Jari-Matti Latvala guides Toyota to Olympus Rally victory, Lia Block third

TL;DR

Jari-Matti Latvala led Toyota to victory at the Olympus Rally, marking the GR Corolla Rally RC2's first win in the American Rally Association. The event featured a 98-car field, with Latvala overcoming early competition from Brandon Semenuk, who faced mechanical issues.

Key points

Jari-Matti Latvala won the Olympus Rally.
Toyota's GR Corolla Rally RC2 achieved its first championship win.
The rally featured a 98-car field.
Brandon Semenuk faced mechanical issues during the event.
Lia Block finished in third place.

ToyotaJari-Matti LatvalaBrandon SemenukLia Block

Motorsport photo

Jari-Matti Latvala guided Toyota’s new GR Corolla Rally RC2 to its first American Rally Association National Championship win at the Olympus Rally.

The 18-time World Rally Championship event winner headed a Toyota 1-2 after emerging from a 98-car field at the Washington-based event, which previously hosted the WRC from 1985-1988.

After being beaten on the opening stage by four-time American champion Brandon Semenuk, Latvala hit the front from stage two. Semenuk’s challenge was short-lived as a rear differential issue on his Ford Fiesta Rally2 ended his victory hopes.

Latvala went on to win the following 15 stages, held across three days, to clinch his first win on American soil, and his first in a modern rally car for three years. The Finn took the win by seven minutes from Toyota team-mate Seth Quintero. The final place on the podium was filled by Lia Block, the daughter of the late Ken Block, after guiding her Hyundai i20 N Rally to a well-deserved third, 2m50.2s adrift of Quintero.

“The final day went well. We had no issues, and we completed eight stages, so it was quite a long day,” said Latvala.

“With nearly 300 stage kilometres in total, it was comparable to a WRC rally. It’s been great to see such a long event.

“It’s been enjoyable to drive here. The atmosphere has been surprisingly relaxed, and the stages are fantastic There are very good roads here. Of course, there are still things that can be improved on the organisational side.”