WRC Calendar 2027

[focus206]

USA is Rally TVs single biggest market. And if attracting manufacturers is important, being there helps. Entry lists have nothing to do with it.

But, the geographical spread of ARA National is much larger than ERC and has more regular starters. And the entry lists of the ARA rallies are split between the national and regional championships - which also each get regular starters and still cover more ground than European countries like Latvia, Estonia and Croatia - and local drivers.

Add also the early collapses of AAA and ACA allowed a free market for motorsport sanctioning, so there are all sorts of rally racing, rally sprint, auto-whatever series similar to rally for legal or whatever reasons. Not all are affiliated with ACCUS, the FIA member. Motorsport is huge there, taking WRC would help ARA/USAC become the focal point, which could also concentrate entries.

American manufacturers never cared for rallying, and very rarely fielded works or semi works car in their championship. Of course one thinks about Ford, but that has always been Ford of Europe and then M-Sport. Entry lists that are small or low quality show lack of interest and that rallying is a super niche sport over there.

I compare ARA with other national championships. One would expect that if big USA was a powerhouse or potential powerhouse for rallying, their entry lists would dwarf the ones of the small European countries. If you sum up national and regional, I guess they sometimes reach the number level of certain European countries, the quality of the cars... not so much.

Plenty of European countries have a gigantic amount of regional rallies and trophies, so I don't see those other American seriers as an "excuse" for USA.
I think NASCAR is huge there? I would imagine Indycar, F1 I don't know because I don't care... rallying isn't, for what they show and what they've always shown in practice.
If RallyTV's biggest market is USA, they can continue watching on the app like everyone else who doesn't have a WRC round in their country. The interest certainly doesn't reflect in the quality of their national championship entries, nor I expect many of those fans to travel across the country to Tennessee to watch 7 top category cars and few Rally2.

 

[wyler]

American manufacturers never cared for rallying, and very rarely fielded works or semi works car in their championship. Of course one thinks about Ford, but that has always been Ford of Europe and then M-Sport. Entry lists that are small or low quality show lack of interest and that rallying is a super niche sport over there.

I compare ARA with other national championships. One would expect that if big USA was a powerhouse or potential powerhouse for rallying, their entry lists would dwarf the ones of the small European countries. If you sum up national and regional, I guess they sometimes reach the number level of certain European countries, the quality of the cars... not so much.

Plenty of European countries have a gigantic amount of regional rallies and trophies, so I don't see those other American seriers as an "excuse" for USA.
I think NASCAR is huge there? I would imagine Indycar, F1 I don't know because I don't care... rallying isn't, for what they show and what they've always shown in practice.
If RallyTV's biggest market is USA, they can continue watching on the app like everyone else who doesn't have a WRC round in their country. The interest certainly doesn't reflect in the quality of their national championship entries, nor I expect many of those fans to travel across the country to Tennessee to watch 7 top category cars and few Rally2.

still, american championship is the only one with dedicated car by toyota (corolla) and subaru.
lancia has a privateer there, and hiunday also. in term of manufacturer is better than wrc!

 

[focus206]

still, american championship is the only one with dedicated car by toyota (corolla) and subaru.
lancia has a privateer there, and hiunday also. in term of manufacturer is better than wrc!

The Subaru WRX runs also in Japan and was used in various other national championship as sorta group N car.
Countries like South Africa, Australia, Argentina and the same USA have had various dedicated cars for their national championships, doesn't seem overly special to me.

 

[deephouse]

That's because it's cheaper to run as national entry than WRC. But again, before Hyundai and Toyota entering WRC, their cars was pretty much boring. Then both created sports department and offer performance cars. That counts for something, doesn't it?

Of course Toyota owns the world and they honestly didn't need marketing for regular sales, but I think they wanted the same things as Hyundai. Make cars better. And where is the perfect ground for that? Of course all motorsport championships, but I don't see any real technology being implemented from Haas formula into regular Toyota Hilux. Novadays we could say also for WRC, but at least rallying happens on roads, which people who buy regular cars, use them. So some data goes there in the main headquarters.

I think Lancia for example is trying to bring back up again their brand through rallying and thank them for that. Subaru, Mitsubishi should follow them, as they are nowhere.

 

[wyler]

The Subaru WRX runs also in Japan and was used in various other national championship as sorta group N car.
Countries like South Africa, Australia, Argentina and the same USA have had various dedicated cars for their national championships, doesn't seem overly special to me.

outside japan, ara is the only championship with "official" branding by subaru.
beside ara, none of the championships you mention have an official manufacturer entry with a specially developed car

 

[typhoon]

Anyway we're discussing about one single event in the US, when is probably the most sure of all.
Former Promoter and FIA both spoked just the same way like Saudi Arabia after the candidate event.

