Returning to America was a stated aim of WRC Promoter for next year, so the absence of the Stars and the Stripes alongside a 2026 calendar date raised a question in the service park.
Roads in Tennessee and Kentucky are expected to feature on a potential Rally USA route, which will be tested next month. In explaining the event’s 2026 absence, a WRC Promoter spokesperson told DirtFish that America remained very much in its plans.
“We have always had the objective for an important market like the USA that we have to get it right the first time,” said the spokesperson. “With much work needing to be done to build the event from the ground up, we are being necessarily cautious towards the debut year.
“A planned candidate event in September will provide the best possible proof of concept as well as a training opportunity for all of the US rallying organizational community to learn about the standards of a modern WRC event, and this will provide an ideal evaluation platform.
“This is something we’re working on with the FIA, ACCUS and ARA hand-in-hand.”
ARA competition director Preston Osborn added: “Our mission at the American Rally Association is to preserve and promote the sport of stage rally in America. As such, our primary focus will always be on strengthening our own National and Regional championships.
“However, we are encouraged by – and supportive of – the ongoing efforts to bring a WRC event to the United States. We look forward to collaborating with the organizers of the WRC project, while maintaining our commitment to the growth and sustainability of American Rally.”
