Pastrana Victorious as ARA Season Finale LSPR Lives Up to “Oldest, Meanest, Toughest” Reputation
- masonrunkel
- 11 hours ago
- 12 min read
(Marquette, Mich. – October 20, 2025) ~ Subaru Motorsports USA’s (SMSUSA) Travis Pastrana and Rhianon Gelsomino took their first win of the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship presented by Kubota at the season-ending Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) on October 17–18.
The pair had already clinched the combined Limited Four-Wheel-Drive (L4WD) and Naturally Aspirated Four-Wheel-Drive (NA4WD) championship—collectively known as LN4—in their all-new Subaru WRX ARA25L, which debuted earlier this season at Olympus Rally. Their LSPR victory marked not only their first overall win of the year but also the first for the new car, a fitting conclusion to its debut campaign.
Known as “the oldest, meanest, toughest rally on the circuit,” LSPR’s 135 competitive miles took the 73-car field across a punishing mix of fast, flowing roads and rough, rocky sections, testing both driver skill and machine durability in equal measure.
With tight class battles, surprise retirements, and a constant struggle against both the elements and the clock, the 2025 edition of LSPR once again lived up to its legend, delivering a dramatic finale worthy of the Upper Peninsula’s rallying heritage.
Pastrana Fends Off Early Challenges to Take the Win
Coming into LSPR, Travis Pastrana and Rhianon Gelsomino had their work cut out for them in the No. 199 Subaru WRX ARA25L. Despite teammates, and newly crowned 2025 National Champions overall, Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams sitting out after clinching the title, a stacked RC2 field meant Pastrana wouldn’t have an easy path to victory.
The 2C Competition-backed No. 21 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Conner Martell and Alex Gelsomino entered as favorites after taking their first-ever win at Overmountain Rally Tennessee last month. Unfortunately, an early setback struck when the pair hydroplaned across standing water and rolled softly on SS1, ending their challenge before it truly began.
Pastrana’s biggest threat instead came from John and Michael Farrow, making their Rally3 debut after years of campaigning fast, home-built Subarus in regional events. The duo immediately made their presence known, winning SS1 outright—ahead of Pastrana, all Rally2 entries, and several Open Four-Wheel-Drive (O4WD) competitors—in their Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo.
Despite their remarkable start, an off on SS4 forced the Farrows to retire, ending their impressive debut run and leaving Pastrana with a 30-second lead, which he extended steadily through the remainder of the rally.
After taking the overall win and second place on the Power Stage behind a resurgent Martell, Pastrana secured third overall in the 2025 ARA National Championship standings, closing out the season on a high note.
“Those were some of the most beautiful stages we've ever driven yesterday, and then today, some of the rockiest, toughest stages, so we got to get the best of everything,” Pastrana said. “Amazing, this limited car held up so well. We put it on top of the overall podium, something I never expected.
“I’m just so thankful to the team, and everyone for sticking with me. It's been a tough two years, but to get an overall win in a limited car was really cool. I’m very much looking forward to next year and how many limited and Rally3 cars that were in the field this weekend. I know it's the start of something big.”
Gruszka Clinches Second RC2 Championship with Commanding LSPR Win
Patrick Gruszka capped off his 2025 ARA season in style, bookending the year with RC2-class victories in the No. 243 Green APU Hyundai i20 R5 to secure his second ARA RC2 National Championship.
Co-driven at LSPR by Florian Barral, Gruszka started strong despite suffering a puncture on the opening stage. Even with the setback, he lost only 24 seconds to Javier Olivares and KJ Miller in their Element Rallysport Ford Fiesta Rally2.
With the threat of Conner Martell already gone after his SS1 off, Gruszka and Barral pushed hard to close the gap to the Olivares/Miller Fiesta, winning six of the remaining seven stages on Friday and taking both the class lead and second overall on SS7, “Far Point.”
Their momentum carried through Saturday’s stages as the pair continued to set the pace, building a 46.7-second lead by SS12. When Olivares hit trouble on stage shortly after, Gruszka’s advantage ballooned to nearly five minutes—handing him first in RC2, second overall, and ultimately the 2025 RC2 Championship title.
“The rally was incredible,” Gruszka said. “Friday stages were smooth and fast, and Saturday slowed us down a little bit aside from ‘FF,’ which was incredible. Tough conditions on Saturday made it interesting and tough for attrition.
