We love all things rally at Crankshaft Culture. Last year, Kubota—yes, the orange tractor company—became a major sponsor of the American Rally Association (ARA). The ARA is the largest rally organization in the United States. Today, they announced they’ll continue to support the group. Plus, they’re adding title sponsorship of the world-famous Olympus Rally to their portfolio.
“Kubota’s roster of partnerships includes NASCAR’s Trackhouse Racing, the National Cutting Horse Association, MLB’s Texas Rangers, and the Professional Bull Riders, and ARA shares a lot of the same traits: gritty, outdoors, adrenaline-filled, and proudly American,” said Theresa Duncan, Associate Director for Marketing and Advertising, Kubota Tractor Corporation. “As a marketing platform, ARA represents great value, and as a community, it represents shared values. We couldn’t be happier about extending our partnership.”
Adding Olympus Rally Sponsorship
In addition to continuing to serve as the Official Land Management Equipment of the ARA, the brand’s signature bright orange tractors, UTVs, and a range of compact construction, turf, and property maintenance equipment will be on full display in Shelton, Washington, April 17-19, as Kubota assumes title sponsorship of round three of the 2026 ARA National Championship.
“Last year was Kubota’s first in American Rally, and the fit between their brand and our particular form of outdoor automotive adventure was instant and obvious,” said Preston Osborn, ARA Series Manager. “This year, they’re refining their program and adding to their commitment, and this special edition of the Olympus Rally is the perfect opportunity for Kubota, their dealers, and customers to deepen their engagement with our sport and our community.”
The 2026 Kubota Olympus Rally, Presented by DirtFish, will mark 40 years since the event was first included on the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. It was a WRC round 1986-1988—and the last time the legendary Group B rally cars, widely considered the golden era of global rallying, competed anywhere in the world. To honor the occasion, Olympus is expanding to a three-day itinerary, featuring 200 high-speed special stage miles.
“The Olympus Rally is a world-class event, and every year is special, but this year will be one for the ages,” said Steve McQuaid, Olympus Rally Organizing Committee Chairman. “Having Kubota onboard will help us take the rally to new heights and properly celebrate a legendary time in our history, when the world came to Washington to witness the breathtaking performance of the Group B cars and the bravery and skill of some of the world’s best drivers and co-drivers who dared take them to their limits on our forest roads.”
ARA National Championship
The 2026 ARA National Championship kicked off with the SnoDrift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan, on February 6-7. This rally is believed to be the only snow-and-ice rally in the world run without studded tires. SnoDrift lived up to its reputation for unpredictability and surprise wins. Stars including Lia Block and Travis Pastrana led, but circumstances conspired against them, leaving privateer Mark Piatkowski, both a past ARA class champion and the 2022 Sno*Drift victor, in a perfect position to claim the win.
Piatkowski leads the ARA National Championship coming into round two. The next event, The Rally in The 100 Acre Wood in Salem and Potosi, Missouri, is March 13-14. Piatkowski is trailed by Sean Donnelly and Javier Castro, but all points are still provisional. This is due to multiple protests and pending appeals. For more information about the Kubota Olympus Rally Presented by DirtFish—including the opportunity to get behind the scenes as an event volunteer, visit: https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/olympusrally.
About ARA
The American Rally Association (ARA) is the largest rally organization in the United States. It promotes the country’s only cohesive, nationwide competition for the sport of stage rally: The ARA National Championship.
American Rally is sanctioned by USAC and promoted by Rally Forward LLC. It was founded in 2024 by rally legend Lance Smith. The organization is dedicated to advancing the sport of stage rally in America. Smith is the founder and CEO of Vermont SportsCar. American Rally provides a direct link to pure automotive adventure. It offers a top-speed race against the clock on real roads specifically chosen to challenge production-based cars and world-class drivers on diverse surfaces that include snow, sand, gravel, dirt, and tarmac. To learn more about the ARA and its partners, go to www.AmericanRallyAssociation.org.
About Kubota Tractor Corporation
Kubota Tractor Corporation, Grapevine, Texas, is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota- engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment. This includes a line of tractors, performance-matched implements, and compact construction equipment. The company also offers consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools, commercial turf products, and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, contact: Kubota Tractor Corporation, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051, (888) 4-KUBOTA [(888) 458-2682], Ext. 900, or visit KubotaUSA.com.
Andy Lilienthal is an award-winning writer and has written professionally since 1999. He has over 13 years in the automotive aftermarket working at companies including Warn Industries, Bushwacker, and Lund International. Editorial works include writing and photography for off-road print magazines, to new-car reviews online. He’s a photographer with images in multiple magazines, blog sites, and The New York Times.
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