Sno*Drift Rally is officially over, marking the first event of the 2022 ARA season.
The Rundown
Sno*Drift Rally is arguably the hardest Rally of the ARA season, seeing as it is done completely on snow without tire stubs, seeing as they are banned in North America. The Entry list was slim only having 19 Drivers entered for the National Championship, and only two Open Class Four-Wheel Drive cars entered, being Brendan Semenuk of Subaru Motorsports USA and Patrick Gruszka in a Mitsubishi Mirage. This was the first ARA event for former WRC co-driver Keaton Williams, who was co-driver for Semenuk. Ken Block couldn’t make the event because he was racing the East African Safari Rally, Travis Pastrana missed the event because of an injury sustained from base jumping and Barry McKenna had to pull out last minute because of work issues, leaving Semenuk as the only major competitor for the National Title. Pastrana won the event in 2021 although it was shortened due to COVID.
Day 1
Brendan Semenuk won all six stages on day one and had a five-minute lead heading into day two. Holding a lead over Ivo Draganov and Mark Piatkowski. Semenuk looked destined to win Sno*Drift as expected. Kyle Tiley was in sixth place after day one, this was Tiley’s first ARA event, after winning the Canadian Rally Championship.
The classic snow-covered starting point of the @ARA_Rally season: Sno*Drift Rally.
— DirtFish (@DirtFishRally) February 19, 2022
This year’s championship began yesterday in very slippy conditions. Here’s a look at the action and the order so far ahead of today’s stages:https://t.co/hEHtZwclx5
Day 2
Semenuk started the day strong, maintaining his five-minute lead until he was forced to retire due to gearbox issues at the start of Stage fourteen after spinning out two stages prior. Mark Piatkowski took the lead on stage 14 and maintained it on stage 15 for the win. This is the first time a non-open class car has won an event since the 2019 ARA season. In his first ARA rally, Kyle Tiley placed fourth.
Two tests on from his first @ARA_Rally stage defeat of 2022, Subaru’s Brandon Semenuk has now seen his massive Sno*Drift Rally lead extinguished entirely on the penultimate stage as he fails to finish, leaving Mark Piatkowski as event leader. pic.twitter.com/0P5y2TKnyn
— DirtFish (@DirtFishRally) February 19, 2022
Looking Forward to the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
The Rally In The 100 Acre Wood happens on March 18th and 19th. With Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, and Barry McKenna all set to return at the event it will make for a fun and tight rally that could be anybody’s game. Travis Pastrana will be driving alongside teammate Brendan Semenuk in a 2021 Subaru STI prepared by Vermont SportsCar. Barry McKenna will be in a 2021 Ford Fiesta prepared by M-Sport. It is still currently unknown what car Ken Block will be in, last season he drove a Skoda Fabia in the 100 Acre Wood Rally and a 2021 Subaru STI the rest. Block had won the rally six straight times before the 2022 season where Travis Pastrana took home the win and Block took second. Another notable entrant is Ken Block’s Daughter Lia Block, who will be driving a 2014 Ford Fiesta, this will be her second-ever Rally.
My name is Joe Moore, I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
