WRC Season ArchiveRally 

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I've seen a lot of hate for Ken Block, but I honestly don't understand why. I mean sure, he's no where near the greatest driver ever to grace the WRC, but it's not as if he pretends to be. In fact I personally think he seems very down to earth about his abilities, and knowledgeable of the fact that he still has plenty of scope for improvement. So why hate him for doing something he wants to do, when he's doing so with a modest head, and without taking opportunities away from drivers with more talent?
 
I dislike Ken Block because he misrepresents rallying. He convinces people that it's some kind of OMG WTF LOL action packed* extreme sport, when really it is a game of endurance and strategy, played out over 2-5 days.

It's not really so much Ken Block himself I dislike as the whole American Hollywood "Rallying" thing going on at the moment. There seem to be plenty of kids right now who think rallying is some kind of stunt driving rather than a serious sport.

That frustrates me, as it means less of the public's attention goes to the proper competition in the WRC and ERC because it all gets focused on Ken Block's latest gymkhana video or Travis Pastrana jumping his car over the moon.

Combine this with the modern public's information age ADHD** and the actual sport gets forgotten, as so few people actually choose to expand their rallying, or in many cases, motorsport, horizons beyond these stuntmen attention seekers. It's a bit like the (in my opinion tragic) way in which many modern kids will never seek the joy of listening to a well structured album in it's entirety. They just download the latest single by whoever the radio tells them they should like off of iTunes and then forget about that artist the moment something else comes out.



*I'm not saying rallying isn't action packed, but the action in rallying is real action, rather than Hollywood action

**I'm diagnosed with ADHD myself, I'm allowed to use the analogy
 
ADHD, huh? Welcome to the club! :lol: Anyhow I see your point, it makes perfect sense to me. Totally agree with your analogy too! :)
 
Mr Fusion
ADHD, huh? Welcome to the club! :lol: Anyhow I see your point, it makes perfect sense to me. Totally agree with your analogy too! :)
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+2 to zee club. ;)

I have always maintained Block is a quality stuntman / and car control guy but a poor rally driver. His sideways mental antics bit him on stages way too much.
 
Roger the Horse
That frustrates me, as it means less of the public's attention goes to the proper competition in the WRC and ERC because it all gets focused on Ken Block's latest gymkhana video or Travis Pastrana jumping his car over the moon.
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The people who watch Ken and Travis probably wouldn't have been watching regardless of what they post online. Rallying isn't really designed to be a sport for the masses.

Also considering the state the WRC has been in the last few years I think the problem is bigger than two annoying people posting videos online.
 
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Yeah... The commercial side is sadly the main problem. But before you say rallying isn't a sport for the masses, look back to the mid 1980s...

Somehow they need to recapture that, without the danger factor...
 
Roger the Horse
Yeah... The commercial side is sadly the main problem. But before you say rallying isn't a sport for the masses, look back to the mid 1980s...

Somehow they need to recapture that, without the danger factor...
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Exactly! There isn't enough money in the sport, and hasn't been for the last 10 years. Which is why we've gone from 7 Manufacturers, to 3 now.
How any WRC events are commercially sponsored? Most seem to have Regional/Tourist board backing. Where are the big sponsors in the WRC?

However, it's not all doom and gloom. RedBull will slowly sort things out, we just have to be patient. Events need to help themselves by attracting more casual fans, bringing in more sponsors, etc
 
Roger the Horse
Somehow they need to recapture that, without the danger factor...
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Actually Michelle Mouton (ex group b driver and actual manager of the wrc) is not really happy with the new regulation (1.6l turbo) of the wrc.
She wants to bring back a bit of the "group b" era with some modification in the regulation (more hp, less weight, less cost, long rally ...) but with less danger.
And I think we are gonna see some evolution in wrc in the next 5 years :rolleyes:.

sorry for my bad english :nervous:
 
With all due respect to Michèle Mouton, I think she's being a tad unrealistic. Although I personally love the idea of a modern Group B, fuel costs are much higher nowadays than in the eighties. And with the larger engines that such cars would surely utilize, fuel consumption would be higher. Also the cars would be much more expensive to be produced in the first place. In all honesty I can't see the idea being financially viable.
 
Roger the Horse
But before you say rallying isn't a sport for the masses, look back to the mid 1980s...
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I'm well aware of the Group B era, my point still stands though. It's an event that spans several days and isn't on a closed loop.
 
