Old habits die hard, so following his
arrival in the States, Ivo immediately found himself back in a fast car, this
time a Volkswagen. He knew very few people in this strange new country, but he
quickly found that even here, individuals with similar interests tend to enjoy
each other's company. In no time, he was part of an organized automotive
enthusiasts collective that called itself the Renner Performance Group. Through
this alliance of automotive enthusiasts Ivo met a certain man, a man with
slightly more disposable income than he had. This man had just purchased a
brand-new Subaru. It was a new model for 1998—or rather a new trim level of the
familiar Impreza model, but something about the 2.5 RS made it so much more
appealing than the typical Impreza. Ivo saw this car quite often and planned to
purchase one for himself—until his friend blew the engine just four years
later. Without a place to store the car, Ivo's friend was forced to sell it.
Naturally, Ivo jumped on the chance to own the chassis he had dreamt of.
The
GC8 sat for a few years, during which time Ivo considered many power plant
options. He had no intention of installing anything naturally aspirated into
the car, and at this time the only viable option was the turbocharged EJ20 of
the new "bugeye" WRX
The GC8 sat for a few years, during which
time Ivo considered many power plant options. He had no intention of installing
anything naturally aspirated into the car, and at this time the only viable
option was the turbocharged EJ20 of the new "bugeye" WRX. Ivo decided
to see what Subaru would have to offer in the coming years. In 2004, Subaru
introduced the STI model to North America and Ivo opened a savings account. One
year later, Subaru made a few minor changes to the STI and Ivo purchased a brand-new
'05 WRX STI, a formidable car in it's own right—but Ivo did the unthinkable. He
drove the car to his shop and tore it apart, piece by piece. The new car he had
just purchased was destined to be no more than a sacrifice, an offering to the
monster he was building.
Let's fast-forward to March 2014, when I
had the pleasure of meeting Ivo in person. We were both competing at Chuckwalla
Raceway for the second round of Redline Time Attack, in very different classes,
of course. In the company of many cars that were built purely for function with
limited aesthetic qualities, this Impreza definitely stood out. Now, this
comparison shouldn't be interpreted as something negative—many very
good-looking cars compete in the series—but rather it's a testament to how
complete this particular car is. Everything from the broad shoulder lines
courtesy of the Aerosim wide body kit slathered in WRC Blue to the Advan RS
wheels wrapped in Nitto NT01s to the slender spokes framing AP Racing brakes
reminds you of the fact that this car is a full build in every possible way.
The suspension is simple and effective, built around Stance coil overs,
fortified by Whiteline sway bars—efficiently keeping all four wheels firmly
pressed against the pavement, even with 568 all-wheel horsepower instantly
available. The engine can hardly be considered original, with many of the vital
components having been changed out for stronger, lighter pieces—built by Ivo
himself and tuned by Yimi Sports.
The
engine can hardly be considered original, with many of the vital components
having been changed out for stronger, lighter pieces—built by Ivo himself and
tuned by Yimi Sports.
As the competition day ended and Ivo sat in
his trailer, I had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the man within the helmet
and racing suit. The man who essentially traded his racing career at its prime
for something intangible—something many people never experience and that none
can prove the existence of. The up-and-coming rally driver, the hill climb
racer on a winning streak left it all for the company of a solitary person in
another country. This man was born to be the Bulgarian national champion,
following in the footsteps of his parents—but instead he chose to become the
champion of his home, a hero to his (now) wife and two sons. As a fellow racing
enthusiast, I had to ask him if he could do it all again, if he could return to
being 20 years old, preparing for his next race as a prodigy—knowing what he
knows now, 24 years later with literally another lifetime under his belt—would
I be having this conversation with the 1991 Bulgarian national champion? He
responded with a resounding "No," paused for a moment, and elaborated
that he has absolutely no regrets. He married the girl of his dreams and with
her he started a family and provides for them by doing what he loves. He then
tilted his head toward the rear of the trailer where the Impreza was strapped
down and cracked a smile, "And I got my race car."
He
then tilted his head toward the rear of the trailer where the Impreza was
strapped down and cracked a smile, "And I got my race car."
