TGR-WRT launches new North American rally program

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) will launch its new North American rally program this week at Rally in the 100 Acre Wood (March 13 to 14), round two of the 2026 American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship based around Salem and Potosi, Missouri.

This event marks the inaugural start for TGR-WRT in the ARA, with young American driver Seth Quintero and Finnish co-driver Topi Luhtinen debuting the all-new GR Corolla Rally RC2 in ARA’s RC2 class in car number 103.

A new car that rally fans have been waiting to see

The GR Corolla Rally RC2 first appeared publicly as the GR Corolla Rally Concept at Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2025, and has since been further developed ahead of its first competitive start on American stages.

Built for ARA’s RC2 category, the GR Corolla Rally RC2 brings proven Toyota rally engineering to the U.S. spotlight. TGR-WRT has drawn on the development learnings of the GR Yaris Rally2 platform and its wider FIA World Rally Championship experience, adapting that knowledge into a GR Corolla-based rally car intended for the unique demands of North American gravel.

The GR Corolla Rally RC2 is powered by a 1.6-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine and uses a 5-speed sequential gearbox delivering the power to all four wheels. ARA’s RC2 class is roughly equivalent to Rally2 level seen in other series around the world.

TGR-WRT enters the ARA National Championship beginning with this round as part of its mission to develop cars on North American roads and create ever better motorsports-bred cars alongside the competition program.

Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is one of the fastest events on the ARA calendar and a long-time driver favorite, founded in 1977 and now staging its 30th running in 2026. The rally is well-known for the wide open, fast, and flowing roads of the Mark Twain National Forest.

The 2026 itinerary covers 125 competition miles on gravel across two days of action.

Quintero arrives to American stage rally as an established global rally raid talent. A Red Bull athlete, he set a Dakar Rally record with 12 stage wins in a single edition and continues to compete in parallel in the FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC).

Alongside him, Luhtinen brings European rally experience and pace note precision to the GR Corolla Rally RC2 debut. The Finnish co-driver has competed at FIA European Rally Championship level and worked alongside Jari-Matti Latvala and Juho Hanninen during the development of the GR Corolla Rally RC2.

As a brand new team and a brand new car starting their first event together, this weekend is a true first chapter moment for the program. With high speeds, crests, water crossings, and major spectator turnout, 100 Acre Wood offers an immediate deep-end test for both crew and package.

Event schedule overview (subject to change)
Thursday, March 12: RallyFest in Cuba
Friday, March 13: Parc Expose in Potosi, service at Huzzah Valley Resort, 5 stages
Saturday, March 14: Parc Expose in Salem, 8 stages, with the service and podium celebration also at Dent County Commons

The GR Corolla Rally RC2 program is supported by OMP Racing and PIAA lights.

Quotes:
Jonne Halttunen (Program Manager)
We are very excited to begin the season at the 100 Acre Wood Rally with the debut of our new GR Corolla Rally RC2 car. This event marks an important milestone for the project and for the entire team, who have worked very hard to prepare the car for its first competitive outing. It is also a special event for Seth Quintero, as it will be his first rally in the ARA championship. Our focus this weekend is to gain valuable experience, collect important data, and continue developing the GR Corolla Rally in real rally conditions.”

Seth Quintero (Driver car 103)
“I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Toyota GR Corolla Rally RC2. The more time we have behind the wheel and the more time we have making pace notes, I’m feeling more and more comfortable. Even with the limited amount of time that I have in rally, I’m excited to go out and learn and probably get humbled, which is a good thing. I know it’s going to take some time to get up to the pace of the other teams. There’s a lot of talent here and I’m really looking forward to fighting with the drivers running up front, so I think it will be good. There are some really nice roads here in Missouri, and it was really enjoyable doing the recce today. Tomorrow is race day, and our main goal is to finish every mile, get it to the finish line and learn as much valuable information as I can for myself and the team, then take that and build for the next race.”

Follow us!

Follow TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT:
∇Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TOYOTAGAZOORacingWRC
∇X: https://x.com/TGR_WRC (@TGR_WRC)
∇Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgr_wrc/ (@TGR_WRC)
∇YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TOYOTAGAZOORacingJPchannel