A dusty and very muddy Rocky Mountain Rally
Sunday, June 7th, 2026
“The conditions were completely different between the two days. The first day was dry gravel with quite a lot of dust, while the second day was very “soapy” and slippery with mud. Still, both days went quite well.
This was my first time competing together with my son, and it was also his first time co-driving at this pace. I think we both did a pretty good job.
Overall, we had an amazing time at the Rocky Mountain Rally. The stages, the scenery, and the views from the mountains were incredible—and the cows as well!
Our calendar is currently quite packed, but we definitely hope to come back. If everything goes well, we’d love to race in Canada again later this year.”
—Martynas Samsonas
Hardy Schmidtke & Stefan Trajkov claim 2nd place overall
“Plenty of hurry up and wait at the event. Consistently changing stage schedules, conditions, timing, and car problems meant adapting our game plan minute by minute.
It was a highly demanding event that rewarded much more than outright speed. Smart plays when needed is what got us to the end for a podium finish, even with a mechanically hurt car.”
—Stefan Trajkov
Team Leblanc3 score a solid 3rd overall and 1st 2WD
“After a bizarre first day at the Rocky Mountain Rally with some cancelled stages, it was tough to stay focused. Luckily, the rest of the event went much smoother.
Today was incredibly fun with some seriously muddy, twisty, and technical stages. This is exactly the kind of terrain and conditions we live for, where driving and precise pace notes make all the difference. Result: we took a clean sweep of stage wins today! We’re super happy with how the weekend turned out.”
—André Leblanc
Kornelius Rempel & Andrew Andrus finished the Rocky Mountain Rally with a solid 5th overall and 2nd in 2WD!
“A new cooling system that had not been tested on long gravel stages. New suspension settings I was getting used to at speed. And my first time having Andrew calling the notes.
The car was running hot on the first two stages (224F), this hurt our confidence. The wet stages Saturday proved to be difficult for us. Uphill sections, lack of grip and focus.
Sunday was a new day, with cooler temperatures and a car that was still in one piece. I started committing to the notes and found a good pace by the second stage. By the third stage (after Sunday service), the road was getting very rutted and slippery. We also now had a loud clunking sound in the rear suspension that seemed to get worse. A quick inspection during transit confirmed we had a failing trailing arm bushing. Realizing there was nothing we could do, we decided to back off a little on the last stage to keep the trailing arm from breaking.
The rally was very rough and challenging, especially for a Honda Civic.
I had a good team supporting me; Oliver and Gavin worked hard in the mud and rain to keep the car running. Andrew and I were getting comfortable very quickly and by Sunday afternoon, the notes flowed well. Overall I enjoyed the challenge, but those roads are exceptionally hard on the car.”
—Kornelius Rempel
Bryan McCarthy & Chuck Bolger close the 2WD podium
“Saturday we were learning and getting used to the added power from the newly swapped engine. We had a pretty uneventful day other than hitting a very large rock dead centre of the skid plate and denting our oil pan pretty good.
Sunday we got a left rear puncture about 3km into the 17km stage. We opted to drive on it, so we dropped some time but not as much as if we had changed it. Then, on the 3rd stage on Sunday, I cut a corner too tight and got pulled into the ditch and destroyed the rh front wheel. Fortunately, we were only a few hundred meters from the finish.
But the biggest twist came when the results were posted: with Aran Cook and Rob Jackett leading us by over 3min 45sec, they got a 4 min penalty for a time card mistake. It was not the way we wanted to take the P2WD podium.”
—Bryan McCarthy
Alexandre Moreau & Hubert Gaudreau almost secured the 2nd step of the podium
Until the very last stage, they were on their way to securing second place in their Subaru STI (ex-factory Subaru Canada), but then the transmission gave in and they couldn’t continue…
Similarly for Nick Wood & Jennifer Daly, their 1971 Datsun 1200 broke in SS11 after a few great battles with the Leblanc team.
