How Subaru became the brand face of America's rally racing program
Rally racing is a distinctly wild sport, with small cars barreling down dirt tracks in the woods, kicking up gravel as they skid around tight curves.
Subaru is a distinctly practical brand, known for dependable all-wheel drive vehicles.
So it might come as a surprise to some that Subaru, owned by 68-year-old Japanese transportation giant Subaru Corporation (market cap: $12.7 billion), has been placing bets on rally racing, a gritty but emerging corner of the motorsport world that it's been supporting for around thirty years. But there's a long-term strategy involved, and it's now paying off. Subaru's rally racing program offers a unique opportunity to build community around its brand and attract buyers in a key age segment: between 18 and 34 years old.
Subaru's rally racing lead
Over the past three decades, Subaru has invested millions to participate in the American Rally Association (the company declines to say how many). The ARA—a younger, feistier sibling of Europe's World Rally Championship, which Subaru has participated in since the 1970s—hosts more than 20 rallies per year, with the backing of the United States Auto Club. Since 2017, Subaru has been a main sponsor of the ARA national championship series.
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