DETROIT LAKES — The rubber met the road, and dirt, at Soo Pass Ranch last weekend as drivers from across the world convened in Detroit Lakes for the 2022 Ojibwe Forests Rally.
Ken Block emerged victorious from the event which took place Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20.
Block, driving a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, posted a total time of 1:51:40.1. He placed second behind Travis Pastrana in the first nine stages of the race and placed first in stages 10-17, with stage 15 being canceled.
Pastrana, who's won the rally seven times, crashed on stage 10, rendering his Subaru WRX ST undrivable for the remaining stages of the race.
Brandon Semenuk placed second behind Block. Semenuk posted a total time of 1:54:36.6, almost three minutes behind Block.
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Semenuk placed third in each of the first nine stages of the rally and placed second for stages 10-17.
In third place was Dave Carapetyan who posted a total time of 2:04:37.7.
This was the first year the event was held at Soo Pass Ranch.
“We were really happy with Soo Pass. We learned a lot. Of course, being your first year at a new venue is always a little tricky, but the spectator turnout was great and it looked like people were having a really good time,” Race Director Erick Nelson said.
The new venue allowed volunteers and spectators the opportunity to camp out during the event.
Thunderstorms a few days prior to the event didn’t impact course conditions, although they did make setup for the event a little wet.
“The conditions out in the forest, for Friday and Saturday morning, no problem at all. Nothing unusual, I should say. Soo Pass we got about four inches (of rain) in a day and a half. So there was a lot of water out there. It actually dried out really good with the exception of two spots. Other than that, it was really, really good,” Nelson said.
The plan is to hold the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Soo Pass Ranch next year, Nelson said. Contracts have yet to be signed but he doesn’t see any conflicts that would hinder that plan.
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He also commented on the efforts made by volunteers, noting that they worked hard to keep the event running smoothly despite having fewer volunteers than anticipated.
Volunteer shortages are being experienced by events around the country, Nelson said.
Nelson is currently looking for feedback on how to improve the event for next year.
Going forward there are plans to have meet and greets with drivers, as has been done in the past.
Feedback can be provided at: https://www.facebook.com/OjibweForestsRally/ .
“We got some great ideas to improve … just make things easier for people,” Nelson said.
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