Subaru WRX and rallying are two things that go together like butter and toast: It just gels together naturally. It’s been about a decade since Subaru entered the World Rally Championship stage, but the folks from Gunma have been active in the US rally scene.
Recently, Subaru (finally) turned the redesigned WRX into a proper rally car and said it will enter it at the 2023 Ojibwe Forests Rally. That rally served as the car’s competition debut, as well as a major shakedown for the 2024 season. So, how did the car perform, you ask? In case you missed the headline, the all-new Subaru WRX rally car took home the win in its first try.
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Piloted by Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams, the duo brought the new generation rally car to the top of the leaderboard on the first day of the two-day rally. It was a strong and dominant performance from the pair, staying at least 30 seconds ahead of the competition. Semenuk and Williams took the lead in the first stage and stayed there until the end of the day.
Day two of the rally consisted of shorter and more technically demanding routes that took place over narrow, rocky trails. Following a strong day one, the team picked up where they left off in the remaining stages. However, a tire puncture nearly ended the WRX’s dominant streak, but the team recovered quickly and never lost the lead. In the end, Semenuk, Williams, and Subaru capped off the race weekend with the win. The all-new WRX also helped the driver and co-driver clinch their second straight American Rally Association (ARA) Championship title.
Despite the rough stages, the car did not suffer any mechanical issues. That’s a huge deal since a new race car’s teething problems typically surface in its first run at race pace. The only bump on the road was the flat tire, but even that wasn’t enough to slow the car and its drivers down.
Aside from Semenuk and Willams, Subaru got the win thanks to its all-wheel drive system, mods, and the custom-built engine under the hood. The rally car uses a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine, but with uprated internals to make it more robust and more powerful than stock. Power is limited to 320hp due to class restriction, but it does make 515Nm of torque.
The team looks to replicate its performance at the Lake Superior Performance Rally in Michigan October 13-14, the final event of this year’s ARA calendar.
