Pastrana Returns to ARA as Legendary Olympus Rally Attracts Massive Entry
- masonrunkel
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
(Shelton, WA. April 8, 2025) ~ The third round of the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship Presented by Kubota shifts the action to one of the most legendary events on the calendar—the Olympus Rally. Known for its tight, technical mountain logging roads in Shelton, Washington, Olympus is a true test of skill and endurance.
As one of two former World Rally Championship events on the ARA schedule, Olympus holds a special place in rally history, most famously serving as the final event of the iconic Group B era. Following the fast, flowing roads of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, teams will now have to adapt to the demanding Pacific Northwest terrain, where unpredictable weather and rugged forest stages could shake up the standings.
In stark contrast to the wide-open, high-speed stages of 100 Acre Wood, the tight and twisting roads of Olympus favor the nimblest cars in the field. Even RC2 machines have been known to challenge top open-class competitors on these demanding stages.
While it’s still early to say for certain, Olympus is often a rain-soaked rally, and the current forecast calls for showers on competition days. Rain transforms the gravel roads into a slick and unpredictable challenge, further testing competitors as they navigate the demanding stages.
At 133 miles, this is the longest rally itinerary of the season so far. Spread across two days and 12 stages, it features variations of the famous Schafer and Stillwater routes, along with the grueling 17.29-mile Andy’s Wildcat, which is run twice back-to-back to close out day one.
A total of 87 teams have entered Olympus this year, representing 15 different manufacturers. While Subarus and Fords remain the staples, the field also includes international entries from Peugeot, Volvo, and Škoda.
The rally kicks off with a Parc Exposé in downtown Shelton on Saturday, April 12, at 8:00 AM. From there, competitors will tackle the Schafer and Deckerville 43 stages twice, with a refuel in between, before heading to service to prepare for Andy’s Wildcat. Afterward, a final service will set them up for one more run of Wildcat, arguably the most difficult stage on the ARA calendar.
On Sunday, the rally resumes with another Parc Exposé at the Sanderson Service Park before competitors take on the Stillwater and Dayton stages. After a service stop, they will repeat those two stages, this time with the addition of 'PowerStage.' Despite its name, the official National Power Stage will take place after another service, with teams returning to the eponymous stage for one final shootout.
Limited 4WD Sees Pastrana Return, Raftery Join ARA Competition
Photos from Subaru Motorsport USA
One of the biggest storylines in the 2025 ARA season is Travis Pastrana’s move from his longtime Open-Class seat to a new ride. He will debut the Subaru WRX ARA25L, a Vermont SportsCar-built L4WD entry, which is being run out of the same camp as his former Open-Class cars.
The move has been in the works since last year, but Olympus will be the first event where Pastrana and co-driver Rhiannon Gelsomino compete in the rapidly evolving LN4 class. This category currently fosters competition between European-built Rally3 cars and home-built entries, ranging from conservative STI builds to naturally aspirated cars with just a few limitations compared to the O4WD cars.
“Couldn’t be more excited to be back rallying!” Pastrana said. “Subaru Motorsports USA agreed to build a more affordable car for me in the hopes of inspiring more drivers to compete in the series.”
“My goal this year is to have a lot of fun and build on this as a proof of concept,” he says, “that will hopefully inspire more drivers from the USA and around the world to come race with us in the ARA championship.”
Pastrana will be competing against another exciting entry, European Rally Championship driver Aoife Raftery, debuting the new DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver program behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX STI, co-driven by Krista Skucas. The Irish driver has most recently been competing in the ERC4 class, where she has multiple stage wins.
“I am thrilled to be driving with DirtFish,” said Raftery. “This opportunity to compete on the next two rounds of the ARA National Championship represents a personal milestone for me and a significant moment for women in motorsport.
“I aim to inspire others to chase their dreams, proving that with passion and determination, anything is possible.”
The class will also feature two Rally3 entries: the Eagle Rock Racing Ford Fiesta driven by Nick Allen and co-driven by Martin Brady, and the Tabor Racing Team Fiesta piloted by Madelyn Tabor and Sophia McKee. Meanwhile, the naturally aspirated portion of the battle will be contested by the Imprezas of Niels Kroeze and Alex Chadney, as well as Eliza Coleman and Ryan Scott.
