USA-based Australian co-driver, Rhianon Gelsomino, has won the Ojibwe Forests Rally alongside Subaru driver Travis Pastrana.
Competing for Subaru Rally Team USA for the first time, Gelsomino guided Pastrana to a 19.8 second win over the Skoda Fabia of Barry McKenna.
Another team Subaru, driven by Brandon Semenuk was third, but over a minute and a half from victory.
It was Pastrana's sixth Ojibwe Forests Rally victory.
Gelsomino was naturally thrilled with her debut win for the factory Subaru team.
"What an incredible weekend of rallying with Travis Pastrana and Subaru Motorsports USA," she told RallySport Magazine.
"Travis and I worked extremely hard at testing, recce and on video review to make sure we left no stone unturned to ensure we won the event.
Rhianon Gelsomino and Travis Pastrana celebrate their victory in the Ojibwe Forest Rally.
"Travis was fantastic to work with and we clicked straight way.
"I now look forward to the final two remaining rounds, where we will continue to work to win and get Subaru the valuable points."
For his part, Pastrana raved about the connection with Gelsomino in the car.
“I never thought I’d see Gelsomino/Pastrana on the [side of the] same car given her husband [Alex] is Ken [Block]’s co-driver,” Pastrana told DirtFish.
“But they are phenomenal and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned more this week just with her preparation and how she goes about it. We clicked right away in the car.
“You kind of get a bond with your co-driver, a chemistry, not to sound weird but it’s just like by the inflection of their voice, you know if you’re driving too hard or not hard enough, you kind of get that camaraderie in there,” Pastrana explained.
“[We] definitely put in our homework. Rhianon, she taught me so much. She’s an amazing driver coach, she’s an amazing co-driver and co-driver coach as well as a PE teacher and someone that’s awesome to have in that passenger’s seat."
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