World Rallycross Championship 2019

[Silhuette]

Go drive a Tesla. Electric cars have already broken through and will only continue to gain market share more rapidly over the next years. Hydrogen may or may not be the best solution for the average consumer, though it could be for long haul and transport traffic.

As for electrics in motorsports, RX is an ideal format because of the intensity of the racing, the short races and the ability to deploy a lot of power.

I don't really get why everything new must be negative. Hybrids keep breaking lap records and efficiently records in endurance racing and F1 - does it make you stop watching the Le Mans 24h? No, because the racing is better than in a long time. That's why I watch it.

I, like everyone else I know, would much prefer as close racing as we have become accustomed to from a field full of group B replicas - so in a way, modern cars already have no sound and little character to them.

[S griffin]

Where to begin? Electric cars are slowly going, although not there yet. Hydrogen doesn’t quite have the same appeal

Of course electric would work well for WRX, as they are trying to appeal to everyone and it won’t exactly ruin the series given the way the format works

This is a different type of rallycross. Not traditional, so it makes no difference to me

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Silhuette

I don't really get why everything new must be negative. Hybrids keep breaking lap records and efficiently records in endurance racing and F1 - does it make you stop watching the Le Mans 24h? No, because the racing is better than in a long time. That's why I watch it.

Hybrids at Le Mans? Or Toyota as they're known? There's not a lot of hybrid action at Le Mans at the moment! But that aside I agree - not everything new is bad and electric makes more sense in rallycross than a lot of other categories.

Presumably the S1600 class is going to have to change at some point as well - there are less cars being made with the 1600 engines. Something like a 1 litre turbo class would probably work?

[1975DCS]

Originally Posted by Silhuette

Go drive a Tesla. Electric cars have already broken through and will only continue to gain market share more rapidly over the next years. Hydrogen may or may not be the best solution for the average consumer, though it could be for long haul and transport traffic.

As for electrics in motorsports, RX is an ideal format because of the intensity of the racing, the short races and the ability to deploy a lot of power.

I don't really get why everything new must be negative. Hybrids keep breaking lap records and efficiently records in endurance racing and F1 - does it make you stop watching the Le Mans 24h? No, because the racing is better than in a long time. That's why I watch it.

I, like everyone else I know, would much prefer as close racing as we have become accustomed to from a field full of group B replicas - so in a way, modern cars already have no sound and little character to them.

Ehm, in LeMans there are hybrids and every car there (whatever class) make so much noise that you start to think why Rallycross cars are so muted. That besides, the problem I have with electric is that it is only interesting for manufacturers and they are there only because it suits them because it is "easy" on the battery. The other problem I have is they have never been there before (group B included and maybe Citroën Hansen only) and now they are here and want to dictate and change everything. I prefer Rallycross as a high level clubman or locally backed sport. Home brewed cars meeting with stuff you find like 3 years ago.

[S griffin]

Yeah Le Mans is for hybrids now. Not that it matters much. I don’t see a problem with electric personally. This series is for the manufacturers. This is a different type of rallycross, nothing like the good old days or pioneering days. The proper rallycross is still around, if you can find it

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by Silhuette

I don't really get why everything new must be negative. Hybrids keep breaking lap records and efficiently records in endurance racing and F1 - does it make you stop watching the Le Mans 24h? No, because the racing is better than in a long time. That's why I watch it.

It's hated because it has almost no sound, no resemblance to current rallycross cars besides from it's speed and is nothing like the combustion engines many people watch it for. The interest for current cars are among many far bigger than any electric car will ever be. It's a complete 180 compared to what many people like it for.

Just because something is faster doesn't mean it's better. F1 and Le Mans aren't lacking sounds and I doubt as many would watch if it went fully electric.

[chunder]

LM is actually going away from hybrid to be honest, rumours are that a Hydrogen car could be a feature in the next few years.

WRX should not be a manufacturer sport, it has no real need to be, IMG just want that for validation, no other reason, it doesn't make the racing better, does nothing for the fans, and having them there tore the sport apart in 3 years. You would think the idiots would learn.

F1 will not go electric either, as that series already exists, they will continue with hybrid, just another burned fuel source. Or something else.

Electric is dead news, manufactuers just put it there to tread water for a few years. You really think it will ever be allowed to take over fully? What would Shell, BP, Texaco do? Doing that would bankrupt the entire Arab world loL! and most of the rich people who are board members who RUN the world.

[Hickey]

I saw one of the Formula E races when it was in London. Decent enough action and the cars looked cool. Awful circuit but we found the only overtaking place by accident and it was ok. Problem... The noise. Like drowning cats whining round the circuit. Really awful. It's worse in person. Fix that and I'm all for rich people trapsing round the world in their electric cars pretending they're green. It would be good racing.

Probably my complete ignorance of the science but would a hydrogen-fuelled car be a bit volatile in a massive crash?

[S griffin]

Formula E is a different type of sport. Certainly the cars are made to look nice. And street circuits are it's forte. Plus overtaking is guranteed. And they don't care about having no noise. They are supposed to be electric. Don't think it's going to change much with the everyday world. We'll always have the proper series with proper noise

And not enough has been seen about hydrogen for us to really comment on whether it would be a good idea

[chunder]

The issue with hydrogen as Hickey said is to run it, it has to be extremely pressurised, so yes, in effect you are driving round in a bomb! Not great in rallycross or any motorsport terms, unless a way can be found to release the pressure without it becoming explosive.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Hickey

Probably my complete ignorance of the science but would a hydrogen-fuelled car be a bit volatile in a massive crash?

