Hotly Contested & Unpredictable ARA National Championship Set to Continue at Southern Ohio
- masonrunkel
- Jun 9
- 17 min read
(Chillicothe, Ohio - June 8, 2026) — The 2026 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship reaches its halfway point this weekend at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally (SOFR), June 11-13, with the battle for the championship as wide open and unpredictable as it has ever been.
Three different drivers have claimed overall victories in as many events, and not one single competitor has managed to land on the overall podium twice since the start of the season. Now, with several front-runners absent, including championship leader and 100 Acre Wood winner Travis Pastrana, Southern Ohio could play a major role in reshuffling the championship points standing heading into the second half of the season—and at least two rising stars have a real shot at their first-ever overall ARA victory.
Among the favorites is Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team's Seth Quintero, who arrives fresh off a runner-up finish in the GR Corolla Rally RC2 at Olympus Rally. Adding to his confidence, Quintero is still riding high after his maiden victory in the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) in Argentina just more than a week ago.
Meanwhile, Lia Block also enters with momentum after earning her first career ARA overall podium at Olympus and could become the newest first-time National winner. Others in the mix include reigning Canadian and multi-time Mexican National Champion Ricardo Cordero and DirtFish Women in Motorsport driver Aoife Raftery who looks to build on an increasingly impressive Rally3 campaign as one of the championship's rising talents while continuing her pursuit of the LN4 Class Championship.
With no clear favorite emerging through the opening three rounds, the Ohio stages may provide the best opportunity yet for another new name to emerge at the front of the championship fight and another fresh set of faces to take the overall SOFR podium.
The battle unfolds across 120 miles of gravel and tarmac stages through the Shawnee and Zaleski State Forests, where 71 entries will tackle 20 stages over three days in what could become another pivotal chapter in the 2026 championship season.
The traditional rally-beginning spectator stage returns once again for 2026 as the Yoctangee Park Super Special and its famous jump take center stage for two runnings beginning at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, preceded by a Parc Exposé at Chillicothe High School beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The forest stages begin Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. with the 7.73-mile “Diagon Alley,” followed by “Disco Inferno,” “Top Gun North Short,” and “Pound the Alarm South” on the first loop. A service at Portsmouth West Schools prepares teams for a second pass through the same roads.
Saturday’s stages are often regarded as some of the best in the country. Following a 9:30 a.m. Parc Exposé in downtown McArthur, competitors leave the ceremonial start beginning at 10:35 a.m. before heading to “Courtney’s Web” at 11:00 a.m., followed by “Bolster Hollow,” “Irish Ridge,” and “Will Tract South.” Service at Vinton County High School prepares the cars for a repeat of the loop, preceded by “Church of the Raccoons.”
The rally-ending Power Stage will be a second pass through Church of the Raccoons, awarding bonus championship points to the fastest crews.
RC2 Class to Shine on Technical Stages
The tighter and more technical stages of SOFR have historically been some of the few on the calendar better suited to the nimble Rally2 and R5 cars from Europe than the larger, more powerful Open-class cars that have often led the American national championship. For 2026, six RC2 machines will be fighting for the top spot in Ohio.
The most anticipated entry continues to be Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT), entering its third ARA rally with newly minted W2RC winner Quintero behind the wheel of the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Rally RC2. Last time out at the 205-mile Olympus Rally, Quintero and co-driver Topi Luhtinen finished second behind team principal Jari-Matti Latvala and his co-driver Tuukka Shemeikka. As the sole Toyota entry at SOFR, Quintero and Luhtinen are poised for a strong shot at their first ARA win.
2023 Open Two-Wheel-Drive (O2WD) Champion Lia Block—the youngest national champion in ARA history—and co-driver Alex Gelsomino are also a strong threat in their Rockstar Energy-backed Hyundai i20 Rally2, having shown significant improvement event after event this season while getting to grips with the new car. Meanwhile, multi-time Mexican National Champions and current reigning Canadian National Champions Ricardo Cordero and Marco Hernandez bring their Citroën C3 Rally2 to the fight as they continue their foray into the American championship, aiming to get seat time at national rounds for next year.
