Conner Martell and Alex Gelsomino’s Southern Ohio Forest Rally is over after less than a mile due to an injury for co-driver Gelsomino.
Making his first American Rally Association presented by Kubota National start in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 from 2C Compétition, Martell set the fastest time on the opening Yoctangee Street Stage by 0.1 seconds over Brandon Semenuk’s Open class Subaru.
However the American driver missed the repeat run of the stage after Gelsomino experienced discomfort after landing on the stage’s famous jump.
Gelsomino was later diagnosed with compression fractures of the T5 and T6 vertebrae, meaning his and Martell’s weekend is already over.
“The doctor said I can’t get back in the rally car today,” Gelsomino wrote on social media.
“The positives are that I don’t need surgery, and that Conner Martell and I won the stage where this unlucky mishap happened.
“Big thanks to the emergency medical team at the rally and at the Adena Regional Hospital that took care of me last night. Also massive thanks to our team 2C Compétition and all our sponsors for the hard work and support, as well as the many that sent messages to check on me.
“I’ll take a few weeks to recover and be back in the rally car better than ever.”
