Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 33

CRAWFORD PERFORMANCE
SUBARU CROSSTREK DESERT RACER
For those who think turning a production Subaru Crosstrek
into a rally car isn’t extreme enough, there’s the Crawford
Performance Subaru Crosstrek desert racer. Partnering
with Southern California-based race car builder Crawford
Performance, Subaru of America commissioned a Subaru
Crosstrek-powered desert racer to compete in this year’s
SCORE Baja 500 in Mexico, held this past June.
A grueling, 830-kilometre off-road race that starts and
finishes in downtown Ensenada, the Baja 500 is renowned for
taking its toll on both competitors and the machines they are
driving—a test probably never imagined by the majority of
Crosstrek owners in Canada.
“The Crosstrek Baja racer is an absolute blast to drive,” said
pilot Parker Grabowski. “The SUBARU BOXER engine has tons
of power, making the car fun to drive in tight technical areas
and great top-end power for the wide-open stretches.”
This Crosstrek employs fewer production parts than the
Canadian or Chinese production-based rally cars. The driver
and co-driver are enclosed in a robust roll-cage with only a
hint of the original bodywork barely masking the heavy -duty
suspension set-ups that dominate the racer’s profile.
“We’ve had a massive amount of positive response from
the Subaru and rally community,” Grabowski added. “The
next challenge is going to be the 50th anniversary of the Baja
1000 this coming November. I can’t wait to get back behind
the wheel!”
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF CRAWFORD PERFORMANCE
six star magazine 31