With them, they’re bringing 17-year-old Carlos “Char” García, who will make both his Southern Ohio Forest Rally and American Rally debut alongside co-driver Jaime Zapata in a 2021 Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. García enters as one of the brightest young talents in Mexican rallying after finishing runner-up in last season's Campeonato Mexicano de Rallies standings behind Cordero.
“This will be my first time competing at Southern Ohio Forest Rally and also my first event in the United States, so I’m very excited to experience one of the most iconic events on the ARA calendar,” Garcia said. “This rally is also an important step in our program as we continue to expand our experience internationally. We are looking forward to measuring ourselves against strong competition, improving our pace throughout the weekend, and most importantly finishing the event with a solid result.”
Cordero is equally excited to see another Mexican driver join the ARA field.
“It's the first time bringing another driver with me from Mexico, so we're trying to make the championship even more interesting,” Cordero said.
Also joining the RC2-class field, Dave Wallingford and Leanne Junnila of Savage Rallysport return to the stages for the first time since last year’s SOFR in their Ford Fiesta R5. The long-time pairing continues to balance competition with advocacy through Wallingford’s Wheels to Wheels Racing Foundation, which works to help people with spinal cord injuries get involved in motorsports.
“We’ve been a team since 2016, so there’s an incredible amount of trust between the driver, co-driver, and crew,” Junnila said. “Our goal is to finish, have fun, and see where we can improve on our stage times from last year.”
“Dave and I had a pretty big crash at WRC Mexico in 2018, which left him with a spinal cord injury,” Junnila added. “Since then, Dave has started the Wheels to Wheels Racing Foundation to help people with spinal cord injuries go racing, and has built an adaptive rally car with hand controls that he hopes to get a driver into in the near future.”
Rally3 Machinery Takes Center Stage in LN4
Continuing its steady rise in popularity, the most affordable all-wheel-drive rung of the FIA ladder now makes up the majority of the nine Limited Four-Wheel-Drive (L4WD) and Naturally Aspirated Four-Wheel-Drive (NA4WD) entries competing in the combined LN4 class.
Absent from the field are overall championship leaders, currently second in LN4, Travis Pastrana and Rhianon Gelsomino, whose Subaru Motorsports USA WRX ARA25L has been a factor in both the overall and LN4 battles all season. With the Subaru sidelined this weekend, the LN4 championship battle gains another layer of intrigue as competitors look to capitalize on the opportunity.
New to the class, 2024 National Limited Two-Wheel-Drive (L2WD) Champions Richo Healey and Michelle Miller are entered in an Eagle Rock Racing (ERR) L4WD Ford Fiesta Rally3, and SOFR will mark Healey’s first foray into L4WD.
Coming off a long history in River City Rally (RCR) Lexus builds, the Fiesta will be a major change for Healey as he adapts to the new machine.
“We've tested a little bit in the car, and so far we're feeling good, but we're very aware that L4WD is an extremely competitive class right now,” Healey said.
“Our expectations are really grounded in working with the new team and feeling out the car. As far as roads to learn a new drivetrain, it really doesn't get much better than SOFR. Very techy with lots of surface changes. It's going to be amazing.”
He’ll be up against a strong lineup that includes the Element Rallysport DirtFish Women in Motorsport-backed Ford Fiesta Rally3 of Aoife Raftery and Hannah McKillop, the Renault Clio Rally3 of Sean Donnelly and Alex Kihurani, the ERR Ford Fiesta Rally3 of Roberto Yglesias and Steven Harrell, and the Steven Redd Racing Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo of Madelyn Tabor and Sophia McKee.
Outside of the Rally3 contingent, current class points leader—and second in overall points on the strength of a win at the season-opening Sno*Drift Rally—Mark Piatkowski returns to SOFR in his trusty NA4WD 1999 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS after campaigning other LN4 machinery at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood and Olympus Rally earlier this season.
Erik Buetow and Jordan Buetow’s 2008 Subaru Impreza is entered as the other half of the two-car NA4WD National field.
The L4WD entry is completed by Mykola Pysklyvets and Roman Romanchuk’s 2008 Subaru WRX STI, while the John Cooper Works Race Team’s Luis Perocarpi and Carlos Schrunder continue to showcase the capability of their near-factory 2025 MINI Countryman ALL4 competing in the class.
