WRC Return Could Boost US Rally Scene, Says Lance Smith

WRC, Sportrik Media - The potential return of the World Rally Championship to the United States could deliver a significant structural boost to the domestic rally scene, according to leading American rally figure Lance Smith, following confirmation that FIA and WRC officials will assess a candidate event later this year.

Smith has been involved at the highest level of American rallying for decades as President and CEO of Vermont SportsCar—the team behind Subaru’s long-running rally programmes—and as founder of Rally Forward, promoter of the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship.

His comments follow Tuesday’s announcement that officials from the FIA and WRC will conduct a week-long observation visit in Tennessee and Kentucky in June, including attendance at an ARA round, as part of the evaluation process for a potential WRC return to the United States.

“The FIA’s announcement of a WRC candidate event in the United States is a significant step toward the WRC returning to America,” Smith said.
“We congratulate Podium Event Partners on achieving this important milestone in the process.”

Smith stressed that the implications extend beyond the international championship itself. As organiser and promoter of the ARA National Championship, Rally Forward views the prospect of a WRC event on US soil as an opportunity to accelerate the growth and long-term sustainability of stage rally across the country.

“The American Rally Association’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the sport of stage rally in America,” Smith added.
“We see this moment as an opportunity to accelerate the growth and expansion of rally in this country, and we are supportive of the planned WRC return.”

The timing coincides with the start of the ARA National Championship 2026, which begins next week with the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan on February 6–7. The opening round is set to feature a more open competitive landscape than in recent seasons.

Four-time ARA champions Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams have elected not to defend their title this year, guaranteeing a different winner at the season opener for the first time since 2022.

Overall, the planned WRC evaluation in the United States is being viewed as a strategic catalyst for reconnecting American stage rally with the global championship. For ARA and its stakeholders, the process represents an opportunity to strengthen domestic foundations while raising the profile of rallying across North America.