Vancouver, British Columbia -- Canadian Rally Champion, Pat Richard and the Subaru Rally Team Canada prepare to challenge the high altitude, twisty rally roads at the Rally Argentina May 8-11.

Pat Richard, his co-driver, Mikael Johansson and the entire Subaru Rally Team Canada crew are in host city of Carlos Paz in the Penilla Valley, Argentina for the 23rd running of the Rally Argentina, the only World Rally Championship 2003 event in the Americas. This will be Pat's third Production Cup WRC event for the season following a very respectable 8th place and one championship point performance in Sweden and a DNF in New Zealand.

The Rally Argentina, regarded as one of the most popular on the WRC circuit, is set in the beautiful, tourist regions of the Province of Cordoba. The Rally features stages at high altitudes across very tricky and rough gravel roads with many water crossings. "The high altitude stages at this rally represent a real challenge to getting the setup right", said Richard. "Its our first time at all these WRC events so getting the pace notes right adds to the challenges. But we learned a lot about high altitude rally racing from the recent Corona Rally of Mexico, and the rough, twisty roads fit my style well, so we are pumped and ready to go".

The PCWRC Rally Argentina is the first of three rally weekends in a row for Pat and the Subaru Rally Team Canada. Immediately following the WRC event, the team returns to Canada to defend their Canadian Championship title at the Bighorn Rally in Edson, Alberta, May 17-18, followed by Calgary's Rocky Mountain Rally on May 23-24.

While Pat and the Subaru Rally Team Canada reflect on the first part of this season and prepare for the Rally of Argentina, it will be impossible for them to forget the tragic loss of fellow PCWRC competitor and rally legend Possum Bourne, who died from injuries sustained in an accident while making pace notes for an event shortly after the Rally New Zealand. The thoughts of the entire Subaru Rally Team Canada crew are with his family and friends.

The Rally Argentina can be followed via: www.rallyargentina.com

Press releases will be issued throughout the event and pictures will be available as follows: Low resolution: www.morisoncom.com/srtc/arg/web High resolution: www.morisoncom.com/srtc/arg/media

For more information:
Mike Hurst
Rocket Rally Racing
(604) 619 1583
[email protected]