Global Rallycross?

[USRallycross]

Yes, Ken won't be competing at Irwindale but should be out when the series moves to Seattle.

Entries are a little thin but that was an expected consequence of moving from the east coast - where the series had about 30 local drivers plus the 10 stars - to the west coast where it hasn't got the same grass roots rally buy-in.

i don't think Andreas will run a car as he has to run Tanner and Marcus and also ship a car there and back. However, I am hoping someone will come out in his Mk6 which is still here (Pinnomaki used it at NJMP).

Also hoping for Subaru Team USA to enter at least Mirra if not Pastrana and also hope that the Mitsubishi's of Hubinette and ACP appear on the list.

As we all know you only need two cars to make a race so we are good and the cameras are ready to roll. Not sure if you will be able to get it in the UK (although you can if you are a geek) but it will also stream live on ESPN3.

Re nicking drivers, who have we stolen? Liam is staying home and Marcus isn't an ERC regular so are we speaking of Jernberg? I had personally hoped that Liam would be here and that someone like Sverre may leave his car but guess Pat buying the old one screwed that up!

Mark
I would put my Twitter account up so you could follow everything on the day but the moderators don't like links so PM me if you want it!

[rx-guru]

Mark, Pat bought the Focus from Norwegian lady Rallycrosser Camilla Antonsen, who replaced it with a Mk6 Fiesta, so Sverre has nothing to do with that former Focus of his for quite a while already.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by USRallycross

I would put my Twitter account up so you could follow everything on the day but the moderators don't like links so PM me if you want it!

Mark - we've allowed links to twitter accounts for results posting purposes, so feel free to post the link

[I Rosputnik]

I've asked Liam Doran on his facebook page if is doing any Global Rallycross rounds and he is wanting to do Rounds 2 and 3. I think he is also doing the X-games this year.

Also Michael Jernberg will be racing both the US rallycross season, the global rallycross tour and the X-games in his Skoda.

Still, if I were the organisers I would be aiming for half the rounds in the US and half the rounds in Europe with the X-games as the halo event, provided the dates don't clash with the ERXC or the USRXC.

[rx-guru]

AFAIK a start in the 'X Games 17' depends on good results in the 3 Global RX rounds in the first place. Innit, Mark?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

AFAIK a start in the 'X Games 17' depends on good results in the 3 Global RX rounds in the first place. Innit, Mark?

In previous years there have been a handful of drivers who qualify by default based on their previous X-Games success and/or Rally America points position, with the other entrants left to fight for the other places.

Be interesting to see whether X-Games will lean more towards Rally America or GRC success for the automatic placings this year - I'm sure Mark has the answers!

[USRallycross]

X Games qualification is always hotly debated!

To be considered you have to take part in 2 of the 3 GRC rounds planned before X Games. However, X Games is all about the "Show" and therefore in addition to pre-qualified folk - Foust, Block, Pastrana, etc - I would expect the Organizers to offer 'invitations at large' as appropriate.

GRC wants to see heavy manufacturer involvement so would expect at least one car from Ford, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Skoda (VAG), Hyundai and Citroen.

So I am confident that X Games will have all the right stars in the right cars come July.

Hope that helps!

Mark

[FIRE]

Live stream:
http://rallycross.hu/grc12011.html

[tbtstt]

I've been watching this on and off all afternoon. I think they've made a massive mistake starting the live streaming coverage so early. I wonder how many Americans are going to tune in, watch 10 minutes of empty track, then switch off and not bother with the GRC again. They should have just had the streaming coverage for the Super Rally later on tonight and the Rallycross tomorrow (in my opinion anyway)

I also think they'd have been much better getting a European commentator (or someone who understands European Rallycross) as well. This bloke seems to be continually tripping over himself.

[1975DCS]

Now that some ERC drivers trade the ERC campaign for a semi Global campaign I start to wonder if the Global Championship is foe or friend for Rallycross? Will we have 2 half Championships with a entrylists just about ok?

[The Eye]

A very reasonable question in the near future I think. If you look at the top ten in ERC, 2010.
Sverre have plans. Hansen via Doran, Jernberg switched full time and Eriksson’s OMSD are heading the pack. Holte and Börseth work hard to get some American sponsors. If I understood the interwiev with Börseth right it seemed to bee more important to make the US races than the ERC. Apart from the Lånke race of course.

[chunder]

Om God, I watched for 5 minutes, and the idiot says!

"Maximum destruction"

What the hell is he on about!! Cretin!

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by The Eye

A very reasonable question in the near future I think. If you look at the top ten in ERC, 2010.
Sverre have plans. Hansen via Doran, Jernberg switched full time and Eriksson’s OMSD are heading the pack. Holte and Börseth work hard to get some American sponsors. If I understood the interwiev with Börseth right it seemed to bee more important to make the US races than the ERC. Apart from the Lånke race of course.

I assume they all hope US rallycross will bring them more financial benefit (big corporate sponsors and prize money).

