Regional Teams from Across America Descend Upon Olympus
- masonrunkel
- 3 minutes ago
- 10 min read
(Shelton, Wash. April 16, 2026) — The third round of the 2026 American Rally Association (ARA) Western Regional Championship takes competitors out of the deserts of Nevada and California and into the forests of Washington for nearly 200 stage miles that comprise the Kubota Olympus Regional Rally, April 17–19.
Run alongside the National event, the Regional itinerary follows the same grueling three-day schedule, with competitors tackling 17 of the 18 stages, only skipping the National rally-ending Power Stage, “Mason Lake.”
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the final Group B-era event held at Olympus in 1986, the special itinerary combines modern and historic roads, drawing local competitors as well as crews from across the United States and Canada for the highly anticipated Regional competition.
Arto and Mary Ylikangas lead the ARA Western Regional points championship, but without an entry at Olympus, second-place Charles Watson and Ben Triplett have a clear shot at moving into the lead, while West Coast regulars who missed the opening rounds aim to make up ground.
The Regional battle is expected to be just as tightly contested as the National, as crews push their home-built machines through the most demanding itinerary they’ve competed on to date.
Brassfield Returns to Reclaim Regional Olympus Throne
Returning after nearly three years away from competition, Matt Brassfield brings proven pedigree back to the field. The 2021 ARA West Regional Champion won the Limited Four-Wheel Drive (L4WD) class at Olympus in 2020, claiming second overall in the regional rally in the process, before claiming his first overall victory at the event in 2021 en route to that year’s series title.
After debuting a new build to a DNF the following year, Brassfield stepped into National competition in 2023 before suffering a violent 85 mph roll at Tour de Forest Rally that destroyed his 2016 WRX STI.
The 2026 Olympus Rally marks his return, now behind the wheel of an Open Four-Wheel Drive (O4WD) class 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, transformed into a wide-body, EJ257-powered, custom subframe build that has been in development since the crash.
Reunited with long-time co-driver Kristi Berg, Brassfield will use Olympus’ nearly 200 miles of unforgiving stage roads to break in the new car.
The fight for victory, however, will be anything but straightforward. Even within the O4WD class, 10 additional entries will be in contention for the overall win.
Andrew Reavis and Anthony Campbell bring a Subaru Crosstrek originally built by Subaru Canada, described as delivering “90% of the performance of an R5,” and fresh off a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Wild West Rally Sprint.
Canadian rallyists Johnny Summers and Celine Pepperdine enter with their 2004 Subaru WRX STI and the highest speed factor in the class, while Garrett Brown and co-driver Felicia Killman campaign the ex-Joël Levac O4WD 2012 MINI Cooper Countryman S ALL4—previously used to win seven Canadian Rally Championship rounds.
Wolfgang Hoeck and Jeremy Agostino’s 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution could also prove a sleeper. Potentially entering the final event of his career, Hoeck has no intention of backing off.
“I started back in 2002, winning Pikes Peak twice in a Mitsubishi Evo, and later won the 2006 [California Rally Series] Open Class championship,” Hoeck said. “These days, I’m just an old guy out here enjoying incredible roads in another Evo.
“There’s only one Mitsubishi Evo among three Mitsubishis this weekend, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed the car holds together and makes plenty of noise. Enjoy the sound—it might be the last chance to hear it.”
Charles Watson and Ben Triplett could also be in the battle, but are going to focus their energy first on finishing rather than finishing first.
“After three mechanical DNFs in my 2024 season, Olympus 2025 was my first actual stage rally finish, and it definitely made us work for it,” Watson said. “Gravel punched through our rear control arm and trailing arms on SS10, making the car nearly uncontrollable. We decided to run SS11 at transit speeds to limp the car to the finish. I remember telling Ben, ‘We're not going to DNF due to a mechanical after two days of racing!’
“Our mentality going into Olympus this year is pretty much the same. We have three days of really tight technical racing on forest roads with lots of sharp gravel, which will feel very different from the wide-open sandy stages of Rally Colorado, Prescott Rally, and Ridge Rally.
“I'm a lot more confident after a good shakedown at Laguna Seca, so now the only thing left is to focus on two great days of recce, and then following those notes perfectly when we're out on Stage.”
