Subaru Motorsports USA win Oregon Trail Rally

May 25, 2023 by Subaru

Subaru Motorsports USA driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams continued their winning streak in the 2023 American Rally Association (ARA) championship with a fourth win for the season at the Oregon Trail Rally. The team led from start to finish, taking wins on each of the rally's 19 stages.

The action started with two very well-attended Friday evening stages at Portland International Raceway, where several thousand spectators watched as Semenuk and Williams jumped out to an early 28.4 second lead. Saturday brought on unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures reaching into the high-80s outside and much higher inside the cars. Starting first, Semenuk and Williams did the job of sweeping the very dusty stages, adding another layer of difficulty while kicking big rocks and loose dirt away for the competition to follow. The tenth stage ended the day with Subaru Motorsports USA holding a nearly four-minute overall lead.

To the relief of drivers, temperatures dropped on the final day of racing, but sweeping remained a challenge for Semenuk and Williams. Boyd Loop and Shadow Buck – Stages 11 and 12 – opened the day without much difficulty. 'A fast start to the final day. Fastest stage of the day (Stage 11, Boyd Loop), with a huge jump from the start,' said co-driver Williams. The dust became more of an issue at stage 13 – Nagle's Revenge – and as the day went on the action became rougher and more intense: By the time the Subaru Motorsports USA car came in after the penultimate stage – Starveout – a cracked bumper and damaged fender were tallied among its scrapes and scratches. None of that kept Semenuk and Williams from their goal, as they won the power stage and completed the rally with a commanding lead for the team's fourth straight win in this year's championship. 'We had a blast today. A lot of fast stages. I think the overall speed was like, almost 80 mph – fast. The car is in great shape, it's got a week back in the shop before we head to Ohio so it will be tip-top for the next round,' said a confident Semenuk.

It's four rounds down with four remaining in the eight-round 2023 calendar, with Semenuk and Williams currently leading the championship. Catch Subaru Motorsports USA back in action at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally from June 8-10.