Martell Wins Boone Forest Overall as Lia Block Makes Triumphant Return to Rally
- masonrunkel
- 24 minutes ago
- 6 min read
(McKee, KY – August 9, 2025) ~ Conner Martell extended his undefeated streak at the Boone Forest Rally, capturing his third consecutive victory at the two-day American Rally Association (ARA) East Region Super Regional event August 8-9.
Piloting the No. 21 Martell Racing 2C Compétition Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 alongside co-driver Alex Gelsomino, Martell dominated a record-setting 33-car field that included national champions such as Lia Block, Patrick Gruszka, and Seamus Burke.
Despite high temperatures and dusty conditions, neither the competitors nor the fans were deterred as the 75-stage-mile event returned to the hollows of the Daniel Boone National Forest for its third running, featuring the same beloved stages as previous years.
Organized by Backroads of Appalachia, a non-profit dedicated to promoting tourism in small Appalachian towns through motorsport events on their world-famous roads, Boone’s multiple parcs exposé and multiple viewing areas along the stages drew fans from near and far for a rare chance to witness world-class rally cars and drivers in Kentucky.
Martell Wins Overall in Rally2 Škoda
Martell Racing wasted no time getting down to business in their second rally with the Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. After starting the National season in an Open Four-Wheel-Drive (O4WD) Subaru Impreza WRX STI, they switched to the Škoda at Southern Ohio Forest Rally (SOFR). Their strong performance at Boone proved they’ve quickly adapted and are already in command of the new car.
After SS2 on Friday, the No. 21 car arrived at service holding a one-minute lead, a margin that only grew over the remaining 12 stages. Martell and Gelsomino secured a commanding victory, finishing more than five minutes ahead of the second-place crew.
“It was a good weekend,” Martell said at the final finish control. “That last stage was really fast and flowy, and overall, it was just a good weekend. We made minimal mistakes and just kept learning and pushing a bit here and there where we know we're comfortable. Big thanks to the team and everybody who supported me. I’m looking forward to Ojibwe and hoping we can put the pressure on [Subaru Motorsports USA].”
Martell also secured the win in the three-car RC2 class. Finishing second overall and in the RC2 class was the Green APU entry of Patrick Gruszka and Stefan Trajkov in their 2019 Hyundai i20 R5, who consistently placed second on every stage. The RC Competición team of Javier Castro and Marcos Silva took third in class and fourth overall in their Audi A1 Maxx, a car built in their nearby London, Kentucky-based shop.
Lia Block Wins Class in Rally Return
The ARA’s youngest-ever National Champion, and daughter of the beloved action-sports star Ken Block, made her return to the stages for the first time since last year’s Lake Superior Performance Rally, where she piloted a Subaru Motorsports USA WRX STI.
This time, Block and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino competed in the Limited Four-Wheel-Drive (L4WD) class, sharing the Rockstar Energy-backed Block House Racing No. 857 Ford Fiesta Rally3 car.
While Block’s career focus remains firmly on her current path in the F1 Academy with Williams Racing Formula 1 team, every bit of extra experience counts, and the chance to return to the rally stages proved to be a fruitful one.
“What a rally, and what a team,” Block said after the event. “First in the L4WD class and even third overall. First time in this car and first rally in a year. So nice to be smelling of champagne right now… it’s been a while.”
“Rhianon and I are now seven for seven on podiums for rallies we have done together. I could never do it without her.”
Block and Gelsomino also stood on the overall podium, placing third out of all the competitors in the rally.
Second place in L4WD went to the Rally Ready Driving School entry of KJ Miller and Aris Mantopoulos in their 2004 Subaru WRX STI, while third was earned by the 2002 WRX STI of Tom Mayer and Dillon McKenna.
While not on the podium, a fourth-place finish by James Pryzbylkowski and Ethan Curtis puts Pryzbylkowski in the lead of the East Region L4WD Driver’s Championship, with McKenna leading the co-driver points due to an extra event outside the region.
Limited Two-Wheel-Drive Championship Heats Up
As is often the case, the most exciting battle of the weekend came in the form of the most accessible class, the Limited Two-Wheel-Drive (L2WD) class.
