Travis Pastrana just beat nine purpose-built Rally2 cars in a Subaru WRX. The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood ended with Pastrana and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino taking overall victory in the Limited 4WD class, because apparently someone forgot to tell them they weren’t supposed to win outright.
The win came down to the wire, with the top four finishers separated by just 23 seconds after two days of flat-out racing across Missouri’s high-speed gravel. This wasn’t a comfortable cruise to the finish; this was proper door-handle-to-door-handle rallying.
The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is known as one of the fastest events on the ARA calendar — wide roads, sweeping open stretches, and the kind of grip that rewards commitment. Or punishes overconfidence. Depends on your day.
Starting From the Back
Opening the rally first on the road meant Pastrana faced the disadvantage of sweeping loose gravel from the racing line for everyone behind him. Thanks for nothing. Despite this, the pair finished the opening stage 6th overall and worked their way through the pack as the rally progressed.
A late push on day one brought Pastrana within seconds of the overall lead. The WRX ARA25L showed its pace early on Saturday morning, surviving the notoriously punishing Loop Southern stage — which has a reputation for eating cars — and climbing to third overall by the end of the first loop.
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ABOVE: Pastrana and Gelsomino in action, fan meet, service park
Stealing It at the Death
Driving with total commitment on the final loop, Pastrana and Gelsomino seized the overall lead on its opening stage, taking a 16.4-second advantage over Tom Williams. They added another five seconds before the finish because when you’re on a roll, you keep pushing.
“That was a heck of a rally,” Pastrana said. “The top four were within 23 seconds, so it was absolutely right down to the wire. Rhianon absolutely crushed it. We took some pretty big chances out there, and it all worked out.”
The ARA championship now heads to the Kubota Olympus Rally in Shelton, Washington, April 17-19, which expands to a full three days and more than 200 miles of stages this year. If Pastrana keeps this up, everyone else might need to start cheating.
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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