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Subaru Rally Team USA Finishes Fourth Overall At SCCA Wild West ProRally

Subaru Rally Team USA Finishes Fourth Overall At SCCA Wild West ProRally

          Subaru Rally Cars Take Six of Top Ten Finishing Positions

    SHELTON, Wash., Sept. 10 Subaru Rally Team USA's Group N
team of Karl Scheible and Brian Maxwell battled choking dust to steer their
2002 Subaru Impreza WRX home fourth overall, second in class, at this
weekend's Wild West round of the SCCA ProRally championship.  Scheible and
Maxwell drove a smart rally to essentially clinch the Group N championship,
finishing closely behind the Subaru team of Ramana Lagemann and Russ Hughes in
their Vermont Sports Car Impreza WRX STi.  As a result, Subaru retains its
lead in the SCCA ProRally Manufacturer's Championship.
    The Open class Impreza WRX of Mark Lovell and Steve Turvey were the team
to beat during Leg 1, with the British duo posting faster times than eventual
race winner Richard Tuthill and John Bennie in a Mitsubishi Mirage.  However,
Lovell and Turvey's hopes were quickly dashed when a delaminated tire also
claimed the wiring harness, effectively cutting power to the engine and ending
their rally on the long 28.5-mile stage.  Stage 9 also claimed the Hyundai
Tiburon of Paul Choiniere and Jeff Becker, forcing the team to retire with
terminal turbocharger failure at the next service.  Irishmen Seamus Burke and
Frank Cunningham continued their occupation of the podium, finishing second
overall in their Mitsubishi EVO VI.
    Other notable Subaru finishers included the fifth overall Production GT
class Subaru WRX of Nat T-Stow and Jamie "Subie Gal" Thomas, the sixth overall
Open class Impreza of Paul Eklund and Scott Huhn and the eighth overall
Impreza of Lon Peterson and Bill Gutzman.  Subaru Rally Team USA will head to
Arizona for the Prescott Forest round of the SCCA ProRally Championship,
October 5-7.  Consult your local Speedvision listings for SCCA ProRally event
coverage and follow Subaru Rally Team USA news and results on
http://www.rally.Subaru.com.

    About Subaru Rally Team USA
    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 reining 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 of Subaru of America, +1-856-488-3326 or
rmoran@subaru.com.

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