RC2 Competition Expected to Shine on Ideal Stages
While U.S. rallies are typically defined by high-speed, high-commitment stages that favor open-class builds, Olympus stands out as one of the few events where the nimbler RC2 cars can have an advantage.
Although the Open Class battle between Subaru Motorsports USA’s Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams and the Kubota Tractor-backed WRX STI of Martell Racing’s Conner Martell and Alex Gelsomino is expected to top the timesheets, they’ll need to stay sharp, as four RC2 competitors are ready to challenge them on Olympus’s technical stages.
100 Acre Wood RC2 class winners and reigning O2WD champions Ryan Booth and Nick Dobbs return in their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, while 2023 RC2 champion Pat Gruszka, co-driven by Danny Persein, is back in his Hyundai i20 R5.
“I am really excited to get back out to Olympus,“ Booth said. “The stages are really fun and challenging. It should be a good rally. I would love for it to be dry as I do not have a ton of experience in wet conditions, but we all know the weather in the PNW is so unpredictable.
“Now that I have one rally under my belt in the Škoda, we should be able to build off of the momentum and results from 100 Acre Wood. The boys put in a ton of work here at the shop re-prepping the car, so we should be good to go!”
Joining the RC2 battle for the first time is PNW-based Roberto Yglesias, who will debut the RC Competición-built Pura Vida Audi A1 Maxx Rally. With Javiera Roman navigating, this marks the car’s first competitive outing.
The A1 Maxx is built to N5 (or Maxi) specifications—a popular category in other parts of the world that delivers performance comparable to European-built Rally2 cars but at a fraction of the cost. Powered by a turbocharged 1.6L BMW/Mini four-cylinder, paired with a sequential gearbox and Subaru differentials, the Pura Vida Rally entry is sure to draw attention on Olympus’ demanding stages.
That said, contending for an overall podium finish will be no easy task for these competitors. Not only must they take on the championship leaders and each other, but they’ll also have to contend with a handful of unique and highly capable O4WD builds, including the El Diablo Rally Team’s four-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ, Cameron Steely’s Ford Focus RS, and Todd Hartmann’s Ford Fiesta Proto.
Stacked O2WD Looks to Provide Nail-biting Competition
For the second time this year, the O2WD class boasts one of the most impressive entry lists of the entire event.
After securing a win with Calle Carlberg at the wheel, Team FJ returns to Olympus, this time fielding two Peugeot 208 Rally4 cars. While Carlberg won’t be driving, WRC2 stars Sean Johnston and Alex Kihurani are back for more ARA action. The duo previously put a Fiesta Rally3 on the overall podium at the 2024 Overmountain Rally, and now, they’ll be returning to a front-wheel-drive rally car for the first time since 2019.
Joining them out of the Team FJ stable in the other 208 will be Mikael Arsenault and Matthieu Belhacene, who will both be making their ARA debut. Arsenault recently moved into the Rally4 out of an open-class Subaru, where he has already taken a class win in the Canadian Rally Championship’s (CRC) Rallye Perce Neige Maniwaki, and looks to expand upon that success at Olympus.
“This is my first season in 2WD after competing in 4WD, and things have been going really well so far,” Arsenault said. “We kicked off the season with a win at our first 2WD event in the Canadian Rally Championship, which gave us a lot of confidence going forward.”
“Olympus will be our first gravel rally of the year, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how the car performs on that surface. We’re aiming for a podium finish — that’s the clear goal.”
“There’s going to be some solid competition in O2WD. Sean, who’s also driving a Peugeot 208 and part of the FJ Team like us, will definitely be one to watch. He’s also our teammate for this event, so it’ll be fun to have that friendly rivalry going on.”
“Looking forward to experiencing the ARA and the Olympus stages for the first time — it’s a legendary rally, and we’re excited to be part of it.”
Of course, the Peugeots aren’t the only entries to watch. The nine-car class entry also features multi-time class champion Seamus Burke in his Ford Escort Mk II, O2WD stalwart Michael Hooper in his rowdy Lexus IS350, 2024 L2WD champions Richo Healy and Michelle Miller in another IS350, and rising-star championship leaders Matthew Nykanen and Lars Anderson in their 1998 BMW 328i.
