Martell Extends Podium Streak with P2 Finish at 100 Acre Wood Rally

Salem, Mo – Conner Martell continued his impressive 2025 American Rally Association (ARA)
National Championship campaign last weekend with a strong second-place finish at his debut
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, earning his fourth consecutive ARA National podium finish.
First held in 1977, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, hosted in Salem, Missouri, is renowned for
being one of the fastest events on the ARA calendar. With wide, flowing stages that challenge
teams to maintain momentum and trust their pace-notes, it remains a true test of high-speed
precision.

The 2025 edition of the rally proved particularly challenging, with powerful wind storms overnight
between Friday and Saturday’s stages and nearby wildfires forcing the cancellation of two
stages on Friday. These unforeseen challenges added an extra layer of difficulty to the already
demanding rally, testing the resilience of the teams and their ability to adapt quickly to changing
conditions.

Despite the obstacles, Martell and veteran co-driver Alex Gelsomino, a seven-time winner of
this rally with the late Ken Block, remained focused and adapted quickly. They guided the No.
12 Kubota Subaru WRX STI into second position right from the start.

Martell’s standout performance on Friday’s stages saw him end the first day of competition less
than 20 seconds behind the defending ARA National Champions, Subaru’s Brandon Semenuk
and Keaton Williams, while also taking an overall stage win on SS2 and showcasing his ability
to master the unique conditions of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood.

The Martell Racing team capped off their first Rally in the 100 Acre Wood with a well-earned
second-place result on the 7.51-mile Power Stage, securing four extra championship points.
Martell’s 2nd Overall finish in the rally was his second podium in a row in the 2025 ARA season
and his fourth in a row dating back to the conclusion of the 2024 ARA season.

Martell on a Promising Performance

“It was a great day,” Martell said.” We stayed really consistent the whole weekend, which I’m
happy about. Our notes are better, and everything went really well. We’re getting better and
better each rally, and we’re just going to keep pushing on.”
“There were a few stages where we absolutely pushed the car to the limit. There’s probably not
much more that we could have done on a few stages, but there’s always something to learn.”

“We’ll continue on to Olympus. That’s going to be a tricky rally. It’s going to be something that
I’ve never experienced. It’s going to be super technical.”

Gelsomino Reflects on Rally in the 100 Acre Wood and Looks Ahead to Upcoming Events

“It’s good to be back on gravel,” Gelsomino said, “100 Acre Wood is challenging not only for the
roads and the fact that it’s one of the fastest events that we have here in North America, but
also on day two we always deal with rough conditions.”

“Hats off to the team for doing an amazing job and giving us a perfect car pretty much all
weekend. The car worked great, the team did a fantastic job, and so did Conner. Starting from
the test to the recce and everything has been ultra focused on working on consistency and
improvement.”

“Now we’re looking forward to going to the West Coast events, starting with Olympus, but
especially Oregon, where Conner has had experience in the past.”

“Progressing and getting closer and closer to the top is our goal, and we’re doing a fantastic job.
For that, we thank everybody that is supporting us, from Kubota Tractor, and to all our other
sponsors, and Vermont SportsCar. I’m really excited about the start of the season and I can’t
wait for more!”

Conner Martell is proudly supported by Kubota Tractor Corporation, Yokohama Tires, DirtFish,
and Backroads of Appalachia. Fans can follow Martell and Gelsomino’s journey online at
@connermartell21 and @alexgelsomino. For the latest stage results and ARA news, follow the
ARA series at @ara_rally or visit www.americanrallyassociation.org. For more information about
Kubota, visit www.KubotaUSA.com.

About Conner Martell:
Conner Martell is a 27-year-old rally driver and a rising star in the motorsport world with a
versatile background in rallycross, stage rally, and circuit racing. Martell dominated the 2018
ARX2 rallycross season, claiming the championship, before competing in the high-tech
Nitrocross Group E category. Over the past two seasons, he has shifted his focus to stage rally,
earning victories at the Boone Forest Rally in 2023 and 2024, along with podium finishes at the
Lake Superior Performance Rally, Sno*Drift Rally, and the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. When
not racing, Martell serves as a test and development driver for Vermont SportsCar and enjoys
outdoor adventures in his home state of Vermont.