From mountain bikes to rallying and the X-Games: American driver Brandon Semenuk will make his first New Zealand rally appearance when he contests the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally in mid-April.

Semenuk’s adrenalin addiction started with mountain biking in the ski resort of  Whistler in Canada.

As an X Games gold medallist and a three-time Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour winner, he has a global reputation and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.

Now a two-time American rally champ for the factory Subaru USA team, Semenuk says he won’t be chasing an outright win in the rally, but is heading to New Zealand as a sort of ‘rallying holiday’.

He will drive a Subaru Impreza H6 – a normally aspirated six-cylinder four-wheel drive. He will be partnered by his regular co-driver, Keaton Williams.

“Competing in New Zealand is something I’ve wanted to do for some time. They have fantastic rallying roads, a great community and a strong championship,” Semenuk said.

“I can’t wait to be part of the Otago Rally. An opportunity to drive Jeff Judd’s classic 4WD Subaru was too good to turn down. I’m there for fun, but that won’t stop me from seeing what I can do,” he added.

Semenuk’s Subaru will compete in the Classic 4WD section of the rally, and his participation in the event is sure to boost spectator numbers and interest from those outside the rallying family.

The Subaru Semenuk will drive is something of a celebrity rally car. It has previously contested the Otago Rally in the hands of BMX racer Sarah Walker and triple Olympic Games gold medal-winning rower Hamish Bond.

The Otago Rally over the weekend of 13-14 April in and around Dunedin. Semenuk and more than 100 other competitors will tackle 14 timed special stages over a distance of 280 kilometres.