Brassfield won’t be the only driver debuting new machinery, as Kenny and Kaylee Copeland arrive to shake down their newly completed K24-powered 1993 Subaru Impreza.
NA4WD and L4WD Entries Eye Overall Win at Olympus
Normally Aspirated Four-Wheel Drive (NA4WD) class and L4WD competitors are just as likely to factor into the overall fight as the O4WD field at Olympus this year.
Cooper Anderson and Ethan Curtis return in their NA4WD 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX after showing pace consistent with the overall regional podium at Olympus in 2025. With several of last year’s frontrunners absent, the opportunity is there—but a recent off at the Wild West Rally Sprint has forced the team into a rapid rebuild ahead of the event.
“Olympus means a lot to Cooper and me,” Curtis said. “In 2024, it was our first overall podium together, and we earned the Ken Block Flat Out Award, so it really feels like a homecoming event for us.
“We’re focused on keeping our heads down and staying disciplined. There’s nothing fundamentally new; it’s about building on our experience and making the most of our strengths.
“We had an off at Wild West while fighting for a podium, so we’re coming in looking for redemption after a few weeks of rebuilding. At the same time, we want to show that Cooper is still one of the most exciting young drivers in the country.”
Seeded just behind Anderson, Josh Gierman and Gavin Bowen bring their six-cylinder-swapped 2000 Subaru Impreza into the fight. The pair finished second at Wild West behind Andy Miller who is in the National field at Olympus, and Gierman has twice stood on the Olympus regional podium.
Trenton Koury and Matthew Michell’s racing résumés may not be as deep, but they arrive with strong pace on paper, support from Argonaut Motor Club, and a reinforced build aimed at surviving the full 200-mile distance.
“After a bone-jarring Ridge Rally and a ball joint failure, we’ve been battling the clock to rebuild and strengthen the car,” Michell said.
“After missing Prescott and plenty of time in the garage, the car is ready to return to Olympus with a brand new livery.”
Michael Honn and Colin Katagiri, who also bring prior podium experience, are continuing to develop their four-cylinder package against the larger-displacement competition.
“Olympus was our best ARA event a few years ago where we secured second overall,” Honn said. “Some of that was good driving, but a lot of it was getting through clean.”
Katagiri added: “This will be our sixth ARA event together. I’m excited to see what the car can do after chasing down some electrical issues that affected us at Tour de Forest.”
On the L4WD side, the 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI of Gabe Jacobson and Ben Chuong enters as one to watch. Starting fourth on the road in their first Olympus appearance together, Jacobson’s victory at the 2025 Overmountain Rally Tennessee and Chuong’s 2023 East Regional Overall Co-Driver Championship highlight the potential of the pairing against the nine other competitors in their class.
Close behind, Phillip Clarke and Johnny Vinti return in their 2003 Subaru WRX with two prior class victories at Olympus, while Scott and Elizabeth Crouch’s consistency in their 2002 Subaru WRX could prove decisive over the rally’s long and demanding itinerary.
West Coast O2WD Field Brings Variety and Personality to Olympus
As always, the West Coast rally community brings a wide array of two-wheel-drive machinery to Olympus. Seeded first in Open Two-Wheel Drive (O2WD), DirtFish Lead Instructor Nate Tennis brings experienced off-road racer Paul Nauleau into his first stage rally in a 1973 Saab 99 EMS.
“I have been racing off-road since I was 15 years old in Class 11 Beetle that I built myself in high school,” Nauleau said.
“Over the last 13 years, I have climbed through the ranks to race in all kinds of off-road vehicles, including trophy trucks in events like the Baja 1000 and NORRA 1000.
“I managed to convince Nate while doing a course with him at DirtFish to come race the Baja 1000 with us, and I guess he still decided to be my friend despite all the ups and downs of that race! He introduced me to rally and now has invited me to come tell him what to do in his right seat at this year’s race.
“I’m planning to go out there, take it all in, have fun, and just try not to make too many mistakes.”
While experience in more powerful machinery has helped Tennis secure the top seed, he could still be a sleeper contender for the win in the Saab as one of the most experienced drivers in the PNW.
All eyes will be on Julien Sebot and Steve Harrell just behind, as the pair debut the first Ford Fiesta Rally4 in the United States in the O2WD Regional class.
