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Subaru Enters Crosstrek in Baja 500 Desert Race

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Subaru Crosstrek desert racer

The Subaru Crosstrek desert racer made its debut at the Baja 500 this past weekend

Upon first look, the latest model of the Subaru Crosstrek doesn’t quite fit the image that comes to mind when one thinks of a Subaru. With a Subaru boxer engine built by engine designer Quirt Crawford, the Subaru Crosstrek-powered desert racer was specifically designed to compete in the 49th running of the SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico this past weekend.

“Subaru has historically competed in off-pavement racing like stage rally and rallycross, so putting this Crosstrek to the test in desert racing will once again show our fans the performance and durability of the Subaru boxer engine,” said Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager Rob Weir. “We’re excited to be involved with Grabowski Bros racing, and be entered in the Baja 500.”

The car was driven by brothers Dusty and Parker Grabowski, from Upland, California. The pair have won multiple championships in short course racing in the past and come from a family of racers.

The Baja 500 consists of a 515-mile loop race that is entirely off-road and runs through the upper area of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. There were 233 entries for this year’s competition, with the fastest time being a little over 10 hours.

Unfortunately, the Grabowski brothers and Subaru were among the almost 100 competitors that did not finish the grueling course this weekend. However, the team has plans to enter additional desert racing events this season that are soon to be announced. Prior to the Baja 500, the team entered the McKenzie’s 250 race in Lucerne, California and they were able to win their class by over an hour. With that in mind, there is hope to see what the brothers and Subaru will be able to do next.