Good news for rally racing fans, or any race fan in general. The United States is closer than ever to hosting a World Rally Championship (WRC) race in the United States, after a 37-year hiatus. The only WRC race held on American soil was the Olympus Rally in Washington state in 1988.
The FIA confirmed Tuesday that it’s analyzing a “path for WRC’s return to U.S. soil,” per its press release. This involves running a candidate event, which is essentially a mock WRC weekend that will evaluate the location’s ability to host a major event in terms of logistics, safety, crowd management, and race sanctioning. It’s unclear which, if any, top-class WRC cars will actually run any American routes, though it’s unlikely. The candidate event will be held in partnership with the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS) in June.
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“Delegates will explore stages and infrastructure across Kentucky and Tennessee, gaining first-hand insight into the terrain and facilities. The programme will also include a visit to a round of the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship, offering the FIA team a chance to engage directly with the U.S. rally community, including organisers, volunteers and fans, and meetings with the proposed event promoter and organiser, Podium Event Partners, which has long-established experience across multiple motor sport disciplines, including NASCAR,” read the release.
WRC is the pinnacle of rally racing and is one of the most dangerous, complex, and exciting disciplines of motorsport. It will host 13 rounds in 2026, with rallies ranging from the snow-covered Rally Sweden to the Safari-esque Rally Kenya and the dunes of Rally Saudi Arabia. An event in the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky would be a great addition to its already diverse calendar.
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