Rallying-US back on world championship calendar for first time since 1988

The US will return to ​the FIA World Rally Championship next season for ​the first time since 1988 with an ‌August ​round in Tennessee and Kentucky, organisers said on Thursday.

The August 26 to 29 rally will use stages tested at a candidate event last June. The ‌previous US round was the Olympus Rally, in Washington state, which featured on the calendar from 1986 to 1988. Rallying is keen to expand its global footprint and the new US round will be followed by the return of Britain, ‌for the first time since 2019, at the end of September with Aberdeen-based Rally Scotland.

Italy's round will ‌meanwhile switch to Rome and the asphalt roads of the Lazio region from its previous home in Sardinia. "Returning to the United States and United Kingdom, alongside bringing the WRC to an iconic destination such as Rome, creates tremendous opportunities for our manufacturers, commercial partners and ⁠fans," said ​WRC Promoter CEO Eric ⁠Boullier in a statement.

"Combined with the introduction of new technical regulations, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of the WRC, ⁠attract new investment and bring the excitement of rallying to more people around the world.” The governing FIA in July announced ​a new long-term commercial rights deal with French automotive group Cosmobilis and private credit investor Park Square ⁠Capital and hailed it as a "pivotal moment" for the championship. Ford also announced last month their return as a works team in 2028.

"The ⁠United ​States represents one of the most important growth opportunities for the FIA World Rally Championship. It is a nation where motor sport is part of the cultural DNA, with world-class domestic championships and a rapidly ⁠growing appetite for global competition.," said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, a former rally driver. Next season features 15 rounds, ⁠up from a reduced ⁠13 this year due to the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian finale. Saudi Arabia returns in 2027, listed as the final round on November 25 to 28. The ‌season starts in ‌Monte Carlo on January 21.