Subaru Rally Team USA Welcomes Idemitsu Lubricants America as Technical Partner and Sponsor for 2018
Cherry Hill, N.J., May 11, 2018 – Subaru of America Inc., together with Subaru Rally Team USA technical partner Vermont SportsCar are pleased to announce Idemitsu Lubricants America will be joining the Subaru Rally Team USA as a Technical Partner and sponsor for the 2018 race season. Idemitsu Lubricants America will be represented by both the stage rally and rallycross programs of Subaru Rally Team USA in 2018 and the team will reveal a special Idemitsu livery on one of their competition cars this summer as part of the agreement.
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Idemitsu Lubricants America joins Subaru Rally Team USA
Credit: Lars Gange / Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru of America and Idemitsu Lubricants America have an existing close relationship, with Idemitsu Lubricants America serving as the official factory fill oil for all Subaru vehicles in the USA. Subaru Rally Team USA technical partner Vermont SportsCar looks forward to harnessing that relationship along with Idemitsu Lubricant America’s technical and engineering expertise toward finding performance gains at the track.
“The rally cars built by Vermont SportsCar are known for testing race cars to their limits in mixed media rally racing. We are excited to showcase our Idemitsu brand and products with Subaru and Rallycross racing fans this season,” said Idemitsu Lubricant America’s Aftermarket Director Tom Braun.
The 2018 Subaru WRX STI rally car of David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew
Credit: Lars Gange / Subaru Rally Team USA
Parent company Idemitsu Kosan has over 100 years of history in the lubricant industry. In the United States, Idemitsu began supplying lubricant products in the late 1970’s and, in 1992, built a state of the art blending facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Idemitsu is now the eighth largest lubricant manufacturer globally. The Idemitsu Lubricants America Research and Development team will work closely with Vermont SportsCar to develop advanced full-synthetic formulations specifically engineered for the rigors and demands of modern-day rally racing.
“As the official factory fill oil for Subaru, Idemitsu Lubricants America is held in high regard and has an excellent reputation,” explained Lance Smith, President of Vermont SportsCar. “We are excited to begin working with them to help expand their brand presence while harnessing their technical ability to improve our own performance, it will be a fruitful relationship.”
The Subaru WRX STI rally car of David Higgins
Credit: Yujiro Otsuki / Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA confirmed it will return to the American Rally Association (ARA) Series in 2018 with a multi-car effort utilizing 2018 Subaru WRX STI rally cars. The team’s efforts will be spearheaded by multi-time rally champions David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew, who will enter all seven rounds of the 2018 ARA series. Subaru Rally Team USA will provide entries at select ARA rounds for former World Rally Championship star Chris Atkinson and former Junior World Rally Champion Patrik Sandell. Watch for the team’s exciting rallycross schedule announcement soon.
Oregon Trail Rally winners David Higgins and Craig Drew catching air in front of Mt. Hood
Credit: Louis Yio / Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA / 2018 ARA Series schedule:
- Oregon Trail Rally —– April 20-22, 2018
- Olympus Rally —– May 19-20, 2018
- Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally —– June 1-2, 2018
- New England Forest Rally —– July 20-21, 2018
- Ojibwe Forests Rally —– August 24-25, 2018
- Idaho Rally —– September 14-15, 2018
- Tour de Forest Rally —– October 6-7, 2018
Full coverage of Subaru Rally Team USA is available on the Subaru Motorsports App. To download from the iTunes App store, click here, for Android App on Google Play store, click here. Follow the team on Instagram @srtusa, on Twitter @srtusa, and on Facebook.
Subaru Rally Team USA technicians prepping David Higgins’ Subaru WRX STI rally car
Credit: Matthew Stryker / Subaru Rally Team USA
About Subaru Rally Team USA
Subaru Rally Team USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Idemitsu Lubricants America, Method Race Wheels, DirtFish Rally School, KÜHL, DMACK Tires, PIAA, RECARO and DBA USA. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/rally
The Idemitsu Lubricants branded Subaru WRX STI of David Higgins
Credit: Lars Gange / Subaru Rally Team USA
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $120 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.
Subaru driver Patrick Sandell welcomes Idemitsu to the team
Credit: Lars Gange / Subaru Rally Team USA
About Idemitsu Lubricants America
Idemitsu began supplying lubricants in the United States in the late 1970s and built the state-of-the-art blending facility in Jeffersonville, IN in 1992 to meet increased production demands for OEM business. Idemitsu Lubricants America (ILA) is a full subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan, with sales offices in Detroit and Los Angeles, and a Research and Development facility in Wixon, MI. Idemitsu Lubricants America has continued to expand its business in the United States and worldwide. Idemitsu is the eighth largest lubricant manufacturer globally with over a century of unsurpassed quality, innovation and superior product development. www.idemitsulubricants.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @idemitsulubes.
Additional information and news from Subaru is available at http://www.media.subaru.com.
Subaru driver Chris Atkinson slides past spectators at the 2018 Oregon Trail Rally
Credit: Aaron Kathman / Subaru Rally Team USA
