Martell and Whittock Show Front-Running Pace at Overmountain Rally Tennessee
September 24, 2026. NEWPORT, Tenn. — Conner Martell and co-driver Ross Whittock showed podium-contending pace in a substitute appearance for Subaru Motorsports USA at Overmountain Rally Tennessee, September 18–19, before an impact with a rock damaged the car’s brakes and ended their challenge for a top-three finish.
Martell was called on at the last minute to step into the Open 4WD Subaru WRX ARA25. Team driver Travis Pastrana had hoped to compete in Tennessee but ultimately needed more time to recover from injuries sustained while practicing a freestyle motocross stunt late last month.
Overmountain Rally Tennessee brought a deep international field to the technical roads surrounding Newport and the Cherokee National Forest. The penultimate round of the 2026 American Rally Association National Championship featured 13 stages and nearly 100 miles of competition across Friday and Saturday, concluding under the lights with a head-to-head Super Special Stage at Newport Speedway.
Martell quickly settled into the WRX ARA25, holding third position for six of the opening seven stages and moving as high as second on SS4. The performance put Martell and Whittock firmly in contention for a podium against a field that included 2019 FIA World Rally Champion Ott Tänak and four-time ARA National Champion Brandon Semenuk.
Their podium bid came to an end on SS8 when the Subaru struck a rock in the racing line, damaging a wheel and brake line and leaving Martell with almost no braking. The incident cost the pair substantial time, but the Subaru Motorsports USA technicians repaired the damage at the next service, allowing Martell and Whittock to finish the event strongly.
“I can’t thank the Subaru team enough for having me in the seat this weekend,” Martell said. “It’s definitely not the finish we wanted, but I think with how the weekend turned out, we put down some really good times and showed that the car is for sure capable.”
The appearance marked Martell’s return to the event where he earned his first ARA National overall victory in 2025. Already familiar with the WRX ARA25 through his work as a Vermont SportsCar test driver, Martell was able to step into the car on short notice and immediately compete near the front of one of the strongest fields of the season.
Subaru Motorsports USA will return for the 2026 ARA National Championship finale at Lake Superior Performance Rally, October 9–10, where Pastrana is anticipated to be ready to return to competition.
