HOUGHTON, MI — It all comes down to this weekend's challenging Lake Superior Performance Rally in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for teams in 2009 Rally America Championship.

Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana may have clinched his fourth-consecutive Rally America title back in August, but he promises to be fast this weekend at Round 9. With nothing to lose and no pressure, the driver promises to drive hard for his sixth win of the season.

A fierce fight for the championship runner-up position will see Mitsubishi drivers Andi Mancin and Andrew "ACP" Comrie-Picard mix it up with Ken Block's Super Production Subaru for top points.

And Antoine L'Estage has turned up from Canada to play spoiler. Backed by John Buffum, he's tackling this event for the first time and could challenge for top points.

A good fight is also expected in the Super Production class. A stroke of bad luck saw Piotr Wiktorczyk out before the race could begin with a blown engine during practice, but Jimmy Keeney and Pat Moro will both be in it to win it. In two-wheel-drive, 17-year-old Dillon Van Way from Carencro, LA is just one point away from securing his first-ever title.

The fall colors are brilliant here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula this weekend. It was cold and drizzly on Friday as cars headed out for the opening stages, with snow reported in some areas. Storm systems build quickly on water the size of Lake Superior, which means that the weather can change very rapidly. Teams have to be prepared for anything at this rally – with tires at the ready for any possible road condition.

The event's unusual schedule sees the majority of competition wrap up late Friday as teams compete into the wee hours of the morning, then start up again Saturday for the final stages.

As the season ender, this rally also plays host to the Rally America awards banquet, presented by BFGoodrich Tires, at the Rockhouse Grill & Tavern on Sunday.

Considered the extreme sport of automobile racing, rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Among the marques typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

Top teams in the Rally America National Championship series are also invited to compete in ESPN’s annual Summer X Games competition, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.

For more information regarding Rally America, Inc. or to reserve tickets for the 2009 Rally America National Rally Championship Awards Banquet presented by BFGoodrich scheduled for Sunday, October 18, 2009, call (763) 553-2742 or visit www.rally-america.com for details.