Five-time US rally champ Travis Pastrana had exceedingly bad luck in his return to American Rally Association racing this weekend in the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. After an impressive start in the first stage, Pastrana’s 2019 Subaru WRX STI burned to the ground after he stopped mid-second stage with a mechanical issue. Pastrana and co-driver Chrissie Beavis managed to exit the car unscathed though the Subaru was totally consumed.
In an Instagram post, Pastrana explained that while he didn’t know what exactly caused the fire, he suspected a fault with the oil line to the turbo. Both Pastrana and Beavis did their best to salvage what they could from the car before it was totally consumed by flames, but all he managed to save was one wheel and tire as well as a hat.
While Pastrana and his team weren’t so lucky, others were able to celebrate an exciting return to rally in America in Ohio. Barry McKenna and co-driver Leon Jordan took first overall in their Skoda Fabia, followed by Joseph Burke and Rhiannon Gelsomino took second in their Evo, followed by Ken Block and Alex. Gelsomino in the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth.
Pastrana’s DNF in this race will be a tremendous setback as the season continues, but hopefully, he’ll be able to claw back some. ground if he manages to find another car to compete in when racing continues in the Muscatell Ojibwe Forests Rally at the end of the month.