“Regardless, we locked in the championship, which was our goal. Thank you to the team and partners who allow us to compete. We’re all looking forward to next year.”
While Gruszka claimed the driver’s title, using multiple co-drivers throughout the season meant that KJ Miller earned the RC2 co-driver’s championship thanks to his and Olivares’ second-place finish. It was Miller’s his third national championship, following back-to-back LN4 co-driver titles the past two years.
Despite their early misfortune, Martell and Alex Gelsomino salvaged third in class to close out their debut campaign in the 2C Competition Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Nykanen Takes Ken Block Rookie of the Year Award, Wins O2WD in Triumphant Post-Injury Return, Burke Secures Championship
Matthew Nykanen’s maiden ARA National Championship campaign appeared to have been cut short after a wrist injury at the Ojibwe Forests Rally, when a hidden rock on stage violently twisted the steering wheel of his Open Two-Wheel-Drive (O2WD) E36 BMW M3.
Thankfully, after surgery and a focused recovery period (rumored to be considerably shorter than his surgeon recommended), Nykanen and co-driver Lars Anderson returned for the season finale at LSPR determined to push flat-out for the slim chance of tying the points lead and taking the title on a tiebreaker.
In true Nykanen fashion, the No. 612 BMW launched into the lead on SS1 and never looked back, winning every stage on Friday and two more on Saturday. With a six-minute lead, victory seemed inevitable—until disaster struck on SS14, when a collapsed rear strut left the car limping to the finish.
Channeling the “Press On Regardless” spirit born on these very roads, the duo drove nearly 40 miles to the final time control on an increasingly shredded tire, checking in just in time to seal an emotional and hard-fought O2WD class win.
“It was a crazy rally, just a roller coaster of emotions,” Nykanen said. “I pushed the car harder than I ever have, and I guess pushing to a large lead going into day two paid off. Ending day one, I felt on top of the world; nearing the end of day two, I felt like it had all fallen apart, and by the finish, I was back on top of the world.”
Nykanen was also crowned as the first recipient of the Ken Block Rookie of the Year Award presented by 43i. The new award, introduced in 2025, honors the highest-finishing rookie in the overall National Championship standings, recognizing competitors in their first season of ARA National competition. With two wins in his debut season—and a comeback victory following injury—the Michigan native proved a fitting inaugural winner.
Despite Nykanen and Anderson’s heroic performance, it was Seamus Burke and Gary McElhinney who claimed the O2WD National Championship with a third-place finish at LSPR. The veteran Irish duo’s trademark consistency, with six podiums throughout the season, earned Burke his fifth ARA championship behind the wheel of his iconic Mk2 Ford Escort.
Richo Healey and Michelle Miller rounded out the LSPR podium, finishing second in their Lexus IS350 to cap off a strong first season together in the O2WD class.
Henry Tabor Closes Season With Second L2WD Victory
Henry Tabor closed out a fantastic first National Championship season with his second-ever win in the always-competitive Limited Two-Wheel-Drive (L2WD) field.
After scoring his first victory alongside co-driver Dylan Hooker at Ojibwe Forests Rally in August, Tabor continued his momentum with a fifth podium of the season at Overmountain Rally Tennessee last month, and capped it off with another win at LSPR this weekend.
The competition was fierce, with former class champion Roberto Yglesias returning behind the wheel of a Fiesta ST with co-driver Michael Szewczyk, as well as Michigan-based L2WD spoilers Santiago Iglesias and Robert Kassel, who debuted a new rear wing on their Subaru BRZ. Adding to the family drama, Henry’s father, Mark Tabor, was also in the mix, continuing the season-long father-son battle for family bragging rights.
Friday’s stages saw an intense three-way fight between Yglesias, Iglesias, and Tabor, with Henry pushing hard on the final stage of the day to finish just 0.7 seconds behind Yglesias heading into Saturday.
But Saturday’s notoriously rocky stages took a toll on the near-stock L2WD machinery. Yglesias’ Fiesta was the first to retire with a mechanical failure on the opening stage, followed by Iglesias’ BRZ just one stage later.
Henry Tabor took command of the rally, opening up a one-minute lead over Mark Tabor and co-driver Katheryn Hansen’s Fiesta. The father-son battle continued through the final stages, the two separated by mere seconds before Mark retired on SS13. Henry, meanwhile, limped his car through the last test with a bent control arm to bring home the victory.
