Rally Colorado: ARA’s Newest National to Feature Tightening Title Fight
- masonrunkel
- Jul 16
- 17 min read
(Rangely, Colo., July 16, 2026) — Rally Colorado joins the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship for the first time as the fifth round of the eight-event 2026 season, bringing the country’s top rally teams to the high-desert stages around Rangely, Colorado, July 18–19.
After four rounds produced four different overall winners, the championship arrives in Colorado with little room between the leading contenders. Blockhouse Racing’s Lia Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino enter the weekend atop the overall standing with 53 points in their Rockstar Energy-backed Hyundai i20 N Rally2, while TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team’s (TGR-WRT) Seth Quintero and Topi Luhtinen sit second with 47 after claiming their first ARA victory together at last month’s Southern Ohio Forest Rally (SOFR).
Alastair Scully remains firmly in the title picture, too, sitting third overall with 42 points and the lead in the RC2-class championship in his Hyundai i20 N Rally2, giving Rally Colorado another major contender in the fight at the front. Subaru Motorsports USA’s (SMSUSA) Travis Pastrana and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino return to the ARA National field fourth overall with 38 points after missing the last round.
Adding to the intrigue, multi-time Mexican National Rally Champion Ricardo Cordero and Marco Hernandez, who have run among the ARA leaders regularly this season, bring the first Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 machine in America to the Colorado stages, moving on from their Citroën C3.
Outside of the overall frontrunners, the event will also play host to the first round of the ARA STRYKER Challenge Series, a sister championship running alongside the ARA championship for the new STRYKER RX1, a purpose-built rally vehicle meant to make high performance and world-class safety more accessible. Three of the new STRYKERs are entered for Colorado.
Altogether, 68 teams are prepared to tackle 13 stages and roughly 137 National stage miles over two days, with crews facing twisty roads of gravel, clay, and hard-packed dirt through the desert mountains, complete with big elevation changes, dramatic rock formations, and wide-open cliff-side exposures.
Ahead of the rally, a Friday evening Parc Exposé at the Rangely Automotive Museum begins at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Main Street Parade through Rangely at 7:00 p.m. as the community is invited to see the cars up close and meet the drivers, co-drivers, and crew.
The itinerary begins Saturday at 8:30 a.m. as competitors leave for runs of “Dragon Trail,” “Cathedral,” and “Valley of the Gods” before service prepares the cars to tackle the same three tests a second time.
Sunday’s action also begins 8:30 a.m., sending competitors to “Earl’s Bad Day,” “Quest for Darwin,” and “Gods of the Valley,” which will each be repeated after service. The rally-ending Power Stage, which pays valuable additional championship points to the fastest National crews, will be a third running of “Earl’s Bad Day,” with the first National car expected to finish around 4:30 p.m. ahead of podium ceremonies.
Lia Block is ARA’s First Leading Lady While Toyota’s Quintero Continues His Charge
Last month at SOFR, Lia Block, just 19, became American Rally’s first female driver ever to lead the National Championship overall. The 2023 Open Two-Wheel-Drive (O2WD) Champion—the youngest class champion in ARA history—has already made 2026 a year of firsts, from her first overall stage win, to her first time leading a rally overall, her first overall podium, her first ARA Power Stage win, and her first time leading the National Championship points chase. But one box remains unchecked: a first overall ARA National win.
While the outlook is promising, Block will have to fight for top honors. Seth Quintero and co-driver Topi Luhtinen arrive into Colorado in the TGR-WRT Toyota GR Corolla Rally RC2 fresh off their first ARA victory together at SOFR, giving Quintero the chance to prove that breakthrough was the start of a true championship charge rather than a one-off result.
Absent from SOFR but back for Colorado, Travis Pastrana and Rhianon Gelsomino bring the most experience of the front-runners on the event’s unique stages. The pair ran the event last year as a Super Regional rally while developing their then-recently debuted Limited Four-Wheel-Drive (L4WD) Subaru WRX ARA25L. They’ll be armed with pacenotes, stage footage, and firsthand knowledge as they look to make up for lost points in a car they have already proven can hold its own against RC2 machinery.
