The first day of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) has passed. Ken Block took a dominant lead after Semenuk Retired on SS2.
First Loop
The first loop of the rally saw dominance by Block after Semenuk retired. Block won SS1 by 0.5 seconds over Semenuk. Setting up what should’ve been a battle till the end. Unfortunately, it would all end on SS2 when Semenuk would go off and Block would lead by 37.8 seconds over Pastrana after SS2. Stages three and four would see Block extend this lead further, ending the loop a minute ahead of Pastrana. Tom Williams would finish the loop in third with Carapetyan and Gruszka filling out the top five.
Second Loop
The second loop would start with Block continuing his dominance. That would be short-lived as on SS6, Block would lose 13 seconds to Pastrana, as he switched to a more conservative drive style. Block would lose SS7 as well but this time by less of a margin, only losing 1.1 seconds. Stage eight would be won by Block, closing out the day over a minute ahead of Pastrana.
Times After Day One
- Block 1:00:04.7
- Pastrana 1:01:09.9
- Williams 1:02:57.1
- Carapetyan 1:04:40.8
- Dobasu 1:07:19.6
Block’s To Lose
Ken Block ended the first day of STPR leading Travis Pastrana by over a minute. Block has control over the rally and doesn’t necessarily need to push, besides on the Power stage. Day two will likely see Block take a conservative line to ensure he finishes the rally.
That’s Unusual
The Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally isn’t one of Travis Pastrana’s events. As he’s retired from the rally more times than he’s finished it. For this reason, Pastrana is taking a more conservative style this weekend. Which is the exact opposite of what we’ve learned to expect from Pastrana. Although we expect a flat-out on-the-edge style by Pastrana, finishing the rally is more important. As his championship hopes are all but gone, second place is still possible.
What To Expect From Day Two Of STPR
With both Block and Pastrana expected to continue a more conservative style on day two, there isn’t much to expect. Both Pastrana and Block will likely take the Power stage all out as normal. Other than that don’t expect much out of the top two.
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.
