by Chip Witt, Redwoods Region

Series Overview

NAHRC logoThe North American Horizons Rally Championship is a PCA Sim Racing-hosted, multi‑round rally series that uses Richard Burns Rally together with the current RallySimFans (RSF) plugin and stage pack. Participants are solely responsible for obtaining and installing Richard Burns Rally and the RSF mod (with NGP physics and an active RSF profile) in accordance with the instructions provided by RallySimFans. It is an independently organized series that runs on the RallySimFans online infrastructure but is not an official RallySimFans championship.

Events are created and administered using RSF’s online rally and championship tools and will be password‑protected, so only registered PCA Sim Racing drivers can join official sessions. PCA Sim Racing does not distribute Richard Burns Rally or the RSF plugin and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, their developers or rights holders.

Concept and Calendar

The series is a continent‑spanning journey “edge to edge” across North America, expressed through 9 thematically distinct rallies representing key regions in the United States and Canada. Each event uses North American–styled leg and stage names to evoke specific locales (for example, Pacific Northwest forests, Appalachian ridges, Atlantic coasts), while the actual in‑game stages are drawn from the broader RSF catalog.

2026 North American HORIZONS Rally ChampionshipBecause Richard Burns Rally does not yet contain a full suite of genuine North American stages, the real stages are chosen for their ambiance and driving character (forest density, altitude, coastline, desert, farmland) rather than strict geography, every rally’s roadbook will clearly list both the themed alias and the actual RSF stage name, so drivers can enjoy the narrative layer without losing clarity for practice and setup work.

Across the season, the calendar follows a logical geographic arc from Pacific to Atlantic, tracing a narrative journey across North America:

  • Pacific Coast Rally (February 16–23) – Damp, forested backroads in the spirit of coastal Washington and Oregon, with heavy tree cover and changeable weather.
  • Sierra Nevada Summit Rally (March 23–30) – Alpine climbs and descents inspired by California’s Sierra Nevada, featuring steep gradients, cliffs, and high‑altitude sections.
  • Mojave & Canyons Rally (April 20–27) – Desert and canyon stages echoing Nevada and Arizona landscapes, built around classic U.S.‑style dusty, rocky routes.
  • Rockies Highline Rally (May 25–June 1) – High‑altitude forest and mountain roads reminiscent of Colorado and Wyoming passes, with long views and significant elevation changes.
  • Great Lakes Forest Rally (June 22–29) – Dense forests and lakeside stages in the style of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with softer edges and “North‑woods” scenery.
  • Appalachian Ridge Rally (July 20–27) – Narrow, cambered ridge and hollow roads inspired by Pennsylvania and West Virginia, emphasising rhythm and risk management on tight backroads.
  • New England Forest Classic (August 24–31) – Rough, attritional logging‑road style stages recalling Maine and New Hampshire, with rocks, ruts, and higher mechanical risk.
  • Laurentian Lakes Rally (September 21–28) – Shield‑rock forests and lakeside gravel reminiscent of interior Quebec and Ontario, using Nordic‑style lakes stages as Canadian stand‑ins.
  • Atlantic Coast Finale (October 19–26) – Coastal and inland roads closing the journey in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, highlighted by dramatic sea views and a long ocean‑side finale.

In contrast to many existing RSF championships that mirror real‑world WRC calendars, this series is designed as a narrative North American tour specifically tailored to Porsche machinery.

Cars and Driving Philosophy

Car eligibility is tightly focused on Porsche machinery: only the “Group 4 Porsche 911 SC 3.0”, “Group B Porsche 911 SC RS 3.0”, “Porsche 911 GT3 RS (2010) RGT”, and “Porsche 911 GT3 RS (2007) RGT” as they appear in the RSF car list will be allowed. This creates a consistent Porsche‑only field with a spectrum from historic rear‑engined gravel cars to modern RGT‑spec GT3s, all sharing rear‑drive dynamics and rewarding precise weight transfer, traction management, and commitment on mixed‑surface stages.

To preserve the intended driving challenge and reward manual car control, the North American Horizons Rally Championship does not permit automatic transmission. Drivers must use a manual gearbox (via H‑pattern, sequential shifter, or wheel paddles) for all championship runs. Use of an automatic clutch and other hardware‑specific conveniences is allowed, but gear changes must be made manually rather than by the game.

Rallies, Pacenotes, and Preparation

Each of the 9 rallies in the championship runs up to five legs with a mix of short tests, medium‑length runs, and one or more long “marathon” stages that define the event’s character. Rallies are open for one week, allowing competitors to drive at their own pace while still sharing a common classification window.

Roadbook (example)

To encourage structured preparation, roadbooks are published two weeks before each rally opens, giving drivers time to inspect itineraries, stage lists, and service structure, and to plan when and how they will recce. While the default pacenotes included with RSF and individual stages are generally usable, optimising pacenotes is considered part of competitive preparation. Drivers are encouraged to run recce passes, review and edit notes, add additional warnings, and tailor call timing to suit their own driving style and the unique balance of the various 911s.

Sporting Regulations

Click here.

Championships and Recognition

The North American Horizons Rally Championship will award both overall and class‑based championship points from the cumulative results of each rally. Overall standings reflect raw pace across the full Porsche field, while class standings recognise performance within each homologation group (Group 4, Group B, and RGT). This dual‑layer approach mirrors how real‑world series and established sim championships track both outright and category results over a season.

NOTE: At present, this championship is not recognized by RSF, so the overall and class championship points will be tallied and presented outside of the RSF system via this PCA Sim Racing webpage and Discord.

Installation

Here’s how to do the full installation.