Williston,
VT (January 22, 2013) -- Rally America announced today that it is adding the
Manufacturers' National Championship to the 2013 Rally America National
Championship, which begins at the season opener Sno*Drift Rally, in Atlanta,
MI, on January 25-26. Overall, Super Production (SP), Two-Wheel Drive (2WD),
and B-Spec Class teams will be eligible to compete in the battle of the
brands.
The
Manufacturers' National Championship will pit Rally America's most commonly
found manufacturer brands, such as Honda, Scion, Subaru, Ford, and
Mitsubishi, against one another. Every driver in the Overall, SP, 2WD, and
B-Spec Class has a stake in the manufacturer's outcome as the top finishing
car in each category wins that driver's brand a total of 22 points after each
round.
"This
creates even more excitement for the manufacturers, fans and teams this
year," said Bill Fogg, Sr., President of Rally America, "The
Manufacturers' National Championship heightens the participants already
overflowing competitive emotions."
Rally
America is also proud to announce the participating sponsors: Subaru of
America, Inc., Ford Racing and Honda Performance Development, which are
making this exciting new race competition open to all brands.
"The
re-introduction of a manufacturer's title signals a positive development for
Rally America and growth for the series. As a brand, Subaru is closely
associated with rallying which has been a core component of our motorsport
heritage," said
James
Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc.
Rally
America will recognize the manufacturer with the highest accumulated points,
in each class, at the season-ending Lake Superior Performance Rally on
October 16-17 in Houghton, MI with a yet to be named Manufacturer's Trophy.
"Winning
manufacturer championships is very important for Ford. Over the last
few years we've seen the level of manufacturers, competition and competitors
grow and we are excited Rally America is helping reignite the manufacturer
rivalry in the sport," said Scott Denby, Marketing and Strategy
Development Manager, Ford Racing, "There are many drivers who have
chosen to race a Ford in the series and we are pleased this championship will
allow a manufacturer to recognize every car that contributes throughout the
season."
"Today's
announcement is encouraging for the growth of rallying in North America,
where many racers already compete using Honda products," said Marc
Sours, Commercial Director, Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of
American Honda. "The addition of the B-Spec category in the championship
is particularly encouraging, as this is a great entry-level, cost-effective
class. Interest in rally racing is growing, as evidenced by
Microsoft's inclusion of the Honda Fit B-Spec Rally in their new Forza Horizon
video game. We are pleased to offer the support of the Honda Racing Line program
to Rally America competitors."
For
more information please visit www.rally-america.com.
Fans can easily track the national Manufacturers' National Championship
points standings when the website is updated.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
RALLY AMERICA ADDS 2013 MANUFACTURERS' NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
