2022 Sno*Drift Rally Preview

After a remarkable 2021 season that saw the team capture national championships in both rally and rallycross, Subaru Motorsports USA returns to the rally stages February 18-19 at Sno*Drift Rally. With the 2021 American Rally Association (ARA) Drivers’ Champion Travis Pastrana sidelined by injury, Brandon Semenuk will pilot his #180 WRX STI on the slick and snowbank-lined forest roads around Atlanta, Michigan. He will be joined by co-driver Keaton Williams in the pair’s first competitive event together.

Sno*Drift is one of the most unique and challenging rounds on the ARA calendar; it is the only true winter rally on the National schedule, and traction-enhancing tire studs, commonly used when rallying on icy surfaces, are not permitted due to Michigan state law. The stages range from hardpacked snow to polished ice, grip levels can change significantly throughout the day as temperatures rise and fall, and snowbanks present a constant danger to cars that stray too far from the correct line. Tire choice is a critical concern to maximize the limited grip.

Quote from Brandon Semenuk
“The end of the 2021 season feels like forever ago now, and I have been patiently waiting to get back in the car! The slate has been cleaned and everyone will be jockeying for position for the 2022 season, but with Sno*Drift offering up the trickiest conditions of the ARA championship, you never know what will happen”

As a longtime competitor in the Canadian Rally Championship before joining Subaru Motorsports USA in 2020, Semenuk brings a wealth of winter rally experience to his second outing at Sno*Drift. His second-place finish in 2021 included three stage wins on a shortened one-day, 12-stage schedule. With the event returning to its traditional two-day schedule for 2022, and the return of spectators after a COVID-limited 2021 event, Sno*Drift promises to be a tough and thrilling kick-off to the 2022 rally season.

Follow Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for news and updates throughout the weekend!