Subaru Rally Team USA have announced a change to their driver lineup for Red Bull Global Rallycross Seattle this weekend.
The team will enter two cars, with former World Rally Championship star Chris Atkinson and eight-time Rally America champion David Higgins behind the wheel.
Atkinson’s return to the Red Bull GRC fold comes after his impressive début in Atlantic City last month which saw him compete in the top six all weekend before finishing the final in 11th after his charge was curtailed by a puncture.
“It was great fun in Atlantic City and I felt at home in the car pretty quickly, we had a good result beside the tire puncture so I’m really looking forward to taking it another step in Seattle,” said Atkinson. “I think the Seattle track should suit us well.”
David Higgins returns to Red Bull GRC for the first time since November 2015 – Credit: Subaru Rally Team USA
Higgins meanwhile will be making his first start since last season’s Las Vegas finale, becoming Subaru’s fourth driver this season. His 2016 bow comes via his lengthy partnership with Seattle-based rally school DirtFish.
“I can’t wait to get back into a GRC car, it’s been a busy rally season and so I haven’t had much time in the GRC car,” explains Higgins, whose best Red Bull GRC result was a second place at Pikes Peak in 2011. “The Subaru team has been working very hard all season developing the car and there is nothing I would like more than to repay them with a good result, especially in Seattle where the team has so many fans. Huge thanks to Dirtfish for helping to make it happen, they have been a sponsor of mine and of the team for some time and to be able to race nearby their school will be great fun.”
Meanwhile, the future of Subaru’s regular drivers Sverre Isachsen and Bucky Lasek remains unclear. Lasek shed a little light on the situation by telling a fan on Facebook that the decision on whether he would return for the final two rounds in Los Angeles next month was “out of my hands“, while Sverre Isachsen posted a good luck message to the team.
The team didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment regarding the lineup change.
The future of Lasek (pictured) and team mate Isachsen is unclear – Credit: Subaru Rally Team USA
