The brief

  • What happened: Lia Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino left Southern Ohio Forest Rally leading the 2026 ARA National Overall standings. The ARA-linked standings snapshot has Block on 53 points, ahead of Seth Quintero on 47 and Alastair Scully on 42.
  • Why it matters: This is not just a strong rally return. Block spent the past two seasons in F1 Academy before returning to rally, and she is already leading a national title fight against Toyota, Hyundai and Subaru-linked names.
  • What to watch: Rally Colorado on July 18-19 is the next National round. Block has a six-point cushion, but Quintero just won Southern Ohio and Scully is close enough that a podium-and-Power-Stage swing can change the lead quickly.

Fast context

ARA’s Southern Ohio report says Quintero and Topi Luhtinen won the rally by 9.4 seconds, but Block took the ARA Power Stage and the overall championship lead. The same report lists the post-event championship order as Block on 53 points, Quintero on 47, Scully on 42 and Travis Pastrana fourth on 38.

The official 2026 championship standings page also shows Block first in the National Driver’s Championship top three, with Quintero second and Scully third. Its linked detailed standings data puts the top five at Block 53, Quintero 47, Scully 42, Pastrana 38 and Mark Piatkowski 35 after Southern Ohio.

That lead came the hard way. ARA reports Block trailed Quintero by 46.9 seconds after Friday, then won multiple Saturday stages, tied SS16, and cut the gap to 10.3 seconds before the bonus-points-paying Power Stage. She won that Power Stage, but Quintero still held on for the event victory.

The open-wheel context is what makes the table jump out. F1 Academy’s driver profile lists Block as a Williams-supported ART Grand Prix driver in 2025 and records her season as ninth with 37 points. Motorsport.com reported that Williams and Block parted ways after two F1 Academy seasons, with Block returning to rally.

What changes next

This moves Block’s 2026 from comeback story to championship-control story. She does not need to prove that F1 Academy sharpened her racecraft; the standings already say she has converted it back onto gravel. The next test is whether she can defend that lead at Rally Colorado, where ARA lists the National/West round for July 18-19 in Rangely, Colorado.