That's something I've wondered about the viability of Hydrogen (R101 and the Hindenberg don't exactly inspire confidence ). That said the batteries in electric cars have been known to burn like *******s and will keep on reigniting for some time so they're exactly ideal either - and let's face it - if there's a sport where there are going to be some big hits then it's rallycross.

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's something I've wondered about the viability of Hydrogen (R101 and the Hindenberg don't exactly inspire confidence ). That said the batteries in electric cars have been known to burn like *******s and will keep on reigniting for some time so they're exactly ideal either - and let's face it - if there's a sport where there are going to be some big hits then it's rallycross.

A Swedish article shared in the enthusiasts of Höljes group on Facebook stated that anyone within a 25 meter radius of a burning electric car could be exposed to toxic gases which could result in death.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

This was sent out by the MSA (now Motorsport UK) regarding electric vehicles at speed events. Interesting thing for me is the requirement of at least 40,000 litres of water
https://www.motorsportuk.org/assets/...hiclesv1.0.pdf


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hickey]

It's funny how these things aren't all that green when you bore down into the details.

I was a lot closer than 25m when I saw Formula E! I know it's a different sport but it's not the lack of noise I'm worried about. They do make a noise, a hideous whining noise like a supercharger but worse. When 15 of them hobby you it's actually pretty unpleasant.

[rbs]

Have not re read all of the preious pages but this happened to the Moto E bikes.
https://www.motorsport.com/motoe/new...royed/4352249/

[Silhuette]

Allright, this is interesting. I think hybrids have proven their worth and are here to stay. Personally, I think the Porsche 919 evo is proof that the problem with modern motorsport is the stranglehold of overly specific rule books - not technology. Old F1, group B, group C racers are fascinating because of the technical ingenuity and interesting variety and creative solutions.

Imagine what F1 could have been if the teams were given an equivalent to 100 liters of fuel in energy, basic dimensions and a weight limit like in the old days. The development boom would be epic - but some team is bound to lose so of course it would come down to politics and lobbying.

There is no reason why electric RX would have to be factory teams. You can easily buy every part of a motorsport electric driveline from a number of suppliers - just set rules to provide a level field. Sure, it's new and unknown, but this is exactly what made group B so good. Competing creative solutions drove the sport forward at an explosive pace, and the trickle down lifted a ton of racing series to suit.

I get the joys of highly strung racing engines. But technology moves on and times change. Gasoline racing will live for a long time yet.

[chunder]

The problem is that if you said everyone can use any parts, you would get the usual thing of certain people using better ones. This will always happen, if you make it free, I prefer this, encourages clever design, the whole reason 4wd supercars came to be in the first place, but this cuts the money men out of the equation, and we can't have that.

IMG would prefer to have an equal struggle where they sell the parts. Or you get them through them via a supplier after they take their cut.

Not entirely the case with WRX, but they made the regs subtlety different for this reason.

[1975DCS]

I don't like all the cars running the same engines and batteries, it makes it a cup class or silhouette which I both don't like. I think I am more interested in Bergrennen or clubeetings of hot hatches these days, despite I love all Rallycross super cars or all era.

[S griffin]

Well will it work? For a world series probably not. Definitely a club series is where true Rallycross lies, even though there is nothing wrong with watching Supercars compete all over the world. Different types of rallycross to me

[crossfades]

Originally Posted by chunder

IMG would prefer to have an equal struggle where they sell the parts. Or you get them through them via a supplier after they take their cut.

Originally Posted by 1975DCS

I don't like all the cars running the same engines and batteries, it makes it a cup class or silhouette which I both don't like.

"The cars will be based on a carbon fibre monocoque chassis supplied by Oreca and will use batteries from Williams Advanced Engineering. Each car will be powered by two 250kW motors which manufacturers will develop. Manufacturers will homologate their own bodies for the cars which are designed to accept scaled versions of B or C segment production vehicles."

https://www.fia.com/news/world-rx-el...roduction-2021

[S griffin]

Well that’s a good move to have ORECA and Williams in it. Will be different. A silhouette series then?

[Silhuette]

Most probably yes, and with the same driveline and a class monocoque the possibility of a team making a breakthrough that leads to dominaton is small.

Still, Adrian Newey did creative things with the regulation battery and Kers systems and gave Red Bull F1 a winning car for three consecutive seasons - so its not all over and done for. Just need a Newey class engineer on the team. (good luck with that)

[chunder]

Lol, a Newey style engineer, in rallycross!

It might happen, but I doubt it.

It is a control class, to remove the possibility of VW dominance that IMG knew was hurting WRX. Can't blame them, but is about as far from rallycross is supposed to be as f1 is now

[Silhuette]

Well, I think if every team had run the same Polo, Kristofferson running for PSRX would still have won. Both EKRX and the Hansens made too many mistakes in the joker and picked unnecessary fights.

There might not be many genuine driver engineers in the sport today, but the rules would not give such a person enough room to create anything radical anyway.

[S griffin]

I agree. Too many times did the others slip up when poised to beat Tommy. And with competition this high you can’t afford to slip up