2011 US Rallycross Championship Confirmed

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Special Stage

Rally America re-brands to RallyCar

Side-by-side dirt racing action, big jumps and some of the best off-road drivers in the world will come to America in 2011 for an exciting new national championship series: RallyCar Rallycross.

Organizers are planning a 2011 Rallycross national championship series that includes six events at racetracks across the country. The sport will debut in America on Saturday at X Games, under the name SuperRally, with three initial events held later this year at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Top drivers including Subaru Rally Team USA competitors Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra, as well as drift and rally stars Tanner Foust, Samuel Hübinette and Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard are set to compete in Rallycross.

The action-sport of auto racing, Rallycross is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. Debuting at X Games under the name SuperRally, the sport promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Five drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

“It’s an incredibly challenging and aggressive sport,” said driver Foust, who has been competing in European championship events this season. “The action is non-stop and the fans can’t get enough of it.”

Fans get close to the action with trackside viewing of aggressive door-to-door action and the sliding and jumping that makes rally car events unique among motorsport.

In conjunction with the new series, Rally America is also rebranding to RallyCar. The new identity for the organization reflects its increased scope as the premier sanctioning body for rally car racing events in the United States. In addition to the introduction of the Rallycross events, the organization will continue to sanction its traditional stage rally series in 2011 where the Rally America name will continue.

“We’re expanding as an organization and we wanted to make a change that reflects our commitment to rally car events in 2011,” said RallyCar president JB Niday. “The introduction of Super Rally presents a perfect opportunity for us to change our name to reflect what we’re about: racing rally car – whether that’s on endurance-based Special Stage courses, or through the new Rallycross short-course format.”

It is expected there will be two classes of cars in this initial year of Rallycross competition. The faster, all-wheel-drive cars will resemble those used in current Rally America competition including the all-wheel drive Subarus used by four-time American rally champion Pastrana and BMX legend Mirra, and the Ford Fiesta cars piloted at X Games in 2010 by Foust, Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack, motocross and short-course off- road driver Brian Deegan and gymkhana star Ken Block.

The second category of Rallycross cars will be two-wheel-drive and include various body styles from manufacturers such as Dodge and Honda boasting 450+ horsepower, highly modified engines and rally-style suspension.

Both categories include vehicles currently being used in the Rally America National Rally Championship.

Original article can be found at:

http://www.specialstage.com/2010/07/...s-to-rallycar/

Another rallycross championship to tune into - be interested to see how this weekends X-Games (and the test events later this year) work out.

[NaBUru38]

RallyCar... I guess that the main race will be called Rally 500 and there will be a Rally Lights... :P

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

RallyCar... I guess that the main race will be called Rally 500 and there will be a Rally Lights... :P

[rx-guru]

http://www.rallycross.de/preview/10/...01entries.html

A Paddy doing RX in America…

Anyone in the know what model (Mk?) Furey’s Golf is?

[dcdesign]

mk2, as it's according to the RA entrylist, a 1987 one... it isn't entried as a GTI either, it just says... 1987 Volkswagen Golf (weird, for those US-guys the year seams to be much more important, then what's onder the hood...)

[NaBUru38]

Now a proper link.

[rich_cooper]

Anyone got any ideas where i can find this live on the net this weekend? Dont get ESPN2 in the uk and i dont think its gonna be on our ESPN or ESPN America!

[FIRE]

Rhys Millen with Hyundai.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Rhys Millen with Hyundai.

Was reading about this earlier. Full story can be found by clicking here:

http://www.rally-america.com/news/778/

It remains to be seen how good the car will be (I'm sceptical of how successful an adapted rally car will be), but the interest and financial backing of another major manufacturer has got to be a good thing for US rallycross.

With the two remaning NJMP rounds hopefully the drivers, teams and organisers can get their fine tuning done, so next years first full season will be a good one!

[I Rosputnik]

Any European interest yet?

[rx-guru]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

It remains to be seen how good the car will be (I'm sceptical of how successful an adapted rally car will be), but the interest and financial backing of another major manufacturer has got to be a good thing for US rallycross.

This is the US Rallycross Championship, not the ERC. In the first round Foust (OMSE Fiesta Mk7) and Lagemann (OMSE Fiesta Mk6) where driving the only true RX cars. Foust eventually won, but Pastrana – in an adapted Rally car! – was very quick and started the A final from pole, after setting a fastest and a second fastest qualifying time.

[dcdesign]

I was thinking something... where are those two Yokohame Team Europe Accent's? Last time they were driven i think, was in 2007 by Bjoorn and Radstrom (the latter giving some spectacle in Momarken, I think)...

I assume one of them has been used by Jansson to build his i30, but were is the other one? Someone who has any whereabouts? or saw them dissappear on a boat across the ocean??

[dcdesign]

Originally Posted by dcdesign

I was thinking something... where are those two Yokohame Team Europe Accent's? Last time they were driven i think, was in 2007 by Bjoorn and Radstrom (the latter giving some spectacle in Momarken, I think)...

I assume one of them has been used by Jansson to build his i30, but were is the other one? Someone who has any whereabouts? or saw them dissappear on a boat across the ocean??

After reading the specs of Millen's Accent, and those of the ERC Accents, there are some co-incidences...

both cars are built in 2002, gears are both XTrac, and Millen's suspension is proflex, altough it rather is an exotic brand in the US...

i rather think Millen is using a real rallycross car...

http://rallycross.com/sales_db/viewo...d=57&lang_id=0
http://www.erc24.com/?Show=News&c=0&ID=1672

[6secondcar]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Original article can be found at:

http://www.specialstage.com/2010/07/...s-to-rallycar/ hid kits

Another rallycross championship to tune into - be interested to see how this weekends X-Games (and the test events later this year) work out.

Thanks for the link. You know of a place where I can go to watch certain events from them?

[rx-guru]

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/1...ent-WRC-3.html

I would be very surprised if one of the two Swedish RX Accents went to the USA. The WRC Accents had Xtrac stuff anyway. AFAIK the RX Accents were kept to build i30s. The i30 is in the "List of cars not homologated with the FIA but eligible in D1, D1A and D2" since April 2008 and I understood that Thomas Rådström was keen to develope one with the aid of Martin Schanche, but fell apart with his main sponsor Olsbergs.