Quintero Takes Championship Fight to the Wire at Lake Superior Performance Rally

OYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) concludes its first season in the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship at the Lake Superior Performance Rally (October 9–10), where Seth Quintero and co-driver James Morgan will contest the final round of 2026 in the GR Corolla Rally RC2.

Quintero arrives in Michigan following a podium finish at Overmountain Rally Tennessee, where he and Morgan took third on their first event together, with Morgan again partnering Quintero while Topi Luhtinen continues his recovery. The result moved Quintero to second in the championship standings behind leader Lia Block, setting up a championship fight between the two that will be decided over the final stages of the season.

The event caps a remarkable first season for the GR Corolla Rally RC2 program. Since making its competitive debut at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in March, the car and team have taken four victories and six podium finishes across six events, with wins for Jari-Matti Latvala at Olympus Rally, Quintero at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally and Rally Colorado, and Ott Tänak at Overmountain Rally Tennessee. For Quintero, the finale completes a debut stage-rally season that has seen him progress from first-time competitor to multiple rally winner.

Known as the oldest, toughest, meanest rally on the circuit, the Lake Superior Performance Rally is a fitting stage for the season’s conclusion. The event’s roots reach back more than five decades, including hosting rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973 and 1974, and today it runs on many of those same roads through the forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Based in Marquette on the shore of Lake Superior, the rally is renowned for its rough and demanding gravel stages, unpredictable October weather, and the fall colors that draw thousands of spectators into the woods.

A record field of more than 80 entries is expected for the 2026 edition. The weekend begins Thursday evening with Parc Exposé and the ceremonial start in Marquette before Friday’s opening leg takes the field deep into the forest near Sidnaw for the longest day of competition. Saturday’s stages run closer to Marquette before the rally concludes with a ceremonial finish and celebration in the city’s downtown. In total, the itinerary covers approximately 123 stage miles across 16 stages.

Quotes:
Seth Quintero (Driver, car No. 103)
“It’s pretty crazy that we’re already at the last rally of the season. Looking back at where we started in Missouri in March, I’m really proud of how far the team and I have come in such a short time. James and I built some great chemistry in Tennessee, so I’m excited to get back in the car with him and finish the year strong. I’ve heard LSPR can be a tough rally, with rough roads and and unpredictable weather, so the goal is the same as it’s been all year: drive smart, finish every mile and keep learning. We’re still in the championship fight, so we’ll give it absolutely everything and see where we end up on Saturday night.”

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