(Atlanta, Mich. Feb. 7, 2025) ~ The 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship Presented by Kubota kicks off this weekend with the Sno*Drift Rally, the series’ unique and long-standing season opener in northern Michigan. Mother Nature is cooperating, with a base of the white stuff already on the ground and a prediction of additional flakes falling throughout the weekend, while the world-famous “Bonfire Alley” beckons.
Sno*Drift is the only snow rally in the world where competitors are not allowed to use studded tires. With traction – or lack thereof – as the great equalizer, the competition is wide open and unpredictable. More than three dozen of America’s hottest rally teams will brave the cold of Atlanta, Michigan for what is sure to be one of the best Sno*Drifts in recent years.
A favorite among US rally enthusiasts for decades now, Sno*Drift Rally attracts the most dedicated drivers and fans alike each year as teams struggle for grip on the northern Michigan roads, while fans build fires and brave the cold to spectate the cars as they fly through The Great Lakes States’s backroads.
While conditions for a snow rally are always unsure until the week of the event, this year, the weather has turned in competitors' favor as a light, fluffy layer of snow has fallen, allowing for a certain amount of grip on the slick stages, as well as relatively soft snow banks lining the stages, giving drivers a bit more confidence to push.
Conditions are expected to improve as continued snow during the weekend will allow competitors even more separation between their un-studded tires and the icy base layer covering Sno*Drift's 15 stages totaling 118 miles of high-performance rally racing action.
The rally begins on Friday with a Parc Exposé on Kneeland St. in Lewiston, Michigan, at 5:00 PM EST, with the ceremonial start one hour later to send teams into the evening’s first loop of stages.
From there, teams will enter the first loop, taking on the “Sage-Vondette,” “Blue Lake-Halberg,” “Argen-Hunter,” and “Orchard-Shoreline” stages for a total of 25 miles before a 30-minute service at Atlanta High School prepares them for another outing on the same stages in the dark.
Saturday at Sno*Drift will bring another three loops, plus the Power Stage Loop for National entries. Another Park Expose, beginning at 11:30 AM at Briley Park in Atlanta, Michigan, will set the stage for Saturday's action, with the ceremonial start once again beginning one hour later.
Competitors will run the “Old State-Huff,” “Black River-Camp 30,” and “Mills-Meaford” stages before re-prepping and running them again to finish the second loop of the day.
The third loop of the day will consist of the “Shoreline-Sage Creek” stage, followed by the famous “Bonfire Alley,” Where droves of spectators will line the road with bonfires to light the stage as cars fly through.
While Bonfire Alley will mark the end of the regional rally, the Power Stage will add an additional 10 miles to the National Competitors’ rallies, bringing their daily total to 68 miles.
Podium Celebrations will end things at Briley Township Park beginning at 9:00 PM for regional competitors and 10:00 PM for nationals.
All-Star Lineup Entered for National Rally
Returning once again to the stages of Sno*Drift is two-time reigning Sno*Drift winner and three-time reigning National Champion team of Subaru Motorsports USA’s (SMUSA) Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams.
The pair will once again be piloting their Vermont SportsCar Subaru WRX O4WD machine on the wintery roads on Sno*Drift, where, as a Canadian rallyist, Semenuk has a sixth sense for grip and speed.
“The start of a new ARA season is always exciting,” said Semenuk in a written statement, “and as tradition goes, Sno*Drift kicks it off.”
“Last year this winter event surprised us with no snow,” said Semenuk, “2025 will likely be my first chance to race the newest WRX on snow. There’s still plenty to learn about the car on this slippery surface, but I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to starting another incredible season with Subaru Motorsports USA!”
Paired with the SMUSA crew in the seeded draw will be the Vermont SportsCar team of Conner Martell and Alex Gelsomino in the No. 21 Kubota Tractor Corporation-sponsored Subaru WRX.
“I’m excited to team up with an amazing and supportive brand like Kubota,” said Martell. “We proved last season that we can fight for wins, and I’m eager to get back out on the stages. I’ve never competed at Sno*Drift, and it’s been a few years since I’ve raced in the snow, but Alex has been there numerous times. I have a lot of confidence after our solid results last year, so we’re feeling good.”
