Rally US believes it has “made great strides” towards bringing the World Rally Championship to the USA in 2027 following the completion of a productive candidate event.
The WRC has long held an ambition to return to the USA for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, with the project earmarked by championship stakeholders as a key part of their plan to grow the category.
Plans to bring rallying’s top tier back to the nation next year via a gravel rally based around Knoxville, Tennessee, taking in roads in both that state and Kentucky, stepped up a notch with a delegation from the FIA making the trip to North America from 11-17 June.
The reason for the visit was to assess Rally US’s preparedness and planning for a potential WRC round, while working closely with local officials and operational teams involved in the event’s development.
A candidate event (test rally) must be held and deemed a success by the FIA before a final decision is made as to whether the event meets the required criteria and can be included on future WRC calendars.
Organized in collaboration with the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS) and United States Race Management (USRM), the visit began with a trip at Southern Ohio Forest Rally, a round of the American Rally Association National Championship (ARA), where FIA delegates observed the delivery of an existing national-level rally.
The visit also allowed delegates to review sporting procedures, safety protocols, medical provisions and operational structures at a national-level event, working closely with ARA officials, local organizers and operational teams involved in the delivery of national level events.
FIA visit
Photo by: FIA
The delegation then travelled south to Tennessee and Kentucky to examine key elements of the proposed WRC round. The four-day assessment included sporting and safety reviews of proposed stage locations, a review of local medical facilities, and visits to the proposed service park and ceremonial start locations in Knoxville and Nashville, where representatives from WRC Promoter also presented plans for fan activations, media production and wider promotional activity.
“The completion of the Rally US candidate event marks an important first step towards the FIA World Rally Championship’s return to the United States. With the candidate event now complete, our focus turns to detailing our reports and sharing our learnings with the local organisers,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“I am committed to bringing the WRC back to the United States, a nation where motorsport is part of its cultural DNA. The candidate event gives us the opportunity not only to assess the proposed stages, but to also work closely with the organisers to shape the strongest possible event for the Championship, the competitors, and the fans.”
Rally US promoter Matt Crews believes the candidate event has outlined the “great strides” made by his team to bring the WRC back to the USA.
“Having the opportunity to work so closely with the FIA and WRC Promoter over this last week has been incredibly valuable to Rally US and America’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship. The co-operation between the Rally US team, ACCUS, the ARA and their counterparts in the FIA and WRC Promoter has been really impressive,” said Crews.
“From the moment everybody arrived at Southern Ohio Forest Rally, where the delegation was able to see what a round of America’s national championship looks like, all the way through a busy schedule of stage and location visits here in Tennessee and Kentucky, the positivity and cohesiveness has been fantastic.
“We’ve made great strides towards the ultimate goal of bringing the FIA World Rally Championship back to America and we’re looking forward to the next steps now.”
The candidate event has also reaffirmed to the WRC Promoter the effect a round in the USA can have on the championship.
“The concise presentations made by the Rally US team underlined once more the great potential of this proposed event: challenging roads set among incredible backdrops, in a region brimming with car culture and welcoming hospitality,” said Marc de Jong, WRC Promoter Rally US Project Leader.
“Add to that the significance of Tennessee and Kentucky for the automotive manufacturing sector, and it is clear to see that this would be the perfect location for the long-awaited return of WRC to the United States after four decades.”
The FIA will now analyze all of its findings in the coming weeks to determine if the rally can be included in next year’s calendar, which is likely to be announced in the summer.
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