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48HRS OF TRISTATE 8TH ANNUAL DRIVE FOR 2009


Itinerary


DAY ONE
Subaru of America Headquarters, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

After breakfast on the 16th, Vice President of Sales Tim Colbeck addressed the participants. They would hear his message of appreciation for the group’s loyalty to Subaru repeated throughout the drive.

Subaru assembled several special-interest vehicles, including a 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi and the 2009 Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle concept from the 2008 SEMA Show.

Subaru Distributors Corporation, Orangeburg, New York

At this lunch stop, SDC Field Technical Manager Jason McDade talked to the group, which then drove north to Burlington, Vermont.

DAY TWO
Vermont SportsCar, Colchester, Vermont

The second morning started with a tour of Vermont SportsCar, which fields Subaru Rally Team USA. Vermont SportsCar President Lance Smith and Vice President of Operations Paul Giblin spoke, and everyone had the opportunity to examine several rally cars, the engine room, and the parts department.

From Colchester, the tour took a spirited drive on ice-and-snow-covered, winding roads in New York’s Adirondack Park Forest Preserve.

Raffle Dinner, Lake George, New York

That night during the raffle dinner at Dunham’s Bay Resort, organizers revealed that more than $23,000 had been raised – the most ever.

DAY THREE
The drive toured more back roads through New York en route to the last stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Total distance: 900+ miles.



To see more images of the drive, click here.

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STARS FOR CHARITY

48HRS OF TRISTATE 8TH ANNUAL DRIVE FOR 2009

arrows ON A COLD JANUARY NIGHT, 35 SUBARU VEHICLES SNAKED THROUGH THE SNOW-COVERED VALLEYS OF VERMONT. HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WERE LIKE NECKLACES OF DIAMONDS OR RUBIES, DEPENDING ON POINT OF VIEW, AND THE SUBZERO AIR SHARPENED THEIR BRILLIANCE.

Photos: Robert Plafta

48hrs of Tristate has grown since its first January drive eight years ago, when seven cars bound for points around the eastern United States raised money for the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund. Last January, 47 cars were registered for the 2009 drive, which raised money for the American Cancer Society.

The organization’s Web site (www.48hrs.info) provides day-to-day route maps. The 900+ miles of traveled roads never represented the shortest distance between two points, with preference given to two-lane roads.

arrows WINTER IN THE NORTHEAST


Many roads in New York and Vermont are heaven for driving enthusiasts any time of year, but wintertime highlights the advantages of Subaru vehicles. Impreza, Legacy, and Forester drivers embraced freshly fallen snow, reveling in touring the unplowed, snow- and ice-covered, winding mountain roadways (as well as frozen lakes for some!).

arrows HEARTFELT CHARITY

The second night’s raffle dinner made clear that the group had come to raise money for the American Cancer Society as much as it had come to drive. Participants brought in more than $23,000, including major donations by Subaru of America, Inc. and other supporting companies.

arrows MESSAGES OF APPRECIATION

Throughout the drive, participants heard the same message: Subaru appreciates the loyalty of its owners, who made it the only manufacturer of mass-produced vehicles to enjoy a rise in sales figures for 2008. Stressed by Subaru Vice President of Sales Tim Colbeck, similar messages were delivered by Subaru Distributors Corporation Field Technical Manager Jason McDade, Vermont SportsCar President Lance Smith, and others.

arrows NEXT YEAR

Before the 2009 event was over, organizer Mike Toricelli already was being queried as to next year’s agenda. Watch for details on the 2010 48hrs of Tristate on the organization’s Web site.

For more about 48hrs of Tristate, go to www.48hrs.info.

For photographs of the event, go to www.plaftaphoto.com/gallery/Meets.

48hrs of Tristate drives for past years can be found at www.driveperformance.subaru.com – Versions 4.2 and 5.2. For more about 48hrs of Tristate, go to http://48hrs.info/2009/.

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