Open Two-Wheel-Drive Heavy Hitters Square Up for Class Championship
The Open Two-Wheel-Drive (O2WD) field is once again the largest in the National entry, with 11 cars representing a wide variety of machinery, drivers, and approaches to the sport.
Currently, Alexander Liversidge leads the championship battle after three consistent rounds that have produced a class podium, a top-five finish, and a sixth-place result. While he returns in his Mazdaspeed 3 with Tiago Lourenco co-driving, he arrives at SOFR with a target on his back.
Many of the high-powered rear-wheel-drive entries that traditionally fight for the championship either missed rounds or suffered retirements earlier this season, but SOFR sees several of them return with their eyes firmly on the title fight.
2025 Ken Block Rookie of the Year Matthew Nykanen and William Ross return in their BMW 323i after a season that began with a class win at Sno*Drift before a pair of retirements dropped them to second in the O2WD standings.
Meanwhile, River City Rally's Michael Hooper returns to SOFR in his Lexus IS350 alongside Michael Farrow. With three wins and four podiums at SOFR since it became part of the ARA National Championship, Hooper enters as one of the favorites for class victory.
Five-time O2WD National Champion Seamus Burke also returns with Martin Brady in their 1977 Ford Escort to take another shot at the Ohio stages.
Another major storyline will be the pair of Peugeot 208 Rally4s entered by William Tung and Danny Shalev, both competing in the Stellantis Rally Cup North America. Running in parallel with the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC), the Stellantis Cup offers a structured, prize-backed pathway into international rallying through a multi-event points format across North America.
Open exclusively to Peugeot 208 Rally4 competitors, the Stellantis Rally Cup North America provides cash awards, development support, and a potential pathway to FIA-level competition. Team FJ, Argonaut Motor Club, and Stellantis Motorsport support entrants with technical assistance, logistics, and arrive-and-drive opportunities designed to lower the barrier to entry.
Tung piloted his Argonaut-prepared Peugeot 208 Rally4 to victory alongside Michael Szewczyk at Olympus Rally, while Shalev earned a class podium at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. Co-driven by Glen Ray this weekend, Shalev will be looking to rebound from an Olympus retirement and return to the podium.
Meanwhile, proving rally is truly a sport for everyone, Steve Rowlands and Boyd Smith will compete in their BMW 330i with an unusual and unparalleled rally statistic: combined age.
“This year, I will be co-driving SOFR with transplanted Welshman Steve Rowlands,” Smith said. “The one metric we should win hands down is the combined age of the driver and co-driver, 137 years.
“My first 'Ohio' was in the late 1980s. I ran several times in the late '80s and early '90s, including a truck class win with Tibor von Denes. My return to Ohio was the first SOFR, as a last-minute replacement to sit with Santiago Iglesias in his BMW.
“SOFR has been both very good to me as well as a very cruel mistress.”
New Cars, Familiar Names Headline L2WD Fight
The Limited Two-Wheel-Drive (L2WD) field brings its own compelling storylines to SOFR, with nine entries set to battle across the Ohio stages.
Leading the list of newcomers, 2022 L4WD National Champion Chris Sladek will debut a new Honda Civic Type R alongside co-driver J Sharps and the Honda of America Racing Team (HART) Rally Team. Consisting largely of Honda engineers, HART uses rally competition as a proving ground for its products and a testing environment for future improvements. While their cars often remain close to stock specification, the team is no stranger to podium finishes.
To reach the top step, Sladek will have to contend with some of the strongest competitors in the class. 2025 L2WD championship runner-up Henry Tabor returns with Dylan Hooker in their 2015 Ford Fiesta ST. Tied atop the class championship standings with John Barnett and Lucas Laeser's 1987 BMW 325is, both crews will be looking to maintain their advantage over one another while fending off the rest of the field.
Always a threat to upset the championship contenders, Santiago Iglesias returns in his Escuderia Boricua 2013 Subaru BRZ alongside Cray Dumeah. With five podium finishes at SOFR across National and Regional competition, Iglesias becomes an even bigger threat this year as he debuts a new engine package.
