2015 British Rallycross Championship

[tbtstt]

Press release for the 2015 British Rallycross Championship, including dates:

Originally Posted by British Rallycross Championship Press Release

2015 MSA British Rallycross Championship dates announced

Following appointment by the MSA. LHMC and BARC (British RX) wish to announce the 2015 British Rallycross Championship Dates as follows

March 15th Croft

April 6th Lydden

May 10th Pembrey

June 27th/28th Mondello Park (double header)**

July 26th Pembrey

August 31st Lydden

October 10th Croft

With the MSA Rallycross Grand-Prix taking place at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire on Sunday October 11th

A spokesman from LHMC said this week “It is always difficult to create a balanced calendar of events when we ideally have to avoid European/WRX date clashes, which are not announced until November. We have worked extremely hard since that announcement to create our own calendar and with the help of Lydden Hill Circuit and BARC have achieved our objectives and it has been completed in record time. We are already seeing the benefit of our partnership with BARC and are looking forward to the further enhancements it will bring. In the next few weeks we hope to make further announcements regarding television, website and other enhancements to the championship.”

In due course the Technical and Championship Regulations will be announced, as will the points scoring mechanism for the 2015 Championship as well.

For those wishing to join a major televised championship there is something for everyone from affordable entry level to top flight Supercars.

MSA Junior Rallycross, Suzuki One Make Championship, Retro Rallycross, Hot Hatch, Minis, Super 1600, MSA SuperNational plus support from the spectacular RX 150's and of course those unbelievable MSA Supercars will all form part of the exciting package for 2015.

Rallycross was made for television and this remains the prime source of promotion. This makes it ideal for those seeking sponsorship or those wishing to get involved for the first time.

More details can be found in due course on our website www.britishrallycross.co.uk as well as British Rallycross social media outlets.

[Hawkesfire]

Great work BRC at getting the dates out early as this will give a lot of people time to ensure they can book time away from work and with 8 rounds plus the GP and also the BTRDA this should give us all some great racing next year..... better get cracking on with the rebuild of the 206 then......

[leonidas]

But still nine classes for about 50 regularly active drivers. It just doesn't make sense.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Hawkesfire

Great work BRC at getting the dates out early as this will give a lot of people time to ensure they can book time away from work and with 8 rounds plus the GP and also the BTRDA this should give us all some great racing next year..... better get cracking on with the rebuild of the 206 then......

Yep - good to get the dates out nice and early. Interesting to see Knockhill has been dropped - I guess that was the least popular with the drivers? Is one of the Lydden rounds going to be combined with the Belgian championship again does anyone know?

Originally Posted by leonidas

But still nine classes for about 50 regularly active drivers. It just doesn't make sense.

In some ways not chopping and changing the class structure does at least provide a bit of stability - but I think I'd have dropped the Minis, they don't seem to ever have the numbers for a stand alone grid and the cars can run in another class anyway.

[chasing cars]

Good that Lydden is back on Easter Monday hopefully with the Belgians again, though as there is no return round in Belgium or Holland then maybe this has been dropped.

Croft getting a second round is also a positive and will hopefully further increase the interest in the sport in the North of England.

Still too many classes but as long as grids are amalgamated where necessary then its not so bad.

[BigNut]

Personally i Would love to see the following grids
1- Supercar
2- modified & super 1600
3- hot hatch & BMW mini
4- swifts
5 -Rx150
6- juniors
7- retro
Any thoughts?

[leonidas]

1. Supercar
2. Modified
3. Production
4. Juniors (in any approved car 1.2 or under)

Everybody gets a final - ABDE etc. Everybody gets to race. No bull about cars in some classes being 'too old'. No boring single make series.

[AlamakiRX]

Originally Posted by leonidas

1. Supercar
2. Modified
3. Production
4. Juniors (in any approved car 1.2 or under)

Everybody gets a final - ABDE etc. Everybody gets to race. No bull about cars in some classes being 'too old'. No boring single make series.

Good structure which already exists in the BTRDA championship 4 classes with juniors up to 1400cc as per msa regs

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by leonidas

1. Supercar
2. Modified
3. Production
4. Juniors (in any approved car 1.2 or under)

Everybody gets a final - ABDE etc. Everybody gets to race. No bull about cars in some classes being 'too old'. No boring single make series.

In a time when the sport is struggling for numbers, it's the single make series that often have the capacity to provide people with more flexible "arrive and drive" options etc that attracts drivers who might not otherwise be able to get involved and therefore helps to boost competitor numbers overall.

In this climate, that makes them pretty crucial to the sport.

