American Rally Association Focuses on Growth, Training and OEM Expansion in New Era for U.S. Rally
The American Rally Association (ARA), sanctioned by USAC, is accelerating into a new phase of growth with a sharper promotional focus, expanded training initiatives, and increasing OEM involvement across its national and regional championships.
Speaking during Race Industry Week, Preston Osborn, Competition Director of the American Rally Association, detailed how the series is evolving its structure, presentation and long-term strategy while preserving the unique blend of grassroots and professional rallying that defines the sport in the United States.
“Rally in the U.S. has always been that special mix of grassroots and professional – the same paddock, the same stages, all together,” Osborn said. “What we’re doing now is stepping up the series level: improving how it looks, how it operates, and how sustainable it can be for organizers, teams and drivers.”
A New Lens: From Competition to Promotion
Osborn explained that for 2025 he moved from a pure competition role into a broader series management and promotion role under the Rally Forward promoter group, adopting a “listen and learn” philosophy.
One of the first tangible changes was improving the look and feel of national events. ARA invested in a new race control trailer, fully wrapped and branded, that travels to each national round and supports local organizers.
“You walk into service now and there’s no question – this is an American Rally Association event,” Osborn noted. “We want that professional presentation while still keeping the soul of grassroots rally.”
National Training Center & Volunteer Development
Recognizing that rally is built on volunteers, ARA is launching a major initiative to standardize and enhance training for officials and marshals nationwide.
Osborn revealed that ARA has secured property for a National Training Center, which will serve multiple purposes:
- Central hub for volunteer and official training
- A venue with miles of rally stages for hands-on exercises
- A test facility that can be used by teams for development and shakedowns
- A potential site for small-format events
In parallel, ARA is forming a new organization focused specifically on recruiting, training and retaining volunteers – consolidating what has historically been fragmented, event-by-event efforts.
“Our events already do a great job locally, but it’s a huge lift,” Osborn said. “By centralizing training and support, we can take some of that burden off organizers and raise the standard across the series.”
OEM Momentum: Honda, MINI, Stellantis and More
OEM interest in ARA continues to grow, with manufacturers seeing U.S. rallying as both a proving ground and a powerful storytelling platform.
- Subaru remains a long-time cornerstone of the championship.
- Honda / HRC recently unveiled its Civic-based rally concept at SEMA, building on an internal engineering effort and now exploring a more formal program and future customer cars.
- MINI has entered two near-stock rally cars – a Countryman and a Cooper – as a nod to the brand’s deep rally heritage. Aside from safety equipment and brake changes to accommodate gravel tires, the cars run factory engines, suspension and electronics.
“What other motorsport lets you arrive with something that close to showroom stock and still be genuinely competitive?” Osborn said. “That’s uniquely rally, and uniquely ARA.”
At the entry and development level, Stellantis has brought the Peugeot 208 Rally4 program to North America, with cars running in both the U.S. and Canada and now forming the basis of a dedicated cup. Those FIA Rally4 cars compete directly against home-built machinery – BMWs, Escorts, BRZs and more – highlighting the eclectic mix that defines the championship.
Even GM has dipped into the sport, supporting Pat Moro’s wild V8-powered Chevy Sonic, a car built from a blend of GM components but unlike anything in traditional circuit racing.
Diverse Classes, Smart Technical Balance
ARA’s class structure is designed to welcome everything from FIA Rally2 and Rally3 machinery to highly developed one-off builds and more accessible grassroots cars.
Osborn highlighted the Limited Four-Wheel Drive category as a strong example, where FIA Rally3 cars run directly against ARA-spec L4WD cars – including Travis Pastrana’s limited-class Subaru.
“When Rally3 arrived, instead of putting them in a standalone class with only a few cars, we looked at the data,” Osborn explained. “On performance and spec, they fit really closely with Limited 4WD. The result this year has been genuinely close, exciting competition between the two – exactly what we hoped for.”
ARA also revived and renamed its Rookie of the Year honor as the Ken Block Rookie of the Year Award, in tribute to Block’s impact on rally and motorsport marketing. The first winner of the renamed award, Matthew (a first-year national competitor in a BMW M3), impressed the paddock with multiple wins and podiums – even returning to compete after a major crash and broken wrist mid-season.
2026 Calendar: Rally Colorado Joins, Variety Leads
For 2026, ARA will again run eight national events, which Osborn calls the “sweet spot” for the current size and health of the series.
A key change is the elevation of Rally Colorado to national status, filling a geographic and competitive gap in the West/Central region. The high-desert, mountainous stages bring:
- Lower average speeds than many other rounds
- Distinct terrain and character
- New challenges for teams and drivers
Oregon Trail Rally steps off the national calendar for 2026 as local organizers restructure, with plans to return “bigger and better” in 2027.
The 2026 ARA National Championship is slated to include:
- Snowdrift Rally (Michigan) – Iconic snow rally on bare rubber (no studs), a uniquely American challenge.
- 100 Acre Wood (Missouri) – Fast, flowing stages for those who want to see rally cars at top speed.
- Olympus Rally (Washington) – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its last WRC round with three days and ~200 stage miles.
- Southern Ohio Forest Rally (Ohio) – Includes a downtown Chillicothe stage with a spectacular jump that has already produced viral moments.
- Rally Colorado (Colorado) – New national round with high-desert, mountain stages.
- Ojibwe Forests Rally (Minnesota) – Sandy, technical roads in the “land of 10,000 lakes.”
- Overmountain Rally (Tennessee) – A growing Southeast event based at Newport Speedway, blending American oval culture with stage rally.
- Lake Superior Performance Rally – LSPR (Michigan UP) – A golden-leaf fall classic with some of the most picturesque scenery on the calendar.
In addition to the national series, ARA continues to grow its regional and super-regional structure, giving newcomers and budget-conscious competitors shorter, more accessible events while preserving a clear ladder up to the national level.
Media, Near-Live Coverage and a New App
On the fan and media side, ARA is steadily building toward full live streaming, with eyes on 2027 for a complete live package across the national series.
In the meantime, the focus is on “near-live” coverage:
- Rapid-turnaround stage recaps at service and end-of-day
- Integrated onboard and stage footage
- Strong social storytelling and behind-the-scenes content
To lead that effort, ARA has brought on Andy Didorosi, a well-known content creator and longtime rally competitor, to drive social media and a new short-form video series capturing the 2025 national season.
ARA is also developing a dedicated mobile app that will serve as the central hub for:
- Live timing and results
- Integrated tracking
- News, media and event information
“We know not everyone can stand on a snowbank at Snowdrift or in the dust at 100 Acre Wood,” Osborn said. “Our goal is to make ARA rally as accessible as possible – whether you’re on the stages, on your couch, or watching from halfway around the world.”
About the American Rally Association
The American Rally Association, sanctioned by USAC, is the premier stage rally championship in the United States, blending professional teams, manufacturer efforts and grassroots competitors on some of the most challenging roads in North America. With national, super-regional and regional championships, ARA provides a complete ladder for drivers and co-drivers, while offering manufacturers and partners a dynamic platform for competition and storytelling.
For more information on schedules, entries and how to get involved, visit the American Rally Association online and follow ARA across social media.