Entering Boone Forest Rally, the Any% Subaru BRZ of Chris and Sara Nonack and the Honda of America Racing Team (HART) Acura Integra of Gabriel Nieves and Cole Clements each had two rallies and two wins under their belts. Boone marked the first time in 2025 they faced off head-to-head, and the competition was as tight as anyone could have hoped.
The HART entry took an early lead but was overtaken by William Tung and Michael Szewczyk’s Fiesta ST on SS3. Nieves clawed the lead back on SS6 to end Friday in first, with Tung 14.6 seconds behind, and Nonack 28.9 seconds back in third.
On the second stage on Saturday, Tung retired from the rally. After two consecutive stage wins, Nonack also pushed past Nieves to take the lead after being in third, which he held for the rest of the rally to claim the victory by just over 20 seconds, also taking the lead in the class championship points.
“The Boone Roads are challenging and varied, so it made for another fantastic L2WD battle,” Chris said. “Day one, we had some hiccups and maybe spent too long in the air, but kicked it up on day two. Unfortunately, we found Bill and Michael in the ditch early in the day, but still got to play with the Honda Guys, Gabe and Cole!”
In the quicker Open Two-Wheel-Drive (O2WD) class, current national points leader Michael Hooper and co-driver Claudia Barbera took the win in their Lexus IS350.
A long-time staple of the 2WD rally community, the Tennessee-based Lexus driver was close to home for his latest victory, which he secured with a two-minute, 53-second lead over the runner-up in class.
The second-place finishers in the O2WD class were Sean Burke and Nathan Werner in their Honda CRX, while third place went to the Lexus IS350 of Brian Katz and Matt Vaught.
Buetows Win Drama-Filled Naturally Aspirated Four-Wheel-Drive Class
The six-car Naturally Aspirated Four-Wheel-Drive (NA4WD) class saw the 2008 Subaru Impreza of Erik and Jordan Buetow move all the way from fifth to first over the course of the rally as they found their pace and their competitors met trouble.
Ryan Pryzbylkowski and Betsy Nguyen were the initial leaders, a title they held for two stages before the 1990 Subaru Legacy of Nathan Coulter and Bryce Proseus overtook them on SS3, where they held the lead for the rest of the day.
A strong performance by the Buetow car and an off from the No. 777 Heavy Metal Motorsports entry of Jon Kramer and Jason Smith moved the Buetows into third on SS4, where they remained for the rest of Friday’s stages.
The first stage on Saturday brought more drama as Coulter’s Legacy rolled onto its side, but he and Proseus quickly hopped out, pushed the car upright, and continued rallying. Despite their efforts, they fell back to fourth due to the time loss, putting Pryzbylkowski and Nguyen back in the lead, and the Buetows in second.
While the battle had been close throughout the rally, the Buetows inherited the lead when Pryzbylkowski and Nguyen arrived two minutes late at time control on SS9, incurring a 20-second penalty. The Buetows’ lead further increased on SS10 when the Pryzbylkowski car was penalized another 40 seconds for the same reason.
“It was our first time competing at Boone and our sixth rally,” Erik explained. “Jordan and I did recce all three days and had really solid notes. Jordan called perfectly.
“The weekend had more emotion after learning Saturday morning that our Grandpa Buetow passed. I think Jordan and I were both pretty focused on giving it our all for Grandpa. We were fortunate not to have any mechanical issues or offs on stage.”
“We have the best crew in the business. Uncle Dave, Santiago, Gunnar, Cris, and Collin. Thanks to the team owner and our father, Paul Buetow. We will continue to make improvements to our notes and to operating the car.”
The Buetows likely could have taken the win on their own merits, having extended their gap to second place to over a minute—the combined time of the penalties—by the end of multiple stages. Regardless, their No. 309 Subaru Impreza earned the victory, with Pryzbylkowski and Nguyen finishing second, and Dan Shirley and Eric Eisele in the War Weasel Subaru Impreza rounding out the podium in third.
Shirley, who drove the car from Philadelphia to Kentucky, will now swap suspension and tires before he makes the drive back.
Complete results: https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/event-results
~Mason Runkle for the ARA
Media Contact:
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