[CrawfordPerformance.com]

NASA HPDE 4/race, NASA Nationals at Mid-Ohio Raceway
Sept 13-16 2006

No rest for the weary.

Soon after successfully completing the Ultimate Street Car Challenge #5, we headed out to Lexington, Ohio, for the 1st Annual National Auto Sport Association’s (NASA) National Championship. This inaugural event brought over 250 competitors from all over the United States. Of those 250, Crawford Performance’s 2004 Subaru Sti Wide body, captured a 2nd place in class and 4th overall in the time trail series with a 1:35.662.


More Pictures

So that’s the quick version? What everyone always wants to see and here is the drama. So let’s get to it!

As with any National Championship, there was bound to be a fair amount of competition. This event was no different. Some of the competitors included a Shannon Race Car, a Caterham Super 7, several Corvette Z06’s, a few 2.3 liter EVO's, and the home-town favored AMS EVO.

The Crawford Performance Widebody STi was equipped with our CP35R Turbo Kit, stock 2.5 Sti longblock, full interior, 450whp / 410wtq and weighing in at a comfortable 3388lbs. Though this is the same set-up which we have raced throughout several events, this was the first time that driver, Dr. Russ Warr, had set foot on the Mid-Ohio racetrack. To make this event even more interesting, Mother Nature decided to throw a little rain our way. Great.

Now here we are in a State none of us have ever been to, on a track we have never seen, and with Mother Nature seemingly taunting us to try and get a decent track time, and people expect us to race? Oh hell yeah! This is what racing is all about, to succeed in the face of adversity.

The first two cool and wet days of practice were spent making many adjustments to the car. But then there came the third day. With a few donuts in our belly’s and coffee on our shirts, we were ready to reap the benefits of all our changes. The first session came and went, but not without another a special present from the race gods. BOOM…out goes the rear diff. With no spares, and miles away from home, all we could do for the rest of the day was wait, watch as our standings fall as competitors improved their times and eat stale donuts.

Stale donuts and cold coffee are good for a few things; one, feeding your depression and two, having alone time in the restroom. But, as many of us know, the restroom can be a great thinking place. A simple phone call back to the shop in CA, where luckily, some staff were still milling about, a few tools, a few parts, a little time, a great overnight shipping service and a diff was on its way!

We received the diff at 9:00am the next day, a Saturday, which just so happened to be the 4th and final day of competition. So with a little time, a little elbow grease, a little luck and thankfully, no more donuts, we jumped into the first session. Now it was up to Dr. Russ to put us back in the standings.

True to form, Dr. Russ Warr did not disappoint us. He drove his fastest and best lap time which placed us 2nd in class and 4th overall running a 1:35.662. Sure it wasn’t as fast as he thought he could drive the car, nor did we take a first place, but we rose to the occasion in the face of adversity…and that’s what racing is all about.

“It was a great experience being involved in the first ever National NASA event. We were quite surprised to see so many people come to participate and support this event, but even more-so that so many people have never seen or heard of Subaru. I guess they will remember us and Subaru now.” – Russ Warr, Driver

Congratulations to the Crawford Race Team and Dr. Russ Warr for a long and tough week of racing. Final Overall Standings

Team Crawford Performance

Warning - Intense footage, don't try this at home
STi Driver Dr. Russ Warr, EVO Driver Jon Krolewicz
Video Link – Crawford STi vs. AMS EVO, Mid-Ohio Raceway

Thank you to our sponsors

Kumho Tires
APR Performance
NGK Spark Plugs
ENKEI rims
MOTUL fluids
TORCO Race Fuels
Bob Baker Subaru