This is the Statt Mann, Baby. It’s time to Scatt a Little Bit…

There’s very little more obscure than rally drivers. They’re like the long distance runners of motor racing. There are stars, of course, like Ken Block in the U.S., or two-time defending U.S. champion David Higgins. Globally there’s Sebastian Loeb. There’s no larger name than the nine-time World Rally Champion.

But I love to see names emerge and a couple emerged this weekend at the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota.

Take Brendan Reeves from Australia. He’s probably a bigger name globally than in the U.S. He ran in the World Rally Academy last season and brought that experience to the American championship this year where he’s run off four straight wins.

This weekend he put his 2WD Ford Fiesta onto the podium finishing third overall while winning the 2WD category. That’s a huge accomplishment considering the cars in front of him are the fastest rally cars in the U.S. with more than twice the horsepower and twice the drive wheels to put that power on the ground.

Another new name is Nick Roberts who’s a rookie in American rallying and he stuck around to win the Super Production category at Ojibwe. It was his first win in a national event but it may not be the last. His stage times Friday were the equal of last year’s champion who didn’t finish.

Listen for that name. He’s coming.

Don’t you love it when plans come together? Certainly I do.

Peace.