Subaru Claims Double Podium at Southern Ohio Forest Rally

June 13, 2021

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 Pastrana’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.