World Rallycross Championship 2018

[HoleInTheHedge]

Its reported on Facebook

Michel Nandan and Hyundai Motorsport confirmed their arrival in FIA World Rallycross Championship with Marcus Grönholm

[J.U.]

Originally Posted by HoleInTheHedge

Its reported on Facebook

Michel Nandan and Hyundai Motorsport confirmed their arrival in FIA World Rallycross Championship with Marcus Grönholm

Excellent. I´m sure that the Hyundai will be a competitive car, they just need a better driver than Niclas in the second car...

[HoleInTheHedge]

Originally Posted by J.U.

Excellent. I´m sure that the Hyundai will be a competitive car, they just need a better driver than Niclas in the second car...

Bakkerud???

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by HoleInTheHedge

Its reported on Facebook

Where??

[HoleInTheHedge]

Originally Posted by Cinghio44

Where??

The “Pure Rallycross” page have it, also one or two others

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by HoleInTheHedge

The “Pure Rallycross” page have it, also one or two others

Thanks

[FIRE]

Hyundai

[FIRE]

Off-topic:

Belgian Jochen Coox has bought a Marklund Polo. Last year this car was driven by Magda Andersson. He will do probably full season French championship.

http://www.rx-inside.be/2018/01/25/h...n-jochen-coox/

[J.U.]

From the facebook account of Max J. Pucher:

Originally Posted by Max J. Pucher

Letzten Dienstag gab es bei IMG In London das erste Team-Meeting 2018 in dem auch die Pläne für RXE, also elektrisches Rallycross vorgestellt wurden. Diese wurden uns unter dem Siegel der Geheimhaltung mitgeteilt. Einen Punkt hatte ich allerdings schon Wochen davor gehört und sehe daher keinen Grund ihn nicht anzusprechen. In 2020 oder spätestens 2021 soll RXE die aktuelle Supercar Weltmeisterschaft ablösen. Danach wird es nur noch EuroRX Supercars bei IMG geben. Wie lange wohl? Die Konsequenz davon ist ein Aussterben der Teams und Firmen die heutige RX Supercars bauen. Vielleicht findet jemand standardisierte Carbonteile für RXE liefern gut aber das ist kein Fortschritt für Rallycross. Ob die Pläne aufgehen, dass private Teams bei RXE werden mitwirken können ist sehr fraglich. Sicher steht die Welt nicht still und es ist wohl so, dass dies unter Druck der Autohersteller und Umweltfanatiker passiert und FIA und IMG hier mitspielen müssen. Parallel dazu versucht IMG Einfluss im amerikanischen Rallycross zu gewinnen was dem Sport eher nicht gut tun wird. Ich war seit Anbeginn ein ehrlicher Verfechter der WRX und was sie für RX, Fahrer und Fans tun kann. Ich frage mich nun ob das gerechtfertigt ist. Auch wie Zuschauer den Sport konsumieren ändert sich und stellt bisheriges Sponsoring und damit private Teams in Frage. IMG hat kein Interesse für private Teams etwas zu tun und will die Rennen in Volksfeste mit ein bisschen elektrischem Autofahren verwandeln. Kaum ein heutiger RX Fan wird dort hingehen. Ich denke, dass Supercars in der derzeitigen Regulation und dem sich ändernden Markt dem Untergang geweiht sind und damit kommt generell und national eine Reduktion der ohnehin knappen Zuschauerzahlen. Bleibt die Frage: Wie gestalten wir die Zukunft von ECHTEM Rallycross ausserhalb der WRX?

He says that IMG plans to introduce electric cars in World RX for 2020 or 2021. Apart from this there will be only the Euro RX championship for "traditional supercars". This would probably be the end for teams like MJP Racing...

[geordiecriag101]

J.U. you beat me too it, here's the English post from their page plus link:

"Here a short video of our LionRX3 Supercar with its genuine lion roar. This successful shakedown was the culmination of a 12 month development program at MJP Racing. Listen to it and don't miss a Supercar race in 2018 and 2019 because that might be your last chance. Last Tuesday we had the first 2018 team meeting at IMG in London. At this event also the plans for RXE or electric Rallycross were presented with the demand for non-disclosure so I can't tell you what we already know. One aspect however I had heard weeks before so it was already public. In 2020 or latest 2021 RXE will REPLACE the current WRX Supercar World Championship. Only EuroRX Supercars will remain and the question is for how long. I see the probability that it will end the production of world class Supercars. Maybe some find the manufacturing of standardised carbon chassis for RXE exciting but it does not do anything for Rallycross and puts the participation of private teams seriously in question. Sure, the world moves on and obviously there is a lot of pressure from manufacturers and environmentalists so FIA and IMG submit to that. On a sideline IMG tries to gain influence in American Rallycross which also won't do the sport any good. I have been a fervent supporter of WRX since day one and now I wonder if I am right. Also the way fans consume Rallycross is changing and kills existing sponsorship models that private teams were depending on. IMG sees no reason to take that into account in their plans and focuses on turning WRX in a county fair with a little electric racing. Not many true RX fans will go there. It could be the beginning of the end of the age of current RX Supercars down to the national level most likely reducing the sparse spectator crowds further unless we do something about it. It poses one major question: How will we create the future of TRUE Rallycross outside WRX?"

https://www.facebook.com/mjpracingrallycross/

[FIRE]

No doubt electric RX will be the end of privateers.

[NaBUru38]

Privateers can do European RX, can't they?

[FIRE]

ERX is for privateers.

