It was all too perfect. If you were anywhere near a TV set the first weekend in August, you saw it run on a continual loop on every ESPN station, including ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNHD and ESPN Deportes. I think it was even deemed an "Instant Classic" on ESPN Classic.
What was it? The unbelievably dramatic finish to the debut of rally racing at X-Games 12. Here's the set-up:
Future X-Games Hall of Famer Travis Pastrana is in the hunt for his second gold medal of the 12th annual games after successfully landing the first ever Moto-X double backflip the night before. At this point, he is so outrageously popular, thousands of fans would have packed Home Depot Center just to watch him get his ears cleaned. Instead everyone is here to witness Pastrana compete in this thing they call rally racing.
Pastrana is a self-proclaimed rally freak. He and his good friend Ken Block, the multimillionaire founder of DC Shoes, have competed in several Rally America races with the backing of high-profile sponsors, including Subaru and DC Shoes. With their Vermont Sports Car rally-prepped WRX STIs, each has managed a win and several top finishes in the last couple of years.
They are competing in the first-ever rally race at X-Games 12, an event that probably would not have been included were it not for their personal interest. Block and Pastrana are part of a field that includes some of North America's best rally drivers, including Rhys Millen, Lauchlin O'Sullivan, Paul Choiniere, and the brother/sister combo of Pat and Natalie Richard. But they're not the only ones with driving skills. The very definition of rally-car control is also competing-none other than former (1995) World Rally Champion Colin McRae and his equally legendary co-driver, Nicky Grist.
Fifteen teams entered at the start of the week. Two of them suffered mechanicals during the off-road rally portion held earlier on Wednesday in nearby Gorman, California. Another succumbed during practice for the Super Special at the Home Depot Center. This leaves twelve for Saturday's final, which will run in reverse order. It comes as no surprise that the last guy to go is McRae.
From the start of the Super Special it seems clear that the American rally scene is not quite ready for prime time. The first few cars through the gates are painfully slow. Some are front drive cars making exhibition runs, others are amateur privateers, but aside from an impact-induced engine fire after the dirt infield's one and only jump, the Super Special is shaping up to be super boring.
But the final four runs are what everybody is waiting for; Block and O'Sullivan are in a tight battle for third, one that Block manages to win with some quick and clean driving. Pastrana goes next and sets the fastest time of the day, but McRae hasn't run yet. And when he does, it doesn't look good for the young Pastrana.
From the start at the top of the stadium, McRae drives like a man possessed. Down the ramp, over the jump and out of the opposite gate, he is simply torching the course and competition. He whips through the tarmac section on a line that is clearly different from the others, and much faster. Victory is most certainly his; the announcers state that his split times are significantly lower than Pastrana's. Coming back into the stadium, McRae is on a pace to not only win the inaugural X-Games 12 Rally Stage, but lay a William Wallace-style beat down on everyone in the field. Then the unbelievable happens.
Like many of the faster teams, McRae and Grist don't launch their car over the jump-they take it low and fast. But on the approach, something goes wrong. They don't line up straight and hit the dirt jump at about a 15-degree angle, skewing in the air and forcing the left corner of the STI into the dirt when they return back to earth. When the back end hits a split second later, the car rocks forward again and pitches over the passenger side. The roll seems to take an eternity, but is actually over in less than a second. And before the left side wheels even have a chance to touch the ground, McRae is back on the throttle, sending rattles through the crumpled bodywork and plumes of dirt from all four tires. He powers through the S-turn, clumps of dirt continuing to fall from the car as he cuts around the jumps and crosses the finish line 0.5 seconds too late for gold.
The crowd goes wild and so does Pastrana. He wins his second and can hardly contain himself. McRae seems a little embarrassed at his misfortune, but graciously accepts the silver. Block's third place finish means Subaru sweeps the inaugural rally car race at X-Games 12. The fans can't believe what they've just seen. And truth be told, neither can we.