February 16, 2021 , Camden, N.J. -

SUBARU ANNOUNCES RETURN OF TRAVIS PASTRANA AND BRANDON SEMENUK FOR 2021 RALLY SEASON
 

Subaru Motorsports USA today announced the return of rally drivers Travis Pastrana and Brandon Semenuk for the 2021 American Rally Association (ARA) season. After collecting seven podiums and a pair of event wins in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the pair will return to their blue and gold WRX STI Open Class rally cars February 20 at Michigan’s Sno*Drift Rally to kick off a planned nine-round ARA campaign. Co-drivers Rhianon Gelsomino and John Hall will also be back for 2021.

Travis Pastrana, an action sports legend and seventeen-time X Games medalist, seeks his sixth overall U.S. rally title in 2021 after four straight Rally America titles from 2006-2009 and the inaugural ARA championship in 2017.

“2020 wasn’t the season any of us hoped for, but 2021 is shaping up to be exciting,” said Pastrana. “Brandon and I had a lot of fun last year in only a few events, so getting back to rally full-time this year is something I’ve really been looking forward to! Great to be back at Sno*Drift this year too. I’ve won here three times, so I’m hoping this year will be number four.”

Brandon Semenuk, one of the world’s preeminent freeride mountain bike stars and a five-time Red Bull Rampage winner, will be looking for his first title in only his second year in the top class of U.S. rallying. His 2020 debut season brought four straight podiums, a rally win and a second-place finish in the ARA championship.

“Last year was all about learning for me,” said Semenuk. “I started out focusing on getting my pace up to see if I could run with the top guys in the series, and ended up on the podium at every rally—plus I got my first U.S. win. This year I’m going in knowing I can be quick in the car, and I’ve won several snow rounds in Canada, so Sno*Drift sets up really well for me.”

Sno*Drift itself marks a significant return for the Subaru team, which last contested the iconic winter round in 2016. This year, with the event moving to February and an updated one-day format, Pastrana and Semenuk will take to the snowy roads of northern Michigan to kick off a campaign aimed at capturing Subaru’s fourteenth overall U.S. rally title.
 
 
2021 SUBARU MOTORSPORTS USA RALLY SCHEDULE
 
Round 1: Sno*Drift Rally    
February 20
Round 2: 100 Acre Wood Rally                              
March 19-20
Round 3: DirtFish Olympus Rally              
April 24-25
Round 4: Oregon Trail Rally                       
May 21-23
Round 5: Southern Ohio Forest Rally                   
June 19-20
Round 6: New England Forest Rally                     
July 30-31
Round 7: Ojibwe Forests Rally                  
August 27-28
Round 8: Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally        
September 17-18
Round 9: Lake Superior Performance Rally                    
October 15-16
 
 

About Subaru Motorsports USA
Subaru Motorsports USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., MOTUL, Yokohama Tires, DirtFish Rally School, KÜHL and RECARO. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/motorsports.

Follow Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and on Twitter @subarums_usa.
 
About Subaru of America, Inc. 
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $190 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.