Legendary stage rally Co-Driver, Alex Gelsomino, announces campaign with breakout driver Alastair Scully for the 2024 ARA National Championship.
New to his professional motorsports career, Alastair Scully made his debut in American stage rally at the Ojibwe Forests Rally, where he earned a 3rd in-class finish, continuing on to claim the same result in his third-ever event and the season finale, the Lake Superior Performance Rally. Despite arriving on the ARA Rally scene towards the end of 2023, Alastair made a name for himself as a standout driver to watch in the coming years, showcasing his versatility by pushing through a multitude of conditions on stage and competing in the Nitrocross NEXT class for the 2023 - 2024 calendar.
“2023 was a great year for launching my career as a professional driver, and despite coming into motorsports towards the end of the season, I worked really hard to start achieving my goals. Last year, I competed alongside seasoned co-driver, Alison LaRoza, who was integral in teaching me the intricacies of rally, especially compared to the hobbyist level motorsports that I had experienced before starting a professional career. After finding somewhat unexpected success in my first three events, two of which ended on the podium, I started to really think about my short and long-term goals and the best avenues to pursue them, one of which was a national campaign in rally. Understanding that I am a new driver with much to experience in the future, I knew that an undertaking such as this would be no small task. The field is stacked with some really talented and experienced teams, but I think with the right team, we can be really competitive in 2024 and I am looking forward to continuing my development and finding my path.” Said Scully.
Joining this newcomer, Alex Gelsomino brings his top-level rally experience, decorated background, and “rally legend” status to the team. Known for, among a plethora of prestigious titles, starting in 330 rallies over 30 years, competing in 38 WRC events, and racing in every continent, Alex’s resume is hard to beat.
“I worked with Alastair last summer, when he trained at my OZRallyPro Rally School in Idaho, and I was impressed not only by his maturity and approach to the sport but also his passion and commitment to work hard, his goals, and his will to progress. Our sport is quite complicated because it involves not only very precise communication between driver and co-driver in a high-stress environment, like a rally car flying down a forest road. But also because we compete in such a variety of environments, conditions, grip, at night, and much more. Teamwork is absolutely critical, and I feel not only that Alastair's initial approach to rallying and its procedures has been the correct one but also that I can offer a strong contribution to his progression. In my career, I have always been keen to work with a promising up-and-coming American driver, and teaming up with Alastair feels like the right opportunity. I'm looking forward to starting our season preparation and testing before the first national event as a team at round one, the SnoDrift Rally in Michigan.” Said Alex.
While the Scully-Gelsomino pairing might be unusual given Alastair’s incredibly recent arrival to the sport, the pair have trained together before and quickly became friends. When asked about the pair’s history, Alastair said; “Alex has always been somewhat of a hero to me as I grew up watching him during the many years he competed with Ken Block, who was a key influence to my automotive and motorsports. When Alex first reached out to train together along with his wife, Rhianon Gelsomino, at their OZ Rally Pro School, I jumped at the opportunity and soon found myself just outside of Boise, Idaho for a weekend of pacenote coaching. During some of the downtime, I had the privilege of getting to know the power couple behind the rally success of legends Ken Block and Travis Pastrana, and we bonded well both in and out of the classroom. Getting to work with Alex this season is an incredible honor for me, and I think with him by my side, we have a real chance at not only being competitive in the L2WD Championship, but also have lots of fun along the way and even support noble causes that we both care about along the way.”
In 2024, the pair is driving for Scully Racing, a team formed through the partnership of Alastair and his brother, Gordon Scully, who is also a professional racing driver and occasional spotter/coach for Alastair in Nitrocross. The team will be supported by Thompson Racing Fabrication, a familiar partnership for Scully as they worked together for the 2023 season.
“I am really excited to be returning to Thompson Racing Fabrication this year. Ryan runs an incredible program and the team always works their hardest to ensure the best experience and chance at being competitive every weekend.”
Overall, it is safe to say that the team is incredibly excited for the coming year of competition, and they intend to be a strong force in competition for the American Rally Association National L2WD title. Be sure to follow along as they compete at SnoDrift Rally and beyond!
