With ARA champion Brandon Semenuk not contesting Tennessee-based event, could a new name top timesheets?
Photography by ARA/William Conley & Trevor Lyden
Words by Luke Barry
Usually when the championship’s wrapped, season interest can die down. Not so in the ARA National Championship presented by Kubota.
With 2025 champ Brandon Semenuk not competing at Overmountain Rally Tennessee, the door has been left wide open for a new name to top the timesheets at the September 19-21 event.
The question is: who?
Conner Martell is surely the favorite in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Actually ahead of Semenuk’s Subaru at the previous round in Minnesota before a puncture and accident set him back, the 28-year-old is gunning for his maiden ARA National victory.
Ryan Booth's Southern Ohio win in Rally2 Škoda snapped Semenuk's winning streak
But he faces stiff competition in the RC2 class. Ryan Booth makes his first National start since winning Southern Ohio Forest Rally and he also won a West Regional event in Colorado, so arrives in Tennessee in fine form. He’ll be co-driven by Michel Périn in his Fabia.
Patrick Gruszka and Alastair Scully bring Hyundai i20 R5s to the party, while Javier Olivares is Ford Fiesta Rally2-mounted and keen to claim another outright podium after taking third place last time out at Ojibwe Forests Rally.
Then of course there’s Travis Pastrana: the only Subaru Motorsports USA driver this week, but more than capable of bringing the fight to the Rally2 machines in his Limited 4WD WRX.
Pastrana will have a trio of Rally3s for company in his class. Sean Donnelly is back in his Renault Clio after a one-off Peugeot 208 Rally4 outing in Ojibwe, with Madelyn Tabor again steering her Ford Fiesta.
But Rally3-mounted for the first time in competition, DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver Aoife Raftery returns to the ARA for the first time since she starred at Olympus and Oregon Trail in the spring. Her regular co-driver Hannah McKillop partners her in their Ford Fiesta Rally3.
One-time WRC2 driver Sean Johnston topped Open 2WD at Olympus and returns to compete at Overmountain in the same Peugeot 208 Rally4. But he’ll face competition from current Canadian 2WD championship leader Mikaël Arsenault in another Team FJ-run Peugeot.
They’ll fly the flag for front-wheel-drive, taking on Seamus Burke in his iconic Ford Escort Mk2, Tim O’Neil in his unique AMC AMX and the Lexus duo of Michael Hooper and Richo Healey, who’ll be co-driven by DirtFish instructor Michelle Miller as always.
Limited 2WD could be a family affair between father and son Mark and Henry Tabor in their Ford Fiesta STs. Ryan McGrath steers a Lexus IS 250, as does Scott Pedersen, who snared a class podium on his ARA debut in Ojibwe.
Newport Speedway host the service park as well as spectator stages on Friday and Saturday
The rally begins today (Friday) with a short stage at Newport Speedway where the service park is based, before the meat of the action across the weekend.
Saturday offers eight stages – three passes of the Weaver Bend test before Middle Road Up and Wasp Short, culminating in the Newport Spectator Stage at 7.30pm.
Sunday comprises fewer stages but far more mileage. Max Attack Patch and Middle Road Down both run twice, with a third passage of the event’s longest stage (Big Clifty) added as the powerstage.
The winner will be crowned back at Newport Speedway after 6pm.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: ARA, ARA 2025, Overmountain Rally Tennessee
Publish Date September 19, 2025 DirtFish
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