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Rallying Future

6K views 58 replies 23 participants last post by  Kenny Wilson 
#1 ·
What do yous think




For all you who don’t know K37 is the banning of WRC’s and group B cars from national events. They will still be at internationals like Donegal, Ulster, etc but not in clubmen events as such as NI Championship.

Personally I think this rule can’t come quick enough. WRC are spoiling the NI championship anyway,, look at the past year Glen Allen just couldn’t do anything with KPL cause he couldn’t keep up with the machinery. Colin McRae said at a time “WRC’s outside internationals is just stupid” and I completely agree, don’t get me wrong there is nothing better than watching these guys on the stage but they are destroying our sport


But Think about this:

BRC has decided to follow this format of Group N and I have it from a reliable source that this is because this is what manufactures are wanting more sport and advertisement for the same money and want the WRC to follow suit in the future, Meaning more manufactures will come back to WRC’s and BRC (like good old days) and other championships across the world!! Bringing things back like BRC works drives and having it a stepping stone for the WRC

So what do yous think Ban WRC’s and make the sport bigger and better or keep WRC’s and watch manufactures walk away one by one every year???
 
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#2 ·
Has been discussed on here before, Ireland North and South has a healthy rally scene, it doesnt need fixing.
The BRC is a shadow of what it was any move it makes is in desparation, is no longer has either local or world recognition. The spiel now about Gp N is same as was when they went F2 they can try it but we are watching a championship die.
What new manufacturers are going to start building 2ltr turbo 4wds???
What ever the future of rallying is it certainly isnt GpN
Oh aye, another thing, KPL is quicker than Glenn Allen

[Edited on 12-1-2006 by DavidN]
 
#3 ·
Your Wrong David, Manufactures what to keep rallying but don't want it to cost so much money on so little, More manufactures are looking into Gr N because it is the most competitive and if WRC's were to go in international events then manufactures would make the 500 2 ltr turbo 4wds!!
WRC's are killing the sport even subaru and Mitsubushi are talking about leaving WRC for good as they are getting more success from PWRC, if they go the WRC's will die
 
#5 ·
it is very simple - it is the costs which should be limited.

No man in their right mind, no matter how much money they have, should be spending upwards on a million quid for a years rallying. They say they do it for the fun. Rubbish. I think its a case of "my di ck is bigger than yours and I'll show ye"

They could have just as much fun, maybe more, in a group n car, less than 100 grand. And maybe, just maybe, they would be better to watch, because if they do have a mishap, it is not going to cost 75k to put right.

The money men, whilst good to see, and to be applauded, have inadvertently contributed to rallyings demise. It is not the spectacle it once once, I believe due to the amounts of money involved. They are scared to hit their cars.

Limit costs, ban wrc's, would be good for the sport. And I believe good in the medium to long term for the spectator. And lets not forget the good drivers who are limited because of the size of their cheque book. These are the guys that would really benefit.
 
#7 ·
thats great i believe that the majority of wrc cars in ireland are overpriced toys that never reach their potential that rule would level the playing field and leave the potential for ireland to get a top wrc driver from a young age- think about it a broader range of drivers competing at national level BRILLIANT!:yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::)

[Edited on 12-1-2006 by kkknaskar]
 
#8 ·
Look at the Irish rally scene does it look like it needs these new rules? It will ban all cars that have been modified from standard. It will stop people entering with a home built car forcing you to buy a manufacture car to make the manufacture more money... Just like homologation does. Its OK if you don’t want to compete ,you could always marshal for the rich boys ...It will be the end of clubman rallying if this goes through, and why join a motor club if you cant compete not everyone wants to marshal/organise..??? If its not broke dont fix it !!
 
