The FIA Rally Star American Final is currently underway with 42 drivers representing eight countries battling it out at the Maggiora Offroad Arena in northern Italy. Despite the heavy rain, contestants from Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and USA have been impressing the audience with their skill, with several of them getting their first taste of real-life motorsport competition after building experience driving online. The event opened with a challenging 930-meter stage featuring sections on gravel and asphalt to test the FIA World Rally Championship hopefuls. The 34 male and eight female drivers were split into seven groups of six, each given one opportunity to complete the stage against the clock in both directions in a TN5 Cross Car prepared by Thierry Neuville’s LifeLive organization. Due to the weather conditions, the remainder of the groups will finish their runs the next day. The FIA Rally Star American Final is the last of five Continental Finals scheduled and follows on from the European, Middle East and North African, African and Asia-Pacific shootout events held previously. The winners of these four finals, the American Final winner, plus the Women’s Final winner on Thursday will enter the FIA Rally Star Training Season, which includes extensive training, preparation, and assessment, plus six national- or regional-level rallies from June onwards.
Contestants in the FIA Rally Star American Final qualified through Digital Challenges or Slalom Challenges organized by National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) or online through #RallyAtHome Challenges managed by the FIA Rally Star administration. The event brings young talents from around the world together to live their dreams, with the four drivers who impress the most during the FIA Rally Star Training Season stepping up to the FIA Junior WRC Championship for 2024 as their prize.
The winner of the FIA Rally Star American Final and the driver progressing to the FIA Rally Star Women’s Final on May 4 will be announced on Wednesday after all drivers have been interviewed by the five-person Jury, which is being presided over by FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid. The FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals are closed to spectators. For updates and pictures of the event, click here.
