Subaru Rally Team USA Wins SCCA Ojibwe Forests ProRally; - Subaru WRX Rally Cars Claim Overall Wins in Open and Group N Classes -

    BEMIDJI, Minn., Aug. 20 Subaru Rally Team USA continued
its winning ways at this weekend's SCCA Ojibwe Forests ProRally, scoring wins
in the Open and Group N classes.  The championship leading team of Mark Lovell
and Steve Turvey piloted their 2002 Subaru WRX to first overall and first in
Open class, while the Group N entry of Karl Scheible and Brian Maxwell came
home first in class and third overall.  The class wins firmly plant Subaru
atop the leaderboard in the quest for the 2001 SCCA ProRally Manufacturer's
Championship.
    Lovell and Turvey battled strong charges from the Hyundai team of Paul
Choiniere and Jeff Becker and Seamus Burke and Frank Cunningham in a
Mitsubishi EVO VI.  However, Choiniere and Becker's hopes were dashed with a
rollover on stage 6.  Burke and Cunningham chased Lovell and Turvey deep into
the night on day 2, but had to settle for second overall, just 56 seconds
behind Lovell and Turvey.
    "The car feels really strong now and the early teething problems from
Maine are now gone," said Lovell.  "There are still a few more things we can
do before this car is at its optimum performance.  We look forward to the next
round in Olympia with great anticipation."
    Scheible and Maxwell inherited the overall lead when the Vermont Sports
Car-prepared Subaru WRX STi driven by Ramana Lageman and Russ Hughes
encountered fuel pump problems on the second-to-last stage.  The Group N
victory further extends Scheible and Maxwell's lead in the championship over
Lageman and Hughes, 42 to 28.
    Other notable Subaru finishers included the fourth overall Open class
Impreza of Steve Gingras and Bill Westrick, and the eighth overall Open class
Impreza of Paul Eklund and co-driver Scott Huhn.  Nat T-Stow and co-driver
Amity Trowbridge drove a new Subaru Impreza WRX to an impressive first place
in the Production GT class, ninth overall.
    Catch Subaru Rally Team USA in Olympia, Washington for the SCCA Wild West
ProRally on September 7-8.  Follow all the results at http://www.rally.Subaru.com and
check local Speedvision listings for SCCA ProRally event coverage.

    About the Team
    A truly world-class effort, Subaru Rally Team USA is a collaboration
between Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STi) and Subaru
World Rally Team representative, Prodrive.  Subaru Rally Team USA's drivers
include reigning SCCA ProRally Group N Champion Karl Scheible and British
National Rally Champion, Mark Lovell.  Scheible, along with co-driver Brian
Maxwell, will pilot a 2002 Impreza WRX in the Group N class, while Lovell and
co-driver Steve Turvey will compete for top honors in the Open class.

    About Subaru of America, Inc.
    Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd. of Japan.  Subaru pioneered the concept of the passenger
car/sport-utility vehicle with the introduction of the Subaru Outback, the
"World's First Sport Utility Wagon." The Subaru Legacy is the best-selling
All-Wheel Drive car sold in America, based on the Polk Company retail
registration statistics as of 12/31/00.

    Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes
Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 582 dealers across
the United States.  All Legacy and Outback models sold in the United States
are produced at the Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc. manufacturing plant near
Lafayette, Ind.  Over the past eight years, the company has achieved
year-over-year retail sales increases thanks to its popular line of car-based
sport utility vehicles, and is among the fastest growing brands in the
automobile industry.

    CONTACT:   Rob Moran
               Subaru of America, Inc.
               (856) 488-3326
               rmoran@subaru.com

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