August Rally Recap

August delivered non-stop action across the Ontario rally scene. From torrential rain on high-speed stage roads to relentless dust on the rallycross dirt, here is a quick look back at how the month unfolded.

MLRC Black Bear Rally

The month kicked off with competitors and volunteers converging from across Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and Michigan. Severe thunderstorms turned the forest roads into a slick, treacherous test of endurance, but the battle at the top came down to a razor-thin margin.

    Overall Podium:

2026 Black Bear Rally Overall Podium

Michael Dimkovski / Simon Levac — Subaru WRX STI (1st Overall)

Samuel Joyal / Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier — Subaru TR-GRD (+2.5 seconds)

Jonathan Drake / Ian Lantz — Subaru Impreza (+51.1 seconds)

KWRC Karting Night

Shortly after, KWRC swapped forest gravel for the indoor track at Hamilton Indoor Go Karts. The annual event featured plenty of creative overtakes as drivers fought to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the odd sketchy kart. 

When the dust settled on the "friendly" competition, Brandon Pace emerged victorious to take the crown.

KWRC RallyCross #4

The weather did a complete 180° for the fourth round of the KWRC RallyCross series—trading Black Bear’s rain for scorching heat and thick blinding dust.

The harsh conditions took a heavy toll on equipment:

Mechanical Failure: Olmstead's silver Mazda3 suffered a suspected blown CV joint, leaving the car stranded without drive and cutting the day short for the team.

Incident at Guy's Tree: Zach slid wide on the short segment by Guy's Tree, resulting in significant body damage and a premature end to his day. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

Class Act: With no official sweep vehicle on hand, Gord Olmstead stepped up to tow the retired Impreza clear of the track so racing could resume.

Once the track cleared, lap times plummeted as drivers pushed for the top spot. Storme Wroblewski stormed to victory, holding off a fierce charge in a tight finish:

1st: Storme Wroblewski

2nd: Alexander Zona (+3.4s)

3rd: Aj Francis (+5.3s)

Gallery:

KWRC RallyCross #4 Full Results: Click Here

MLRC RallyCross (August 22)

Closing out the month, Hack Motorsports had a tough outing at the MLRC RallyCross. The team of Wroblewski and Pace now have their work cut out for them in the garage after a driveshaft failure sidelined their trusty 2002 Nissan Sentra.

Pictures Coming Soon!

Looking Ahead

That wraps up August! 

Make sure to catch the action in September for the next KWRC RallyCross and the Automapic Navigational Rally. Be sure to come out and participate—things will slow down for a brief stretch afterwards before we gear up for grand finale coverage at the Tall Pines Rally in November!