The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) will return to the United States for the first time since 1988, with Tennessee set to host the international motorsports event in August 2027.
Rally US announced that Knoxville will serve as the event’s host city and rally headquarters, with competition routes spanning more than 15 counties from the Appalachian Mountains to the Cumberland Plateau from August 26-29, 2027.
The event will feature gravel roads, technical forest sections, and elevation changes designed to challenge the world’s top rally drivers, according to Rally US.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee welcomed the announcement.
“I am excited to welcome the FIA World Rally Championship back to the United States for the first time in nearly 40 years, and even more excited that Tennessee will host this historic return in 2027,” Lee said.
The event will begin with a ceremonial start on Nashville’s Lower Broadway before moving to Knoxville, where World’s Fair Park and the Knoxville Convention Center will host the WRC Arena. The venue will serve as a team base and fan festival featuring driver appearances, live music, and other entertainment.
Rally US President and CEO Matt Crews said organizers intend to deliver an experience beyond the competition itself.
“When the FIA and WRC Promoter put America back on the calendar, we set out to deliver far more than a race: an event experience, from Broadway to the Appalachian Mountains, that rivals any festival in the world and puts our state on a global stage like no other,” Crews said.
Organizers also highlighted the event’s potential economic benefits, including increased tourism and exposure for the region’s automotive manufacturing sector.
“Tennessee and Kentucky form one of North America’s leading automotive manufacturing corridors, and Rally US gives the industry a global stage in its own backyard,” Rally US said in a release. “Every community along the route becomes part of a global broadcast, putting the region’s mountains, forests, lakes and historic main streets in front of a worldwide audience.”
The WRC last competed in the United States in 1988.
Organizers said the championship’s individual rounds average more than 90 million viewers worldwide.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Image “US Rally Championship” by FIA World Rally Championship.
