Stryker one-make series coming to ARA in 2026

Standing on the shoulders of giants is never a bad thing. Just ask Sir Isaac Newton. Or Cole Powelson.

It was Sir Isaac who first coined the phrase, having pioneered thinking on gravitational pull and penned multiple laws of motion. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fairly significant accomplishments which kind of tweaked our understanding of the way the universe works.

But, correct me if I’m wrong here, he didn’t manage to design, build and bring to market an insane-looking, 250bhp, all-wheel-drive, 1100-kilo ARA-ready rally car for around $135,000. Fortunately for the world of rallying, Cole Powelson has done just that. Even better, he’s built a one-make series around it.

Introducing the Stryker Rogue Maverick.

A year in development and testing, this is the car which will form the basis of the Stryker Challenge Series from June next year. You can buy and run your own car, or you can arrive and drive with a turn-key alternative. And here’s the thing: in the right hands this spaceframe chassis rocketship will take you between the trees faster than a Rally2 car.

“I’ve been involved in motorsport for 20 years,” Powelson told DirtFish. “I’ve been primarily involved in road racing and time attack-type stuff, but more recently I’ve been looking ways to enter the rally market.

“Lia Block is a dear friend of mine and when she told me about the operating costs for her rally cars, it was incredibly expensive. I started to think about a more cost-effective way to go fast. It seems, in rallying, you have the top-tier factory-spec cars and you have some fairly grassroots machinery at the other end of the scale. There really wasn’t much in the middle.

“We come in at around half the cost of a Rally2 car and with operational costs of around 25 to 30% of a Rally2 car. I feel like we’re going to fill that gap in the market.”

Certainly that’s the upper end of that void filled, but what about those wanting to make the step out of Rally4. With the power and tech, this isn’t really a Rally3 rival. Turns out, it can be.

“The car’s totally tunable,” said Powelson. “We have what we call a sportsmans [junior] key which lowers the boost pressure and brings output down to around 180bhp. That’s really important to help people starting out in rallying, and getting the rookie drivers into the sport. Then, once they’re up to speed, then they can use the regular key and bring them up to 250bhp.”

That power comes from a turbocharged, three-cylinder Rotax engine and is shared out to all four corners via the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission from a 2026 Can-Am Maverick. And that kind of raises the question… is this a side-by-side?

Those familiar with late 17th century history will well remember the fall-out when Robert Hooke questioned Newton’s thinking on gravity…

This is the modern-day equivalent. Sort of.

“No,” said Powelson, emphatically. “This is absolutely not a side-by-side. It’s a tubular, spaceframe chassis we designed specifically for rallying.”

Oh, so, it’s like a Rally1 car then?

“Precisely,” is the slightly warmer response. “We are standing on the shoulders of giants here.”

Classic line.

“We’ve been looking at what Rally1 is and how the development has gone, how they’re built – they have an exceptional safety record. And that’s what we’ve been incorporating into our chassis design at Stryker. As well as this incredible tubular chassis, we’ve deployed energy-absorbing side-impact foam, Lexan windows, FIA-inspired halo seats – like you can imagine, we’ve put so much work into the safety aspect of the car. And, of course, the car’s fully road legal as you would imagine for rallying.”

The obvious question: quick?

“This is a really quick car,” he added. “And from the testing we’ve done so far, we think we’re going to be right there with Rally2 cars. The Stryker is new and unique so ARA has given us our own class. We know the Stryker is fast enough to compete for overall winning times, but we wanted a class focused on driver skills rather than how much you spend on a car. We will also create a community around our cars and a series to make sure all our drivers are out there having fun.

“We understand that stage times matter – as does keeping the cost as low as possible for potentially rally winning speed. The performance is there from a great engine and the car’s probably a little over-built. The control arms, wheel bearings, axles are originally built for the desert and for rock-crawling and stuff like that, so we know it is durable. In terms of suspension, we’re still evaluating the final options – without naming names, we have a WRC driver out with us working on the final set-up. But it’s going to be special.

“And, of course, you have the turn-key option for the Stryker Challenge Series from June next year. We’re still finalizing all of the details, but we’ve already got commitments for five cars. The idea is simple: you put your helmet in a bag, get on a plane, and arrive at the rally ready to drive. Everything else is taken care of.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in sportscar racing, and this kind of arrive-and-drive program is completely normal in that world. If I want to go and race a GT3 car at Spa, I make a couple of calls and it happens. That experience just hasn’t really existed in rallying.

“That’s the gap we’re trying to fill. We understand there’s a growing appetite for rallying in America, but not everyone wants to own, maintain and operate a car themselves. The Stryker Challenge Series is about bringing that proven, turn-key model into rallying — delivering serious performance, controlled costs and a professional experience that makes it easier for drivers all over the world to go rallying.”

With cars already in production at Stryker’s Salt Lake City facility in Utah, this ball is already well and truly rolling. Stay tuned to DirtFish for more news on the car, the one-make series and anything related to apples falling – or possibly not falling – on heads.