#9 ·
IMHO future wrc driver's are not going to be noticed in national championships regardless of what cars are at the top flite of it's championship, future drivers will have to fund there privateer entry on WRC rounds and hope to turn a few heads. The Irish championship is regarded worldwide as one of the best championships outside of the WRC and is the envy of many a foreign fan, if it ain't broke don't fix it. No matter how talented a driver is in this country unless he has sufficient cash to compete at the top level he's not going to win a championship outright, thats the way rallying works worldwide, no one said it was going to be fair when you were issued your first licence, you find a level you can afford to compete at and you try like fu*k to beat everyone around, you don't complain and try to have the rules changed so everyone above you if forced to compete in your price bracket.
..............................Rant over :laugh:

[Edited on 12-1-2006 by x-works]
 
#11 ·
the motorsport industry has jus gone way over the clubman level, there is no turning back the hands off time..

just to see wrc cars competing in the n.ireland rally championship and cleaning up seems wrong..

still a big fan of kpl's, but wit his machinery he should be in a league with every1 in the same machinery around him..

irish tarmac championship is a fair contest all the boys at the top are men with the money to buy there top hog wrc cars and a good gift behind the wheel..

just wish there could be a boarder set between things to cater for both clients off the sport the clubmen and the wrc men!

but like X-WORKS said we may just go out try our dam best to stay up in there and battle as hard as we can for the finishes we want.. nobody said it was goin to be an easy sport till get addicted to.

keep her lit :)
 
#12 ·
WRC cars future may be limited but the future isnt Gp N, nothing against the cars, even if a top spec costs as much or more than the much more desirable Impreza GpA. What manufacturerwants to join GpN? Its a 2 make formula and likely to stay that way for some time

Costs are often sited as a reason for makers quiting, Toyota is now spending far more on F1 than it spent on rallying, if it used its budget on the stages Citroen wouldnt of had the dominance they had last year

Listen to Koneill, K37 is just the start, Irish rallying isnt broke, it doesnt need these rules to fix it

Also people get used to rich people beating poorer ones, I'm poor(ish) and learning to live with it, regardless of the formula if you have the £££ you will be able to buy an edge
 
#13 ·
Stop picking on KPL

I don't agree with targeting KPL all the time. Fair play to the man - he has the money and we'd all love to be in his position - DON'T LIE - YOU WOULD LOVE TO BE DOING THE SAME!

If KPL wasn't out last year - then it would have been Glenn Allen out ahead of the field. Without Glenn Allen it would have been Raymond Johnston / Craig Bennett / Neil McCance ahead of everyone else and the list goes on and on till you have all 4WD taken off the list.

I reckon that the new K37 rule in it's current proposed form should be scrapped. There are too many WRC and other active differential cars in Ireland serving a purpose to suddenly ban. At most, at National B and Clubman level they should be allowed to compete but NOT score championship points (and / or possibly no event wins?).

Guys like Brendan O'Hagan / George Robinson / Dominic McNeill / Sean Cassidy / Robbie McGurk / etc. etc. only want their odd annual outing once or twice a year in their favourite car and it wouldn't be fair to deny them their days craic or sport. These are the true sportsmen in 4WD amounst many more who are out for the sport - not to win all the time.
 
#14 ·
Like I said in a separate post-lets get back to basics. As for banning WRC cars given that there are approximately 80 of the things in this country that is a huge a mount of money to throw away. Rallying at the top level has always been a rich mans sport. It is the same as sailing-to be at the top of yacht racing in this country you need to spend big bucks-some of the top yachts in Dublin Bay are €200,000+ and that is before you spend €30,000+ a year on sails and and and....lots of money on other things. Again do we ban yachts of a certain size and make everyone go out in dinghies. It will never work. At the end of the day I go specating to see a huge varity of cars and it is exciting to see the speed of some of these things. Its also fun to watch the clubmen at it too. Given that many of these clubmen are also trying to get to the top and building up buisnesses to one day have a better car. Leave the WRCs alone. Ban them at the top end of the sport and gradually it will filter down-F2000 is the future for cost and safety reasons and manufacture support.
 
#15 ·
We are only talking about banning WRC's at national levels which would force more of these guys to do Internationals which would be real good to watch 80+ wrc's in Donegal, LETHAL!!!

More and more clubmen are getting sick to the teeth with these big budgets, big expentiture WRC's, And how it was put to me, (cause I'm a big WRC fan and was rying to run Glens to cater more for WRC's) any event will have 10 WRC's now adays and these guys do events regardless of cost, but what about the other 60-90 competitors who can't afford these cars. All I can say who makes events??? 10 WRC's or everyone else?? Clubmen make events happen!!! If they keep dropping off like they are events will drop with them. Colin Mcrae said "WRC's are stupid outside internationals" who are we to disagree?

