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Thread: Anyone following WRC this year?

  1. #11
    Expert daydreamer SkylineObsession's Avatar
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    By legally i meant more morally, but as you mentioned some events like to sound bigger than they are.

    I don't know the full history of WRC, but maybe if they frequented other non European countries more often they may get more fans, and thus more money.

  2. #12
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    I don't think "European, Australian, and Middle and South American Rally Championship" has the same ring to it.

  3. #13
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    Point is, rally will never be much more popular: its swan song was in the Group B times.
    But rally is:
    1) Dangerous, both for the driver, navigator and spectators on the track
    2) Convoluted, because of its own structure of racing
    3) Last too much time: 3-4 days of racing from morning till late afternoon? Too much
    4) Difficult to organize because it uses, for almost a week long, normal roads
    5) BORING. Yes, I said that. Aficionados and late coming entusiasts may like it, but let's face it: time trial on a long winded road that stretches for quite some km is boring to experience (Yes, I've spectated rallies and yes, I've been also a fire marshall at rally events, included Targa Florio IRC sanctioned race in 2012 or 2013)

    Rally costs too much for not much returns. And is not televised almost anywhere anymore.
    Do you know what's *destroying* Rally's number of spectators both on TV and live on track, at least in Europe? Rallycross (the european one, not the american different stuff): ratings are going up and up and people loves it; flashy, quick races with a lot of car vs car banging. It really is polarizing a lot of people's attention nowadays. And it is televised, even on free air tv.
    I don't see a way to get back to older glory for rally. This is it, about, to me.

  4. #14
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    Boring to watch in-person as a spectator, perhaps. But it’s great TV.

  5. #15
    We All Live in a Yellow BRZ The359's Avatar
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    The FIA requires events to be held on at least 3 continents to qualify as World Championship status. The second requirement is, I believe, at least three manufacturers represented in the series.

    In 2018:
    F1 visits 5 continents
    WRC visits 4 continents
    WEC visits 3 continents
    WRX visits 3 continents
    WTCC doesn't have a 2018 calendar yet, but visited 4 continents in 2017.
    Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via

  6. #16
    Expert daydreamer SkylineObsession's Avatar
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    So all of them are only barely making the requirements. Penny pinching mofos.

    Personally i do like rallying, have been to local/national events in my area (usually every year or two) and like watching it on TV, but i much prefer the tarmac version, Targa rally. Mainly because of the variety of cars competing, from Ferrari's to Mazda's, and because it is something i want to do. It's my favourite type of motorsport in the world. GT racing is prolly in second or third and rally/wrc maybe in 5th or 6th place.

    WRC drivers are probably the ballsiest drivers on the planet, as with a single mistake they can completely destroy their car or end up in hospital because of the insane speeds they do on the roads. That's what i find entertaining about it.

  7. #17
    Senior Member Leon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yw-slayer View Post
    Boring to watch in-person as a spectator, perhaps. But it’s great TV.
    Disagree with you there. I've watched WRC, and various other rally cars in person, and they absolutely defy physics when you're watching them. The speed they're arriving, you look at every WRC car that arrives to a corner and think "fuck, that's insane, they are definitely going to crash and die". Then they don't.

  8. #18
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    I was speculating, as I've never watched a WRC event live. I'd love to be proved wrong!

  9. #19
    Expert daydreamer SkylineObsession's Avatar
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    Been recording and watching the races from this year, and my interest in WRC, and even local rally events has increased tenfold from what it's been over the past decade or so. I've come to again appreciate the sheer skill and reaction times, and BALLS of these drivers.

    I completely honestly cannot go the speeds they go out there in the real world when i play rally video games. I could probably get better with practice, and maybe a wheel, but on Dirt Rally and an older WRC game i just don't have the balls to push harder since it's so easy to crash and lose time (or get annoying penalties).

    Aside from NZ's Hayden Paddon, i'm not really cheering for anyone or any team/manufacturer in particular. I'm just soaking in the awesome high speed racing through spaces barely big enough to fit one car let alone two.
    There are rumours of him switching to Ford/M-Sport next year, either way i hope he gets a full time drive.

    He's just cleaned up the NZ Rally Championship, and got Hyundai it's first ever NZ Rally manufacturers title. And in all NZ rally events he competed in this year he broke the stage record for most/all stages in every rally. Almost consistently 2-3 minutes ahead of second place in every rally too - barely anyone could touch him, and some are driving similar spec cars.

    Crazy seeing the speed difference between a WRC driver vs a 'local'/part time rally driver.

    In 2015 he won the rally in my neck of the woods in a classic BDA Ford Escort, beating all the modern day cars...
    http://nzrallychamps.co.nz/paddon-ta...tory-at-otago/

    Here he is this year at my hometown rally (this road is 10-15 mins south of us), which is i think his favourite (and many other drivers) rally event and rally stage in the world.


    An extremely basic description of the NZ 'AP4' rally cars: https://www.driven.co.nz/news/motors...-and-have-nots

    And why he's so much faster than everyone else in NZ.
    https://rallysportmag.com/paddon-wel...zrc-advantage/
    Last edited by SkylineObsession; October 15th, 2018 at 06:57 PM.

  10. #20
    Ask me about my bottom br FaultyMario's Avatar
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    Nope, VW and Hyundai are not particularly exciting brands in motorsport.
    acket.

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