Subaru Motorsports USA Heads to Ojibwe Forests Rally as ARA Season Returns From Summer Break
Detroit Lakes, MN – After a short summer break following June’s Southern Ohio Forest Rally, the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) season enters its home stretch with the August 21-23 Ojibwe Forests Rally. Defending three-time ARA champion Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams are closing in on a fourth consecutive title for Subaru Motorsports USA. Meanwhile, extreme sports icon and Subaru Motorsports USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino look to keep building on the success they’ve already found in the Limited 4-Wheel Drive (L4WD) class in their new WRX ARA25L.
“Summer break is over and the championship resumes with Ojibwe Forests Rally,” Semenuk says. “This one’s had its highs and lows for me over the years, but it’s still a favorite. The soft surface is unlike anywhere else in the championship, and it comes with plenty of speed and big jumps!” He and Williams take the stages on Thursday evening in the very car that made its debut at Ojibwe in 2023. While that car is consistently undergoing improvement, Pastrana’s new Limited car is still early in development.
Yet Pastrana is confident in he and Gelsomino’s performance at the Ojibwe Forests Rally; in fact, they earned their first win as a pair at the event. “Ojibwe is by far my best rally in the championship,” says Pastrana. “The sandy conditions and technical roads really fit my driving style.”
That style was on full display at July’s Rally Colorado, an ARA Super Regional Event. On fast dirt roads, Pastrana and Gelsomino not only captured an L4WD class win but managed to finish ahead of class-up Rally2 (RC2) cars in some stages. Having only made its racing debut at this past April’s Olympus Rally in Washington, the ARA25L has thus far exceeded expectations.
The 2025 Ojibwe Forests Rally kicks off Thursday, August 21st with “Rock, Roll and Rally” which features a live concert, food, and drinks while competitors run the very fast Soo Pass Super Special stage. Drivers will enter the forests for Friday’s and Saturday’s stages, where they’ll contend with quick stages, smoothed by the presence of sandy soils when weather stays dry. “It will be interesting because the sandy surfaces bring some of the power down in the vehicles, so we’ll have to be very aggressive to be competitive,” says Pastrana, “I very much look forward to seeing what the new car can do.”
Seasoned champs Pastrana and Gelsomino continue to establish themselves in L4WD, while Semenuk and Williams continue to chase down another ARA championship and add to their growing legacy. The Ojibwe Forests Rally is shaping up to potentially be a crucial event to the 2025 ARA season: keep up with all of the latest news, updates, and happenings by following Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and on TikTok @subarumotorsportsusa.
Name: Ojibwe Forests Rally
DATES: 8/21/25 – 8/23/25
HOST TOWNS: Detroit Lakes, Bemidji, Minnesota
TIME ZONE: Central Daylight Time (UTC -5)
NEAREST INTL AIRPORT: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
WEATHER: Sunny Low 54F High 78F.
Sunset 8:22 pm
2025 Ojibwe Forests Rally Stage Info
Total distance: 400.55 miles
Number of stages: 20
Stage distance: 141.76 miles
Stage surfaces: Gravel, Sand and Tarmac
Longest stage: 12.28 miles (SS5 & 9 Steamboat 1&2)
Highest Elevation: 1,919 ft
Recce: Open
Service Park: Pioneer Farms, Shevlin, MN.
Official Start: 7:00 pm on Thursday
Superspecials: 3 (SS1 SS2 & SS20)
Power Stage: SS19
Stages in darkness: No
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.
