Following a nine-month offseason hiatus, Subaru Motorsports USA is finally gearing up to begin its 2020 American Rally Association (ARA) season this Saturday at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally (SOFR).

 

This return to rally car will feature the team’s new driver line-up, which consists of five-time national rally champion Travis Pastrana, and 2018 North American Rally Cup title-holder Brandon Semenuk. This year, these talented drivers will climb into the team’s signature blue and gold Subaru WRX STI rally cars in pursuit of a fourteenth American title victory.

 

The competition at this weekend’s SOFR is certainly stiff, featuring the likes of current championship leader Barry McKenna, 2018 ARA Limited 4WD national champion Jeff Seehorn, and Pastrana’s heated rival Ken Block.

 

A long-time Subaru Motorsports USA driver, Travis Pastrana spoke about his excitement as the team prepares to kick things off on Saturday.

 

"Couldn’t be more excited to get my rally season kicked off!” said Pastrana. “It’s been a while since Brandon and I have been on the stages and we’ve had to make changes to our team because of the current travel restrictions. Neither of us have done this rally, but the long twisty stages should be a good fit for my driving style!”

Pastrana’s newly acquired teammate, Semenuk, also shared his thoughts in the lead-up to the beginning of his first race as a Subaru driver.

 

"It’s been a long wait and a lot of anticipation,” Semenuk said. “I’m excited to finally tackle my first event in the Subaru WRX STI! Ohio looks like a great area for rally and a worthy addition to the ARA championship. With a strong field of cars expected to show up, John [Hall] and I are preparing for an all-night fight.”

 

While the Subaru Motorsports USA team is more than ready to return to rally racing, this year’s event will differ slightly from the usual norm. In accordance with Ohio’s state and local guidelines, spectators will not be permitted to attend and the usual parc exposé has been cancelled.

 

In addition, the Subaru/Vermont SportsCar team will also be following strict social distancing guidelines and adhering to mandatory mask-wearing rules in the service area. Additional staffing has also been shuffled due to international travel restrictions.

 

The most obvious staff change can be seen in the number 199 WRX STI, where Pastrana’s usual co-driver Robbie Durant will be replaced by 2014 teammate Chrissie Beavis, and Semenuk will pair with co-driver John Hall in the number 180 car.


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