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WRC Return to America Set for Late August 2027
Detailed plans for the United States’ return to the World Rally Championship have been revealed at the Sunsphere in Knoxville, Tennessee, confirming an August 26–29, 2027 date for Rally US. Following the initial announcement earlier in the month that the WRC would head back to American soil for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, organisers outlined a route anchored in Tennessee with cross-border competition into Kentucky.
Nashville Start and Knoxville Headquarters
The event will open with a ceremonial start on Lower Broadway in Nashville before shifting towards eastern Tennessee. Knoxville’s landmark Sunsphere building will serve as rally headquarters, while the surrounding World’s Fair Park will accommodate the central service park. Rally US president and chief executive Matt Crews, who previously introduced IndyCar's Music City Grand Prix to Nashville in 2021, emphasised that the project aims to blend elite motorsport with large-scale entertainment across the state.
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Forest Gravel Route Crosses into Kentucky
Competitive running will primarily take place on gravel roads through state-managed forests, spanning the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. Organisers highlighted that the itinerary defies simple comparison to traditional gravel fixtures such as Rally Finland or the Acropolis Rally, instead incorporating a varied assortment of fast stretches, technical winding roads, wooden single-lane bridges, and large jumps. While Tennessee will stage the bulk of the timed mileage alongside the service park and ceremonial launch, select special stages will cross state lines into neighbouring Kentucky.
FIA and Local Leadership Back Strategic Expansion
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the United States as one of the championship's most crucial commercial and sporting growth frontiers, pointing to the country's established motorsport culture and expanding interest in global series as key reasons to establish rallying as a core presence in North America. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee similarly welcomed the milestone, noting the international exposure the four-day event will bring to the state's communities and landscapes as it ends a nearly 40-year absence from the world championship schedule.
Sources: What we know about WRC Rally US so far.