Extreme sports legend and probably the nicest guy in motorsports Travis Pastrana has decided to end his five-year relationship with Subaru, the company announced today. It's not yet clear if Pastrana has another manufacturer lined up for sponsorship, but his Red Bull partnership looks to be unaffected.
Pastrana first joined forces with Subaru in 2004 when he transitioned from motorcycles to cars with the U.S. Subaru Rally Team, SRT USA. During his tenure with SRT USA, Pastrana chalked up numerous victories, including over 150 stage wins, 40 podiums, and 22 wins in Rally America competition, along with four consecutive national championship titles.
Subaru doesn't appear bitter over the split. CMO Tim Mahoney said of the parting, "Travis brought Rally to a whole new audience through the rally championship and of course through his spectacular appearances at X Games. We wholeheartedly thank him for his outstanding performances with Subaru Rally Team USA and wish him well in his future endeavors."
We'll keep you posted on any new developments in Pastrana's corporate associations. Pastrana isn't the first high-profile rally/extreme sports star to jump ship from Subaru. Ken Block made the transition to Ford early this year.
[Subaru]
