ERC 2013

[chasing cars]

So what do you all make of this?

http://erc24.com/archives/6818#more-6818

[Hickey]

Dreadful idea.

So, if you have 16 SuperCars and all in one day and there's a crash in the first heat, you then have to spend the rest of the day watching only 14 (and maybe fewer) cars. Not to mention that there'll only be one final.

We are off to Belgium next week for a full weekend's racing, there's no way we'd go to that trouble for 2 hours of racing on a Sunday (as quoted on that article)...

There are so many other issues with it (like how they select the 14 drivers) butI'll let the others criticise that!

[I Rosputnik]

Restricting the entry list is going to do this series no favours...

[Barrie]

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse I come home to read this. I see this as a direct threat to my beloved sport and would like fellow rallycross fans to really show there disapproval to these bizarre plans. I no its not confirmed by any means but seriously what are they doing.

[paul1982]

Totaly agree with hicky. I went to 7 races this year. No way i do that for 2 hours racing with 16 or less supercars. And lets face it s1600 and touringcar is good but you come for supercars!

It is a realy stupid idea!
Drivers like coox and v mechelen build or buy new cars and want to do more ERC in 2013...... If there a lucky they are guest driver in belgium...

[sashchris]

To quote Arthur Debs "oh dear oh dear oh dear"
This is starting to get a real worry , just where is rallycross going just how can this be good for anybody.
This is what happens when you get people / corporates etc running sports that they have no real knowledge and passion for and are generally only interested in gearing for tv and making it professional , that would seem to be the only interest here because it certainly wouldn't be good for spectators, certainly wouldn't be good for the vast majority of competitors and is certainly not in the interests of rallycross as a whole !

[WJM]

Originally Posted by sashchris

To quote Arthur Debs "oh dear oh dear oh dear"
This is starting to get a real worry , just where is rallycross going just how can this be good for anybody.
This is what happens when you get people / corporates etc running sports that they have no real knowledge and passion for and are generally only interested in gearing for tv and making it professional , that would seem to be the only interest here because it certainly wouldn't be good for spectators, certainly wouldn't be good for the vast majority of competitors and is certainly not in the interests of rallycross as a whole !

Don't you think Hansen, Eriksson, Pinomaki and M.Technologies with their big race outfits were consulted in this? Don't you think Höljes, Lydden and the other top organisers were consulted in this? Of course they were!

[schanche]

Originally Posted by WJM

Don't you think Hansen, Eriksson, Pinomaki and M.Technologies with their big race outfits were consulted in this? Don't you think Höljes, Lydden and the other top organisers were consulted in this? Of course they were!

That's good then! They obviously run the show, have more input than any other Entry fee paying Super car driver and the super 1600 and touring car driver!
Next no doubt the Jnr class will be more high profile than the others? Oh and guess who is behind them! This all stinks of greedy money grabbing *******s not interested in the sport of Rallycross.

[WJM]

Originally Posted by schanche

That's good then! They obviously run the show, have more input than any other Entry fee paying Super car driver and the super 1600 and touring car driver!
Next no doubt the Jnr class will be more high profile than the others? Oh and guess who is behind them! This all stinks of greedy money grabbing *******s not interested in the sport of Rallycross.

There aren't so many other supercar drivers anyway
Sweden: 25
Norway: 23
Hungary: 20
Austria: 17
France: 31, 13 of them French national drivers.
UK: 24
So basically 1 to 8 drivers in every country get disappointed. This could also be seen as an opportunity for the national championships? The French seem to do allright and they never really bothered with the ERC except Pailler.

That Super1600 and Touringcars won't be driving on Sunday, won't necessarry mean that it's only Supercars on Sunday. It could also mean that the rest of Sunday will be filled with Support Races. Or maybe a qualifying event for the remaining 2 spots??

[paul1982]

This year you are true. But the previois years we had 30+! but now with the economy and GRC it is less. But next year drivers like marklund and bakkerud maybe take the step.... Are they by the 14 drivers? If not why not go to the US? And they are gone... Who chose the 14 drivers + guests?
So it is not possible to grow! I think it is another reason to go to the US!? No limited entery.... So who decides that new talent get a change? Or same as in F1 with teams? Then you put GRC and ERC together to get enough factory teams....

At the moment it sounds as a very bad idea! I want to see supercars! As many as possible! I go to france because there is a 30+ field! At the moment there are 16 for 2013.... Like Hicky said one crash and you have 15,14 less cars... And i think it is not worthwhile to drive for 5 heats supercars to france, sweden or Czech Republik from Holland.

So i say 99% bad idea! 1% let see and maybe be suprised?

