The Velocity Invitational presented opportunities for all sorts of great moments at Laguna Seca a few weeks ago. Mario Andretti took a modern F1 car for a spin, while Tanner Foust got a chance to drive a McLaren F1. A few rally cars showed up, too, including a Subaru WRX STI previously run by Travis Pastrana. When you have a Subaru rally car, on an open track at Laguna Seca, and a crowd, you toss it through the corkscrew as hard as possible.
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In one of the most visually impressive all-wheel drive slides you’ll ever see, the car is completely parallel with the first left-hand apex at corner entry. The driver then slides through the corner, transfers the car’s entire weight effortlessly, and drifts through the next corner before steadying the car enough to unsettle it all over again a corner later.
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The STI rally car was driven by Subaru driver Max McRae, the late Colin McRae’s grandson. McRae also shared an on-board “helmet cam” clip of the maneuver, showing just how steep the corkscrew is and just how difficult it is to slide through at speed. Despite that, it’s all effortless, smooth motions. McRae simply directs the car to go sideways, then manages the drifts as needed.
