A 2026 American WRC race is just an FIA approval away

The USA is on course to join the World Rally Championship calendar in 2026 following confirmation that a multi-year contract has been signed to bring rallying’s top flight back to North America.

The WRC has long held an ambition to return to the US for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, with the project a key part of its plan to grow the category.

Last year, the championship announced it had developed a “clear roadmap” to achieving a USA event in 2026 that included direct investment and involvement in event promotion from WRC Promoter.

Speaking at this weekend’s Rally Islas Canarias, the WRC confirmed that there is a multi-year contract in place to host a gravel rally based out of Tennessee. The US joining the WRC calendar is however subject to the FIA approving the proposed 2026 calendar.

The path to the 2026 calendar is currently being discussed with the national federation ACCUS and the sanctioning body, USA. Satisfying their requirements and concerns are also an important factor in the meeting the timetable.

WRC event director Simon Larkin revealed in a media roundtable that the WRC Promoter has already committed a direct financial investment into the project.

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Last year the organisers behind the Rally USA project held a candidate event in June and another is being planned for later this year. The WRC has set the target of July to reveal its 2026 calendar that could expand to more than 14 events if the USA project receives the final green light.

“We are getting to the middle of the formation of the calendar and it will be relatively similar to this year,” said Larkin.

“There is not a huge amount that we are planning to change. As ever our one strategic aim remains Rally USA which is a shared aim of everyone in the service park, and we are working strongly on this project.

“We have a contract in place there [with the USA] and we are working on plans with the FIA for a candidate event later this year. We have already done one candidate event last year, and we are working to make sure particularly in the market where the level of the [American] rally events are not quite to the level of our European Rally Championship standard. That is not a criticism at all, it is a different style of rallying and event they do in the US.

“There are some similarities with things like the same timing and tracking system which is great for training marshals, but the safety standards we employ in the WRC are significantly higher, the organisational standards are significantly higher, but also the demands that are put on an event promoters and organiser in the WRC are significant. We need to make sure there is an organisation with enough depth and breadth to be able to deal with this.

“We are continuing to invest in the US and we have always said we will employ a different business model there and we are continuing with that.

“In terms of the number of events [on the 2026 calendar] we believe that the USA can justify an increase in the number of events in the championship. The total number of events in Europe and outside Europe is something we are discussing with all stakeholders because we have always been quite open as we all need to invest in additional equipment outside of Europe and we have had discussions with the manufacturers about the investment that would need to be taken over the next couple of years.

He added: “There is a contract in place [with Rally USA] for 2026 and beyond. Until the calendar is confirmed nothing is definite.”

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Indonesia, Ireland and Scotland unlikely to join in 2026

Interest in hosting WRC events continues to be high with Indonesia, Ireland and Scotland among a group of at least six countries vying to join the calendar next year.

Larkin says at this point it is unlikely that any new event outside of the US will feature in next year’s calendar.

“I would say, probably no [for any other new countries to join in 2026]. At the moment we have enough events contracted and we are working with all of them for 2027,” Larkin said.

“Until everything is done, we still have a number of small contracts to get done and that is our priority. But we have to be realistic, it is the end of April now and the calendar to be done in July, it would have to be something pretty groundbreaking from either of those [countries wishing to join].

“For Indonesia it was always going to be a stretch for 2026, they are ambitious but we are also quite calm and steady and want to have an actual strategy for implementation.

“We want to do these things carefully and we have been doing that with the US for a period of time.

“Whether it is the US or Indonesia or Ireland or Scotland we want to go there to make sure there is an event worth going there for not just to tick a box because it is a particular country.

“We need to have sustainable events and events that are going to grow that have the resourcing, and have the budgets.”