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An Engine-Swapped Subaru WRX STI That Sounds Like a Porsche Surprised Everyone at the Olympus Rally
TL;DR
A Subaru WRX STI with a flat-six engine surprised spectators at the Olympus Rally, sounding like a Porsche. Driven by Mark Piatkowski, the car secured first in class and seventh overall despite its rough conditions.
Key points
- Subaru WRX STI surprised spectators at Olympus Rally
- Car features a stock 245-hp EZ30 flat-six engine
- Mark Piatkowski and Sara Nonack drove the vehicle
- Finished first in class and seventh overall
- Created by Steven Redd Racing in the Pacific Northwest
Steven Redd RacingOlympus RallyMark PiatkowskiSara Nonack
H6-Swapped Subaru STI Surprises at Olympus RallyTrevor Lyden
The sound was unmistakable: a naturally aspirated flat-six's distinctive note, echoing through the forest of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Any car enthusiast watching and listening would be liable to believe a Porsche 911 or 718 would soon barrel forth— but instead, a rock-chipped 2011 Subaru WRX STI with gravel tires and a rattling roll cage blasted by, helmed by Mark Piatkowski at the controls and Sara Nonack on the notes.
No, this 2011 Subaru STI isn't really Porsche-swapped, even if it sounds like it. Instead, the Subaru hatchback is the creation of Steven Redd Racing—a rally car builder and service group based in the Pacific Northwest—running a stock version of Subaru's 245-hp, EZ30 flat-six engine. The car has a rally pedigree of its own, but Piatkowski and Nonack were at the helm for the first time, with the STI on loan from Steven Redd Racing for Mark's national championship chase. Three days later, Piatkowski and Nonack pulled into the final control zone of the Olympus Rally, completing over 2oo stage miles and securing first in class and seventh place overall—even among a group of factory-supported Rally2 cars.
"It was just good to mix it up with cars that this car shouldn't be really mixing up with, and also mixing it up with the locals. I basically started the rally heads down. I don't usually build up my pace. I just go really quick from the beginning, or at least try to," Piatkowski said to Road & Track. "We were fairly lucky. We had five or six hits with boulders that were on the racing line, so much so that the nose of the car jumped up. I was pinching my butt cheeks every time that happened. We also had two slow punctures, but we didn't have to change them on the stage."
"The first stage that we did was nine miles, and at the end of the stage, we usually like to do a quick sentence or two review about the stage. I told [my co-driver], 'Basically, this is a super long stage.' And she started laughing because that stage was only nine miles, and the longest stage that we had was 25 miles."
Q&A
What engine does the Subaru WRX STI use at the Olympus Rally?
The Subaru WRX STI is equipped with a stock version of Subaru's 245-hp EZ30 flat-six engine.
Who drove the Subaru WRX STI at the Olympus Rally?
Mark Piatkowski drove the Subaru WRX STI, with Sara Nonack as the co-driver.
What was the Subaru WRX STI's performance at the Olympus Rally?
The Subaru WRX STI finished first in its class and seventh overall, completing over 200 stage miles.
Who built the engine-swapped Subaru WRX STI?
The Subaru WRX STI was created by Steven Redd Racing, a rally car builder based in the Pacific Northwest.