[leonidas]

Originally Posted by Sarge

In a time when the sport is struggling for numbers, it's the single make series that often have the capacity to provide people with more flexible "arrive and drive" options etc that attracts drivers who might not otherwise be able to get involved and therefore helps to boost competitor numbers overall.

In this climate, that makes them pretty crucial to the sport.

There is no reason why you can't run arrive and drive packages for Swifts or Minis but run them in a bigger production class.

Single make is not the answer. When we had an open stock hatch class where you could run just about anything there were around 50-70 drivers competing in a season at its height. Swifts hover at around a dozen. The bottom line is that they are expensive, slow, boring to watch. But I guess someone is making money out of them so they will stay.

[Sarge]

I suppose I am biased towards the one make series in that the RX150s have given Dad and I a taste of proper racing (at what feels like some pretty extreme speeds!) having had no prior racing experience and without any mechanical knowledge or contacts to help us out.

I know some people still feel that the buggies aren't "proper" Rallycross cars, and having followed the sport for 25 years I felt the same to begin with, but many of the fans do seem to have warmed to us.

On a separate note, does anyone know if a date has been confirmed for the Lydden Rallycross test day for 2015? Usually mid/late February I think.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Sarge

On a seperate note, does anyone know if a date has been confirmed for the Lydden Rallycross test day for 2015? Usually mid/late February I think.

I would like to know if there is a Lydden test day as well.

I note the BTRDA test day (at Blyton) is on the 22nd February which, if I recall correctly, is the same date as this year's test day at Lydden.

I hope the Lydden test happens as the test day has yielded a couple of surprises the last couple of years. As much as I enjoy watching the testing though, I won't be travelling to Blyton if that's the only one next year!

[chunder]

Are they actually series here?

Organising the test day even on the same day?

Really whoever makes these decisions should be shot, what a load of absolute, petty rubbish.

[Sarge]

Have called Lydden but no one seems to have any news on the Rallycross test day.

If anyone hears anything, please stick a note on here. Many thanks.

[Stephen H]

The Belgium calendar has been posted, but sadly no sign of a joint round or a visit Lydden for 2015.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

The Belgium calendar has been posted, but sadly no sign of a joint round or a visit Lydden for 2015.

That's a shame - the Belgian meeting at Lydden was a highlight of the year.

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's a shame - the Belgian meeting at Lydden was a highlight of the year.

Totally agree, it has been "the" highlight meeting of the year, and every year since the tie up began. Just have to cross our fingers that a Belgium "supernational" or two or three, are tempted over to join in with the British on Easter Monday

[Sarge]

For those who may still be waiting for news, it appears there will be no British Championship test day for 2015 due to higher than expected circuit hire costs.

[chunder]

I guess having WRX is proving more expensive than they first imagined eh!

What a shame for those that used to maybe have a go there for the first time.

[tbtstt]

Short write up on Mark Flaherty on Autosport...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117173

...great news he is planning to run the full British Championship, hopefully he will be another driver who can give Godfrey a run for his money.

Interesting that his choice of car is yet to be finalized, I wonder what other options there are aside from LDM?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Interesting that his choice of car is yet to be finalized, I wonder what other options there are aside from LDM?

If you have the money for a LDM car I am sure there are other options.

[chunder]

Fire you missed a word out.

Other "more reliable" options!

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by FIRE

If you have the money for a LDM car I am sure there are other options.

Originally Posted by chunder

Fire you missed a word out.

Other "more reliable" options

I did wonder if the price to hire a LDM DS3 might have dropped based on the car reliability/technical infringements this year.

In addition, if there is only going to be one LDM run team next year (anyone know what Tohill is doing?) then perhaps they might be keenly priced to have the cars running rather than sitting around?

[geordiecriag101]

Just to add a little something extra, but at the last round of the British series at Croft, Flaherty was running the spare LDM DS3 which was being supervised by Liam, tho by the general state the car was in it seamed like it hadn't run for sum time.

Also that car has been up for sale since mid year, tho asking 135K seams a tad steep.

http://rallycross.com/sales_db/viewo...4748&lang_id=0

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by geordiecriag101

Just to add a little something extra, but at the last round of the British series at Croft, Flaherty was running the spare LDM DS3 which was being supervised by Liam, tho by the general state the car was in it seamed like it hadn't run for sum time.

Also that car has been up for sale since mid year, tho asking 135K seams a tad steep.

http://rallycross.com/sales_db/viewo...4748&lang_id=0

I believe it is Pat's old DS3, sure that is the only inline/double-wishbone LDM DS3.

If I recall correctly it was that car that was used by Flaherty at Lydden and by Liam at the BSB demonstration.