“I’m really excited to be going back to Colorado,” Pastrana said. “Rhi and I ran this event last year while working through upgrades on the car, and it was a great test for us. The fans were great, the roads were great, and even though the stages are open, they’re still very technical.”
“Rally Colorado is one of the most unique events on the calendar,” Gelsomino added. “With stages reaching over 7,500 feet in elevation, the high-desert terrain presents a completely different challenge. The roads are fast in sections and rough and technical in others. With no tree lines, there are fewer visual references, so judging speed and distance can be difficult, making trust in the notes more important than ever.
“We’re doing our homework and learning from last year’s experience. We’re excited to be back and looking forward to a great weekend of rallying in Colorado.”
The seven-car RC2 field also welcomes its first Lancia as Ricardo Cordero and Marco Hernandez debut their new Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2, run by Dan Anctil’s Proworx at Rally Colorado, with plans for more action in the ARA in the future.
“We’ve been with Citroën for so many years,” Cordero told DirtFish. “They’ve been great to us. We’ve had two cars and the C3 has been with us for six years, and we’ve only had two DNFs in that time. We’re very happy with what they’re doing, and the Lancia is a step on.
“What’s also really important is that we’re the first team anywhere in America, including South America, to run one of these cars. We’re the first to have the Ypsilon HF Integrale outside of Europe. That’s the level of trust Lancia has placed on us, and that makes me proud.
“We’re going to do Colorado, then we’re going to take the car back to Mexico for the rest of the NACAM [FIA North and Central American Rally] series before we come back for Overmountain Rally and LSPR, the final round of ARA.
“When we come back for Overmountain, the car will stay in America. We’re doing the full ARA next year.”
Alastair Scully and Ross Whittock may not carry the same headline momentum as Block, Quintero, Pastrana, or Cordero, but their consistency has kept them firmly in the championship fight. Entering Rally Colorado third in the overall standings and leading the RC2 championship, the Green APU-backed Hyundai i20 N Rally2 crew could once again play a major role at the front of the field. While not as close in the points battle, the Element Rallysport Ford Fiesta Rally2 of Javier Olivares and KJ Miller poses a similar threat to the podium.
The remaining RC2 entries include Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell and co-driver Michael Hordijk as they continue to adjust to their 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage, and former Rally Colorado winners Steven Bis and Kelly Kefe in their 2013 Ford Fiesta N5.
ARA STRYKER Challenge Series Begins with Vehicle Debut
Outside the established championship front-runners, three STRYKER RX1 entries are set to give the new platform its first major National-stage test in ARA competition.
Built around the idea of offering high performance at a lower cost, the RX1 uses a custom tubular chassis designed specifically for rally, with Rally1-level safety goals and the promise of Rally2-level performance. Power comes from a turbocharged three-cylinder engine capable of producing 250 horsepower, or a deliberately governed 180 horsepower for newer drivers, which is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed DCT. Upfront cost is described as roughly 50% of a Rally2 car, while running costs are estimated to be as low as 20%.
Rally Colorado’s challenging nature should test the vehicle’s durability and pace against traditional rally cars, as the STRYKER jumps straight into a full National itinerary after tests in rally sprints and other events ahead of its debut.
The three entries include Rally Ready founder “Texas” Dave Carapetyan and co-driver Aris Mantopoulos, STRYKER co-founder Cole Powelson and co-driver Michael Gilbey, and Block House Racing’s Lucy Block and Leah Brisset.
The RX1s will not be part of an existing class; instead, they will have their own STYKER Class and run the stages after the rest of the field and before the Heavy Sweep vehicles.
Piatkowski Absence Opens Door in LN4 Championship Fight
After an impressive privateer run through the first half of the 2026 ARA National Championship that left him leading LN4, the combined Limited Four-Wheel-Drive (L4WD) and Naturally Aspirated Four-Wheel-Drive (NA4WD) class championship, Mark Piatkowski announced he will be unable to make the fifth round of the season at Rally Colorado. His absence leaves his current five-point lead over DirtFish Women in Motorsport’s Aoife Raftery in jeopardy.
