Take a proven, multi-championship-winning powertrain and put it in a bespoke, rally-focused chassis, and what you get is the STRYKER. A new rally vehicle, which will have its own class in the American Rally Association (ARA) series in 2026 — the ARA STRYKER Challenge Series.
The whole idea of this new vehicle is to offer extremely high performance in a cost-effective platform. Then, line up identical machinery at ARA rally events and let driver skill determine the results versus machinery and money.
What Is a STRYKER?
What exactly is this alien rally beast? The STRYKER is a custom-designed and built rally car. It utilizes the drivetrain and some key components from the Can-Am Maverick R X RC UTV. But, it is built on a full custom tub steel chassis by STRYKER Motorsport.
“We have been in development with the Maverick R powertrain for over a year. I was first intrigued by this powertrain when I saw how competitive they were in the NitroCross series. They put up comparable lap times to the top classes at a fraction of the cost,” said Cole Powelson, co-founder of STRYKER Motorsport.
Powelson went on to say, “I understand rally is completely different, which is why we have developed a chassis specifically for rally application while utilizing a widely available and proven powertrain. We have drawn lots of inspiration from the new Rally 1 car as far as safety and construction is concerned. Our goal is to provide a car that has the safety of a Rally 1 car, the speed of Rally 2 car, and the operating costs at one-third the cost.”
What all that amounts to is a powerful, lightweight, durable, and all-wheel-drive (AWD) ARA-ready rally race car that should start with a price tag of around $135K.
STRYKER says its rally race car comes in at around half the cost of a Rally 2 car — which should have about the same stage times — and has about 30% of the operating costs of one.
A Serious Race Car
The STRYKER might look like a slammed UTV, but it’s a serious rally race car. Sure, it has some beefy, top-spec UTV parts, but the rest is pure rally car DNA. A hydraulic handbrake (optional), AWD, 2,400 pounds, and 250 horsepower should be quick and all kinds of fun!
A three-cylinder turbocharged Rotax engine puts that power to all four corners of the vehicle through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, all parts straight from a 2026 Can-Am Maverick UTV.
The suspension also looks impressive on this machine. It should, as the main components come off the Maverick R X RC. STRYKER Motorsport has yet to announce a suspension development partner, but says an exciting announcement is imminent and that it will be working with a WRC driver to get things right.
The competition car will include a glass windshield and Lexan side windows, FIA-inspired halo seats, energy-absorbing side-impact foam, and a fire suppression system. Yes, it should be quick, but it should also be extremely safe.
The STRYKER has been developed over the past year. It has been tested in the public eye at Pikes Peak in full hillclimb spec with tons of aero, in the NitroCross series with a UTV chassis, and more recently at Rally Ready rally sprint events. So, it’s already been fully shaken down and should be ready for action at ARA stage rallies starting this June.
ARA STRYKER Challenge Series
While you can buy your own STRYKER to race in the new ARA STRYKER Challenge Series, there will also be an arrive-and-drive option. STRYKER Motorsport says that amounts to, “You put your helmet in a bag, get on a plane, and arrive at the rally ready to drive. Everything else is taken care of.” Pricing for the arrive-and-drive program is still being finalized.
While all the details also aren’t finalized for the ARA STRYKER Challenge Series, there are already commitments for five cars in the series.
With some big names in performance racing already behind this machine, like Cole Powelson, Aaron Kaufman, and Block House Racing, the company promises even more exciting news as it shares its development driver and other series drivers soon.
“I am thrilled to return to the rally stages in 2026, driving a STRYKER. I am particularly excited about this new vehicle and the opportunities it presents for entry into the ARA.”
— Lucy Block
Designed to Get More People Into Rally
Besides the lower vehicle cost and much lower operating costs than comparable performance rally machines, the STRYKER is also designed with the intent of growing rally and developing drivers. One way it does that is to offer a “sportsman key.”
This vehicle setting drops the horsepower to 180, by lowering boost pressure. The idea is to allow rookie drivers to learn the vehicle and how to rally with more modest power, bringing speeds down and increasing safety. Then, once dialed in and ready, the STRYKER’s regular key unlocks the vehicle’s full 250 horsepower.
STRYKER Rally Race Car
You might still be thinking that $135K is a lot for a glorified UTV. You’d be right, but you’d be missing the whole point. $135K is extremely inexpensive for a ground-up one-design rally race car that can be competitive near the top of the field at American Rally Racing events.
And, the STRYKER is fully road legal, as all rally cars need to be to compete. This is specifically in order to transit between stages on public roads.
With cars already in production in Salt Lake City, and some top talent already lined up to drive the cars, the inaugural ARA STRYKER Challenge Series should be a fun one to watch. Or, if you have the means and desire, you should reach out to STRYKER Motorsports now to secure a seat and/or vehicle of your own.
The first STRYKER should be delivered to customers at the end of May 2026, ready for shakedown just before the Southern Ohio Forest Rally in June, the first ARA STRYKER Challenge Series event.