[chunder]

This for me is why ERX will never be purchased by anyone and was in fact priced out of reach by IMG, they need a backup. And ERX is it, or fans just wont go and watch.

Their idea all along was to have manufacturer top class, a few teams perhaps. This is just the same thing with electric cars.

I don't actually think electric is a bad thing, will certainly be more exciting for manufacturers than FE and anything else, short, sharp races, easy to charge, my only issue is the contact element.

Sadly the tv coverage model they have now is pretty much 95% WRX, so the privateers will get nothing, but then again they do now, despite paying a fortune to be there.

[Hickey]

I think rallycross lends itself very well to electric cars. The cars are already so quiet (anti lag aside) and I'm sure that electric cars would be good to watch with their impressive torque.

However, if they went down this route I would hope that it would be in addition to the existing supercar framework. As chunder says, keep the ERX at rounds so the fans get more bang for their buck and have the top manufacturers compete at the Electric RX level with silly budgets.

There is a way to keep the majority of people happy but IMG don't seem too adept at finding that recently...

[WJM]

From the MJP quote: "Standardised carbon chassis"

Does that mean it will be like RX-Lites were everybody drives identical cars apart from the bodywork?

[tbtstt]

I'm still very much on the fence with electric cars. I love the spectacle of the current cars, but I can see how good a fit for rallycross electric could be and it seems like the electric cars will be just as fast as the existing Supercars.

As has already been said, if this is sensibly implemented it could work for everyone. The World Championship becomes an upper tier for manufacturers, while the traditional Supercar lives on in a more accessible European Championship. The World Championship goes to the venues that provides the biggest spectacle for the sponsors and manufacturers, while the Euros stick with the traditional circuits.

Originally Posted by WJM

From the MJP quote: "Standardised carbon chassis"

Does that mean it will be like RX-Lites were everybody drives identical cars apart from the bodywork?

This might be a blessing in that it will keep cars in roughly the same configuration and keep those with a bigger budget from running away with things. I wonder also if there are safety concerns with electric and, by ensuring there is a "control" chassis, they are minimizing risk.

[Pozi]

Mattias Ekstrom has just confirmed he is leaving DTM and will focus on rallycross this year.

New cars from Audi.

[tbtstt]

So with Ekstrom confirming his participation in the 2018 Championship (and also that the old cars are sold and new cars are being built), I have updated the list:

GCK - Renault Megane RS RX - Guerlain Chicherit (World RX)
GCK - Renault Megane RS RX - ? (World RX)
Peugeot Sport? - Peugeot 208 - Sebastien Loeb (World RX)
EKS RX - Audi S1 - Mattias Ekstrom (World RX)
EKS RX - Audi S1 - ? (World RX?)
PSRXVW - Volkswagen Polo - Johan Kristoffersson (World RX?)
PSRXVW - Volkswagen Polo - Petter Solberg? (World RX?)
Gronhom RX - Hyundai i20 - ? (World RX?)
Gronhom RX - Hyundai i20 - ? (World RX?)
MJP Racing - Ford Fiesta - ? (World RX?)

Xite Racing - Ford Fiesta - Oliver Bennett (Select World RX)

G-FORS - Renault Clio RS RX - Jere Kalliokoski (Euro RX)
G-FORS - Renault Clio RS RX - ? (Euro RX)

[CS1]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

So with Ekstrom confirming his participation in the 2018 Championship (and also that the old cars are sold and new cars are being built), I have updated the list:

GCK - Renault Megane RS RX - Guerlain Chicherit (World RX)
GCK - Renault Megane RS RX - ? (World RX)
Peugeot Sport? - Peugeot 208 - Sebastien Loeb (World RX)
EKS RX - Audi S1 - Mattias Ekstrom (World RX)
EKS RX - Audi S1 - ? (World RX?)
PSRXVW - Volkswagen Polo - Johan Kristoffersson (World RX?)
PSRXVW - Volkswagen Polo - Petter Solberg? (World RX?)
Gronhom RX - Hyundai i20 - ? (World RX?)
Gronhom RX - Hyundai i20 - ? (World RX?)
MJP Racing - Ford Fiesta - ? (World RX?)

Xite Racing - Ford Fiesta - Oliver Bennett (Select World RX)

G-FORS - Renault Clio RS RX - Jere Kalliokoski (Euro RX)
G-FORS - Renault Clio RS RX - ? (Euro RX)

So do we think its only a 2 car team this time?
Whos the second driver likely to be?
Wonder who has got the other 2 older cars?
Will this year be a full Audi entry?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by CS1

So do we think its only a 2 car team this time?
Whos the second driver likely to be?
Wonder who has got the other 2 older cars?
Will this year be a full Audi entry?

I hope its more, but I guess it depends how much Audi are contributing to the project? I am assuming that the car used will be an S1 again, but if its Audi money funding it I guess there is a possibility they may choose another platform?

[crossfades]

Ekström told parcferme.no a while ago that if they were to build new cars it may not be the S1, even if he preferred that base, due to the marketing perspective.

[J.U.]

"Csucsu" is testing with STARD in Greinbach today.

[tbtstt]

EKS will reveal their second driver this morning and Bakkerud is promising to reveal his plans for 2018. Coincidence?...

[Pozi]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

EKS will reveal their second driver this morning and Bakkerud is promising to reveal his plans for 2018. Coincidence?...

Cat is out of the bag from the man himself, seems the deal was done in secret months ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dunyng4Z6k