Seattle hosts the penultimate event of the 2016 GRC season

One of the most unique courses on the 2016 calendar, Evergreen Speedway combines elements of its iconic .625-mile oval with the mixed-surface action and 70-foot jump that are signature to Red Bull GRC. Click here for more information on the track.

Championship lead shifts coming into Seattle

With three straight victories to his name, Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross driver Scott Speed reclaimed the Red Bull GRC points lead in Atlantic City for the first time since winning last year’s championship. However, he enters this weekend’s action ahead of teammate Tanner Foust by only nine points—less than the difference between a first and third place finish in the final. Steve Arpin remains third in the championship at 52 points back, while Patrik Sandell and Brian Deegan complete the top five.

Driver Changes

Subaru Rally Team USA’s two-car effort will see Chris Atkinson, fresh off his Red Bull GRC debut in Atlantic City, and David Higgins partnered in Seattle. Higgins made three Supercar starts in the 2015 season, most recently in last year’s Las Vegas finale, and comes off his sixth consecutive American stage rally championship.

Subaru Rally Team USA scored its first-ever Red Bull GRC victory two years ago in Seattle and enjoys a strong fanbase in the Pacific Northwest owing to its lengthy and successful history in stage rally. The team enters this weekend with plenty of optimism: newcomer Chris Atkinson gave the team its first top-three semifinal finish last time out in Atlantic City, and David Higgins added a stage rally championship earlier this month. They’ll team up for the first time this weekend.

Ganassi drivers Arpin, Deegan part of historic weekend

For the first time in its history, Chip Ganassi Racing will have drivers competing in every race series it runs this weekend. The squad will run 14 cars and 19 drivers in six series across the United States; representing them in Red Bull GRC will be Steve Arpin and Brian Deegan, who currently rank third and fifth in Supercar points with a win and seven podiums between them.

Quotes

Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST: “It’s a unique place. I know there’s a big following of rally out here. Most of them know my background and I think we will have a lot of fans coming out, so it will be super cool. The track layout looks really good. I have a really good feeling going into this event—last time we ran a track like this was in 2013 and I really liked those tracks. I specifically remember Bristol and we were dominating there, so that’s kind of the plan this weekend.”

David Higgins, #75 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI: “I can't wait to get back into GRC, and to do it in Seattle with its big Subaru following and home of DirtFish will be amazing. The penny dropped with GRC for me in qualifying at Las Vegas last year but I wasn't able to use it after first race big crash. But that did give me a lot to think about over the winter and during this year. Lots of time karting has helped, and I have also changed my style in stage rally to try and make it feel more natural.”

Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST: “It’s pretty cool to be right in the middle of a title battle right now. It’s where we’re meant to be—we have an incredible team, crew, Ford Fiestas, and partners, so we need to be where we’re at right now. We’ve had a couple of tough weeks the past few weeks, so these next few races we’re going to keep our nose down and do the best we can possibly do. It’s not one of those deals where we’re going to get entirely engulfed and consumed by the points battle; if we can go out there and win the next three races the points will take care of themselves.”

Red Bull Global Rallycross