Gymkhana – Travis Pastrana would not have made it without Dutch help

More than 14 million viewers have now enjoyed Travis Pastrana’s Gymkhana video, which went online in late 2022. The bizarre jumps shown here by the action sports hero would not have been possible without a company from… Hengelo!

So they plan to shoot a video with a completely rebuilt Subaru station wagon, powered by an 862 hp flat-four engine and all-wheel drive, showing the most outrageous stunts and jumps. Where do you call first? Believe it or not, the correct answer is: Hengelo (Gld.)!

Gymkhana Subaru with Reiger dampers

Reiger Suspension, the main supplier of shock absorbers to many rally, rallycross and rallyraid champions, has been based there since the late 1970s. Vermont Sportscar, the company responsible for building Pastrana’s “Family Huckster,” also knows where to get the (probably) best dampers in the world.

Vermont Sportscars normally builds “normal” rally and rallycross cars based on the Subaru Impreza, in which Travis Pastrana, among others, competes in various rally (cross) events in the USA. Vermont Sportscar also regularly uses Hengelo shock absorbers on these cars, says Reiger’s Sjors Busscher.

Can withstand huge rally raid jumps

“When we received an inquiry from America to supply dampers for this project, we made a kit based on our best rallycross model. Big jumps are made in this sport, especially in America, so they’re usually designed for that kind of power.”

“On the one hand we try to make the dampers as light as possible by using aluminum but of the very best kind to protect them from breaking. A damper like that usually lasts a whole rallycross season, so they have to survive the recording of a video, even if they are exposed to a lot of stress.”

Dampers that can absorb hard landings

Given the things Pastrana wanted to do with his Subaru in the video, the dampers were slightly modified by Reiger from a stock damper. Busscher explains: “In rallycross you’re mainly looking for good traction and confidence for the driver to be able to go fast, but in gymkhana you mainly want the really hard landings to be cushioned. For example, we can make the internal twin pistons a little harder.”

Be amazed at what the dampers can withstand

Although Reiger’s dampers are known for their resilience (it’s no coincidence that almost every top Dakar Rally participant uses them), Busscher occasionally marveled at the ordeal they endured while filming the Gymkhana video.

“Of course we do our strength calculations with a good safety factor and have 100 percent confidence in our product, but for example at the point where the car drives out of a deep puddle at high speed (approx. 6 minutes in the video, note ), we also just wanted to see if everything stays intact.”

Interested in such a nice set for under your car? Anything is possible, but remember that prices start at a nice five-figure amount!