Final results!
| Overall | In Class | Category | Class | Number | Driver | Codriver | Car | Total | SS1 | SS2 | SS3 | SS4 | SS5 | SS6 | SS7 | SS8 | SS9 | SS10 | SS11 | SS12 | SS13 | Penalty | Diff leader | Diff prev | Diff leader | Diff prev | Avg speed | Speed factor | Scaled speed factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | National | O4WD | 177 | Martynas Samsonas | Kajus Samsonas | 2007 Subaru STi | 1:16:33.1 | 6:37.6 | 6:34.4 | 7:07.7 | 7:08.2 | 7:28.5 | 9:46.5 | 9:46.7 | 11:00.1 | 11:03.4 | 101.81 km/h | 104.84 | 92.78 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Dual | O4WD | 15 | Hardy Schmidtke | Stefan Trajkov | 2005 Mitsubishi Evolution | 1:23:24.7 | 7:20.4 | 7:07.0 | 7:28.3 | 7:46.6 | 8:03.8 | 10:21.1 | 10:45.8 | 11:56.4 | 12:35.3 | 6:51.6 | 6:51.6 | 3.2 / km | 3.2 / km | 93.44 km/h | 84.86 | 75.10 | |||||
| 3 | 1 | National | O2WD | 73 | André Leblanc | René Leblanc | 2019 Ford R2T | 1:27:37.7 | 7:33.6 | 7:28.5 | 8:15.4 | 8:43.4 | 8:36.3 | 10:53.1 | 11:03.6 | 12:39.3 | 12:24.5 | 11:04.6 | 4:13.0 | 5.1 / km | 1.9 / km | 88.94 km/h | 70.74 | 62.60 | |||||
| 4 | 3 | Dual | O4WD | 57 | Landon McDonald | Jamie Willetts | 2003 Mitsubishi Evo 8 | 1:30:58.2 | 8:00.5 | 7:47.6 | 8:10.9 | 8:37.9 | 8:40.3 | 11:48.0 | 11:42.8 | 13:14.2 | 12:56.0 | 14:25.1 | 3:20.5 | 6.7 / km | 1.5 / km | 85.68 km/h | 59.58 | 52.73 | |||||
| 5 | 2 | Dual | O2WD | 185 | Kornelius Rempel | Andrew Andrus | 1996 Honda Civic | 1:31:40.7 | 7:54.2 | 7:44.2 | 8:34.3 | 8:49.1 | 9:03.6 | 11:46.6 | 11:14.0 | 13:00.6 | 13:34.1 | 15:07.6 | 42.5 | 7.0 / km | 0.3 / km | 85.01 km/h | 57.50 | 50.89 | |||||
| 6 | 1 | Regional | P4WD | 669 | Emmett Hancock | Brent Hancock | 2002 Subaru Impreza | 1:32:38.0 | 8:10.3 | 7:59.5 | 8:47.5 | 9:14.4 | 8:51.8 | 12:07.1 | 11:55.2 | 12:52.5 | 12:39.7 | 16:04.9 | 57.3 | 7.4 / km | 0.4 / km | 84.14 km/h | 56.08 | 49.63 | |||||
| 7 | 2 | Regional | P4WD | 420 | Aaron Waller | Mackenzie Mitchell | 1994 Subaru Impreza | 1:32:43.0 | 8:18.9 | 8:05.4 | 8:32.5 | 8:45.8 | 9:00.9 | 11:52.7 | 12:01.3 | 13:05.0 | 13:00.5 | 16:09.9 | 5.0 | 7.5 / km | 0.0 / km | 84.06 km/h | 54.56 | 48.28 | |||||
| 8 | 4 | Dual | O4WD | 55 | Johnny Summers | Celine Pepperdine | 2004 Subaru WRX STi | 1:33:49.8 | 7:46.3 | 7:47.3 | 8:37.9 | 8:36.3 | 9:08.2 | 12:04.0 | 12:49.2 | 13:36.2 | 13:24.4 | 17:16.7 | 1:06.8 | 8.0 / km | 0.5 / km | 83.07 km/h | 53.75 | 47.56 | |||||
