Subaru: Two podium positions at Rallye Défi Ste Agathe

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - Subaru is still the top-ranked manufacturer in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship following the Rallye Défi held in Ste Agathe des Monts, St. Sixte, Ripon and Montpellier, Québec. Two Subaru teams reached the podium and six cars finished in the top ten. Reigning Canadian champion Pat Richard , who was leading the eventual winner Antoine L'Estage in the early stages, was unable to complete the race due to a broken gearbox sustained when hitting a large rock on one of the high speed stages..

Finishing in second place were Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy of St-Constant, Québec (winners of the 2008 Subaru President's Cup), racing an Impreza WRX STI belonging to top Canadian rallyist Sylvain Erickson.

"It's unfortunate that Pat was not able to finish after having set some record stage times early in the event," said Henderson. "But I am really pleased to have been able to finish second and provide Subaru with some important Manufacturers points."

Finishing third in a 2004 Impreza WRX STI were driver Steve Hobbs and co-driver Jean-Mathieu Tremblay, both of Québec. The complete results are as follows:

    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Antoine L'Estage -
                                                     St-Jean-Richelieu, QC
                                                     Nathalie Richard -
    1   1:11:20  Mitsubishi EVO X 09    Open         St-Jean-Richelieu, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Craig Henderson -
                                                     St-Constant, QC
                                                     Lyne Murphy -
    2   1:14:27  Subaru Impreza STI 05  Open         St-Constant, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Steeve Hobbs -
                                                     St-Gédéon, QC
                                                     Jean-Mathieu Tremblay -
    3   1:17:38  Subaru WRX STI 04      Open         Saguenat, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Leo Urlichich -
                                                     Thornhill, ON
                                                     Martin Headland -
    4   1:18:08  Subaru WRX STI 07      Open         Caledon, ON
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Simon Losier -
                                                     Ste-Thérèse, QC
                                                     François Morin -
    5   1:18:18  Mitsubishi EVO 8 05    Open         Lac-aux-Sables, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Maxime Losier -
                                                     Blainville, QC
                                                     Philippe Poirier -
    6   1:19:04  Mitsubishi EVO 8 05    Open         Québec, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Bruno Carré -
                                                     Laval, QC
                                                     Yvan Joyal -
    7   1:19:10  Subaru Impreza 00      Open         Terrebonne, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Hardy Schmidtke -
                                                     Cochrane, AB
                                                     Adam Vokes -
    8   1:19:47  Subaru Impreza WRX 02  Product. GT  Red Deer, AB
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Martin Losier -
                                                     St-Donat, QC
                                                     Patrick Losier -
    9   1:20:29  Mitsubishi EVO V 99    Open         Laval, QC
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Martin Donnelly -
                                                     Toronto, ON
                                                     Dave Shindle -
    10  1:21:21  Subaru WRX 07          Open         Alexandria, VA
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

The penultimate event in the Canadian Rally Championship is the Pacific Forest Rally, which will run October 2-3 near Merritt, British Columbia.

For further information: Elaine Griffin, [phone]