With grip at a premium, stage wins and podium finishes are even more unpredictable than usual at Sno*Drift. Lone RC2 entrants Pat Gruszka and Aris Mantopoulos will be ones to watch in their Green APU Hyundai i20, as will Cam Steely and Bryce Proseus in their exciting O4WD Ford Focus RS build.
The L4WD class is filled with pocket rockets manned by capable competitors at a rally where they have a fighting chance at an overall podium or better if they play their cards right.
Three Rally3 cars are entered, including the Ford Fiestas of Eagle Rock Racing and Tabor Racing, and the Renault Clio of Garage 126 Racing.
Martin Brady will be co-piloting the Eagle Rock entry with Nick Allen, marking the first time the two have joined forces on stage.
“Very much looking forward to the event,” Brady said. “We have the band back together a little bit as Derek James has brought me into the Eagle Rock Racing team, so I’m glad to be walking into a team where I already know and trust the crew chief from all our previous rallies, and we had a great test with Nick. The Rally3 car is a mighty machine, and we are looking forward to a good race with everyone else in the class. I think it is the most exciting and competitive class in the series this year as the cars are so closely matched, it’s up to us now to head the battle!”
Allen and Brady will have their work cut out for them as the Fiesta Rally3 of WRC Promoter’s Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Program graduate Madelyn Tabor and Sophia McKee will be fighting hard to take the top spot in the L4WD, as will 2023 L2WD National Champion Sean Donnelly and co-driver Zach Pfeil in the Garage 126 Clio, the first of its kind to compete in the US.
Their toughest competition, however, might not even come from a Rally 3 class vehicle, but instead from the Prodrive GC Subaru Impreza of stunt performer Ele Bardha and co-driver KJ Miller.
Bardha made a name for himself in the ARA after a hard-fought LN4 Championship battle in 2021 and has since picked up multiple class podiums and wins in the L4WD class in his Ex-Higgins Impreza.
“Another season of rally is upon us and I just can’t wait!” said Bardha. “A lot of new faces, but it’s great to see my old rally family again! Really looking forward to this season to compete against these modern rally cars. The locals in the city of Atlanta are always great to hang out with, and the support for American rally is strong. This is literally my favorite event of the year!”
In the L2WD class, four Ford Fiestas will face off against one Subaru BRZ, but a Sno*Drift newcomer may be the one to watch, as the Bearly Cyrious Fiesta of rally veteran Chris Cyr and Glen Ray joins the season-opening entry list for the first time.
“We’re super excited to be coming out for Sno*Drift. This is actually my first time racing this event,” Cyr explained. “I’ve only been here one other time managing a team member, so this will be fun to be in the driver's seat. Luckily, I do have quite a bit of seat time at Team O’Neill, but we’re pretty good about putting snow on our home course, so if there’s a lot of ice here at SnoDrift, it might challenge a lot of my experience. Obviously, I’m super excited for Bonfire Alley.”
Despite Cyr’s confidence, he’s keeping an eye on the competition this weekend: “Santiago Iglesias is definitely a strong competitor, and he’s got a lot of experience here, so he’s on the top of my radar for our class.”
Iglesias is entering his eighth Sno*Drift, and with Robert Kassel navigating in the Escuderia Boricua Subaru BRZ, he has three wins and two additional podiums, making him the most experienced driver in the class at this event.
A one-two punch of Mark and Henry Tabor, both driving Fiestas, will also add to the competition in L2WD this year, Mark being co-driven by Katheryn Hansen, and Henry by Ethan Curtis. Meanwhile, newcomers Nicholas and David Tippmann will also be piloting an L2WD Fiesta in their ARA Debut.
Another notable entry is the O2WD BMW 328i of 2024 Central Region class champions Matthew Nykanen and Lars Anderson. Much like Cyr, 2025 will be their first Sno*Drift, but they will be entering as national competitors for the first time as well.
“This is the first time that I’ve run this event, but not the first time driving in snow, being a U.P. native,” Nykanen said. “We’re coming from an O2 Regional Championship victory, and looking to take down the big dogs for the O2 National Championship this year. We’re coming into this event with some more power and some new looks and hoping for another podium finish! The strategy is to go fast, look good doing it for the fans – and finish, of course.”
Finally, in the NA4WD class, Andrew and Joe Layton will be piloting their 2004 Impreza in their second Sno*Drift.