| 9 | 1 | Dual | P2WD | 46 | Bryan McCarthy | Chuck Bolger | 1999 Volkswagen GTI 2.5 | 1:37:14.8 | 8:18.8 | 8:12.2 | 9:02.5 | 9:13.7 | 9:23.3 | 13:05.1 | 12:14.2 | 13:29.6 | 14:15.4 | 20:41.7 | 3:25.0 | 9.6 / km | 1.6 / km | 80.15 km/h | 41.24 | 36.50 | |||||
| 10 | 2 | Dual | P2WD | 26 | Aran Cook | Rob Jackett | 1987 Toyota Corolla | 1:38:02.3 | 7:57.6 | 7:51.3 | 8:13.0 | 8:43.9 | 9:04.4 | 12:28.3 | 12:25.5 | 13:28.6 | 13:49.7 | 4:00.0 | 21:29.2 | 47.5 | 9.9 / km | 0.4 / km | 82.88 km/h | 53.15 | 47.03 | ||||
| 11 | 3 | National | O2WD | 363 | Josie Rimmer | Michelle Miller | 2015 Subaru BRZ | 1:38:50.4 | 8:07.3 | 8:04.6 | 8:34.7 | 9:01.8 | 9:40.0 | 13:04.2 | 13:09.9 | 14:36.9 | 14:31.0 | 22:17.3 | 48.1 | 10.3 / km | 0.4 / km | 78.85 km/h | 39.80 | 35.22 | |||||
| 12 | 5 | Dual | O4WD | 622 | Leon Wawryk | Chris Kremer | 2008 Subaru STi | 1:41:58.0 | 16:37.6 | 11:34.4 | 8:04.0 | 8:11.4 | 8:24.0 | 11:15.0 | 11:12.4 | 12:53.8 | 13:45.4 | 25:24.9 | 3:07.6 | 11.7 / km | 1.4 / km | 76.44 km/h | 69.25 | 61.29 | |||||
| 13 | 1 | Regional | Exhibition | 265 | Nathan Hayashi | Shane Hairsine | 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor | 1:42:19.6 | 8:47.5 | 8:47.0 | 9:11.7 | 9:52.9 | 9:58.1 | 13:02.3 | 12:41.1 | 13:55.2 | 13:53.8 | 2:10.0 | 25:46.5 | 21.6 | 11.9 / km | 0.2 / km | 77.82 km/h | 31.31 | 27.71 | ||||
| 14 | 3 | Dual | P4WD | 25 | Rose Oakhill | Sarah Temporale | 2004 Subaru STi | 1:43:25.7 | 8:24.9 | 8:24.6 | 9:05.0 | 9:31.8 | 10:16.1 | 13:26.4 | 13:32.3 | 15:23.5 | 15:21.1 | 26:52.6 | 1:06.1 | 12.4 / km | 0.5 / km | 75.36 km/h | 25.56 | 22.62 | |||||
| 15 | 4 | National | O2WD | 114 | Dave St-Pierre | Éric Dubé | 2015 Ford Fiesta R2 | 1:43:44.3 | 8:36.2 | 17:28.5 | 8:35.9 | 9:04.4 | 9:35.1 | 11:56.8 | 11:57.5 | 12:56.5 | 13:33.4 | 27:11.2 | 18.6 | 12.6 / km | 0.1 / km | 75.13 km/h | 50.10 | 44.34 | |||||
| 16 | 4 | Dual | P4WD | 110 | Azam Deen | Dan Bobyn | 2006 Subaru STi | 1:43:59.0 | 8:20.2 | 8:45.4 | 9:28.2 | 9:42.1 | 9:46.2 | 13:37.7 | 14:13.8 | 15:07.3 | 14:58.1 | 27:25.9 | 14.7 | 12.7 / km | 0.1 / km | 74.95 km/h | 22.13 | 19.58 | |||||