Following the trend from the rest of the season, the LN4 battle is expected to be tense. While Travis Pastrana sits third in the class championship and is pegged as a strong contender for the overall win, the light, nimble Rally3 cars that qualify for L4WD have shown they can outpace the Subaru on certain stages. Meanwhile, experienced locals are poised to capitalize if the high-end cars give them the opportunity.
Irish rallyist Raftery and co-driver Hannah McKillop enter Rally Colorado with the biggest championship opportunity in their Element Rallysport Ford Fiesta Rally3. One of the most impressive competitors of the 2026 season, Raftery will be a favorite to challenge for the class win and potentially leave Colorado with the LN4 lead.
New to the class, 2024 National L2WD champions Richo Healey and Michelle Miller are sporting an Eagle Rock Racing (ERR) L4WD Ford Fiesta Rally3 in Healey’s second event in the class. The pair showed impressive pace on Healey’s first all-wheel-drive rally at SOFR before retiring early, making Rally Colorado a chance at redemption as they continue to settle in.
The final Rally3 entry comes from Madelyn Tabor and Sophia McKee, once again entering in their Ford Fiesta Rally3.
“We are both really excited to take on Rally Colorado, a new rally for us both,” Tabor said. “The last time I was at Rally Colorado was when my dad, Mark, competed in 2020, so it should be fun to see some of the roads he competed on and some new ones.
“Sophia and I just finished a two-day pacenote training at OZRallyPro with the Gelsominos, so we are very excited to use some of our new tools and are feeling ready as ever to take on Rally Colorado!”
Outside the SMSUSA and M-Sport-built entries, Black Hole Rally Team brings three overall Rally Colorado victories from the event’s years as a regional rally. Locals Jacob Despain and Jeremy Agostino are looking forward to racing a new-to-them L4WD 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX on the Colorado stages against heightened National competition.
“We are coming to Rally Colorado as it’s our home event,” Despain said. “It’s always a great time at this rally and will be our seventh time running it, this time with a new car. We are moving to a 2002 Impreza WRX in the L4WD class, along with a new co-driver.
“The goal is to finish, but also increase my speed factor and try to close the gap to Pastrana.”
The rest of the L4WD entries include Cameron Gholson and Andrea Lauria’s 2012 Subaru WRX, Mykola Pysklyvets and Roman Romanchuk’s 2008 Subaru WRX STI, and Luis Perocarpi and Felicia Killman’s MINI USA/John Cooper Works Race Team 2025 MINI Countryman JCW.
“I was originally planning to attend as a spectator with my family when I received a call from the MINI JCW team asking if I could step in and co-drive for Luis Perocarpi,” Killman said. “Needless to say, my plans changed pretty quickly!
“One of the biggest milestones for me is simply being here. Earlier this year I competed in my first ARA National event at Olympus Rally, and now, just a few months later, I have the opportunity to compete alongside one of the factory-supported MINI JCW teams. It’s a surreal experience, especially knowing I’ll be sharing the event with competitors I’ve looked up to for years.
“My goal this weekend is straightforward: be prepared, be consistent, and help Luis have a successful rally.”
On the NA4WD side, Eliza Coleman and Ryan Scott enter their 2005 Subaru Impreza as the lone National NA4WD competitors.
Consistency vs. Power Highlights O2WD Championship Battle
One of the most unpredictable battles all season in the ARA has been the O2WD National Championship. While big names and fan-favorite cars have appeared at many of the rounds, several of the top pace-setters have been plagued by retirements and setbacks, allowing more consistent teams farther back in the field to build a points cushion.
Leading the National Championship, Alexander Liversidge and Tiago Lourenco once again enter their humble 2009 Mazdaspeed3 for Rally Colorado. Though their 2026 season has only seen them on the class podium once, consistent mid-pack finishes have given them a five-point lead over second-place Seamus Burke and a 10-point lead over the next closest Rally Colorado entrant, Nicholas Tippman, in third.
