Dirt Fish Rally Cars at Velocity Invitational 2022
Dirfish Rally School brought a variety of impressive former WRC cars to Velocity Invitational.
If you missed 2022 Monterey Car Week in August or were having withdrawals after attending, then hopefully you made it out to the second annual Velocity Invitational held October 14-16, 2022. The luxury motorsport festival had a little bit of everything all rolled into one event with an exciting mix of historic racing, family entertainment, and manufacture displays and demonstrations for spectators to enjoy at the historic Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca.
New to the lineup this year, with a display in the paddock, was the addition of the Dirtfish Rally School. The rally school, located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range just outside of Seattle, offers a wide range of rally driving programs for anyone looking to have fun while trying to enhance their car control ability. Dirtfish brought out six former rally cars to display as well as perform driving demonstrations on track. Spectators cheered as they sped around the track and drifted through all of the eleven turns at Laguna Seca.
The following list of Rally Cars appeared in the Paddock and several wowed the crowds as they hit the track throughout the weekend.
James Rimmer races this Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak rally car into the Corkscrew during demonstration laps at Velocity Invitational.
Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak – At the 2009 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Marcus Grönholm drove this 800 bhp, 2-liter engine, all-wheel drive car to a fifth-place finish on what was then still a mixed surface 12.4 mile course. He also took the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title.
Nate Tennis pushes the MG Metro 6R4 rally car into the top of Turn 8 otherwise known as ‘The Corkscrew’ during Velocity Invitational.
MG Metro 6R4 – Group B motorsport fans will go crazy over this modern interpretation of the Mini. It has a V6 engine on the back seat, total traction from four-wheel drive, and a huge aero kit above the rear hatch.
Dirtfish driver, Max McRae, pushes the Pastrana Subaru Impreza sideways through Turn 11 at Laguna Seca during Velocity Invitational.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI – US stunt driver and all-round action hero Travis Pastrana drove this car in the 2007 and 2008 X Games. He finished on the podium both times, but took home the gold in 2008.
Velocity Invitational invited DirtFish to participate in this years event. Seen here is Benjamin Pedersen dropping down into the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca in #037 – a Lancia rally car.
Lancia Rally 037 – In the 1980’s, when the world was turning to turbocharging and four-wheel drive, the Italians forged ahead with supercharging and rear-wheel drive. The result was this car which helped Lancia win a manufacturers’ title against the Audi’s quattro in 1983. This semi-works example was once driven by Italian star and former European Rally Champion; Fabrizio Tabaton.
Alister McRae pilots the Makinen Subaru Impreza into the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during Velocity Invitational.
Subaru Impreza WRC2002 – Driven by four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen. This 2002-spec Subaru, codenamed S8, was another stunning example of the world-beating engineering of Team ProDrive.
This Peugeot 206 WRC was once driven by the 2001 World Rally Champion Richard Burns at the Rally De Espana in 2002.
Peugeot 206 WRC – Although this car never made its way on track this weekend, this 206 was driven by the likes of World Rally Champion Richard Burns as well as Marcus Grönholm and Gilles Panizzi.
2022 Velocity Invitational Dirt Fish Rally Cars
Benjamin Pedersen cruising through Turn 11 during Velocity Invitational.
Dirtfish brought a handful of rally cars to Velocity Invitational. They are seen here lined up in pit lane ready to perform demonstration laps around Laguna Seca.
James Rimmer awaits to enter the track in the Makinen Subaru Impreza at Laguna Seca during Velocity Invitational.
Alister McRae leads the lineup in a MG Metro 6R4 for Sunday\’s demonstration laps around Laguna Seca at Velocity Invitational.
Drivers get a \’thumbs up\’ signal to enter the track.
Benjamin Pedersen drives the Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak rally car down the straight into Turn 11 at Laguna Seca.
Max McRae drifts Turn 11 at Laguna Seca in the Subaru Impreza WRX STI once driven by Gold medal X-Games winner Travis Pastrana.
Lancia Rally Car #037 speeds through Laguna Seca\’s Turn 11 at Velocity Invitational.
James Rimmer, from Dirtfish, slides the Makinen Subaru Impreza around Laguna Seca\’s Turn 11 during Velocity Invitational
Subaru Impreza WRC 2002 – once driven by World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen
Interior of the Subaru Impreza WRC 2002
Alister McRae – British rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship
Peeking into the rear window of the MG Metro 6R4 you will see a V6 stuffed into the backseat.
Driving lights adorn the front hood of the Lancia Rally #037.
Interior of the Lancia Rally #037
Rally sticker adorning the rear window of the Lancia Rally #037.
Nate Tennis waits patiently in pit lane at Velocity Invitational prior to doing demonstration laps at Laguna Seca in a Lancia.
Dirfish Rally School brought a variety of impressive former WRC cars to Velocity Invitational.
Dew, left by early morning fog, drips down the hood of the Pastrana Subaru Impreza.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI – once driven by X-Games Gold medalist Travis Pastrana.
Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak – once driven by Marcus Gronholm at the famous hill climb where he garnered the title \’Rookie of the Year\’.
Seen here is the Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak rally car bathed in early morning dew at Laguna Seca.
Now that’s how you enter the Corkscrew!