FIA conclude Candidate Rally US event for 2027 calendar bid
20th June 2026The FIA has confirmed it has concluded its candidate event for Rally US as the event looks to be part of the 2027 World Rally Championship calendar.
Feature image credit: FIA
Motorsport’s famous governing body, the FIA, has confirmed it has concluded its seven-day Rally US candidate event as it makes another step forward to become part of the World Rally Championship in 2027.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), which took place between June 11 to June 17.
Its programme began at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally, which participates as a round in the American Rally Association National Championship. The FIA delegation later travelled to Tennessee and Kentucky, allowing them to examine ‘key elements’ of the proposed WRC round.
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“The completion of the Rally US candidate event marks an important first step towards the FIA World Rally Championship’s return to the United States,” said President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “I would like to thank our member club ACCUS, the ARA, WRC Promoter, the local organisers and all those who have worked together to support this process.
“With the candidate event now complete, our focus turns to detailing our reports and sharing our learnings with the local organisers. I am committed to bringing the WRC back to the United States, a nation where motorsport is part of its cultural DNA.
“The candidate event gives us the opportunity not only to assess the proposed stages, but to also work closely with the organisers to shape the strongest possible event for the Championship, the competitors, and the fans.”
In their visit, the FIA delegation observed the delivery of the national-level rally, looking over sporting procedures, safety protocols, medical provisions and operational structures. It also allowed them the time to engage with the US rally community.
As part of their programme, the FIA also reviewed proposed stage locations and reviews of local medical facilties, with visits to the proposed service park and ceremonial start locations in Knoxville and Nashville.
Following the candidate event, Rally US promoter Matt Crews said:
“Having the opportunity to work so closely with the FIA and WRC Promoter over this last week has been incredibly valuable to Rally US and America’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship.
“The co-operation between the Rally US team, ACCUS, the ARA and their counterparts in the FIA and WRC Promoter has been really impressive.
“From the moment everybody arrived at Southern Ohio Forest Rally, where the delegation was able to see what a round of America’s national championship looks like, all the way through a busy schedule of stage and location visits here in Tennessee and Kentucky, the positivity and cohesiveness has been fantastic.
“We’ve made great strides towards the ultimate goal of bringing the FIA World Rally Championship back to America and we’re looking forward to the next steps now.”
With the event now complete, the FIA has confirmed it will finalise its delegate reports and share the findings in due course.
Of those findings, it will help support the US’s proposal to be included in the WRC 2027 calendar as it looks to take the WRC back to the US for the first time since 1988.
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
