In more sobering news, 31-year-old RallyCar driver Matthew Marker, of Elk Rapids, MI, lost traction around a tight right-hander during recent Olympus Rally competition, collided his ’06 Subaru STI with a tree, and ultimately was unable to recover from injuries he sustained. Co-driver Christopher Gordon, of Brooklyn Park, MN, wasn’t seriously injured. The event marked the first competitor fatality suffered in the Rally America series in about eight years—a series Marker had been a part of since the Sno*Drift Rally four years prior.
About rally—a motorsport many might describe as the last pure one in existence—experienced Rally America co-driver Jake Blattner (Team 600) who reportedly knew Marker well, commented, “[Rally] is a dangerous sport, but that’s what sets it apart. It’s you against the wild, open road, and the clock.” He continued, “[Marker was] a very passionate, energetic, hip gearhead.” The Olympus Rally event was decidedly concluded following the crash, and points were awarded to drivers based on their times thus far. Future events were to go on as scheduled, as of press time.