Patrik Sandell showed off the Subaru team’s improving pace this season with a hard-fought second-overall at the first round of this weekend’s GRC Atlantic City doubleheader.
The Swedish rally star, at the wheel of his Vermont SportsCar-prepared 600-horsepower Subaru WRX STI, showed impressive pace throughout the rain-soaked day, finishing his semifinal second overall and then leading a majority of the ten-lap Final. The Final culminated with Sandell locked in a crowd-pleasing back-and-forth fight against GRC Champion Scott Speed, who edged out Sandell for victory on the last lap.
“It was a good race, I was able to have a clean start and I got away quick,” Sandell said at the podium. “I was leading for most of the time, but I was not able to hold off Scott (Speed) on the last two laps. I didn’t really want to fight him too crazy and risk anything because we were up there, so I’m happy with second and it feels like a win.”
Sandell’s teammate Chris Atkinson also finished his semifinal in second place, and started the final from the front row. However, Atkinson was hit from the rear just after the start of the chaotic final, breaking his rear suspension and forcing him to pull off and retire.
Thumbnail photo via Subaru Rally Team
