Subaru Motorsports USA’s Travis Pastrana and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino emerged victorious at the 2026 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, overcoming a stacked field on Missouri’s ultra-fast gravel stages to secure overall honors. Competing in the Limited 4WD class aboard the Subaru WRX ARA25L, the duo prevailed against one of the deepest lineups in recent American Rally Association history, which featured a record nine Rally2 entries in the top category.
Long regarded as one of the fastest rallies on the ARA calendar, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is defined by wide, flowing roads and high-speed sections that demand total commitment. Drivers are routinely pushed to their limits, threading flat-out corners over blind crests and rolling terrain from start to finish.
Running first on the road, Pastrana and Gelsomino faced the immediate handicap of sweeping loose gravel off the racing line. Despite the disadvantage, they opened with a strong pace, finishing sixth overall and second in class on the first stage before steadily improving their position. A stage win late on Day 1 briefly boosted momentum, but it was later nullified following complaints about dust conditions—an adjustment that effectively erased much of the team’s tire strategy heading into Day 2. Even so, Pastrana ended the day within striking distance of the overall lead before revised results reshuffled the standings overnight.
Saturday began with renewed pace from the WRX ARA25L, as the pair attacked the early stages and navigated the punishing Loop Southern test. By the end of the opening loop, they had climbed to third overall, continuing to close the gap to the Rally2 frontrunners.
The decisive move came on the final loop. Pastrana and Gelsomino surged into the overall lead on the opening stage, building a 16.4-second advantage over Tom Williams, who had led much of the rally in a Rally2 car. They extended the margin by a further five seconds before the finish, sealing the overall win and putting the Limited 4WD Subaru on the top step of the podium.
“That was a heck of a rally,” Pastrana said. “The top four were within 23 seconds, so it was absolutely right down to the wire. Rhianon absolutely crushed it. Huge thanks to the entire Subaru team,” he added. “We took some pretty big chances out there, and it all worked out. Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good. That rally was such a battle all the way to the end.”
The victory provides Subaru Motorsports USA with early momentum as the 2026 championship battle begins to take shape.
Next, the ARA field heads west for the Kubota Olympus Rally (April 17–19), where the tight, technical roads around Shelton will present a markedly different challenge. Expanded to three days and more than 200 stage miles, it is set to be the longest event on the 2026 ARA calendar.
Above contents © 2026 Subaru Motorsports USA, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee
