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I am not American and I don't follow GRC so I have no idea how it is going over there. I have watched the odd rcae and it is similar to WRX, first bend carnage, jumps, awful joker laps, but their dirt sections seem to hold up better.
They have done a decent job in marketing, using Dirt games and Iracing to launch an off road part of that game, therby making people aware of it who play games. Something WRX have also tried and failed at really.
Indeed Scott Speed did himself no favours by getting himself banned for ramming people constantly in Iracing and being banned, nice you cretin.
From what I see the tracks are OK, not as good as old tracks but about the same as WRX car parks.
They don't get big grids, and if it wasn't for Eriksson I think the series would have died as he basically provides most of the cars with RX Lites too. With old Fiestas and his Honda's. Only Subaru have really maintained an interest after Saab, Dodge and Hyundai realised what a waste of money it was.
BTRDA are on same day, IMG will not allow anything WRX, ERX related to run there unless it's totally separate as they are going to South Africa and the two classes cant run together anyway, neither WRX or GRC.
Regarding the split. This will only happen if someone comes up with a ton of cash, and I mean millions. Somehow IMG bought the rights to ERC, ERX etc as that was all that existed when they bought it, they created WRX, ERX is what it used to be.
They are not stupid and clearly wrote into their WRX contract that if anyone wants to split ERC away again they will have to pay a substantial fee. Plus you would not be allowed likely to run on existing WRX tracks (lets face it, who in their right mind would want to anyway). They need it as electric will be garbage for live fans and they need a support system, and the money they bring in entry fees and reg fees.
So the only chance for a new series is for a Pat, or someone like that to put the money into it. He would have no problem getting the old hardcore fans, or the old tracks like Belgium, Holland, Poland, Hungary, Czecho.
What he would have an problem with is making it worthwhile for drivers to leave the IMG cash grab and go with him. Or whoever it is. It will happen in my view but IMG will make it so damned difficult. Hate to say I told you so, and I was full of hope when they initially took over. But they might well do a Stott here and split rallycross apart globally.
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