[schanche]

Originally Posted by WJM

There aren't so many other supercar drivers anyway
Sweden: 25
Norway: 23
Hungary: 20
Austria: 17
France: 31, 13 of them French national drivers.
UK: 24
So basically 1 to 8 drivers in every country get disappointed. This could also be seen as an opportunity for the national championships? The French seem to do allright and they never really bothered with the ERC except Pailler.

That Super1600 and Touringcars won't be driving on Sunday, won't necessarry mean that it's only Supercars on Sunday. It could also mean that the rest of Sunday will be filled with Support Races. Or maybe a qualifying event for the remaining 2 spots??

Also means that Saturdays and the Super1600 and Touring cars will have hardly any spectators as the majority of Rallycross fans come to see the supercars! Circuits will loose revenue with poor attendance on the Saturday!
And if its support acts on the sunday then wait hang on lets have the Juniors running ! Kerching! But when you ask the above so called all of a sudden officianados then that suits there plan.. All this plays into Global Rallycross hands extreme so called Rallycross events limitied to 16 super car drivers gradually faze out the other classes abolish ERC voila Global Rallycross at last!
Utter Bull****..
And I for one will be looking for motorsport fix elsewhere.

[Stephen H]

One is this story only on one of the websites?

Is there any truth in it?

[sashchris]

I would expect they were and yes I would imagine the "big race outfits" such as Hansen , M technologies and OMSE would be pretty much the only ones who could make the required commitment so fine for them but what about the rest, Mats Lysen started this season with a budget to only do the first half for certain, on that basis he would be out then would he ?
Many privateers have to juggle business commitments with racing and can't possibly commit to doing every round, an example would be Kevin Proctor who won in France and became only the third (I think) to do so from the c final, so he and this bit of rallycross history wouldn't happen !
Many others are having to work hard to get budgets into place with just weeks before season starts at times
So we end up with four "big race outfits" all running four cars apiece mmm
And what about spectators, a lot of people maybe can't manage to attend both days, so choose Saturday and not see any supercars or choose Sunday and see a couple of hours of racing or more likely say sod that and choose neither !

[WJM]

Originally Posted by paul1982

This year you are true. But the previois years we had 30+! but now with the economy and GRC it is less. But next year drivers like marklund and bakkerud maybe take the step.... Are they by the 14 drivers? If not why not go to the US? And they are gone... Who chose the 14 drivers + guests?

The selection process will probably go like other motorsports where the 14 slots will be auctioned of to raceteams. If Marklund and Bakkerud then want to compete, they will buy into one of the 14 teams.

[sashchris]

Originally Posted by WJM

Don't you think Hansen, Eriksson, Pinomaki and M.Technologies with their big race outfits were consulted in this? Don't you think Höljes, Lydden and the other top organisers were consulted in this? Of course they were!

I would expect they were and yes I would imagine the "big race outfits" such as Hansen , M technologies and OMSE would be pretty much the only ones who could make the required commitment so fine for them but what about the rest, Mats Lysen started this season with a budget to only do the first half for certain, on that basis he would be out then would he ?
Many privateers have to juggle business commitments with racing and can't possibly commit to doing every round, an example would be Kevin Proctor who won in France and became only the third (I think) to do so from the c final, so he and this bit of rallycross history wouldn't happen !
Many others are having to work hard to get budgets into place with just weeks before season starts at times
So we end up with four "big race outfits" all running four cars apiece mmm
And what about spectators, a lot of people maybe can't manage to attend both days, so choose Saturday and not see any supercars or choose Sunday and see a couple of hours of racing or more likely say sod that and choose neither !
Today 22:56

[WJM]

Originally Posted by schanche

Also means that Saturdays and the Super1600 and Touring cars will have hardly any spectators as the majority of Rallycross fans come to see the supercars! Circuits will loose revenue with poor attendance on the Saturday!

Sadly spectators don't really matter in the big money making world. They'll just put up a VIP tent where the chosen few can nibble on caviar and make more money then hosting a bunch of spectators.

[chunder]

I dont really think there is much chance of caviar at a rallycross meeting fella, what world do you live in!

Saturday meetings never seem to sttract much attendance, no matter what goes on, Sunday seems to be the day for racing, I am ued to Saturday night racing with short oval stuff, so it's a bit weird for me to get used to Sunday being the day!

[AndyS]

Is this actually confirmed yet? If so I dispair at the FIA as I assume its them behind it. They seem intend on making a ******** of every form of motor sport they can get their hands on at the moment. How is this in any way shape or form positive and going to benefit anybody other than the promoters and possible the bigger teams getting paid to run the cars.

As a spectator the ERC event at Lydden is on my list of events to see. Bearing in mind the distance involved I wouldn't be bothering if this comes in and reading the comments on here I'm not the only one.