While the tight and technical roads of Olympus theoretically favor a front-wheel-drive platform over rear-wheel drive, history tells a different story—RWD cars have claimed every class win since Ryan Millen and Rhiannon Gelsomino’s victory in 2017 behind the wheel of their FWD Toyota RAV4.
The L2WD lineup is also stacked, with seven entries including championship leaders Chris Cyr and Glen Ray in the Bearly Cyrious Ford Fiesta ST. The event will also feature another round of family battles, as Henry Tabor, co-driven by Jack Gillow-Wiles, takes on his father, Mark Tabor, co-driven by Kathryn Hansen, both piloting nearly identical Tabor Racing Ford Fiesta STs.
Four-Class Fight for Victory in Massive 58-Entry Regional Rally
Each year, the PNW Rally community turns out in force for the Olympus Regional Rally, and 2025 is no exception, with 58 teams signed up to tackle the 126-mile, 11-stage regional itinerary.
For years, the PNW rally scene has been dominated by Andy Miller and his NA4WD 2005 Subaru WRX STI. Miller hasn’t lost a single class victory since 2022 and has stood on the overall podium in every event he’s entered since 2023. On top of that, he is the two-time reigning champion of the Olympus Regional Rally, thanks to his expertly prepped car, precision driving, and relentless determination behind the wheel.
This year, however, the competition will be some of the toughest he’s ever faced, as competitors from multiple other classes fight to take the top spot.
From the O4WD camp, Steven Redd and Dylan Hooker’s stunning S12b Subaru WRX WRC replica will hit the stages for the seventh time. The wide-body Impreza secured second place in this event last year but went on to compete three more times before the season’s end, giving Redd valuable seat time and allowing for further chassis development.
With a total of 12 O4WD entries, Redd’s competition will include 2023 Olympus O4WD class winners Sean Dorrough and Andrea Lauria, the brother-sister duo of Kenny and Kaylee Copeland, and recent four-wheel-drive convert Peter Guagenti in his newly acquired Mitsubishi Evo X.
The next big threat to Miller’s reign comes from the L4WD Ford Fiesta Rally3 of Jason Bailey and Shayne Peterson. Having won the National L4WD class with Jamie Willetts at Olympus in 2023 with this same platform, Bailey is no stranger to the PNW roads and is ready to challenge Miller for the overall victory.
“Flat out for the win,” Bailey said. “We know the roads, we know the car, we just have to overcome the endless obstacles that Olympus always throws in our faces: standing water, torrential rain, deep fog, massive rocks in the line, and slimy muck. Should be easy right?!?”
Competing against Bailey in the L4WD class are seven other teams, including Robert Shibao and Dillon McKenna in their 2002 WRX, Phil Clarke and Kendra Tym in a 2003 WRX, and Steve Greer and David Bush, returning to Olympus for the first time since a car fire in 2022 in their 1992 Subaru Legacy Turbo.
The final major threat to Miller’s reign comes from the O2WD BMW M3 of Dave Clark and Jamie Willetts. While it may seem unconventional to put a rear-wheel-drive car in contention for an overall win at a rally like Olympus, Clark and Willetts proved it can be done in the same M3 back in 2020. They’re consistently fast, reliable, and unshakable on stage. While outright pace might be a challenge, Olympus’ unforgiving nature could work to their advantage if they race with caution and precision.
Clark will have his hands full as the O2WD class boasts an impressive 18 entries, including seven BMWs, an FB RX-7, three Volvos, a Mustang, and more! Among the biggest threats for the O2WD podium are Alex Jardevall and Maxwell Melcher in their ever-sideways 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo, as well as the Fiesta ST of Julien Sebot and Steven Harrell, and the Scion FRS of Eric Bailey and Jordan Rock.
Of course, the L2WD class will be one to watch as well. Chris Miller and Crystina Coats will be aiming for victory after their Scion FR-S debuted at Olympus last year, only to end in a DNF. They’ll face nine other entries, including Lucas Chalcraft and Steven Hegel’s 2010 VW Golf, Radek Wlodarczyk and Cindi Carlson’s 2010 Honda Fit, and first-timers Colton Edwards and DirtFish instructor Jack Ramie.
For more about the Olympus Rally, head to the event page on our website. To follow the event, check out ARA on Instagram and Facebook, or spectate and volunteer in person in Shelton, Washington!
`Mason Runkel for the ARA