In the end, Henry Tabor and Dylan Hooker took the L2WD class win over Ryan McGrath and Michael Hordijk in second, and Nicholas and David Tippmann in third, earning second place in the L2WD Championship, behind Team O’Neil Rally School CEO Chris Cyr and co-driver Glen Ray, who locked up the L2WD title last month at Overmountain.
“This was 100% one of the hardest-fought results we’ve ever faced,” Henry Tabor said. “We were going up against some incredible competition from crews who are much more experienced than us. We definitely had our share of issues, racing the last two stages with a bent control arm and a steering wheel rotated 90 degrees to the left, when we were going straight.
“I’m really proud of the progress Dylan and I have made as a team. Next season can’t come soon enough, and this is the best way to keep the momentum up.”
Scully and Trajkov Take Regional Win in Dramatic LSPR Battle
Following an extremely close battle that lasted the entire rally, Alastair Scully and Stefan Trajkov took first place in the Super Regional Lake Superior Performance Rally, winning by just 16.4 seconds over Jimmy Pelizzari and Bryce Proseus.
Running alongside the National LSPR competition on all of the same stages—minus the Power Stage—the Super Regional event for the ARA Central Regional Championship challenged competitors with 129 miles and 14 stages across two days. The 49 regional entries delivered fierce competition and excitement for fans and teams alike.
Michigan native Pelizzari and Proseus immediately jumped into the lead on SS1 in their Blind Deer Rallysport L4WD 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, while Connor Himes and Eliot Prusi slotted into second in their NA4WD 2001 Impreza. Their run in second was short-lived, however, as Scully, driving the Green APU O4WD Mitsubishi Mirage, charged forward on SS2 to take over the position.
Through the rest of Friday’s stages, Pelizzari continued to extend his lead, pulling away from Scully despite a 10-second penalty for being one mile per hour over a virtual chicane limit on SS4, “TeePee Tower.” By the end of the day, his advantage sat at 45 seconds.
Saturday’s notoriously punishing stages, however, played to the strengths of Scully’s Prototype-based Mirage over the home-built “Bugeye” Subaru of Pelizzari. Even so, the battle remained close all day as both crews pushed flat-out. It wasn’t until SS13 that Scully finally took the overall lead, and with an additional 10-second penalty for a late check-in by Pelizzari, Scully and Trajkov clinched the regional victory by just 16.4 seconds.
Despite finishing second overall in the Super Regional, Pelizzari and Proseus proved to be among the fiercest competitors in the field, with a performance that—had they entered the National rally—would have earned a top-five overall finish. Not only did they lead the regional event for most of the weekend, but they also dominated the 11-car L4WD class, winning by an impressive ten-minute margin over second place.
“Overall, it was a great weekend. Of course, it stings a little to miss an LSPR win again by so little, but Friday was beautiful! The stages were great, and the car felt good. We kept it clean and tidy and built almost a minute gap back to Scully in the Mirage. Saturday started with a boost leak and a complete loss of power steering fluid, which made it very difficult through the rough stages and tight turns.
“Unfortunately, a one-mile-per-hour over VC penalty from Friday cost us the win regardless of the steering. We could have absorbed one issue, but not both. Still, I’m very proud of the team’s hard work and the times we were able to put down without any practice before the event.”
Silas Himes and Aleutian Hatfield claimed second in L4WD with their 2008 Subaru WRX STI, while James Randall and Andrew Rausch completed the class podium in third with their 2015 Subaru WRX.
Third overall went to the NA4WD entry of Connor Himes and Elliot Prusi in their 2001 Subaru Impreza, who bested a massive 20-car class and improved dramatically from their 2024 finish of 15th in class and 32nd overall.
Despite leading the class throughout, their fight was anything but easy. Over 14 stages, Himes traded stage wins with Sam Jacques, Camden Sheridan, and Dustin Peterke. By the end of Friday, the four crews were separated by just 26 seconds, setting up an intense Saturday showdown.
At the finish, Himes and Prusi held on for the class win, 29.3 seconds ahead of Jacques and co-driver Kyle Cooper in their 2006 Impreza, and 41.4 seconds ahead of Sheridan and Jeremy Frey in their 1999 Impreza.
“It was a great event,” Himes said. “With Sam Jacques and Camden Sheridan right with us, it was a ton of fun having to keep our pace to keep at it, and in the process, we ended up with a third overall regional win too! LSPR is my favorite event to run, especially since it's my hometown event!”
