Subaru Claims Double Podium at Southern Ohio Forest Rally
Subaru Motorsports USA earned a double podium at Southern Ohio Forest Rally after a chaotic weekend that saw fast-changing weather, stage cancellations, mechanical issues and some of the tightest and narrowest roads on the calendar. Travis Pastrana and Rhianon Gelsomino took home second-place points to continue their lead in the driver’s championship, while Brandon Semenuk and John Hall finished third.
Southern Ohio again presented problems for the Subaru team in 2021 after a 2020 event that saw Travis Pastana’s return to the team spoiled by an engine fire. Unfortunately, Pastrana’s chance to fight for the win ended early with stalling issues on the Friday evening stages. The standout of the day was Semenuk, who drove well in the rainy Friday conditions and led the rally overnight, looking to be in a strong position for Day 2 sitting first on the road.
Saturday morning brought an unusual shift in the rally schedule, as communication system failures forced the cancellation of five of the first six stages of the day. By mid-afternoon the rally was reorganized with a new stage schedule—the three stages originally planned to run in the morning would be run in a double loop to complete the rally, cutting the event total from 15 to ten stages. Semenuk, who had surrendered the lead to Barry McKenna on SS6—the sole morning stage completed—stayed in the lead fight with solid stage times until an electrical issue on the second loop cost him more than two minutes and dropped him to third behind Pastrana.
With three wins and a second-place finish in the books, Pastrana now leads the ARA title race with 83 points over McKenna in second with 50. Semenuk sits third with 43 points, with Ken Block holding 34 in fourth.
Subaru Motorsports USA will be back in action in July at New England Forest Rally, the team’s home event.
About Subaru Motorsports USA
Subaru Motorsports USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., MOTUL, Yokohama Tires, DirtFish Rally School, KÜHL, RECARO and weBoost. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/motorsports.
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About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a 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 has donated more than $200 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 63,000 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.
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