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Subaru is catching up with the Volkswagen Beetles of Tanner Foust and Scott Speed. It was an exciting Semi-final and Final for the SRTUSA Subaru WRX STI team at Atlantic City for Round 8 of Red Bull Global Rallycross. Patrik Sandell and Chris Atkinson both had their Subaru WRX STIs running hard during the first round of the double header. In the heat races, Sandell was the faster of the two Subarus and finished P2 in Heat 1A, while Atkinson finished P4 in heat 1B.
Rain had fallen earlier but the track was in good shape for the Semi-Final. Patrik Sandell lanched the #18 STI GRC car and was in second place after the first turn. Sandell was right on the tail of Scott Speed in the VW Beetle that has been dominating the action all season. Sandell ran a smart race and watched the line of Speed who has been the number one driver over the past three seasons. Sandell finished P2 in the semi-final putting him in good position on the second row inside for the Final.
In the 10-lap Final, Sandell’s #18 STI GRC car launched quickly, and in the battle for position, the Swede emerged in first place midway through the first lap. With Tanner Foust pushed out of the race, it was Scott Speed who was in second and the only competition for Sandell. It was the Subaru who maintained the lead for the the first 7 laps. With three laps to go, Speed took an inside track on a corner and passed Sandell after the squeeze. The two battled hard for the last two laps and took the Joker together.
Patrik Sandell kept on Scott Speed’s tail but couldn’t catch him. As has been the case for two years, the Volkswagen Beetles have had suspiciously superior speed and was able to pull away from the Subaru WRX STI. Sandell finished in second place for the first time in the Final and gets his first podium in the Subaru WRX STI GRC Supercar. Round 9 of the Red Bull Global Rallycross double header continues today from Atlantic City. Stay tuned.
Photo credit: Subaru
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