rocks shift and move, this makes it very difficult for the driver and spotter teams to pick a line to follow based on previous runs. call me a Redneck but the second thing I like about a natural course is that you are out in nature free to climb up on a hill or boulder and pick your vantage point or hang out next to the banners and taste the dust and talk to the professional drivers and spotters. Rock Crawling is one of the last sports that allow you to be up close and personal with the action. This is a family friendly sport.

I would love to give you a run down of the complete competition but with me and my crew running from one course to another it would confuse me and I was there. I have a better idea take a look at the photos taken by Lucas Gray and the Video taken by myself, Levi and Elijah Gray.
The scores speak for them selves.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PHOTOS!

The next time We Rock has an event get out with the family and experience the excitement first hand. check their web site for scheduling. www.werocklive.com The event was held at www.ThunderRockAZ.com
Wickedmag.com copyright 2012 Brian Gray

On Saturday at at 2:03 p.m., Erik Miller crossed the finish line to be crowned the 2012 King of the Hammers. Considered the toughest one day off-road race, Miller beat out 134 competitors to win the coveted title and $25,000 prize purse.

“There are one thousand opportunities to make mistakes out there,” Erik Miller explained at the finish line, “and we just try to make as few as possible.” The humble Miller was describing the secret to his success at the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers, where he finished the grueling 165-mile race in six hours and three minutes. “I could not have done this without the help of my friends. We have been in Johnson Valley for the past twelve days getting ready for this race,” the Maryland resident explained. Miller is no stranger to success; he was the 2010 International Endurance Champion and came in fifth at last year’s Griffin King of the Hammers. “I added Fox bypass shocks this year and they really helped me carry speed through the desert,” Miller revealed. He is the first East Coast competitor to win the prestigious title in the event’s six year history.

Finishing second was Rick Mooneyham of Trick Toys Fabrication, thirteen minutes behind Miller. “I just can’t seem to get this monkey off my back.” Mooneyham joked. The Havasu City, Arizona resident placed third in ’08 and ’09 and fourth in ’10, making him one of the most consistent Ultra4 racers of all time. Mooneyham qualified first in the 4Wheel Parts Time Trials, putting him first off the line. He was near the front of the pack for the entire race, but the two-lap format meant the frontrunner had to deal with traffic in the infamous Hammer trails regardless of starting position.

Third place went to last year’s King Shannon Campbell in his single-seat IFS buggy. Campbell overcame issues throughout the day and at one point was as far back as thirtieth, but he never gave up and finished in six hours and thirty three minutes. Like Mooneyham, Campbell drove a vehicle he fabricated himself. “I guess I am going to have to build something new for next year,” Campbell quipped. He is the only driver to have won two King of the Hammers and was the 2011 Ultra4 Series Champion.

This year, the crowd far exceeded expectations. Significant additions were made to the makeshift village known as “Hammertown” including a new short course and hot pit area. In an effort to increase safety and expand the race day experience for spectators, the promoters built a cutting-edge wireless camera to microwave system across the vast course to bring true live coverage to the fans in camp via jumbtron and a nine and a half hour webcast to fans across the country and globe.

About Griffin King of the Hammers:
Griffin King of the Hammers combines the multiple off-road disciplines of desert racing, rockcrawling, and short course into one event. The race has evolved from twelve teams racing for bragging righ