“It was a dogfight out there,” Prusi added. “Road conditions varied a lot from fast and flowy to rough and grueling, sometimes even corner to corner. The car was well sorted, though, and took it all like a champ, even when we hit some of the particularly trying Saturday stages. With Connor's strong pace and stellar competition from the field, we had a hoot and secured a win. Always a good time at LSPR.”
Central Regional Two-Wheel-Drive Champions Crowned
Although LSPR marked the end of the 2025 ARA National Championship, it wasn’t the final stop for the Central Regional Championship—the competition continues at next month’s Show-Me Rally in Missouri. While several regional titles remain undecided, both the O2WD and L2WD Driver and Co-Driver Championships were sealed this weekend in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
In O2WD, Mike Hurst and Randall Short clinched the driver and co-driver titles in their V8-powered 1971 Ford Capri, earning their fourth class win and fifth podium in as many starts this season. The pair dominated the LSPR field, winning their class by nearly eight minutes and finishing an impressive seventh overall out of 49 regional competitors.
Their Ford faced early pressure from the 1986 BMW 325i of Levi and Griffin Johnson, but after the BMW retired on SS6 Friday, Hurst and Short were able to breathe easier and press on to victory.
“Coming into the weekend, we were looking forward to the battle with Levi for the win,” Hurst said. “Luckily, we had a great combination of performance and durability that helped us secure the win.”
“We had a small hiccup with a starter going out on us before SS8, but we were able to get a push, which got the car fired up. There still is more untapped performance in the car, as shown with our SS5 time. We beat Nykanen, which was awesome considering how high he has raised the bar.
“The car is really built tough to tackle the rough rocks, but we decided to be a little more conservative on Saturday to try and seal the win and Central Regional Championship, which proved to be the right call. Overall, the weekend, the weather, and the year have been great.”
Second place in Regional O2WD went to Josh Nykanen and Charlotte Himes in their 1987 Volkswagen Golf GTI, while Matt and Adelinn Huuki rounded out the podium in third, an impressive debut in their 2009 Nissan Frontier rally truck.
The other Central Region Championship winner at LSPR was Gabriel Nieves of the HART Rally Team, a group of Honda engineers who test and showcase their vehicles in the toughest rally conditions across the U.S.
Nieves secured the Central Regional L2WD Driver Championship in his HART Acura Integra after earlier success, including a win at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood and a second-place finish in the East Regional Championship.
Co-driven at LSPR by Sam Dod, Nieves delivered a flawless performance—winning 11 of the 14 stages and taking the L2WD victory by over 30 minutes.
"Coming into LSPR, we knew there was a high chance of a podium finish, so we set the plan in motion to push hard on the smooth and fast stages, so we could take some calculated risks in the rougher Saturday stages, and it paid off,” Nieves said.
“Sam did an exceptional job keeping me on the road as this was his first event co-driving, and we were able to bring home the win and clinch the Central L2WD Driver Championship as well! Very proud of our team for all the work this season that allowed us to get these great results!"
Having also worked with Charlie Driscoe and Cole Clements as navigators throughout the season, the Central Regional L2WD Co-Driver Championship remains undecided heading into the final round.
Second place in LSPR’s L2WD class battle went to Grant and Miles Gibson in their 2004 Ford Focus SVT, while the podium was completed by Jason and Zak Harner in their 2007 Lexus IS350.
Pirelli Privateer Cup Honors Sean Donnelly
While Sean Donnelly did not compete at LSPR, the event marked the conclusion of the inaugural Pirelli Privateer Cup, a new program introduced in 2025 to celebrate competitors who campaign at the national level without OEM manufacturer support.
The Pirelli Privateer Cup is open to drivers in the National LN4, L2WD, and O2WD classes, with $5,000 awarded to the privateer earning the highest total championship points across the season.
Donnelly and co-driver Zach Pfeil earned the 2025 title after a strong season in the L4WD class, highlighted by a win at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, second-place finishes at both Sno*Drift Rally and Oregon Trail Rally, and a podium in O2WD at Ojibwe Forests Rally.
“It feels great to win the Pirelli Privateer Cup,” said Donnelly. “Considering we’ve done twelve events on Pirelli gravel tires without a puncture, there’s no tire we consider more reliable.”
Donnelly and Pfeil narrowly earned the Cup with both Nick Allen and Richo Healey sitting one point behind them.
Complete LSPR results: https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/event-results
~Mason Runkel for the ARA