“We’re thrilled to be back at Sno*Drift and feel very lucky that an event with this kind of prestige and challenge takes place in these amazing Northern Michigan communities not far from our base in Alden, Michigan,” Andrew explained.
“We ran in the regional category two years ago and learned that Sno*Drift is a battle against the conditions. You don’t beat other competitors as much as you try not to beat yourself! The weather forecast is predicting everything you could hope for in a winter rally, so our plan is to enjoy the adventure and hopefully finish with the car in one piece.”
“Part of what makes Sno*Drift so special are the spectators. We are also really hoping for a great spectator turnout, especially at Bonfire Alley. Sno*Drift was the first stage rally I ever attended, ten years ago, that made me say, ‘l want to do that!’”
A total of 17 teams are taking on the full 118-mile National itinerary this year, and are eligible for the bonus championship points from the Power Stage.
22 Competitors Comprise Competitive Regional Field
The 2025 Sno*Drift Regional Rally will be one to watch as home-built cars face off against professionally built monsters, fighting for traction on the snowy roads.
Alastair Scully and Stefan Trajkov, piloting the Green APU O4WD Mitsubishi Mirage, are the favorites to win the regional rally, with their experience combined with the Mirage’s powerful drivetrain making them tough to beat.
To take the gold, they’ll have to take on a strong list of locals and recurring entries, starting with four-time Sno*Drift Regional winners Jimmy Pelizzari and Sara Kate Stevens in their L4WD Bugeye Impreza.
“I'm excited to be back at Sno*Drift,” Pelizzari said, “especially with some snow. Last year we lost our engine early on, so we're hoping to be able to have some fun again. I haven't really had any time to drive the car in the snow, so stage one will be a learning experience!”
Another strong competitor in a home-built car fighting for the top spot will be Tayler Hoevenaar and Steven Stewart in their 1999 Subaru Forester.
“Well, we’ve got a new livery,” said Hoevenaar, “So if looking good is half the battle, we’re doing pretty well at the moment. Hoping Sno*Drift holds true to its name and doesn’t turn into IceDrift, or MudDrift! I started spectating the event in 2016 and raced it for the first time in 2020 using a friend's car. I spent the next few years building my Forester and raced it for the first time Sno Drift 2023.”
In his first Sno*Drift in the forester, Hoevenaar won the National NA4WD class, and last year he won the Regional NA4WD class and took second overall in the regional rally, making him a strong contender to fight once again for the podium.
These drivers will not just be fighting for the overall podium, but their class podiums as well.
Scully in the O4WD class will be competing against Bradley Hayosh and Keegan Helwig’s 2018 Subaru STI, and newcomer Peter Nyblad and Brian Riesenbeck’s 2014 Subaru WRX
Pelizzari faces competition from five other cars in the L4WD class, including 2022 Central Region champions and Sno*Drift Rally Regional winners Ivo Draganov and Vladimir Yanev, as well as competition from Robert Dupree and Jason Hack, among others.
Meanwhile Hoevenaar faves five other teams as well in NA4WD, including Dan Shirley and Sitrling Fazio’s War Weasel Impreza, as well as Camden Sheridan and Jeremy Fey’s 1999 Impreza.
In L2WD, two-time class winners at Sno*Drift, Chris and Sara Nonack will be back to fight for another gold in their Subaru BRZ. Having seen multiple different Sno*Drift conditions in their years, they’re hopeful and ready for ideal conditions in 2025.
“This is my 5th Sno*Drift with different conditions each year,” Sara said, “And this year, it looks like we'll have some real snow for a change! Enjoying Sno*Drift in a RWD car requires being a special kind of fool, but we love to plinko down the hills.”
With a five-car entry in L2WD, the Nonacks will have stiff competition ready to take them down. Russell Senior and Cray Dumeah will be pushing for a win in their 1995 Ford Escort, in Senior’s first event back since Sno*Drift in 2021, and Chase Blakely and Michael Callaway will also be looking for a win after a DNF at their debut Sno*Drift last year in their 2000 Golf GTI GLX.
To follow along with Sno*Drift live, find live results on our website, follow along on our official Facebook and Instagram, or check out our media partners at DirtFish for their on-site coverage.
~Mason Runkle, for the ARA