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Live stream:
http://rallycross.hu/grc12011.html

thanks missed fridays action, but saturdays rallycross events heats have just started stream 9.30pm uk time

[QuarterRik]

Originally Posted by The Eye

A very reasonable question in the near future I think. If you look at the top ten in ERC, 2010.
Sverre have plans. Hansen via Doran, Jernberg switched full time and Eriksson’s OMSD are heading the pack. Holte and Börseth work hard to get some American sponsors. If I understood the interwiev with Börseth right it seemed to bee more important to make the US races than the ERC. Apart from the Lånke race of course.

I'm afraid we are moving towards a sale of the European Rallycross.
More and more top consider going to America to leave.
An organizer with waving U.S. dollar helps, of course.
I think we have a few lean years ahead.

[Barrie]

Originally Posted by QuarterRik

I'm afraid we are moving towards a sale of the European Rallycross.
More and more top consider going to America to leave.
An organizer with waving U.S. dollar helps, of course.
I think we have a few lean years ahead.

Agree, I have no interest at all of the Americans getting involved in rallycross since the start. Fancy choosing this nonsense over the European Rallycross Championship.

[chunder]

To be perfectly honest, it has been on the wane for years.

bit the total disregard or the sports natural base is rather sad but entirely predictable!!

[rx-guru]

Do not overestimate all this to-ings and fro-ings, lads.

Since RX was adopted by the FIA in 1976 the majority of the drivers have always complained about things, but, nevertheless, eventually remained loyal to the FIA ERC.

Anyone to remember the URDA series which was backed by all the leading ERC regulars…? Time will tell!

[King Arthur]

Only you and a few of us can remember URDA

[tbtstt]

I think its a good thing if one or two European drivers join in with the series to help get it on its feet, though I have to admit I've been surprised by the large numbers of European drivers who seem willing to commit to a full GRC programme instead of the ERC.

After the entry list at the last NJMP round in the US last year I was expecting more interest from US drivers, though I guess the last minute annoucement of the series (and shift in location) may have caught some drivers out. If the GRC/US events can build a strong native entry list, with a European entrant or two to top that up then I still think it could be beneficial to rallycross in Europe, but if the vast majority of GRC entrants are going to be ERC drivers then, as has been said, I could see that being harmful to the ERC.

For anyone interested, video of the rallycross final from Irwindale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w97fRuL2BYQ

Bloody good effort from Verdier and a good drive from Gronholm.

The live race coverage there is still a bit patchy, but way better then the Super Rally coverage at X-Games last year - at least the commentator for the GRC races managed to count the right number of laps...

[rx-guru]

"… willing to commit to a full GRC programme instead of the ERC."

I do not believe this. Just a few drivers perhaps that are tired to do the ERC, like Jernberg. If they going to quit or if they going to do US RX makes not much difference for the ERC. And some others are perhaps trying to get a car for the US and another car for Europe. Some people may try to get a piece of the American RX cake, but I assume this will be more easy for drivers who can offer their service to US competitors rather than ERC regulars just keen to race over there and are completely unknown in America.

[USRallycross]

I think for this year I would agree with Eddi. Obviously Jernberg has committed and Borseth now in Supercar. I think others will come over and race as time/schedule allows and if they can make X Games then great.

The move to the west coast certainly impacted local drivers. However, I think we will start to pick them up now because they have also seen that the jump won't destroy their car.

We will gain Block and Deegan in the near future and a couple of NASCAR drivers want to try it out (would be huge PR coup). My hope is that we have 10 ERC spec machines, 6 ERC/Rally hybrids (think Mirra, Verdier) and 10 rally based machines by the time of the third round in June. That will be quite a show.

I joked with Andreas that the problem he has now is finding more cars because with Gronholm, Foust, Block and hopefully Tideman continuing then he has to find cars for Deegan and the Ford backed NASCAR drivers. He agreed it was a problem but a nice problem.

Mark

[I Rosputnik]

I think it will be important if the US and Global series use pure ERC supercar regs for the top tier because then that means we might see a small boom in Rallycross car developments. While we might see a lot of European drivers jump across the pond for a few races, I think when the GRC has a few races in Europe, things will get interesting. If the FIA jump on board if the series gets really popular in a few years then maybe we might see something rather more curious. (And exicting provided the FIA don't screw it up.)

[rx-guru]

Nope, we will not see "a lot" going over, as the majority of European RX drivers do not even have enough money to do all the races in Europe they wanna do.
And nope, FIA will not "jump on board" of any organising body outside its full control. The only chance to cooperate with FIA is to cooperate with ACCUS first.

[tbtstt]

Just been looking at the details for Round 2 of the GRC. The circuit layout shows an indoor section:

http://www.global-rallycross.com/wp-...sh-GRC-3.0.pdf

Will this be the first time that a rallycross circuit has run indoors (or rather run an indoor section)?

The entry list doesn't look great at the moment, but then the entry list for the first round seemed to increase in size at the last minute. I thought the entries might be hurt by this being scheduled the week before the ERC kicks off, as I didn't think Foust would be running if he needs the car fully functional for Lydden the weekend after - I see he is already on the entry list though!

http://www.rally-america.com/events/...ATTLE/entries/