JRD Rallysport USA has achieved what few other US-based rally car constructors have accomplished, an overall victory at a Rally America Championship event. Veteran driver Seamus Burke piloted the JRD prepared Mitsubishi Evo IX to the partnership's inaugural overall victory, 15 years after Burke won this event back in 2001. The win was Burke and navigator Martin Brady's third straight class-win in the National Limited Open class where they remain current championship leaders.
Overall championship leader, Subaru Rally Team USA driver David Higgins, found trouble early on day two while leading when their Open Class 2016 Subaru STi impacted a rock. The resulting suspension failure caused their first DNF of the season. With the retirement of Higgins, Burke took control of the remaining 60 miles of stages and managed to avoid any late dramas to bring home the win for JRD. "This event is always tough", said Burke. "The rough logging roads mixed with summer heat always cause issues for teams. The guys at JRD do an amazing job preparing the car for each event and this has been the huge catalyst for our recent success and podium results."
With this victory, JRD Rallysport USA has joined an elite list of US based teams that have achieved an overall victory in this hotly contested championship. "I am so proud and happy for Seamus and the rest of the team" said Team Director Johan Ragnarsson. "We came to Maine in hopes of keeping our National Limited Open Class winning streak alive but didn't expect to be leaving with the overall victory. The past decade of the US Rally scene has been dominated by the large factory efforts of Subaru, Ford, and Mitsubishi and I am extremely thankful to my crew at JRD and all our partners who help us compete at the top end of the field."