No worries, the WRC gill have its US round.

 

[focus206]

outside japan, ara is the only championship with "official" branding by subaru.
beside ara, none of the championships you mention have an official manufacturer entry with a specially developed car

Why is it special that the American Subaru importer runs some Subarus in the American championship?
Those championships I mentioned had specially developed cars, either national or regional, ran by semi works/national importer teams in the recent past. In Australia and New Zealand there were plenty of AP4 cars (Yaris, A1, Swift, Barina/Aveo, Fiesta, i20 etc.), and some are still running. Both also had the Subaru WRX national importer team. Few years ago I remember the G2 cars with semi works entries of Honda Jazz and Mazda 2.
In South Africa there are VW Polo of different categories that look works supported, as well as Mazda 2 and very works supported Toyota GR Starlet.

 

[wyler]

Why is it special that the American Subaru importer runs some Subarus in the American championship?
Those championships I mentioned had specially developed cars, either national or regional, ran by semi works/national importer teams in the recent past. In Australia and New Zealand there were plenty of AP4 cars (Yaris, A1, Swift, Barina/Aveo, Fiesta, i20 etc.), and some are still running. Both also had the Subaru WRX national importer team. Few years ago I remember the G2 cars with semi works entries of Honda Jazz and Mazda 2.
In South Africa there are VW Polo of different categories that look works supported, as well as Mazda 2 and very works supported Toyota GR Starlet.

we are talking about markets to boost the wrc & ways to attract manufacturers.
at the moment, u.s. (and probably china) are the only market in which manufacturer are directly and actively investing money, even without wrc.

the difference between those and the other championship you mentioned is the direct interest the manufacturer demonstrated.

 

[Eli]

Back to our topic, anyy news regarding the final round, let alone next year? Does everything here need to be at the final final second?

 

[rallyfiend]

Back to our topic, anyy news regarding the final round, let alone next year? Does everything here need to be at the final final second?

I suspect that like F1, everyone is waiting until very last minute to see how the situation changes.

They will try everything to make it happen.

 

[focus206]

we are talking about markets to boost the wrc & ways to attract manufacturers.
at the moment, u.s. (and probably china) are the only market in which manufacturer are directly and actively investing money, even without wrc.

the difference between those and the other championship you mentioned is the direct interest the manufacturer demonstrated.

So you might as well say "WRC should have a round in USA because manufacturers (meaning Toyota, at least for the forseeable future) want to."
The point of it being the only country/championship with dedicated cars of national importers is factually wrong. Toyota wants to use the American market and WRC obeys, with the hope of future manufacturers being interested in selling cars in USA and going rallying all over the world.

 

[deephouse]

Who knows, round in USA might drive Subaru back into the WRC. I see it that way. And Ford too, especially them.

Usually manufacturers are those who push some events onto the calendar (especially those where they came from)

 

[satnav]

Back to our topic, anyy news regarding the final round, let alone next year? Does everything here need to be at the final final second?

I have heard that there's a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) and that there's allegedly going to be a decision then although i wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Eli]

I have heard that there's a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) and that there's allegedly going to be a decision then although i wouldn't hold my breath.

Wanted to react with 'mmm, interesting' but no emoji for that, would be nice if they'd actually publish something since we are now in September...

 

[wyler]

So you might as well say "WRC should have a round in USA because manufacturers (meaning Toyota, at least for the forseeable future) want to."
The point of it being the only country/championship with dedicated cars of national importers is factually wrong. Toyota wants to use the American market and WRC obeys, with the hope of future manufacturers being interested in selling cars in USA and going rallying all over the world.

i mean exactly what i wrote, but ofc you can read it as you like.
factually wrong? may be...please show.

 

[focus206]

i mean exactly what i wrote, but ofc you can read it as you like.
factually wrong? may be...please show.

I already listed examples of countries with dedicated cars run by manufacturer national importers, few posts ago

 

[GigiGalliNo1]

Spoke with the WRC promoter regarding Saudi and they've said "As things stand nothing has changed regarding the 2026 calendar, we are in close contact with the local organisers and local ASN."

 

[GigiGalliNo1]

I have heard that there's a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) and that there's allegedly going to be a decision then although i wouldn't hold my breath.

I'd like to know about this meeting and the outcome... heard next week we'll know if it's confirmed...

 

[Eli]

Spoke with the WRC promoter regarding Saudi and they've said "As things stand nothing has changed regarding the 2026 calendar, we are in close contact with the local organisers and local ASN."

Just when you think they can’t be any more daft….jesus f**k…just cancel it already.

 

[wyler]

I already listed examples of countries with dedicated cars run by manufacturer national importers, few posts ago

and i already replied that the topic focus was about investment of the brand itself, not importers or semi-works. It's very different.