Six Straight: Martell Extends Podium Streak at Oregon Trail Rally
Dufur, OR — Up-and-coming U.S. rally driver Conner Martell powered through the 2025 Oregon Trail Rally last weekend in the No. 21 Kubota Tractor-backed Subaru WRX STI, earning his sixth consecutive podium in American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship competition.
First held in 1984, the Oregon Trail Rally features 108 miles of some of the most scenic and iconic stages on the ARA calendar. Based in Dufur, Oregon, and Goldendale, Washington, the event spans the Columbia River Gorge with sweeping mountain views, over 1,700 feet of elevation change, and a night of spectator-friendly action at Portland International Raceway to kick off the weekend.
Drawing on his 2018 Oregon Trail Rally experience, and co-driver Alex Gelsomino’s 18 starts and 2022 overall win, Martell wasted no time getting up to speed, finishing Friday night’s spectator stages second overall.
Martell and Gelsomino showed strong pace on Saturday despite sweeping the road, contending with minor steering issues and a broken axle. They continued to impress on Sunday while managing a tire puncture, water-crossing damage, and turbo trouble on the Power Stage.
Even so, they completed the majority of stages just seconds off the pace of three-time national champions Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams. One of the weekend’s standout moments came at the Boyd Loop Jump, where they soared a rally-best 115 feet at 102 MPH.
At the end of a grueling three-day, 19-stage rally, Martell and Gelsomino celebrated another second-place finish, collecting 17 points and an additional Power Stage point, keeping their inaugural ARA National Championship campaign firmly on track.
Martell: Pressing-on-Regardless
“It was a crazy up-and-down weekend for us,” Martell said after the rally. “Being first car on the road we were sweeping the road on Saturday, which was a really good learning experience for me, having to deal with no lines and all the looseness, and trying to figure out the line as you go through was difficult, but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot.”
“We battled some random steering issues and a broken axle on Saturday. We had a power steering failure on Sunday morning. And then on the PowerStage, the turbo was kind of cutting in and out, so we just cruised for the last two miles. Big thanks to the team for keeping us going and it was great to push through for another podium. Thank you to Kubota Tractors, and thank you to the ARA. On to Ohio.”
Gelsomino Thankful for Support on a Hard-Fought Weekend
“What an amazing event it’s been!” Gelsomino said. “Some tough stages, long stages as well, today and yesterday, so it’s great to be here finishing second overall.
“It’s been great to see all the fans out on the stages this weekend, and we’ve now finished our second West Coast event with another second place. Now we move on to Ohio, looking forward to continuing the season and keeping the momentum going.
“Big thanks to the team and our sponsors, Kubota, Backroads of Appalachia, DirtFish, all our technicians and team management, everyone at Vermont SportsCar, and Conner for a great job.”
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, 28-year-old multi-diciplined 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, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Olympus Rally, and Oregon Trail Rally. When not racing, Martell serves as a test and development driver for Vermont SportsCar and enjoys outdoor adventures in his home state of Vermont.
