The Subaru skunkworks program through outfit Crawford Performance, together with famed driving specialist ‘Tarzan’ Yamada, secured their first win of the 2009 race season in this past weekend’s 2009 season opener of the Redline Time Attack series held at Buttonwillow Raceway. The event was run in the #13 clockwise configuration, widely considered the favorite layout of the Japanese Time Attack drivers.

Link to HD Video of Tarzan Yamada

Crawford’s skunkworks STI was in similar trim as its last outing except for its customer-spec S5 2.65L engine. The crew at Crawford tossed in their street trimmed S5 which produced roughly 510 whp and 600 lb-ft of torque for this event. Though slightly less power than their full race motor, shop proprietor Quirt Crawford felt it was fully capable of getting the job done. Another change for the 2009 season was the addition of E85 in the fuel tank. According to Crawford, “We decided to go green this year and run the E85 fuel”.

Arriving at the track at lunch time on Saturday, the car was prepped and preceded on track in the next applicable session. This being Tarzan’s first time driving the skunkworks STI since an event at Virginia International Raceway in late 2008, the team was cautiously optimistic of his feedback. Tarzan returned into the pits quite pleased with the adjustments made to the STI, only requesting minor shock setting adjustments to get the car ready for Sunday’s Time Attack competition. As Saturday’s testing progressed, the skunkworks STI picked up a slight oversteer temperament that just didn’t want to go away. The team also found out the gears in the STI’s dogbox were too short to take full advantage of the fast sections of Buttonwillow’s #13 track.

With the car basically dialed in, only adjustments were made during the morning test sessions. That pesky oversteer seemed to be getting worse not better as the Subaru Skunkworks Team STI was readied for the first afternoon Time Attack competition with a set of fresh tires at all four corners. In one lap, Tarzan had posted a formidable 1:48.91 but immediately pulled back into the pits to address an intensified oversteer issue. Eventually, something in the transmission also finally let go, leaving the STI powering only its rear wheels. Making 600 lb-ft of torque, the skunkworks STI was losing traction in sixth gear at 6500 RPM. This was enough to make Tarzan’s hair turn from orange to red and stand straight up (more so than usual)!

With little time and no extra gearbox to install, the Crawford team decided to retune the ECU and remove some torque from the motor so Tarzan could better manage the car’s vicious acceleration out of the corners. The Japanese driver managed to reduced his lap time to a 1:48.88 and give the spectators something to remember as he slid around on the track in the final TA session of the day. His time was quick enough to stay ahead of the other Unlimited AWD contestants and secure the win for Subaru’s skunkworks team at Buttonwillow.