Rallying in the whole is going through a real big shake up at moment from WRC level (with the active diffs stuff) to this (the K37 ruling) are we trying to stop evolution??

Thanks for all your points of view was interested in what people thought about this across the spectrum. I'll have another great question for you next week.

Thanks
TSM Motorsport
 
#21 ·
Originally posted by road
When did Mitsubishiu last win the PWRC?
I think mitsubishiu last won the pwrc in 2003 with the pentrois cars. both group N winning cars one gravel and one tarmac are owned by Kevin Watson (Tarmac) and Martin Elliot (gravel)

Was reading in Motorsport news the other day that KPL had his first outting in a rally car ever on the Toshiba in 2002 it was a gpN scooby he started 95 th and finished 10th overall not bad for a first timer.
The slagging not nice lads the man can drive.

Glen Allen is in a mC Geehans prepared Toyota (And he used eugune Donnellys on the first two rounds of the championship. Now remind me what car won the ITC and beat s10's,s9's, etc etc yes a the toyota so I think Allens car was a match for lynchs s9. The best drivers win championships not the cars:p
 
#22 ·
Hold on go ask KPL how much he spent on each round of NI Championship!! Or even better how much he gave stan Harper last year. I know for a fact he spent 10k before and during dogleap rally in 05. The NI Championship is an amatuer one so explain how you can spend this sort of money and keep amateur!!!
 
#23 ·
No matter what we like to think, so much of our sport is run on professional level. Do you think that Stan H, DGM, etc operate like amateurs.

People will always go in the best they can afford, there will always be someone with a few quid more to throw at it. If they happen to combine that with talent, its game, set and match. If it sounds like KPL then the cap must fit.

Wind the clock back 30 years, and when most people were in 2 litre pinto Mk 2's there were a few guys into BDA's, and it gave them an advantage. The rest of the field would have been in them too if they'd had the ready's.

There is however some merit in asking are there horses for courses. That may make you think that maybe WRC's should move on to International level, but don't think for one minute that there won't be serious money spent on the GpA / Gp N machines to make them go as quick as possible.

Gettin back to the real post topic though, it does make you wonder who benefits from changes proposed - K37. It used to be suggested that there were insurance propblems with modified vehicles, but I don't go for that. May be the manufacturers at BRC level who want more showroom type cars out there, and then the lower championships fall in line.

I don't for one minute think its competitors or spectators for sure.
 
#24 ·
Look at the state of The BRC after years of fecking about with it. Banning this, reintroducing that and banning the other. That championship which used to be one of the worlds best is a shambles. Irish rallying is strong and healthy so why fix what aint broken. If people want to spend the money then let them, no-one is breaking their arms forcing them to do so. Its not just a wrc thing, down the years people have always went out and spent a lot more than average joe to get the very best machine going. You just have to look at Bertie down the years. If they can afford the best and want to use it then fair play, if they cant they wont , simple as that.
I would hate to see the nationals ban wrcs.
Thats whats wrong with the wrc too recently, too many knobs tinkering too much. Let it be ffs.:(
 
#26 ·
Most of you people have missed the point here,

WRC stands for WORLD Rally Car, so in reality its even called a International Car is being allowed to compete in local clubman events. This is like Ballymena united bringing David Beckham to play for them or Mike Tyson fighting some silly amateur Boxing belt. What I'm saying is that it is allowed but nobody does it. So why does Rallying do it????

Just because KPL, McGarrity, etc have loads of money why should they be let do what they want??? will we let them take an F1 car into Formula Fords next???

I bet any money that if the guys who run WRC's in National events would be happy if the biggest class was Group N, They would save a fortune plus it would be real close rallying with the top 20 cars having a chance of winning events. They can't do this at momment because everyone keeps upgrading cars every year. With WR championship even regonising things have to step back should we not think about doing the same? I said it before I think rallying is at the start of a long needed change.

WRC's are international cars lets keep them international!!!
 
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