Subaru Motorsports USA Set for Fast-Paced Oregon Trail Rally 2023
Subaru Motorsports USA heads into the 2023 Oregon Trail Rally well positioned, with driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams currently holding a strong American Rally Association (ARA) championship points lead. The fourth of eight ARA rounds, hopes are high at the halfway point of the season, as teams leave the rainy, muddy Olympus Rally behind for what is projected to be a milder, clearer – and much faster – Oregon Trail.
Semenuk and Williams carry with them an untarnished winning streak, with last month’s Olympus Rally win securing three for three in the season. The team’s victory at Olympus came despite conditions that challenged drivers, cars, and crews alike. Rain muddied up the already challenging course, leaving drivers guessing as established racing lines were erased and caking cars with hundreds of pounds of mud after some stages. While weather conditions look more favorable for the Oregon Trail Rally, Semenuk and Williams face the added challenges of a fast course rife with competition from drivers like Barry McKenna, who may return for the Oregon Trail Rally after skipping the Olympus Rally.
The Oregon Trail Rally traces its history back to a one-off event in 1984, with the course as we know it today developed by area rally enthusiasts in the mid-90s. Its mix of driving surfaces features dirt, gravel, and some of the fastest tarmac sections seen in any ARA event this year, including the Maryhill Loops Road hillclimb, onf of the only full all-asphalt stages in the ARA. Maryhill is popular with spectators not only for its speed, but for the many great spots it provides to watch race action. Factor in the expected warm, dry weather and the 2023 Oregon Trail Rally could come down to a high-speed shootout between competition like McKenna’s WRC-derived car and the Subaru of Semenuk and Williams.
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Quotes from the drivers:
Brandon Semenuk:
“Ready to go flat out at OTR! This rally is known for its fast stages, but with the addition of the Great Horseshoe stage, we will have a narrow/technical road thrown in the mix. This will be an awesome inclusion to the iconic landmarks we normally see at OTR, like Boyd jump and Maryhill!”
Keaton Williams:
“Oregon has to be a favorite for us and spectators! Fast stages across open mountains with big jumps, plus a tarmac stage. We aim to keep up the momentum of the year and score big points!”
Name: Oregon Trail Rally
DATES: 5/19/23 – 5/21/23
HOST TOWNS: Portland, OR. Goldendale, WA. Dufur, OR.
TIME ZONE: Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7)
NEAREST INTL AIRPORT: Portland Intl Airport (PDX)
WEATHER: Sunny. Low 57F. High 89F. Winds NW around 15 mph. 3-7% chance of rain.
Sunset 8:34pm PDT.
2023 Oregon Trail Rally Stage Info
Total Distance: 406.6 miles
Number of stages: 19
Stage distance: 116.0 miles
Stage surfaces: Gravel, Hardpacked Dirt, Tarmac
Longest stage: 10.02 miles (Dalles Mountain I & II)
Highest Elevation: 2,300 ft
Recce: Open
Service Parks: Portland Intl Raceway (Fri) Goldendale HS (Sat) Dufur City Park (Sun)
Official Start: 7:00pm on Friday
Superspecials: 2 (SS1 & SS2)
Power Stage: SS18
Stages in darkness: Yes SS2
