7/1/2016
Ian Topping
A Successful Debut for TRF’s New BRZ
To the world of rally fans, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is known as the home to American rallying, offering some of the best but challenging roads in the country. Magnum Opus is a perfect example of this terrain. For the Flying Moose Rally Team and Thompson Racing Fabrication, the more difficult the rally, the greater the temptation to compete and prove their worth. The stars aligned to allow FMRT to compete in this year’s event, but the team had a different look. Instead of racing Tomasina, their trusty Volvo 242, FMRT debuted TRF’s latest project: a new Subaru BRZ. This was the car’s first rally and with little testing, getting to the finish was the priority.
The team did that and more, placing 2nd in 2WD Light and 3rd in 2WD Overall. This was quite an accomplishment in light of the Rally’s 50% attrition rate. Combining rough and unforgiving roads with the hot weather creates the perfect conditions for a challenging rally, exactly what the team was looking for to showcase the capability of the new car. Not only did the team prove the car is highly competitive, they also proved it is very robust and can take a beating.
Driver, Ian Topping: “We never questioned whether the car had potential, and we proved that. To make it to the podium on the car’s inaugural rally with essentially no testing is a huge accomplishment for the team. This was one of the toughest rallies I’ve competed in and we showed the car can not only survive, but excel. We had zero mechanical failures, zero electrical failures, zero suspension failures, heck, we didn’t even have a flat tire. This is a testament to the quality of car TRF builds. This was a very exciting rally for the team. Hopefully FMRT will get more opportunities to compete in this car, it’s great fun!
The Flying Moose Rally Team is proudly sponsored by Thompson Racing Fabrication.
You can follow FMRT on the following social media outlets:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flyingmooserallyteam
Twitter: @FlyingMooseRT
Instagram: @flyingmooserallyteam
Submitted By: Ian Topping
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