The FIA has taken a significant step towards returning the FIA World Rally Championship to the United States, confirming that a candidate event will be staged in June 2026 to evaluate the country’s readiness to host a future round of the global series.
Scheduled for 11–17 June 2026, the evaluation event will be organised in collaboration with the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS). FIA delegates will conduct a comprehensive inspection of the proposed rally, assessing sporting operations, safety standards, infrastructure and organisational capabilities. Stages across Kentucky and Tennessee will form the core of the assessment, giving officials a detailed look at the terrain and logistical framework required for a modern WRC event.
If the candidate event meets FIA World Rally Championship standards, it could open the door for the United States to rejoin the WRC calendar as early as 2027—an important milestone in the championship’s ongoing global expansion strategy. The programme will also include visits to an American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship round, allowing FIA representatives to engage directly with the country’s rally ecosystem, from organisers and volunteers to competitors and fans.
The United States has not hosted a WRC round since 1988, when the Olympus Rally in Washington State featured on the world championship schedule. That event marked the last time the series competed on American soil, despite the country’s long-standing grassroots rally culture and deep ties to off-road motorsport.
In recent years, domestic rallying in the U.S. has experienced renewed momentum, driven by increased participation and the strength of national competition such as the ARA Championship. The FIA views this foundation, combined with the country’s established motorsport infrastructure, as a strong platform on which to build a world-class WRC event.
The proposed project is being developed with support from Podium Event Partners, an organisation with experience across multiple motorsport disciplines, including NASCAR, as stakeholders explore how a U.S. round could integrate into the modern WRC landscape.
Should the evaluation prove successful, the return of the World Rally Championship to the United States would reconnect the series with one of the world’s most influential motorsport markets, while adding a new geographical dimension to a calendar that continues to evolve in pursuit of broader global reach.