Mr Fusion
With all due respect to Michèle Mouton, I think she's being a tad unrealistic. Although I personally love the idea of a modern Group B, fuel costs are much higher nowadays than in the eighties. And with the larger engines that such cars would surely utilize, fuel consumption would be higher. Also the cars would be much more expensive to be produced in the first place. In all honesty I can't see the idea being financially viable.
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Yes coming back to the group b regulation is just impossible.
But I don't think it's unrealistic to have more powerful wrc cars, just look at the rallycross regulation. the cars in rallycross are much more powerful and weigth less (400hp for 1000kg) than a wrc car (300ch for 1200kg) and the cost of a rallycross car is really low too ( The wrc cars need less evolution because it cost too much money ... )
And I think the r5 category is a very good way to solve this problem 👍.
 
Accro2008
Yes coming back to the group b regulation is just impossible.
But I don't think it's unrealistic to have more powerful wrc cars, just look at the rallycross regulation. the cars in rallycross are much more powerful and weigth less (400hp for 1000kg) than a wrc car (300ch for 1200kg) and the cost of a rallycross car is really low too ( The wrc cars need less evolution because it cost too much money ... )
And I think the r5 category is a very good way to solve this problem 👍.
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I think this is a good idea actually! :) I must admit I'm still trying to get used to this new grouping system that the FIA have bought in. :lol:
 
Accro2008
In one month, there will be the spa legend, the most famous historic rally in belgium with some great driver ( Thierry Neuville, François Duval, Blomqvist, Waldegaard, Vatanen ...) and some great cars ( Lancia Stratos, Lancia 037, Manta 400, MK2 BDA ... ). All the stages are around the track of Spa-Francorchamps. It's one of my favorite event of the year 👍.

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Some news about the rally, Mikko Hirvonen will be present in a visa 1000 piste :drool:.
Thierry Neuville will be present too in a escort mk2 BDA.


Fiesta r5 :
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Shakedown results 👍 :

1. Sebastian Ogier Volkswagen Polo R WRC 1:51,3
2. Mads Ostberg Ford Fiesta RS WRC +0,9
3. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen DS3 WRC +1,564
4. Pontus Tidemandg Ford Fiesta RS WRC +2,448
5. Juho Hanninen Ford Fiesta RS WRC +2,561
6. Jari-Mati Latvala Volkswagen Polo R WRC +2,705
7. Thierry Neuville Ford Fiesta RS WRC +3,037
8. Sebastien Loeb Citroen DS3 WRC +3,460
9. Evgeniy Novikov Ford Fiesta RS WRC +4,193
10. Dani Sordo Citroen DS3 WRC +4,787
11. Martin Prokop Ford Fiesta RS WRC +5,714
12. Jari Ketomaa Ford Fiesta RS WRC +6,197
13. Henning Solberg Ford Fiesta RS WRC +6,724
14. Khalid Al-Qassimi Citroen DS3 WRC +6,830
15. Matthew Wilson Ford Fiesta RS WRC +10,181
16. Michal Kosciuszko Mini Cooper WRC +10,305
 
Some great footage of Colin McRae driving an Escort Mk. II Cosworth at the 2005 Killarney Rally, and a Metro 6R4 at the 2006 Donegal Rally:

 
Well done to VW :cheers:

Umm... Petter Solbergs wife IS changing a wheel on the Escort, but the comments on his FB page have been hilarious!

I like this one: "Jeez Petter, I know you're competitive, but sitting on your wife's head so she doesnt beat your tire changing personal best time seems a bit overkill"

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:lol: Julian Porter took that and posted it on Twitter. His caption was, "Petter Solberg says tyre changing was never this much fun with Phil or Chris!"
 
Some action of the spa legends pre-test event with Mikko Hirvonen (visa), Thierry Neuville (escort mk2), PG Anderson (ascona), François Duval (escort mk2), Patrick Snijers (lancia 037) and many other :drool: :



Tomorrow I will be on the stages !

An amazing rally, like every year !
Some footage of yesterday by rallyemad 👍

 
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prisonermonkeys
Some great footage of Colin McRae driving an Escort Mk. II Cosworth at the 2005 Killarney Rally, and a Metro 6R4 at the 2006 Donegal Rally:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6d7GYHZfDQ">YouTube Link</a>
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I don't believe that McRae's escort was cosworth powered. Was it not a Millington?
 
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