ATLANTA, MI — Defending champion Travis Pastrana had a healthy lead over Tanner Foust in the 2009 Rally America season opener heading into the final stages, while Bill Bacon was in a strong position to take his first podium finish in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

“We’re trying to be smooth and consistent,” said Subaru Rally Team USA’s Pastrana, who started the second day with a 52 second lead over Rockstar Energy’s Foust.

Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis were picking up the pace throughout the contest as they became more familiar with the Hyundai Tiburon they are campaigning for the first time at this event.

The 2003 Tiburon, maintained 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 getting more and more comfortable,” said Foust, adding the key to the team’s success so far has been in finding traction on the slick course. “The whole deal here is in finding snow where the grip is,” he said.

Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt, meanwhile, were putting in a strong performance in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. The driver, who is not a regular 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.”

The strategy was working for Bacon who continued to pull ahead of the NOS Energy team of Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and Marc Goldfarb on Day 2.

Comrie-Picard said Saturday he was battling some intermittent electrical problems that were affecting the handling of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

“There are a couple of things wrong that are making it really difficult to commit to corners in these conditions,” he said. “We’re still in it, but it’s going to be a struggle right to the finish.”

Trailing them were Polish driver Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski, who said they were adjusting to the U.S. style of competition.

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.”

Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were leading this event last year 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.

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.