Subaru of America Inc., together with Subaru Rally Team USA technical partner Vermont SportsCar, announced that 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 its competition cars this summer as part of the agreement.
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 Tom Braun, Idemitsu Lubricant America’s aftermarket director.
Parent company Idemitsu Kosan has more than 100 years of history in the lubricant industry. In the United States, Idemitsu began supplying lubricant products in the late 1970s and, in 1992, built a state of the art blending facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Idemitsu is now the eighth largest lubricant manufacturer globally, says the company. 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,” said 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.”
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.
Subaru Rally Team USA / 2018 ARA Series schedule:
- Oregon Trail Rally – April 20-22
- Olympus Rally – May 19-20
- Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally – June 1-2
- New England Forest Rally – July 20-21
- Ojibwe Forests Rally – Aug. 24-25
- Idaho Rally – Sept. 14-15
- Tour de Forest Rally – Oct. 6-7
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.