Leading the German contingent, Ryan Haines and Rebecca Ruston’s 1998 BMW 323i and Doug Heredos and Eric Fretress’ 1997 BMW M3 will be hot on the hatch’s heels.
“The fact that the event has been running for more than 40 years is really a testament to the volunteer base in the PNW,” Heredos said.
“We are all incredibly lucky that this large group of fanatics dedicates hundreds of hours of their free time to make this event happen year after year.
“I think with nearly 200 miles and almost 100 cars entered, what we can expect is chaos—and I am totally in for that. Two days of recce followed by three days of competition are going to be physically and mentally draining.”
Dave and Rick Hintz bring decades of Olympus history, including volunteering at the 1986 event and an overall Regional win. This year, they return in a 2012 Ford Mustang V6.
“As old guys, we are able to say we were volunteering and spectating at the Olympus WRC events in 1986, 1987, and 1988,” Dave said.
“As competitors, in 2010 we took first overall in the regional rallies associated with Olympus in an Open Class Subaru WRX. Now we have a Mustang that is fun but less suited to narrow slippery gravel roads, but it did take 10th overall in the Olympus regional rally in 2023. We hope to repeat that performance now that we are over 60 years old!”
A 16-car O2WD field couldn’t be completed without a few bricks, with Pat Darrow and Don Burress’ 1981 Volvo 242 and Alexander Jardevall and Chase Melcher’s 1993 Volvo 940 rounding out the group.
“I feel very fortunate to be part of this event,” Jardevall said. “It’s still surreal to call myself a rally driver, and even more so to be competing on the same roads with a WRC legend.
“Our plan is simple: race our own race, take it one stage at a time, keep learning, and aim for a strong finish.”
From Champions to Students, L2WD Field Brings Variety to Olympus
Finally, in Limited Two-Wheel Drive (L2WD), 12 cars have entered Olympus to take on the special event.
Sage Van Tilburg and Julia Majors debut a new 2014 Subaru BRZ build for the Loose Entry Rally Team, made with support from Element Rallysport, as Tilburg moves from his past of O2WD BMWs into L2WD competition.
Chris Miller and Crystina Coats enter as the defending class winners from 2025, as well as the 2025 L2WD West Regional Champions, in their 2015 Scion FR-S, setting up a strong battle between the sister chassis at the front of the field.
While the experienced crews at the front battle it out, one team to watch further back in the start order is the 1989 Volkswagen Jetta of Oregon State University mechanical engineering students Zack Arnold and Jack Cuezze.
“This is our first National competition,” Arnold explained. “We competed last month in the Wild West Rallysprint and DNFed due to a coolant seal coming loose and the motor overheating. That event was a great chance to see how the car handled on gravel and identify weak points.
“Heading to this event is important to me personally. My grandfather, Tim Arnold, rallied in the 1970s and was chairman of Olympus in 1981, 1982, and 1983. He has been one of our mentors and an indispensable part of making this dream happen. Having this event celebrate the Group B era, something he was part of, makes it even more special.
“Late last year, we started the Rally Club at Oregon State University. Our goal is to get more young people involved in the sport and support rallies in the Pacific Northwest through volunteers and service crews. This is our first event with OSU students aiding teams in service and volunteering at events like Mike Nagle and Wild West Rallysprint.”
Another notable Volkswagen entry is the Hot Hatch Racing 1988 Golf of Erik and Clarissa Votipka, a name familiar to the Central Region but new to the Western Region. The pair have only competed in Missouri, Michigan, and Kentucky before, and are towing thousands of miles for the first time to make this historic running of Olympus a homecoming for their Golf.
“This will be our longest rally, and the furthest from home so far,” Erik said. “For this event, we're bringing everything and the kitchen sink. We've paid for the whole entry, and we intend to use it.
“This will be the car’s 11th rally and a return to where we bought it sight unseen as a street car in 2023. We picked it up after volunteering at Olympus, fixed a few things, then drove it 2,100 miles back to Kansas City. Once it was home, we stripped it, caged it, and entered its first event three months later.
“We don’t have any grand visions of making it onto the podium this year, but to simply finish, give it our best shot, and hopefully win the hearts of fans and inspire folks to get into the sport.”
Follow the action live on the ARA social media channels and on ara-rally.com.
~Mason Runkel for the ARA