ATLANTA, MI — Travis Pastrana and Tanner Foust were battling for the lead Friday after the first eight stages of the 2009 Rally America season opener, while a three-way battle was shaping up for third place.

“We’re trying to be smooth and consistent,” said Pastrana, who finished Friday night 52 seconds ahead of Foust.

Rockstar Energy driver Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis said they were enjoying their first event in the Hyundai Tiburon.

The 2003 Tiburon, prepared by rally legend John Buffum, is considered very competitive – although it has recently begun to show its age. Canadian Antoine L’Estage piloted the car to the win at this event last year.

“We’re having a blast,” said Foust late Friday. “This car is as fun as everybody says it is.”

A trio of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX rally cars were fighting for third place after Friday’s eight stages, with Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt leading the NOS Energy duo of Andrew Comrie-Picard and Marc Goldfarb. Trailing them were Polish driver Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski. The three cars were separated by just 24 seconds heading into Day 2.

Bacon, who is not regularly a series front-runner, said early Saturday his aim for Day 2 was to keep a level head and maintain position.

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and forget where I am in the standings,” said Bacon. “I’m going to try run my own race.”

Meanwhile, Pastrana’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammates Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were out of the contest early Friday after going off road, then suffering mechanical problems while battling for the lead. Winter events have not typically been kind to the duo; the conditions don’t suit Block’s flat-out style.

“Ice and snow rallies are lotteries,” said Gelsomino. “We don’t want to mess with this stuff anymore.”

In 2008, Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were leading the event when they struck a deer late in the contest. They were unharmed, but the car was badly damaged and they found themselves unable to continue.

Pastrana has partnered again for this contest with Edstrom after the co-driver’s year-long hiatus from the sport. His 2008 co-driver Derek Ringer is competing alongside Subaru Rally Team USA’s newest member Dave Mirra.

Although Mirra is contesting this event in an Open class Subaru, he is expected to begin a campaign for the new Super Production title at the next round, when his new car is ready.

Leading the charge for the popular new class, which features lightly modified high performance vehicles, were Bryan Pepp and Jerry Stang in a Subaru WRX. The duo were in ninth-place overall after Friday’s stages.

After a strong start in the new combined two-wheel drive class, young driver Kyle Sarasin and co-driver Alex Kihurani suffered an off-road excursion that cost them some time, but they were able to continue on Saturday.

Sno*Drift is the first stop on the 2009 Rally America National Championship. The winter weather event is headquartered in Atlanta, Michigan, and passes through the towns of Lewiston and Hillman.

The rally resumes Saturday morning, with 12 stages remaining – representing more than half of the total contest.

About Rally America
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2009, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Wash., to Bethel, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action sports event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.