RIDGECREST, CA — The United States Rally Championship announced the following Calendar for the 2012 season:

The United States Rally Championship consists of a combination of two tarmac rallies and four gravel rallies. Events of the United States Rally Championship allow for two-pass reconnaissance and pace notes. The combination of tarmac events and gravel events, full reconnaissance and pace notes make the United States Rally Championship unique in North America as no other series in North America encompasses all these features. There are no other tarmac National Championship rallies on the calendar in North America.

The United States Rally Championship will continue taking bold steps to make national competition more affordable and accessible to a larger number of rally teams. 131 drivers and co-drivers participated in the 2011 season of the United States Rally Championship.

The Championship structure minimizes or, for many teams, eliminates the need for repeated cross-country travel during the Championship season by providing competition on each side of the country. The final round of the Championship at the end of the year counts both in the Atlantic Division and the Pacific Division and together with the results from all previous rounds decides the top spots in the Championship.

As in the previous season, any team either from the Atlantic Division or from the Pacific Division will receive a free entry when competing in any championship event outside its home division. More information on the United States Rally Championship is available at www.usrallychampionship.com.