Subaru Motorsports USA Pushes Through Wild Weather to Win Rally in the 100 Acre Wood

Salem, MO – Neither forest fires, tornadoes, nor early mechanical issues could stop Subaru Motorsports driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams from winning this year’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, the second event of the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) season. This is the fourth 100 Acre Wood win in a row for Semenuk and Williams as the pair continue their quest for a fourth consecutive ARA championship, which will resume at the April 12-13 Olympus Rally in Washington.

“It’s another 100 Acre victory,” said Semenuk, “This rally definitely wasn’t as easy as some in the past, we had an electrical issue on day one.” 

That little issue came up during Friday’s opening stages, causing intermittent throttle loss in the WRX ARA25 – potentially catastrophic if it were to arise in the wrong part of a stage.

“The throttle would just completely go away,” said Semenuk. “It could be a bad day if it happened at the wrong moment so we had to manage the issue, plus be a bit more reserved in the drive.” The issue was resolved in the first service but the day was cut short as the final two stages were cancelled due to a line of severe weather with winds that kicked up forest fires and spawned tornadoes across the state of Missouri.

One of those tornadoes hit the city of Rolla, about 20 miles north of the 100 Acre Wood stages, devastating homes and businesses. Subaru Motorsports USA sends its love to those affected in Rolla and all the areas across Missouri where tornadoes touched down. Thanks to amazing crews working overnight and support from the rally’s many fans, Saturday’s stages were both clear of debris and well-attended. With the weather passed, Semenuk and Williams were able to focus on the more technical stages that Saturday presented en route to picking up some valuable powerstage points along with theoverall win.

“The stages weren’t easy,” said co-driver Keaton Williams, “lots of rocks and real technical bumps. It was a good recovery for us. Couldn’t have gone any better, so, happy.”

“Happy with the pace,” added Semenuk. “Great start to the year. Olympus is next.” Washington’s Olympus Rally begins the ARA season’s West Coast swing, and Semenuk for one is looking forward to it: “So, to the West Coast,” he says looking forward to racing, “basically my back yard. Olympus is one of my favorite events on the calendar. The roads are fantastic — classic, proper rally roads. Really looking forward to getting out there.” The April 12-13 Olympus Rally kicks off the West Coast portion of the ARA championship. Keep up with all of the latest news and updates by following Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and on TikTok @subarumotorsportsusa.

About Subaru Motorsports USA

Subaru Motorsports USA is directed by Subaru of America, Inc., managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by MOTUL, Yokohama Tires, R53 Suspension, Triple-R Lights, DirtFish Rally School, and Sparco USA. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/motorsports.

Follow Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and on TikTok @subarumotorsportsusa.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.