Tippman is joined for Rally Colorado by co-driver Mitch Meadows as the two look for a strong finish in their 2019 Ford Fiesta ST that could put Tippman into the championship lead.
“This marks Nick’s second full season in ARA, and first season in O2WD,” Meadows, a former class-winning co-driver at Rally Colorado, said. “His usual co-driver was not able to make the event, so I was asked to sit in. This will be Nick’s first time having a new-to-him co-driver. He has had the same navigator his entire rally career. Could be fun… or dramatic.
“I have some race strategy going into this event, luckily from direct experience in the past. Hydration will be key for both myself and my teammate. We have a robust recce plan and a great pro crew to prep the car and repair it should we need it. Heat management will be the name of the game here. High-desert racing, especially this event, brings havoc to most teams.
“The goal for us will be to finish and see if we can teach Nick anything useful for the rest of his season in this car.
“The O2WD battle is always worthy of following. Many characters to keep an eye on: from the new and strapping Nykanen, to the tried-and-true antics of Hooper and Seamus. If we can get Nick anywhere near the times of these usual suspects, we will be doing something right.”
Speaking of those usual suspects, the cars to beat at Colorado are, no doubt, the Lexus IS350 of Michael Hooper and Michael Farrow and the 1998 BMW 323i of Matthew Nykanen and William Ross. While down on points in 2026, both cars have shown class-leading pace, and both teams will be looking for redemption from previous rounds with the championship still within reach if they can pair speed with consistency.
Daniel Shalev and Glen Ray enter as the lone Stellantis Rally Cup North America crew in their Peugeot 208 Rally4. After two podiums this year, a smart run could earn Shalev his first O2WD victory.
Working on crunch time, Andy Cowan is racing just to make the start of the event. Co-driven by AJ Johnson in their 1990 Volkswagen Jetta VR6, the team is hard at work getting the car back together before making the haul to Rangely.
“Right now, our transmission is out of the car and we have two days to get the car back together before we have to travel across the country!” Cowan told the ARA. “I have a team of students who are not even old enough to rent a car, so the only crew vehicle we can get is a U-Haul truck. It’ll be a miracle if we make this race, but if we do, it’ll be quite an accomplishment.”
To round out the O2WD entries, David and Drew Quillen enter the John Cooper Works Race Team 2025 MINI JCW, while Devon Winrick and Matthew Robinson look to take on the stages in their 1982 Volkswagen Scirocco.
In L2WD, the top four championship contenders are all entered into Rally Colorado. Though not the fastest, the closest-to-stock class in the ARA often provides great entertainment, and is expected to again as the cars battle heat, elevation, and rough roads for two days straight.
Leading the championship, Henry Tabor enters his first Rally Colorado, but brings experienced co-driver Dylan Hooker to help.
“We’re looking for a clean event with minimal mistakes,” Tabor said. “We’re beyond halfway through the season with the points lead, Colorado will be the wildcard for us. Dylan has competed a few times, and I crewed in 2020 when dad ran in his Subaru.
“I’m back in our second chassis, the 2018 ST, as persistent issues with chassis number one this whole season have led us down many dead ends, and the team has decided to change strategy in the pursuit of the championship. Hoping we escape Colorado issue-free and continue to grow the points lead.”
To take full points, Tabor will have to take down the FA24-swapped 2016 Subaru BRZ of Tim Wickberg and Matthew Trott, second-in-the-championship Ryan McGrath and Kendra Miller’s Lexus IS250, Michael Myers and Lauren Schmitt’s 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, and more.
Ylikangas and Watson Lead West Regional Fight
Running alongside the Rally Colorado National event, the Rally Colorado Super Regional offers regional teams the same two-day itinerary as the National rally, minus the rally-ending Power Stage, making for a 12-stage, 128-mile competition for the 33 entered teams.
As the fifth and penultimate event of the ARA Western Regional Championship, the 17 points on offer will be vital for any championship hopefuls ahead of October’s season-ending Tour de Forest regional rally.