The organisers of the GRC must be reading this news this morning and rolling about laughing. I'm of the opinion that the ERC needs change, but this is not the way to go. The FIA are really so far out of touch with what the fans want and what actually works in all forms of motor sport its freightening. Sure it maybe what the money makers and manufacturers want but whats the point if its dead after a few years. Just look at FIA GT as a prime example.

[tbtstt]

Perhaps we are making snap judgments based on what little we've read so far but, from what that article says, I'm really not liking what I'm reading.

I could be jumping to conclusions, but this seems to be the exact polar opposite of what should be happening: why are they taking the weak elements from the GRC and applying them to the ERC? The greatest strengths of the ERC are the quality of its tracks, racing and high entry levels. I don't know if removing one of those will necessarily ruin the ERC, but I think it will weaken it: and for what gain?

The priority of the "new management" should be promotion and marketing. That is something that the series (ERC) is seriously lacking at the moment and something that the GRC seems to have a handle on. The racing isn't broken: why are they trying to fix that?

Am I the only one now expecting the next press release to tell us the current heat/final system is being abandoned as well?


NB: And does anyone know who this management company are?

[Hickey]

The way they have a core of competitors and then a couple of extras per event, it seems a lot like the Speedway Grand Prix. Maybe they will do more heats and have a points system, like the Speedway. Problem with that is the reliability, as I said before. If a Speedway rider bins it, chances are he'll be out again.

As said before, limited numbers is just not what the fans want (and presumably a lot of the sponsors of the lesser supercars, who now won't get exposure, and the s1600 and touring cars, who won't get the same levels of exposure).

And if it is all for money reasons, surely reducing entries and significantly impacting spectator numbers loses you money...

[Upside Down Bug]

I find this all rather odd

[chunder]

This is such crap i thought the date was April 1st

I reckon it's all about trying to tie ERC in with Dirt5 or whatever the tripe they put on in the US is.

If it s you will lose most of the fans you have now, OK you might gain some but us, Benelux, Scandinavia will likely go their own way I hope.

Disgrace, only word for it

[chasing cars]

I am of the opinion that the ERC does need to change a little but this is not the way id do it! I can understand them wanting drivers to comit to a whole season rather than going off and doing other things but as already stated many are unsure about having a seasons budget in April let alone the previous October. Also theres no guarantee they will get the best 14 drivers, Foust for instance will no doubt favour the GRC if a round should clash so we could end up with a few team drivers plus a few well off "gentleman drivers".

Expecting the likes of Marklund and Bakkerud just to be able to walk into a big team is noncence and then theres the likes of Holte Bermingrud and Hundsbedt plus many others who have supported the ERC in the past, some for many years and may now find themeselves on the sidelines.

As a suggestion though of course no one ever listens to the fans why dont they have the 14 contracted drivers but be joined by 6 more who qualify from 3 rounds of heats. One heat on the saturday with the fastest 2 straight through to the main event then 2 more heats on the Sunday morning. This give the saturday crowd some supercar action and also give us a whole days racing on the sunday, those with a just a 2 hour concentration span could just turn up for the main televised event. Also it gives all drivers the chance to compete in the ERC (and maybe even cause an upset by going on a winning the main event and builds the weekend up to the main Sunday afternoon event with all the big names. Not an ideal situation I know but I think better than whats being mooted.

[FIRE]

We have to wait for the official plans but this sounds very bad!

I cannot think of a single thing why 14 fixed + 2 invited drivers is better than an open series with 20+ cars.
Also moving Super1600 and Touringcars to Saturday is stupid. The only reason to do that if there are 60 Supercars.

In my opinion there isn't much wrong with the ERC. The sport (grid sizes, tracks and racing) itself is good to very good. The only thing that needs improvement is promotion. Why is there no official series website? Why do they have no series sponsors? Improve TV production.

I hoped they learned from GRC on the promotion side but like a previous poster said it looks like ERC tries to fix thing that aren't broken.

[richp175]

i may be missing the point over all this BUT surely there must have been or is planned for the future a meeting with the FIA, the Off Roads Commision, the ERC hierachy and all the respective clubs/organisations involved? i cant believe the likes of LHMC, Holjes, Estering and the like would honestly back such a ludicrous and quite frankly dangerous proposal.

isnt one of the remits of the FIA to promote all the genres of motorsport that is under its wing? a move of this scale will do nothing but kill off a form of motorsport that has shown itself to have a justifiably loyal fan base no matter what pitfalls have been put in the way of people to enjoy be it spectators or drivers.

does the ERC really need the FIA to continue? seems to me the FIA are trying to hold the ERC back or , this is a controversial comment, is there someone in the FIA who has money tied up in the GRC? just a thought