From the Appalachian Mountains to the Cumberland Plateau. Via Nashville. And Knoxville.
That, in a nutshell, is where Rally US is going from August 26-29 next year.
America’s return to the World Rally Championship’s was confirmed earlier this month. But it was on Tuesday, in Rally US’ iconic Sunsphere headquarters building – a building which dominates the Knoxville skyline and features in an episode of The Simpsons – that full details were delivered.
The ceremonial start on lower Broadway, Nashville will be one of the highlights of, not just America’s WRC return, but of the 2027 season. Music City is the perfect place to remind the WRC what it’s been missing since 1988 and that third and final WRC-qualifying Olympus Rally.
Rally US president and CEO Matt Crews knows high-profile motorsport: he was the man who brought the Music City Grand Prix IndyCar race to Nashville in 2021. He also knows entertainment: talk to him about Nashville’s ability to light a firework and set off some of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations ever.
Crews said: “Tennessee is in the hospitality and entertainment business, and nobody does it better. When the FIA and WRC Promoter put America back on the calendar, we set out to deliver far more than a race – [it’s] an event experience, from Broadway to the Appalachian Mountains, that rivals any festival in the world and puts our state on a global stage like no other.”
Anybody doubting the importance of Rally US would do well to listen in to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Knoxville's Sunsphere will act as rally headquarters – with the World's Fair Park it overlooks housing the service park.
“The United States represents one of the most important growth opportunities for the FIA World Rally Championship,” said the president.
“It is a nation where motorsport is part of the cultural DNA, with world-class domestic championships and a rapidly growing appetite for global competition. I am deeply committed to strengthening the FIA’s presence in the U.S. and ensuring that rallying becomes a defining pillar of that future.
“Expanding the FIA WRC into North America not only enhances the championship’s global reach, but connects rallying with a knowledgeable, passionate, and expanding fanbase in a market where participation and engagement continue to accelerate and grow.”
And be under no illusion, Rally US is equally key on the domestic front.
Bill Lee is Tennessee’s governor (the state’s most important elected political figure) and he’s all about Rally US.
Lee said: “I am excited to welcome the FIA World Rally Championship back to the United States for the first time in nearly 40 years, and even more excited that Tennessee will host this historic return in 2027.
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
Like many rally stages in the US, gravel roads in state-controlled forests will make up most of the WRC mileage
“Millions of people around the world will have the opportunity to experience Tennessee’s beautiful landscapes, vibrant communities, unmatched hospitality, and we are proud to showcase everything that our state has to offer.”
Tennessee hosts the ceremonial start, the service park in Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park and the majority of the competitive action. But not all of it – the WRC will cross the state line into Kentucky for some stages.
Talking of the stages, what are we going to be getting? In truth, it’s impossible to define the route as a Finland or an Acropolis. It’s proper mix of all the best bits of gravel: there’s fast sections, technical tricky bits, single-track wooden bridges, big sky jumps and just about everything in between.
One thing we do know, it’s going to be all-American as the US erases the pain of a near-four-decade wait to welcome back the greatest show on earth.