“Our low-key championship run hit a major snag when the motor spun a bearing at 100AW,” Iglesias said. “Obviously the logical thing to do was to swap in the 2.4L from a newer BRZ! We just got it running this weekend, so we're definitely cutting it closer than I'd like, but I'm really looking forward to the extra power on stage.
“No other goal but a class win as usual.”
Meanwhile, Mike Erickson continues his return to rallying after seven years away, joined by co-driver Eric Schlee in one of Calvin Cooper's RallySpec BMW E46 rental cars.
“Back in March, I got a short-notice call from Calvin Cooper to co-drive for Mike Erickson of Weird Beard Rally in Calvin’s RallySpec BMW E46 rental program at 100 Acre Wood,” Schlee said. “It turned out to be a great opportunity. I had previously competed in the same BMW with Jake Burke at Show-Me Rally, and I really enjoyed the car. Coming from years of rallying in front-wheel-drive Civics, getting seat time in a well-built rear-wheel-drive BMW was a blast.
“For Mike, the event marked a return to rallying after several years away. He had campaigned a Mitsubishi Lancer through 2019 before a major crash sidelined his rally efforts. Wanting to get back behind the wheel, he rented the BMW through Calvin. When his regular co-driver became unavailable, Calvin suggested me as a replacement, believing our personalities and experience would work well together.”
Despite radiator damage forcing a retirement at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, the pair left wanting more and return to SOFR looking to build on that experience.
“Our primary goal is simple: finish. Beyond that, we’d love to put together a strong result and challenge for a podium finish. With one event already under our belts together, we’re hoping to settle into a good rhythm quickly and build confidence as we learn the roads. Most importantly, we’re excited to get back out there and enjoy the event.”
Eastern Regional Title Fight Begins to Take Shape
Running alongside every ARA National round is an ARA Super Regional event. Following the same itinerary minus the rally-ending Power Stage, the SOFR Super Regional Rally offers competitors 115 stage miles across some of the most beloved roads on the calendar.
While the ARA Eastern Regional Championship is only entering its second round, competitors will already be looking to establish an advantage in the points battle before the season finale at Overmountain Rally Tennessee later this year.
At SOFR, the biggest threat comes in the form of Adam Kimmett, who returns to competition for the first time since the 2024 running of SOFR. Kimmett owns three overall victories and another podium at the event, making his NA4WD 1999 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS one of the most feared cars in the field. Brandon Templeton will join him on the notes.
While Kimmett enters as a favorite for the overall victory, his fight for the NA4WD class win will be no easier. Ryan Pryzbylkowski and Betsy Nguyen return in their 2001 Subaru Impreza “3.0RS,” while Nathan Coulter and Bryce Proseus bring their 1990 Subaru Legacy looking to challenge for the top spot.
“This will be my sixth SOFR, joined by Betsy Nguyen for the second year in a row,” Pryzbylkowski said. “SOFR is my favorite event on the calendar due to the smooth and flowy stages. We are looking forward to battling with some very fast regional competitors and trying to better our performance from last year. Reliability upgrades to the car will hopefully keep us in the fight until the finish.”
Jason Mesman and Giovanni Dumford will also be ones to watch in their NA4WD 2007 Subaru Impreza.
“SOFR is special for us before we even roll off the start line,” Mesman said. “It's the closest national rally to my hometown of Cincinnati, so this one feels like our home event.
“Gio and I have been friends since grade school, and we came into this sport together, completely green. We are now in our mid-40s and still finding new adventures. Our first-ever rally was LSPR. We made it to the end—though we were technically disqualified for misunderstanding a rule about rejoining after a missed stage. But honestly, that last stage, passing car after car that was wrecked, broken, or off the road, knowing we were so close to the finish line, was some of the most amazing miles I've ever driven. That sealed it for us.”
Now firmly focused on competition, Mesman and Dumford have continued to develop both themselves and their car, including completing the OZ Rally Pro co-driving course, and will be looking to spring an upset on the Ohio stages.
