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K&N-Sponsored Formula Drift Driver Matt Coffman Earns Class Win at Oregon Trail Rally
K&N-Sponsored Formula Drift Driver Matt Coffman Earns Class Win at Oregon Trail Rally
9 May 2017
Matt Coffman and co-driver Niall Burns win the P4WD class at the 2017 Oregon Trail Rally
Following a successful top-8 finish at Formula Drift Long Beach in his Coffman Racing Nissan S13 drift car, Matt Coffman earned a class win and a 4th place overall finish at the Oregon Trail Rally in his Subaru STI rally car. The three-day event took place in Coffman’s home state of Oregon, covering more than 120 miles through 18 stages of rally racing which took place at Portland International Raceway, as well as on roads in and around Dufur, Oregon and Goldendale, Washington. Coffman won the Production 4 wheel drive class alongside co-driver Niall Burns and finishing ahead of many other more experienced drivers in more powerful cars.
Matt Coffman and co-driver Niall Burns attack a gravel road during the 2017 Oregon Trail Rally
The Coffman Racing STI fought through some mechanical issues with the anti-lag system on Friday, but was able to finish all stages with respectable times. Friday’s stages took place at the Portland International Raceway complex, giving spectators a very rare opportunity to witness four different and unique stages in a single location. The courses that officials setup at the race track included a mix of tarmac, dirt, and sod sections, and even had several jumps. Coffman had many friends and family in the stands at PIR, cheering him on to the top position in class and fifth place standing overall after the first day.
Matt Coffman and co-driver Niall Burns racing on one of the dirt sections during Oregon Trail Rally
Saturday’s stages took place among the rolling hills in and around Dufur, Oregon, just south of The Dalles, Oregon and around 100 miles East of Portland. Unique to rally racing, all competitor cars are required to be street legal and driven on public roads between stages. Saturday featured several water crossings and jumps. Consistency was the key for the team as they remained first in their class and moved up to fourth overall. After a quick stop at a local coffee shop drive thru and a car wash, the team got some much-needed sleep after the late night thrash the previous day.
Matt Coffman and co-driver Niall Burns in transit between stages of the 2017 Oregon Trail Rally
Sunday’s racing crossed the Columbia River into Washington just an hour North of Dufur and featured some technical tarmac stages as well as some higher speed gravel stages. Overall, the racing on Sunday was very tight and competitive, with several drivers turning in times that closed the gap on Coffman’s lead. Rain fell late in the day on Sunday, helping Coffman and Burns hold on to the lead in the class and clinch both the class win and fourth overall. With nationally-recognized names in rally like Travis Pastrana and David Higgins finishing just ahead of Coffman, the team was satisfied with the results.
Matt Coffman and co-driver Niall Burns enter a water crossing during the 2017 Oregon Trail Rally
Coffman’s 2008 Subaru STI competes in the Production 4 wheel drive class, which requires the cars to remain relatively unmodified outside of safety gear and a narrow list of permitted upgrades. Coffman Racing uses K&N filters for all of their race cars, and the 33-2304 drop-in filter complies with the American Rally Association restrictions for the Production 4 wheel drive class. Coffman and the team hope to continue to get some seat time behind the Rally car this season, but the drifting program will remain the primary focus for the tea.
