A 2026 American WRC race is just a FIA approval away

USA O isn World Rally Championship Calendar Syllabus After confirming in 2026 that a multi-year contract has been signed to bring back the top flight of the rally to North America.

The WRC has long been an ambition to return to America for the first time since the 1988 Olympus rally, an important part of its plan to develop the category with the project.

Last year, the Championship announced that it developed a “clear roadmap” to get a USA event in 2026 that included direct investment and participation in the event promotion from the WRC promoter.

Speaking this weekend rally in Israul Carnaus, WRC confirmed that there is a multi-year contract to host a gravel rally out of Tennessee. The US, which joins the WRC calendar, however, is under the FIA ​​that approves the proposed 2026 calendar.

The 2026 calendar route is currently being discussed with the National Federation Abus and approval bodies, USA. Completing their needs and concerns is also an important factor in the timetable meeting.

Simon Larkin, director of the WRC event, revealed in a media roundate that the WRC promoter has already made a direct financial investment in the project.

Last year, the organizers organized a candidate program in June by the organizers behind the rally USA project and another plan is being made later this year. The WRC has set a July target to reveal its 2026 calendar which can expand the USA project to over 14 events when obtaining the final green light.

“We are getting in the middle of the formation of the calendar and it would be the same as this year,” Larkin said.

“There is not a large amount that we are planning to change. As we ever have a strategic objective rally USA which is a common objective of all in Seva Park, and we are working firmly on this project.

“We have a contract there (with the USA) and we are working on plans with an FIA for a candidate program later this year. We have already made a candidate incident last year, and we are especially working to ensure that (American)) rally events are not up to the level of our European rally championship standard.

“There are some similarities with things like the same time and tracking system that is great for training martial, but the safety standards we employ in WRC are quite high, the organizational standards are quite high, but also that the demands to be put on an event promoter and organizer in WRC are also important. We need to ensure that we are required to ensure that we have a organization to ensure that an organization is a organization with adequate deepens and a bred.

“We are continue to invest in America and we have always said that we will appoint a separate business model there and we are continuing with it.

“In terms of the number of events (on the 2026 calendar), we believe that the USA championship can hold the increase in the number of events in the championship. The total number of events in Europe and outside Europe is something that we are discussing with all the stakeholders because we are always open because we all need to invest in additional equipment outside Europe and we have to discuss for some time.

He said: “The place for 2026 and beyond (with the rally with the USA) is a contract. Nothing is certain until the calendar is confirmed.”

Indonesia, Ireland and Scotland are unlikely to join 2026

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

Larkin says that at this point it is unlikely that any new incident outside the US will take place in next year’s calendar.

Larkin said, “I would say, probably not (to join 2026 for any other new countries). At the moment we have enough events and we are working with them all for 2027,” Larkin said.

“Till everything is done, we still have many small contracts and this is our priority. But we have to be realistic, it is now the end of April and the calendar made in July, it will have to be very spectacular than some of them (countries desirous of joining).

“It was always going to be a stretch for 2026 for Indonesia, they are ambitious but we are quite calm and stable and want a real strategy for implementation.

“We want to do these things carefully and we have been with America for some time.

“Whether it is America or Indonesia or Ireland or Scotland we want to go to ensure that there is no event to tick a box because it is a special country.

“We need permanent events and events that are going to grow which revival, and are budget.”