The class is rounded out by Jessica Davids and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy in a 2009 Subaru Impreza, and Leonardo Quintero and Leonel Fuerte in a 2000 Subaru Impreza.
L4WD Field Mixes Veterans, New Partnerships, and Fresh Faces
The L4WD field will also be pushing toward the top of the results sheet, with nine competitors arriving in Ohio carrying a wide range of experience and expectations.
Among the most experienced are Chris and Lori O’Driscoll in their 2003 Subaru WRX. The pair have rallied together since 2010, but will be making their first appearance at SOFR this year.
Just behind them in the starting order, Tom Mayer and Dillon McKenna will debut a new partnership at SOFR in their 2002 Subaru WRX, backed by a familiar name in the Subaru community.
“We're super excited to partner with RallySport Direct for the 2026 season,” Mayer said. “The company recently relaunched after being acquired by a small group of genuine motorsports enthusiasts and it's awesome that they picked a regional grassroots rally team to support to prove it.
“We've got some cool new parts on the car and some are still stuck in the mail, so don't worry. We still get to enjoy the finer things in life, like pre-event stress and chaos... and somehow that makes it all that much more fun once you finally get in the car.”
One of the few non-Subaru entries in the class is the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX of Lucas Mozes and Caleb Heffner, who are finally making it to the event after years of trying.
“I’m coming to SOFR this year after years and years of wanting to go,” Mozes said. “I missed SOFR 2022 because of a car build delay, 2023 because of an external issue, 2024 because the new car wasn't ready, and 2025 because I had just gotten deployed.
“This year I’m coming out with my new-to-me top-spec L4WD Evo IX. I'm not necessarily looking for a huge podium finish, I'm just looking to finish and get back in the groove after being off since March of 2025.”
Driving Mozes' former Subaru, Bryan Tippens and Aislinn Jones will be making their first rally start together. After co-driving at two previous events, 18-year-old Jones posted online looking for additional seat time and was connected with Tippens through the rally community.
“This will be my first ARA event, so I’m very excited to learn and experience its rules and event procedures,” Jones said. “My driver, Bryan Tippens, is new to stage rally and is well versed in RallyCross, so we’ll have a fun time!”
Other L4WD entries include Nick Balzer and Jon Schrage’s 2004 Subaru WRX Wagon, Nick Luther and Dylan Kuntz’s 2006 Subaru STI, and James Pryzbylkowski and Ethan Curtis’ 2004 Subaru WRX.
A three-car Open Four-Wheel-Drive (O4WD) field will also take on the Ohio stages, featuring Brian Ballinger and Adam Becker’s 2004 Subaru WRX, Evan Mosley and Brandon Opperthauser’s 2002 Subaru WRX, and Michael Carr and Indy Lambert’s 2004 Subaru STI.
Mika Block Makes Rally Debut in O2WD
While not competing in the National rally, one of the most anticipated entrants at SOFR is Mika Block and Gary McElhinney. Entered in Regional O2WD in a Ford Fiesta R2T, SOFR marks the first of what is expected to be many rally starts for Block.
After building the car from a shell over the past few weeks, Block is making a similar introduction to the ARA as his older sister did years ago in a Fiesta.
If Block hopes to embody his father’s “Ain’t Care” attitude, he’ll feel right at home in O2WD.
One of the most unique entries in the field is the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado Rally Truck of “Texas Dave” Carapetyan and KJ Miller. Freshly rebuilt in pursuit of greater reliability, the truck returns to SOFR after a frustrating history at the event.
“SOFR is an incredible event that I love dearly,” Carapetyan said. “I never managed to get a chance to shine here with a DNF in 2022, and a DNF for the Colorado rally truck as 0 car last year with a clutch failure.
“So this year, we've deleted the clutch, replaced the transmission with an eight-speed-automatic and totally overhauled the whole truck end to end. New pedalbox, transmission and trans controller, refreshed engine, wiring harness, radiator, trans cooler, and hopefully a new livery. Everything but the kitchen sink!
“My goal is the oldest cliche in the book - try to remember how to write pacenotes, have a super fun weekend with one of my favorite people on earth riding with me, and finish every stage. I've entered regional to increase my odds of finishing by decreasing my stage miles. Our goal is simple: put on a really fun show at this amazing rally, and try not to get too sideways on those narrow, technical stage roads.
