season of the American Rally Association championship kicks off in Michigan’s winter wonderland at the Sno*Drift Rally. Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams take to the stages in the Subaru WRX rally car, grappling with slippery and snow covered roads. The event is capped off with the epic fan spectacle in Bonfire Alley. Make your way to Subaru’s YouTube channel to watch the Sno*Drift recap.
The Sno*Drift Rally recap is live! Visit the link in our bio or make your way to Subaru’s YouTube channel to watch now.
INFO
Triple American Rally Association (ARA) champion driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams kicked off the 2025 ARA season in winning style for Subaru Motorsports USA, placing first at this year’s Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan. The duo will continue their pursuit of a fourth-straight ARA title at Missouri’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, March 14-15.
After a distinctly snow-free 2024 event, the 2025 Sno*Drift featured colder temperatures and enough of the white stuff to challenge every competitor. “Yeah it was pretty good this year,” said Semenuk. “We actually had some snow this year which was amazing.” Temperatures in the teens and twenties kept the snow falling, but under the powdery stuff was a layer of hard-packed snow and ice that gave drivers fits and required quick thinking and excellent car control to overcome. Says Semenuk, “I enjoyed it. We were a bit strategic with how we approached it, trying to find a good pace on the first passes, then just being careful when things kind of polished up. Great way to start the year.”
A benefit of the snowy conditions at Sno*Drift this year is some real racing time for the WRX ARA25. In the 2024 season, the new platform made its full-time ARA debut as the WRX ARA24, but Sno*Drift 2024 ran under warmer temperatures than usual. “It was nice to play with the car a bit as well, we haven’t raced the car in snow before,” said Semenuk, “there were lots of things to try. Now we have that experience moving forward. All good experience and learning. Excited to be back on the snow.”
MORE INFO
Located in the northern reaches of Michigan's Lower Peninsula near three of the Great Lakes, Sno*Drift Rally is aptly named thanks to its near guarantee of snow or ice. Regarded as one of the more challenging rallies of the year, the conditions at Sno*Drift frequently change from lake effect snow to packed snow, wet snow, dusted ice, or sheet ice. While the weather makes for a tough challenge on its own, the rally ups the ante thanks to tire regulations. Unlike at winter rallies north of the border, studded tires are disallowed in Michigan, limiting the maximum grip available to competitors. A unique approach to driving is necessary for success at Sno*Drift.
Driving at Sno*Drift is about car control; the slick surface reduces the advantage of power and punishes those who lapse in concentration. Adapting to the conditions and controlling wheel spin makes all the difference, and upset victories are common. A fast driver in a slow car can beat a higher seeded team on the snow-packed roads of Michigan.
For the fans, Sno*Drift offers terrific spectating opportunities at multiple points along its 120+ stage mile route. The Super Special stage is a favorite spot that attracts one of the largest stage-side crowds of the season. Run in a gravel pit, fans on the rim get a bird's eye view of the rally action and never miss a corner.
The crowd packs in early for the signature stage of Sno*Drift, Bonfire Alley. Lining the 5 mile stage with campfires and bonfires, spectators light up the night to make an experience unmatched by any other event in North America. Competitors drift through corners to see smoke and fire in their periphery – a truly unique rally experience.
Rally facts
- David Higgins has won this event 4 times; more than anyone else.
- Closest margin of victory - 0.6 seconds in 2016.
- Sno*Drift is the traditional opening of the North American rally season.
comments
Heck yeah! This is a treat! The night stage footage is just insane! Go VSC! I wonder what it would take to have some WRC people come to the US to compete for a few events...
Ya bonfire alley was rowdy. Right after Brandon started the stage 2 guys started fighting in the middle of the road sherifs had to go after them. I am surprised they didn't cancel the stage. This was after 00 almost hit a guy deciding it was a good idea to run down tha stage for fun.
2021 forester. Don’t buy, not only that. Sell to the legal government in Afghanistan. They can be used for, cultural purposes. That’s it. They’re not good for driving, having dogs in, doing anything in. The local service team? Wow, why did people fight at stonewall? For the new gays to be absolutely no claws? Pink flamingos? I digress. The vehicle should be pulled off the roads and those involved should go to that cute little forest Logan Paul likes so much!
This is at least some hope Subaru may get back into rally properly with the WRC. No chance though against current WRC cars. A bit of factory backing and the GR Corolla will be heavy competition for VSC.
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