Subaru Rally Championship History

There has not been another era in motorsport like it. 10 straight Driver’s Championships and eight Manufacturers’ titles – the last six in succession.   

Team Subaru began in 1992, and that same year Rob Herridge won the Australian Championship. This first foray into the world of rallying was to end in 1993. But it wasn’t long before Subaru would be back.

In 1996, Subaru Rally Team Australia was born. Possum Bourne was the driving force of the team, and his incredible run of seven straight driver’s titles commenced.

In 1998, two young guns named Cody Crocker and Greg Foletta joined the team, winning the first of their four straight Group N titles.

In 2002, the team grew to three cars, with Dean Herridge picked as the next rising star of the sport, and given a blue vehicle to drive.

With the death of Possum Bourne, the team was back to two cars for the 2003 season. But faced with tragedy, the team managed to maintain the Bourne legacy and take it to even greater heights.

As well as adding three straight driver’s and manufacturers’ titles, the team took on and beat the best production auto outfits in the world, with Dean winning the 2004 Rally New Zealand and Cody taking the World Championship class in 2005.

In Asia Pacific competition, Cody won the 2003 and 2005 Subaru Rally of Canberra while Dean took that honour in 2004.

The team has involved just three drivers and six co-drivers across the decade. Craig Vincent partnered Possum for five championships, and Mark Stacey stepped in for two.

As well as the drivers, the cars have been champions too. The Subaru Impreza WRX STI was a brilliant weapon against the opposition. The team at Possum Bourne Motorsport demonstrated time and time again that Subaru produced the best production class rally cars in the world.

Subaru World Rally Championship History

Rallying has always been a brutally tough motorsport. With uncompromising terrain, wildly fluctuating conditions, and constant demands on the cars, it’s one of the most challenging sports in the world – and a perfect testing ground for Subaru. We were part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) for 19 years - and while we were fine-tuning our unique technologies, we were also winning championships. We won the World Rally Championship Manufacturers’ title three times, and the driver’s title three times as well.

Subaru World Rally Highlights:

2003

WRC: Win Cyprus Rally PCWRC: Rally New Zealand on New Impreza makes a Debut Win
PCWRC: Win Rally Argentina
PCWRC: Win Cyprus Rally

2002
WRC: Win Rally Monte Carlo, Great Britain- total wins in WRC: 35
2001
WRC: Win Rally New Zealand
WRC: Win Driver's title
2000
WRC: Win Safari Rally, Portugal, Argentina, and Great Britain
1999
WRC: Win Rally Argentina, Acropolis, Finland, Australia, and Great Britain
1998
WRC: Win Rally Portugal, Tour de Corse, and Acropolis
1997
WRC: 3 consecutive wins from Rally Monte Carlo to Safari Rally
WRC: Win Manufacturer's World Champion
1996
WRC: Win Acropolis, Sanremo and Catalunia
APRC: Win Driver's Champion
WRC: Win Manufacturer's World Champion
1995
WRC: Win Rally Monte Carlo, Portugal, New Zealand, Catalonia, and British RAC RallyWRC: Win both Manufacturer's and Driver's Champion
1994
WRC: Impreza wins Acropolis Rally, WRC Rally New Zealand and British RAC Rally
APRC: Win consecutive Manufacturer's and Driver's Champion
1993
WRC: Liberty wins first overall at Rally New Zealand
WRC: Liberty wins Manufacturer's and Driver's Champion in Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)
1991
WRC: Best result, overall 2nd
1990
Start full-scale entry to World Rally Championship from Safari Rally. Best result, overall 4th place, first win in Gr. N class in Safari Rally
1989
Subaru Liberty accomplish FIA Sanctioned record of 100,000 consecutive kms driving at a World Record of 223.345km/h
 

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