Championships are often won on the toughest days, and for Subaru Motorsports USA, that day came on the sandy, high-speed stages of Minnesota. Brandon Semenuk and his co-driver Keaton Williams survived a drama-filled weekend to win the 2025 Ojibwe Forests Rally, a victory that also clinched their fourth consecutive American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship.

A Three-Way Fight On The Sandy Stages

The rally kicked off as a fierce, three-way fight between Semenuk, Pastrana, and their top rival, Conner Martell, in a Skoda Fabia RS. On Friday’s stages, Martell came out swinging, trading stage wins with Semenuk and even building a small lead. The back-and-forth battle defined the early stages of the Ojibwe Forests Rally, but the tide turned when Martell suffered a puncture late in the day on SS9. This handed the lead back to Semenuk, who was focused on the bigger picture. “We tried to minimize risk on this one with the goal being to get the points and wrap the championship,” Semenuk said after the race.

Survival Of The Fittest At The Ojibwe Forests Rally

Saturday became a race of survival. The head-to-head battle for the lead effectively ended on SS12 when Martell had a major off-road excursion, which took him out of contention. With a comfortable lead, it seemed like a clear run to the finish for Semenuk, but the rally had one more challenge in store. On SS13, Semenuk’s own car suffered a power steering failure. The power steering failure forced him to limp through the next stage, but the time advantage he had built up was just enough to hold onto the lead and secure the victory.

A Resilient 1-2 Finish For Subaru

While Semenuk was managing his fight at the front, Travis Pastrana was wrestling with his own car. After suffering both a puncture and a power steering failure on Friday, the rally veteran put on a gritty performance to climb back up the leaderboard. He pushed through the adversity to secure a first-place victory in his class and a crucial second-place overall finish for the team. “Really excited for a Subaru 1-2 and stoked for Brandon!” an exhausted Pastrana said at the finish line.

Another Chapter In The Legacy

The dramatic 1-2 finish in Bemidji, Minnesota, was a perfect summary of Subaru Motorsports USA‘s long history in the sport, marking the brand’s 19th U.S. national rally title in the last 25 years. With the 2025 championship now secured, the team turns its focus to the Overmountain Rally in Tennessee this September, looking to carry their momentum through the rest of the season.