3 minSports
WRC to Return to the United States in 2027 After 39-Year Absence
The FIA World Rally Championship will return to American soil for the first time since 1988, with Rally US scheduled for August 26–29, 2027, on gravel roads in Tennessee and Kentucky.
The FIA World Rally Championship will return to the United States in 2027, ending a nearly four-decade absence from American soil. The championship's newly approved 2027 calendar includes Rally US, scheduled for August 26–29, with competitive gravel stages based around Knoxville, Tennessee, and extending into Kentucky.
The event marks the WRC's first American appearance since 1988, when Washington state's Olympus Rally hosted the championship. By the time Rally US begins, 39 years will have passed since that last visit. The return comes after years of effort by organizers to demonstrate that American roads and infrastructure could meet the series' standards. A candidate event held in June helped prove the proposed routes were viable.
Rally US President and CEO Matt Crews called the announcement a historic moment for American motorsport, crediting the domestic rally community for sustaining the sport during the WRC's long absence. «This moment belongs to the American rally community,» Crews said. «For decades, the competitors, volunteers, organizers and fans kept this sport alive on American roads, and their work is what proved to the FIA that our country is ready.»
The championship's official event listing describes a mixture of fast, flowing gravel roads and tighter, more technical sections. That combination should present a distinct challenge for competitors accustomed to venues ranging from Finland's high-speed forest stages to Kenya's punishing terrain. The event will be the 11th round of a 15-event season spanning five continents.
Full itinerary details, spectator locations, and ticket information have not yet been announced. Rally US has confirmed it will release additional information on October 27, including host locations, ticketing plans, fan activities, and event partnerships.
The American return is part of a broader shakeup for the WRC in 2027. Scotland is rejoining the calendar for the first time since 2019, while Italy's event moves to Rome. The championship is also introducing new technical regulations intended to reduce costs and make the series more accessible to manufacturers and independent constructors.
For longtime rally fans, the confirmation represents a significant milestone. The United States has no shortage of motorsports, but the WRC has been conspicuously absent for nearly four decades. The 2027 season will bring new cars, new destinations, and the first opportunity in a generation to watch the world's best rally drivers compete on American gravel.
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