Dust, Gravel & Mud Make Perfect Conditions at Oregon Trail Rally

May 7, 2014
Story By
Randy Ly

Following a two month break, the third round of the Rally America Championship headed to the Pacific Northwest for the Oregon Trail Rally. Unlike most events, the Oregon Trail Rally is a three day rally with the first day of events taking place right in the middle of Portland at the Portland International Raceway. With four stages, set on a mixture of tarmac and gravel surfaces, rally fans were treated to special stages unlike any other in the series. With major names such as Ken Block and Antoine L'Estage unable to make the rally, the battle for the 2014 Oregon Trail Rally Champion became a duel of Subaru teammates David Higgins and Travis Pastrana. Continue below for images and a brief recap from the Oregon Trail Rally. In a sea of Subarus and Mitsubishis competing in the Oregon Trail Rally, this 1977 Lancia Scorpion driven by Frank McKinnon and John Putnam was a definite standout, as well as crowd favorite, at the Portland International Raceway. Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis wasted no time getting adjusted after their podium finish at the 100 Acre Wood Rally and finished the first day of the Oregon Trail Rally in first place with a 4 second lead over teammates David Higgins and Craig Drew. Day 2 takes us to the small town of Dufur, Oregon. The start order remains the same with FY Racing's Adam Yeoman leading the pack. Day 2 Parc Expose in Dufur, OR. This 1969 Saab 96 driven by Garth Akeny and Russ Kraushaar was another crowd favorite on the stages. Although this model has a deep history in international rallies, seeing it at Rally America circa 2014 was quite a surprise - this would make a welcome addition to our previous 5 Cars You Wouldn't Expect at a Rally article. Day 2 didn't go too well for Super Production class leaders Nick Roberts and Rhianon Gelsomino as their car caught fire on Stage 8. Fortunately they were able to walk away with minor injuries and will hopefully return for the next round. Adam Yeoman holds a solid 3rd place position throughout the day. Maintaining a 4th overall position going into day 2, Always Evolving Racing's David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski spent the day trading leads with Dillon Van Way and Andrew Edwards. Newly partnered with Dirtfish Rally School, Dillon Van Way and Andrew Edwards end day 2 of racing with a Super Production class lead and 4th overall standing. Subaru Rally Team's David Higgins and Craig Drew battled through losing a tired and having engine issues on the 2nd day to try to catch up to Travis Pastrana, but ended up 39 seconds behind at the end of the day. Day 3 Parc Expose in Hood River. David Higgins is first on the road for this last day of competition. Drivers gather for a meeting to discuss road conditions. After trading the lead multiple times with Dillon Van Way, David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski came out on top at the very last stage to take the win in Super Production class. FY Racing's Adam Yeoman and Jordan Schulze maintained their 3rd place position throughout the entire event and made their 2nd trip to the podium this year. Despite holding the lead for most of the event, Travis Pastrana and Chrissie Beavis lost time on the final stages after suffering two flat tires. David Higgins and Craig Drew came back from behind to take their sixth consecutive Oregon Trail Rally win.