Ryan Millen and his 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE toppled the competition at the recent 40th annual Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, taking home a second place win. The victory puts them in a tie for the 2016 Rally America National Championship title.
Known as the oldest, fastest and most dangerous rally races in the U.S., earning a top spot at STPR is no easy task. The course is littered with thick stones, slippery clay and windy curves, making it very difficult to even stay on the designated race track. And unlike other competitors who veered off the course, Millen stayed on it, pushing his RAV4 to its limit. “It was really tricky. There was thick dust, and the surface didn’t allow us to get any heat into the tires. It was hard to get them to bite,” said Millen. “Typically we do well in handling, as the RAV4 makes a lot of grip, but this clay base really made it tough.”
Millen and his soon-to-be fiancé, Christina Fate, started the race with a minor penalty and ended the first stage in third place. However, the duo pulled ahead by the close of the final day to earn a second place win. They were even able to trim a two-minute lag behind the first place winner down to just 30 seconds. Their overall time was 2 hours and 20.9 seconds, which gave them a whopping 8-minute lead ahead of the third place winner.
The 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE and Millen took first at the Olympus Rally and Oregon Trail race earlier this year. They will now prepare for the New England Forest Rally in Newry, Maine. Be sure to check back with Toyota of Dallas’ blog to get all the details about the outcome of this upcoming race that’s sure to be a nailbiter!