“That said, as of right now, the truck has never started or driven with this new configuration. We still need to tune both the engine and transmission, plus re-wrap the truck, test, pack, and drive the equivalent of London to Portugal with 5 days to go before departure. Everything is fine.”
Another loud-and-sideways contender is the 1998 BMW M3 of Mike Cessna and Jamie Lambert. Their “checkers or wreckers” approach has earned them two SOFR class podiums and a loyal fanbase over the years.
Now equipped with a sequential transmission and a freshly built S54 engine, the pair are chasing victory on their home roads.
“SOFR is our home rally. I live in Circleville and Jamie lives in Chillicothe, so these roads are special to us. This is where our rally story began.
“I attended SOFR as a spectator years ago and immediately knew I wanted to build a rally car. Watching the cars fly through the woods, I remember thinking, ‘I could do that faster.’ That moment changed everything.”
After steadily improving since their debut in 2019, the duo captured the 2024 ARA East Regional O2WD Championship. Following a difficult SOFR in 2025, they return determined to reverse their fortunes.
“For 2026, we are more determined than ever to finally stand on the top step of the podium. To help make that happen, we have completely transformed the car with an S54 engine swap and a sequential transmission. This event will be the debut of the new package, and we know we'll have strong competition.
“Our plan is to be smart early. With a completely new drivetrain package, we want to build confidence and learn the car during the opening stages. As the rally progresses, we'll increase the pace and see where we stack up.
“After years of crashes, rebuilds, mechanical failures, near victories, and championship runs, we're back at the rally where it all started. The goal is simple: Finish the story and finally win Southern Ohio Forest Rally.”
Of course, one of the biggest threats to the field may be Paul Ferreira and Ozgur Simsek in their 1997 BMW E36 M3. The pair won the SOFR Regional Rally overall in 2020 in a Mitsubishi Evo IX and now return in a well-sorted BMW looking to add another strong result.
In L2WD, Chris and Sarah Nonack return to Ohio in the ANY% 2013 Subaru BRZ. While the pair have collected 11 class victories together, none have come at SOFR. Their best finish came in 2022, when they placed third.
Their biggest challenge could come from Matt McGee and Lauren Lambert in their 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. The pair are former class winners and perennial contenders on Ohio roads.
Jason Kodat and Phil Marsh also return after rolling in the 2025 event, hoping for a cleaner run this time around.
“We're trying to finish it this year,” Kodat said. “In 2024, we missed day two in the Focus because of tires rubbing and broke a half-shaft at the first start on day three. We came back in a rental Fiesta for 2025 and rolled it....Now we're in the rebuilt Fiesta and just trying to avoid a DNF. And if we can be the not-slowest doing so, so much the better!”
Meanwhile, while Sladek and Sharps lead the HART effort in the National rally, Cole Clements and Gabriel Nieves spearhead the Regional program in a 2017 Honda Civic.
“SOFR will be my first time driving at an event!” Clements shared. “I’ve co-driven a few times for HART, and now they are letting me try out the other side of the car. I’ll be in our L2WD 2017 Honda Civic, which actually competed in the very first SOFR back in 2017.
“I’m excited to be back in the car with Gabe. We won the Regional L2WD class at SOFR last year with our roles reversed, so the chemistry is already there. I’ll be taking full advantage of Gabe’s experience with this car/platform. The SOFR stages aren’t particularly forgiving, especially for a first-timer, so any handling tips he has to offer will be extremely helpful.”
Of the nine-car L2WD field, only two rear-wheel-drive cars are entered: the 1991 Nissan 240SX of Christopher Bersheim and Emilio Moran, and the 1989 BMW 325i of Kevin Brolin and James Spoth, who return to competition for the first time since 2023.
To see images for Southern Ohio Forest Rally - visit the SOUTHERN OHIO FOREST RALLY 2026 gallery on Apexiel.
All the action kicks off June 11 at the Yoctangee Park Spectator Stage. Follow the action live on the ARA social media channels and on ara-rally.com.
~Mason Runkel for the ARA
