19 Oct American Rally Association Congratulates 2018 Championship Winners

Article originally written for American Rally Association website here.

Speedway, Indiana (October 19, 2019)

The 2018 season is in the books and ARA has unveiled the 2019 schedule. It’s time to congratulate all of the winners of this year’s national and regional championships.

A total of 389 drivers and co-drivers were eligible for championship contention this season; 157 competitors in the east region, 164 in the west, and 68 nationally. Those teams tackled nearly 900 miles of the best stage roads in the country, 507 miles west of the Rockies and 375 to the east, over seven rally weekends. Only one team managed to finish every inch of ARA stage road available to them – Erik Potts and Claudia Barbera-Pullen.

The championships this year were exciting to watch. Nationally, the Open 2wd championship wasn’t decided until the season finale. Three regional championships were decided by a single point, and one championship resulted in a draw after three different tie breakers were tallied. The regional story of the season; TJ Pullen and Erin Kelly crowdfunded their way to Ojibwe after realizing they were in contention for the east NA4wd championship, then they won it.

But their story isn’t an isolated circumstance. Teams across the country worked late hours, stretched budgets, and traveled the country to earn a chance at an ARA championship. Dozens more fought against the challenges to enter their first rallies. One team of newcomers, Matthew Dickinson and Daniel Piker, finished on the overall podium at Tour de Forest in only their fifth start.

We would like to congratulate not just the championship winners, but everyone who took part this season.

Before we go further, a quick recap on how championship points are scored in ARA. The ARA national championship is split into two halves, events east of Rocky Mountains, and those to the west. The east division encompasses three rallies: STPR, NEFR, and Muscatell Ojibwe Forests Rally. While the west division comprises four weekends: Oregon Trail Rally, Olympus Rally, Idaho Rally International, and Tour de Forest.

In the national championship, three events from each region are scored, meaning that competitors can exclude, or drop, one of the four events in the west from their championship standings. In order to attain eligibility for a national championship, competitors must also participate in at least one event from each division. This requirement removes several drivers from contention, such as Patrik Sandell, Travis Pastrana, and Brian Penza, all of whom have only driven in one region this season.

Full results for national and regional championships can be found at americanrallyassociation.org/2018championship

Here are your 2018 ARA championship winners:

National Championship Winners

Overall

Driver: David Higgins

Co-Driver: Craig Drew

Open 4wd

Driver: David Higgins

Co-Driver: Craig Drew

Limited 4wd

Driver: Jeff Seehorn

Co-Driver: Karen Jankowski

Open 2wd

Driver: Seamus Burke

Co-Driver: Martin Brady

Naturally Aspirated 4wd

Driver: Blake Lind

Co-Driver: Tricia Lind

Limited 2wd

Driver: Jordan Guitar

ARA West Region Championship Winners

Open 4wd

Driver: Mark Tabor

Co-Driver: Kathryn Hansen

Limited 4wd

Driver: Matthew Dickinson

Co-Driver: Daniel Piker

Naturally Aspirated 4wd

Driver: Blake Lind

Co-Driver: Tricia Lind

Open 2wd

Driver: Erik Potts

Co-Driver: Claudia Barbera-Pullen

Limited 2wd

Driver: Matt Tabor

Co-Driver: Tracy Manspeaker

ARA East Region Championship Winners

Open 4wd

Driver: Brian McNamara

Co-Driver: Mustafa Samli

Limited 4wd

Driver: Emmanuel Cecchet

Co-Driver: Mike Willard

Naturally Aspirated 4wd

Driver: TJ Pullen

Co-Driver: Erin Kelly

Open 2wd

Driver: Erik Potts

Co-Driver: Claudia Barbera

Limited 2wd

Driver: Jordan Guitar

Co-Driver: Lori Clute

Photo Credit: Alex Wong

About American Rally Association (ARA)

A member-driven organization dedicated to the sport of Stage Rally, the American Rally Association provides a transparent, inclusive, and growing sanctioning body to competitors throughout America. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit and wholly owned subsidiary of the United States Auto Club (USAC), ARA is led by seasoned Stage Rally professionals who work hand in hand with an experienced Board of Directors to deliver a framework for safety, competition, promotion, and education for all aspects of the sport. The common goal of our members, volunteers, and organization is a thriving Stage Rally program in America.