| 17 | 5 | Regional | P4WD | 400 | Dave Stephenson | Jennifer Mclay | 2000 Subaru 2.5RS | 1:45:19.9 | 9:20.8 | 9:00.2 | 9:38.5 | 10:24.0 | 10:24.8 | 13:55.9 | 13:14.8 | 14:34.3 | 14:36.6 | 10.0 | 28:46.8 | 1:20.9 | 13.3 / km | 0.6 / km | 74.11 km/h | 15.86 | 14.04 | ||||
| 18 | 6 | Regional | P4WD | 303 | Hayden Sawchuk | Aidan Linkletter | 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX | 1:45:58.2 | 8:56.9 | 8:57.2 | 9:22.8 | 9:31.9 | 10:04.6 | 13:19.0 | 13:07.1 | 14:56.6 | 17:42.1 | 29:25.1 | 38.3 | 13.6 / km | 0.3 / km | 73.55 km/h | 21.60 | 19.12 | |||||
| 19 | 6 | National | O4WD | 777 | Sebastien Clarke | Patrick Levesque | 2017 Ford Fiesta R5 | 1:54:57.2 | 7:55.0 | 16:34.4 | 17:07.7 | 12:08.2 | 12:28.5 | 12:13.0 | 11:38.8 | 12:39.2 | 12:12.4 | 38:24.1 | 8:59.0 | 17.7 / km | 4.1 / km | 67.80 km/h | 67.82 | 60.02 | |||||
| 20 | 7 | Dual | O4WD | 23 | Boris Djordjevic | John Hall | 2009 Mitsubishi Evo X | 1:59:09.0 | 7:00.5 | 7:12.8 | 7:30.7 | 7:54.7 | 8:22.6 | 11:14.5 | 11:09.7 | 46:05.8 | 12:37.7 | 42:35.9 | 4:11.8 | 19.7 / km | 1.9 / km | 65.41 km/h | 80.26 | 71.03 | |||||
| National | O4WD | 121 | Alexandre Moreau | Hubert Gaudreau | 2015 Subaru STi | 1:09:50.0 | 7:24.0 | 7:02.9 | 7:25.0 | 7:34.5 | 8:02.6 | 10:20.2 | 10:16.6 | 11:44.2 | 88.31 | 78.15 | |||||||||||||
| Dual | P4WD | 282 | Peter Frank | Lee Perkull | 2000 Subaru Impreza | 1:31:29.7 | 8:02.1 | 7:46.4 | 8:19.2 | 8:50.9 | 9:02.0 | 12:29.3 | 21:55.2 | 15:04.6 | 52.64 | 46.58 | |||||||||||||
| Dual | O2WD | 237 | Nick Wood | Jennifer Daly | 1971 Datsun 1200 | 51:50.2 | 7:47.6 | 7:35.6 | 8:19.7 | 8:25.3 | 8:33.4 | 11:08.6 | 66.48 | 58.83 | |||||||||||||||
| Regional | P4WD | 302 | Robert Fisher | Levi Brunner | 1994 Subaru Impreza | 45:58.2 | 8:39.0 | 8:24.7 | 8:59.9 | 9:57.9 | 9:56.7 | 28.49 | 25.22 | ||||||||||||||||
| Dual | O4WD | 97 | Brandon Liang | Naila Deen | 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX | 33:28.3 | 7:52.9 | 8:04.4 | 8:28.5 | 9:02.5 | 49.82 | 44.09 | |||||||||||||||||
| Dual | O4WD | 130 | Michael Szewczyk | David Ma | 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X | 7:21.8 | 7:21.8 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Next event in the CRC
June 6th & 7th was supposed to be the Pacific Forest Rally, but due to forest fire risk, it was cancelled.
So at the end of June, the Canadian rally community will be in Gaspésie, Québec for the Rallye Baie des Chaleurs. See you there!
Related
