McRae and Subaru USA set for X Games Rally.

1995 World Rally champion, Colin McRae is ready to kick off the first ever X Games Rally today [Wednesday], following two-days of testing with his open class Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

The X Games Rally is a stand-alone, invite only event within the 2006 Rally America National Championship, it marks the first time any form of car racing has been included in the ESPN X Games.

On Wednesday the invited drivers will tackle eight gravel stages north of Los Angeles, then on Saturday August 5 the event will conclude with a special stage in and around the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles, televised live in the US on ABC.

McRae, who will be joined by co-driver, Nicky Grist and who is favourite to take gold, will head a four-car attack by the Subaru Rally Team USA, with regular drivers, Travis Pastrana and Ken Block and 2005 Rally America PGT Class champion Tanner Foust all competing in similar Vermont SportsCar-prepared Impreza's.

These are new cars for the X Games and they are lighter and more powerful than the cars Pastrana and Block have used thus far in the 2006 Rally America National Championship, where Pastrana and his co-driver, Christian Edstrom sit atop the overall standings after their recent runners-up spot at the Maine Forest Rally.

"We tested the cars for the first time on Monday and I instantly felt a very good difference, the cars are more nimble, more powerful," explained Pastrana. "I can't wait to showcase rallying at the X Games, its going to be amazing."

"We are very focused, there are less total stage miles than a typical Rally America event, so everything counts so much, we really need to fast everywhere with no mistakes," added Block's co-driver Ales Gelsomino.

The addition of rallying to the X Games is a major boost for the sport in the USA - and the live coverage on ABC on Saturday afternoon will be a first for US rallying.

Picture credits: Lars Gange / rally.subaru.com