What will Brandon Semenuk bring to the World Rally Championship? An all-white car and a BMX.
Expecting more than that? Don’t.
The Canadian has long hankered after a chance to check out the WRC. A flying visit to last year’s Central European Rally confirmed he needed to be back. Soon. And wrapped in a rally car. And, next time out in Latvia, it’s happening.
I’m delighted for him. But I’m also understanding of his aims and objectives in Liepāja.
It’s not about setting the world alight and dominating WRC the way he’s ruled over American rallying for the last two and a half years. That would be silly.
He’s coming to see what the WRC’s like. Of course he’s interested in his pace and you can bet your bottom Canadian dollar his eyes will search straight for the board with the numbers on when he arrives at the stop line on the first stage.
What this is about for him is a process of continued improvement. As we’ve seen from Washington to New England, Semenuk has got the US sorted. The Subaru’s as dialed as it needs to be and the combo of Brandon, an awesome co-driver in Keaton Williams and Vermont SportsCar’s WRX is pretty much unbeatable as long as Barry McKenna leaves his Ford Fiesta WRC in the garage.
But there’s always more to learn – that’s the nature of our sport, the ever-evolving conditions mean two corners are never the same. Best way to fast-track that learning process (outside of DirtFish, naturally)? Come to the WRC.
Semenuk will drive a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car on Rally Latvia - although his is expected to be plain white
Every day’s a school day for Semenuk. He has a remarkable thirst for knowledge, data and understanding in everything he does. He’s the same on a bike: just when he’s landed the perfect jump, he’ll shift the goalposts ever so slightly, just to give himself another shot.
Latvia is about making him better for America. Better for Subaru.
But at the same time, it’s about the realization of another part of the dream. This is the dude who was brought up on bikes, but never lost a love for rallying. One has helped make the other happen. On two wheels, there’s probably nobody with a more fearless approach or a more precise application. He’s the best in the world on a mountain bike.
In a rally car? Give him time, give him space. Cracking America is nothing by comparison with what sits before him at round eight of the WRC this week. But few, if any, will learn more than him this week.
And the BMX? Seriously, there’s always one in the back of the truck. I don’t think he leaves home without it.
