Cracking America can be a gamechanger for any business, which is why the advancement of plans for the USA to join the World Rally Championship in 2024 is significant. The WRC has targeted a round in the USA since 2018 and it appears those plans have taken a significant step forward following last week’s announcement that Chattanooga in Tennessee will host a demonstration event from 7-8 April. A possible test rally, to be evaluated by the FIA and WRC, is expected to occur in September.
Should these events be deemed a success, then Rally USA could secure one of two calendar spots earmarked for the Americas for next year, with last weekend’s Rally Mexico most likely to miss out given it only held a one-year deal for 2023 and Chile already has signed a multi-year agreement.
If the USA earns a berth, it would mark a first WRC event in the country since 1988 when Lancia’s Miki Biasion won the Olympus Rally – an event which enjoyed a three-year stint on the world stage.
It’s easy to understand why this is a momentous opportunity for the WRC. Put simply, the US boasts both the largest consumer market and economy in the world. It’s an opportunity to expand into a new territory which the WRC is keen to explore. This desire to reach a new audience was cited among the reasons to launch a new 24/7 Rally.TV platform this year.
Then there is the proof of what can be achieved by another world championship motorsport discipline that has successfully broken into the US. Formula 1, being the current trailblazer thanks to a boom in popularity fuelled in part by Netflix, is making a mark in the US having previously languished behind homegrown staples NASCAR and IndyCar.
The USA offers a chance to tap into a new emerging audience where rallying has come to the fore through the late Ken Block and stars such as Travis Pastrana. If plans are executed successfully, Rally USA could gain a swathe of new fans and be hugely beneficial for all championship stakeholders.
“We know from our statistics that we have a lot of fans in the US, as you would expect as it is country of nearly 350 million,” WRC event director Simon Larkin tells Autosport. “We know we can embrace that. It is a big market and big opportunity for us and for everyone.
Miki Biasion won the last WRC event staged in the USA back in 1988
“Okay, they don’t sell the Ford Fiesta, they don’t sell the Toyota Yaris and the Hyundai i20. But what America offers is brand…
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