Leading the championship with 24 points, Arto and Mary Ylikangas are looking for a strong finish in their L4WD 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX after back-to-back second-place finishes overall at Prescott Rally and Ridge Rally to start their championship campaign.
The biggest threat to the championship lead sits three points behind, as Charles Watson and Ben Triplett bring their O4WD 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI to Colorado. Having won Ridge Rally to start their season, average finishes at Olympus and Oregon Trail have slowed their championship progress, but a finish just a few positions ahead of the Ylikangas car could change everything for the pair.
While they’ll be worrying about each other, they’ll also be worrying about dozens of other competitors who, while not necessarily championship threats, will certainly be shooting for their own victories regardless.
Aidan and John Hicks start first on the road in their NA4WD 1996 “Moobaru” Impreza. Usually at home in Minnesota rallies, the pair make their first trek out to Colorado this weekend, but slightly behind them on the road with more experience on these stages is the L4WD Donut Motorsports LLC 2005 Subaru Impreza STI of Jordan O’Connell and Anthony Campbell.
“Colorado is my home rally and it’s Anthony’s first time taking on the challenge,” O’Connell said.
“This is my first time back in four years since ripping off the rear of the last chassis. We are coming in currently in contention for the ARA West Regional L4WD and the California Rally Series podiums, while looking forward to continuing the battle with Arto Y. and Charles Watson for the regional wins.
“I’m 0-for-two at this event, so a strong, consistent drive to the podium is the goal. We found great pace in the car at Prescott that we’re looking to continue, but our main goal is to be patient and smart to ensure we bring it to the finish.
“We have more experience going in this year, but it will be a challenge with no service crew and the extreme heat expected. We’re looking forward to enjoying the weekend with the rest of the rally community on some incredible stages. It is amazing to see the whole town coming out in support. Colorado is always fantastically organized and operated, and we’re really stoked to be a part of its first National running.”
While the Ylikangas and Watson entries sit at the center of the West Regional points fight, Rally Colorado also features a relatively large entry of six regional O4WD cars. In addition to Watson, Matt Brassfield returns for his second rally back since a hard rollover a few years ago. His ground-up-built O4WD 2002 Subaru STI remains a question mark in terms of outright speed, but given the team’s history, it is possible he and Kristi Berg could be a threat near the top of the overall podium.
Other O4WD entries include Ryan Bouffioux and Elisha Papanicolaou’s 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX, Brandon and Tobias Panek’s 2007 Subaru STI, and Elijah and Jeff Kleeman’s 2018 Subaru WRX.
Regional L4WD and NA4WD Fields Add Depth to Colorado Entry
Even the battle for the L4WD class podium will be tough, with nine cars entered. In addition to Ylikangas and O’Connell, Scott and Elizabeth Crouch bring their 2002 Subaru WRX, Chris O’Driscoll and Lori O’Driscoll enter their 2003 Subaru WRX, while Ryan Bakeman and Jacob Vlar enter their first rally in their 1998 Subaru Impreza.
“Rally Colorado has become a yearly event for us, but this year is different because it will be my first time competing,” Bakeman said. “In previous years I’ve been there crewing or working the event in an ARA capacity, so it’s pretty surreal to finally be on the other side of it.
“Competing in my first rally is the culmination of a dream that’s been more than 20 years in the making. Thanks to an incredible support system and a co-driver who has been all-in from the moment I asked, we managed to pull this car together in roughly eight weeks. Just getting through tech, being part of the parade, and checking into that first MTC will feel like a huge accomplishment. Everything after that is a bonus.
“Car 911 is a 1998 Subaru Impreza swapped with a 2002 WRX powertrain, and my co-driver, Jake Viar, is also making his competition debut. This program has really been a collaboration between Rodnoc Racing and LZRallySport, and none of it would be possible without the people who helped make this dream happen.”
While not their first rally, Garrett Strickland and John Vinti also look to learn in their L4WD 2004 Subaru STI.
