NEWRY, MAINE — Subaru Rally Team USA's Travis Pastrana clawed into the lead at the New England Forest Rally early Saturday afternoon, pulling ahead of teammate Ken Block by a narrow margin. "I really like long stages and that stage was really good," said Pastrana as he pulled into the first service break of the afternoon.

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino lost more than 20 seconds to a spin, while Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom pushed hard for a clean run – although they said the car took a beating on the rough roads.

Canadian Antoine L'Estage was just a handful of seconds behind the two factory teams and optimistic he could make up the time. "It's hard and rough," said L'Estage. "But we're going well."

L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard are developing a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X that debuted with Tanner Foust in the US earlier this season under a sharing arrangement.

Pastrana, who has a 21-point lead in the championship, had said Saturday he planned to take a conservative approach to the event but noted that all bets were off if the battle was close at the end of the day.

Subaru Rally Team USA had apparently instructed its drivers to tread carefully and get their cars to the finish to avoid a crunch back at the shop in Vermont before the cars have to head out for the long tow west for X Games on Aug. 2.

Bill Bacon and co-driver Peter Watt were solidly in fourth place, but not optimistic he could catch the leaders. The team pulled into the early afternoon service break on three wheels after he drove out of the stage on a flat tire.

The event ran an abbreviated Day 1 schedule, with teams covering only about six and a-half miles Friday. Block said it was some of the best racing of his career. The final stage of the day was the challenging Concord Pond, which includes some of the biggest jumps in the series.

Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino bested their previous record-setting time on the stage by some eight seconds.

Attrition claimed several teams. Dave Mirra and co-driver Derek Ringer were out with engine trouble on Saturday, while Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski retired after Day 1, apparently with engine issues of their own.

It was tough luck for both drivers. This event presented a good opportunity for them to make up some ground in the championship this weekend against rivals Piotr Wiktorczyk, Jimmy Keeney, Matt Johnson and Pat Moro – all drivers who are sitting out this round as they prepare for X Games.

The X Games contest is the biggest event on the calendar for invited teams and cars are due on the other side of the continent in just over a week. Tanner Foust and Andrew "ACP" Comrie-Picard have also opted to sit this event out while they prepare for the Los Angeles contest.

The two-wheel drive competition is fierce this weekend, with more than two-dozen drivers running the weekend's two regional events: Friday's “Drive Your Future Rally,” presented by the National Guard, and the “I Can’t Drive 55” Rally on Saturday.

Among those teams is the interesting last-minute entry of Lucy Block and Chrissie Beavis in a Volkswagen Golf. Block is married to Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block and this is her first-ever event as a competitor. Chrissie Beavis is a regular championship co-driver for Foust and competes in California as a driver in the regional series. The duo plan to swap driving and co-driving duties for a little bit of fun this weekend.

Twenty-one teams have also signed up to run this event for the MaxAttack! subseries, designed to raise the level of two-wheel drive rally competition. For 2009, MaxAttack organizers will pay out a total cash purse of $15,000 USD to be divided among the fastest teams competing in the MaxAttack! events.

The roads here are fast and generally wide, but they are peppered with massive rocks that can do serious damage. Local knowledge is a big asset, and drivers like Chris Duplessis – -- who is leading in two-wheel drive – and Tim Penasack were expected to put on a good show on their home turf.

About Rally America, Inc.:
Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, 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 Portland, Ore., to Newry, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street-legal rally cars on natural-terrain courses consisting of gravel, dirt or snow.

Additionally, through a partnership with the leading sports network regarding action sports, ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action-sport event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. The X Games Rally Car Racing event airs live on Aug. 2. For more information, visit www.rally-america.com.