Jari-Matti Latvala will make his maiden appearance in the American Rally Association National Championship with an outing at the Olympus Rally next month.
The Toyota World Rally Championship team principal announced plans to pilot a second factory-backed Toyota GR Corolla Rally RC2 car at the Washington-based gravel rally held from 17-19 April. The outing marks the 18-time WRC rally winner’s first ever rally in North America.
The Olympus Rally, which previously hosted the WRC from 1985-1988, will see Toyota enter two of its new GR Corolla Rally RC2 machines into an ARA event for the first time, with Latvala joining fellow Toyota factory driver Seth Quintero.
Quintero was behind the wheel of the Corolla for its competition debut at the ARA's 100 Acre Wood Rally earlier in March as part of a seven-round ARA programme.
“I’m super excited to announce that I will be driving in the American Rally Championship in the Olympus Rally with the GR Corolla RC2 alongside Seth Quintero in the second car," said Latvala. "It will be my first time ever competing on American soil and I’m really excited about it, and to see those stages and see the atmosphere in America."
While the rally will be Latvala’s first behind the wheel of the new GR Corolla, the Finn has been involved in the development of the car.
Alongside his WRC team principal duties this year, Latvala has been busy competing in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship piloting an upgraded Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (ST185).
Latvala is aiming to tackle eight rounds of the new look EHRC, which will now be split into three championships. A regulation change resulted in the FIA running bespoke eight-round series for pre-1992 and pre-2000 machines, in addition to a five-round gravel series, where both classes are eligible.
After lifting the 2025 EHRC title, courtesy of a run that included five wins, Latvala kicked off his 2026 title defence with a victory at Spain’s Rally Costa Brava earlier this month.
