American rally luminary Lance Smith has talked of the potential positive impact the World Rally Championship’s return could have on the sport stateside.
Smith has been involved at the sport’s highest level in America throughout his career as president and CEO of Vermont SportsCar – the team which builds and runs the all-conquering Subarus – and as founder of Rally Forward, the firm promoting the American Rally Association National Championship.
Talking in the wake of Tuesday’s news that WRC officials will attend a week of observations in Tennessee and Kentucky – as well as attending an ARA round – in June, Smith said: “The FIA’s announcement of a WRC candidate event in the United States is a significant step toward the WRC returning to America, and we congratulate Podium Event Partners on achieving this milestone in the process.
“The American Rally Association’s mission is to preserve, protect and promote the sport of stage rally in America.
“As the organizer and promoter of the ARA National Championship, Rally Forward sees this moment in time as an opportunity to accelerate the growth and expansion of rally in this country, so we are supportive of the planned WRC return and are looking forward to collaborating with the parties involved to help make it a reality.”
Next week marks the opening round of the 2026 ARA National Championship, with the Sno*Drift Rally running out of Michigan on February 6/7. Having decided not to defend their fourth American title, Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams will not be present in Atlanta next week, ensuring a different winner on the season opener for the first time since 2022.
