Tänak Wins on U.S. Debut as TGR-WRT Claims 1-3 at Overmountain

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) claimed first and third at Overmountain Rally Tennessee (September 18–19), where 2019 FIA World Rally Champion Ott Tänak and co-driver Martin Järveoja secured victory on their U.S. rally debut, while teammates Seth Quintero and James Morgan completed the podium in third in the second GR Corolla Rally RC2.

Tänak began the rally just one-tenth of a second behind four-time ARA National Champion Brandon Semenuk on the opening stage before moving into the lead on SS2. Adapting quickly to the technical Tennessee roads, Tänak and Järveoja extended their advantage to more than 30 seconds by the end of Friday and ultimately won by more than one minute. The crew set the fastest time on 10 of the 12 contested stages, including the Power Stage, to deliver TGR-WRT’s fourth ARA victory of its inaugural season.

Quintero and Morgan completed a strong first rally together in third overall, keeping the second GR Corolla Rally RC2 near the front throughout the weekend. With Tänak providing a direct benchmark in identical machinery, Quintero showed another significant step forward in his first season of stage rally competition. The American also finished third on the Power Stage to add three championship points.

The 1-3 result marked another significant weekend for the GR Corolla Rally RC2 program, with both cars showing front-running pace against a strong RC2 field. Tänak’s victory was the car’s fourth ARA win of the season, while the two podium results brought TGR-WRT’s total to six podium finishes during its inaugural campaign.

Finishing one position ahead of ARA Championship leader Lia Block, Quintero closes the gap to 17 points with one round remaining, keeping the championship fight alive heading into the season finale.

Quotes:
Ott Tänak (Driver, car No. 881)
“At the beginning it took a little bit of time to get into the rhythm, but step by step we were finding it. Generally, it was quite a tough rally, with very technical and slow stages, so it was a big job. In the end I really enjoyed it, and I’m happy that we could come here and win the rally. The Corolla was quite an easy car to drive and we had a good feeling today.”

Seth Quintero (Driver, car No. 103)
“It was an amazing weekend for us and the Toyota team, with first and third. The car worked absolutely amazing and the team did a stellar job; everybody worked so hard all weekend. It was a big weekend for me to have Ott here and to be less than a second per kilometer off him. I’m really proud of that and I feel like I took a big step in pace this week. I’m very happy with the result, very happy to continue making improvements, and we’re still in the championship fight, so let’s get it done.”

What’s next?
The ARA National Championship concludes with the Lake Superior Performance Rally (October 9–10), where Quintero returns in the GR Corolla Rally RC2 to continue his championship challenge at the season finale.

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