“What brings me to Colorado is I’m trying my darndest to complete all West Regional events,” Strickland said. “This is my second year in the sport and fifth rally, pretty much figuring it out on my own with the help of my mentor Flynn Baglin.
“This is a new challenge for me, and with my co-driver canceling a week out from the rally and bringing on a new co-driver I’ve never met, challenge is the right word.”
On the NA4WD side of things, in addition to the Moobaru, six cars will be tackling the stages, including the 2005 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS of Albert Goad and Loren Bench, the 2002 Subaru Forester of Justin McBee and Sean Spring, and the Golden Gate Manor Transportation 1994 Subaru Impreza of Ethan Hunter and Alex Augustine.
“My team never fails me,” Hunter said. “Me and Alex are the only ones that can fail. My team and sponsors show up ready, prepared and willing to do whatever it takes to put our Golden Gate Manor Transportation Subaru Impreza on the podium.”
Sebot Leads Regional 2WD Field Into Colorado
Notably, the biggest threat to Watson and Ylikangas in the overall Western Regional Championship may not be one of the four-wheel-drive competitors, but the Ford Fiesta Rally4 of Julien Sebot and Steven Harrell.
A longtime Fiesta rallyist, Sebot’s newest upgrade has served him well since debuting with a class win at the 2026 Olympus Rally, followed by a second-in-class performance at Oregon Trail Rally. Coming into Rally Colorado, he leads the O2WD points and sits only 10 points off the overall Western Regional Championship lead.
To win his class, he’ll have to hold off the Lexus SC400 of Rodnoc Racing’s James Veatch III and Jenna Cooper, who placed second in class at last year’s Rally Colorado despite issues.
“I’m still waiting on my honorary Colorado CDL endorsement after floating the Lexus’s gears for 131 miles at last year’s event,” Veatch joked. “The DMV out there must be running a little slow, I guess.
“As a West Coast team, Rally Colorado is a staple event that we plan our season around, National or not. The roads are incredibly fun, but they are also some of the most challenging we see all year. I’m especially looking forward to running ‘Crest City’ in the opposite direction this time. It is a section of Earl’s Bad Day where it feels like every other note in the book is ‘over crest.’
“Heat is always one of the biggest challenges at Rally Colorado, so we upgraded the SC400 from its 30-year-old hydraulic fan setup to a pair of 13-inch SPAL electric fans. During some light testing at Willow Springs Raceway, we saw ambient temperatures in the high 90s and the car never climbed above 185 degrees. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new setup performs on the tighter climbing stages in Colorado.
“Jenna and I are also coming off a third-place overall finish at Prescott, so we have a little confidence heading into the weekend. That said, our main goal is the same as always: finish the rally and see how everything shakes out.
“Colorado is an event where knowing when to reel it in and when to stand on it is probably more important than trying to push at nine-tenths everywhere. The road conditions and obstacles are always changing, and the rocks have a way of appearing out of nowhere. Staying disciplined, protecting the car, and picking the right places to push will be the biggest parts of our approach this year.”
Mika Block will also be making his second-ever rally start alongside Gary McElhinney in the Block House Racing Ford Fiesta R2T, aiming to improve on the pace he found at SOFR. Rounding out the O2WD field, Brian Miller and Linden Wright bring their 1994 BMW 325i, Brian Maskrey and Tyler Swartz are ready in their 1985 Toyota Corolla, and Bret Hunter and Matt Holl look to impress in their 1990 Honda CRX.
Finally, the five-car L2WD field sees many Western Regional regulars. Points leaders Chris Miller and Crystina Coats lead the class on the entry list in their 2015 Scion FR-S. They’ll be battling the likes of Jennifer and Terry Stonecipher’s 1987 Volkswagen Golf GTI, Cameron Gransee and Jacob Hickman’s 2014 Ford Fiesta, and others.
Rally Colorado kicks off July 18 in Rangely, Colorado. Follow the action live on the ARA social media channels and on ara-rally.com.
To see images for Rally Colorado - visit the Rally Colorado 2026 gallery on Apexiel.
~Mason Runkel for the ARA
