OLYMPIA, WA -- Australian driver Andrew Pinker was looking to make it two in a row Saturday after pulling into the lead of the Olympus rally this weekend in the Pacific Northwest.

"It's good; it's pretty much going to plan," Pinker said Saturday afternoon.

After seven stages and three back-to-back stage wins, he and co-driver Robbie Durant led their Syms teammates Tanner Foust and co-driver Christine Beavis by nine seconds.

Pinker earned his first overall win of the season a month ago in Oregon at the previous round of the Rally America championship.

In third place overall Saturday afternoon were Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Mark Williams. The driver has had a series of poor showings due to mechanical failure so far this season, but appeared cautiously optimistic Saturday afternoon that he could turn in a strong result.

"For the last couple of rallies we've been going well, but bad luck has struck us," said Lagemann. "I wouldn't say it's redemption� yet."

Meanwhile, the fortunes appeared to have turned for Subaru Rally Team USA. Series leader Ken Block was disappointed to find himself off the pace, while Travis Pastrana was towed back to the service park by a fellow competitor after apparently running out of fuel midway through the seventh stage. "I'm not sure what happened -- whether we punctured a fuel tank or what," Pastrana said.

Also struggling were seven-time U.S. champion Paul Choiniere, who suffered damage after running on a flat tire, and Andrew Comrie-Picard, who lost two minutes after running for three stages without turbo power.

But with more than half of the 125-mile course remaining, the race was still very much up for grabs. It is expected that two 26-mile stages run on Sunday would seal the win.

In addition to the 2007 Rally America National Championship title, drivers are competing for entry into X Games 13. For the second consecutive year, rally racing will be featured in the Summer X Games, with the first five races of the 2007 Rally America season serving as qualifying events for the popular action-sport competition.

Entering the Olympus Rally, the top four drivers in the 2007 Rally America standings were separated by just 10 points. After three of the series' nine events, Subaru Rally Team USA's Block and co-driver Alessandro Gelsomino lead the standings, followed by Foust and co-driver Christine Beavis. Defending champions Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom are third.

Although a new addition to the Rally America schedule for 2007, the Olympus Rally was a World Rally Championship race from 1986-1988. Rally racing legends such as Rod Millen, Juha Kankkunen and American John Buffum have claimed victories at the famed event.

Rally America drivers compete in street-legal vehicles that are modified for safety. Six vehicle classes, ranging from stock to highly modified, compete under the Rally America banner. Eleven different automobile manufacturers are represented in Rally America events, led by Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

Media Contact:
Alan Perry
Olympus Rally
[email protected]
206-499-5501