RE: PH Blog: whence the next McRae?
Discussion
The problems with the WRC began and continue at the top. It's a shadow of what it could be due to the regulation changes, stupid broadcasting arrangements and to a degree the dispassionate turn of events in the motoring and financial world.
F1 would always traverse a financial crisis but the events that aren't sponsored by investment banks like rallying will naturally find it tough going.
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
F1 would always traverse a financial crisis but the events that aren't sponsored by investment banks like rallying will naturally find it tough going.
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
My 2p, several things are transpiring against WRC in the UK
Lost link between road car and WRC rally car
Cost of entry level rallying
Social unacceptable to have, or drive car quickly on the public road
Lack of interest reduces funding for UK drivers, hence no Colin replacement
Solution
Unfortunately there may not be one, but reducing cost may be start.
Lost link between road car and WRC rally car
Cost of entry level rallying
Social unacceptable to have, or drive car quickly on the public road
Lack of interest reduces funding for UK drivers, hence no Colin replacement
Solution
Unfortunately there may not be one, but reducing cost may be start.
Ved said:
The problems with the WRC began and continue at the top. It's a shadow of what it could be due to the regulation changes, stupid broadcasting arrangements and to a degree the dispassionate turn of events in the motoring and financial world.
F1 would always traverse a financial crisis but the events that aren't sponsored by investment banks like rallying will naturally find it tough going.
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
The 2001-2008 seasons are available, mostly in full, here:F1 would always traverse a financial crisis but the events that aren't sponsored by investment banks like rallying will naturally find it tough going.
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/show/worldrallychampionship
Maldini35 said:
+2
It was well researched but Hoy is just, well, a bit dull.
But if you want to get anything commissioned these days you have to have a celebrity presenter to give it a 'hook'.
As has been said, Hoy is a legend and I cried like a baby when he won gold again last year but his bits in front of camera were just so flat.
Much as he is polarising character somebody like Clarkson would have done a much better job.
I remember being very impressed by his doumentary on victory cross winners (V for valour) a few years ago.
Then again anybody with a professional TV/journalist/documentary background probably would have been a little more entertaining to watch.
Alister McRae lives in Australia these days and wouldn't have been easy to get hold of for the programme. Plus he does the Asia-Pacific series for Proton, which meant he'd be too busy to come over for a short piece of film. The idea for the series was for the celebrity presenters to talk about and discover more about their own personal heroes. Chris Hoy's was Colin McRae, hence he was involved. Simple. It was well researched but Hoy is just, well, a bit dull.
But if you want to get anything commissioned these days you have to have a celebrity presenter to give it a 'hook'.
As has been said, Hoy is a legend and I cried like a baby when he won gold again last year but his bits in front of camera were just so flat.
Much as he is polarising character somebody like Clarkson would have done a much better job.
I remember being very impressed by his doumentary on victory cross winners (V for valour) a few years ago.
Then again anybody with a professional TV/journalist/documentary background probably would have been a little more entertaining to watch.
Elfyn Evans looks the next big prospect, he made that little R2 Fiesta get into positions it shouldn't have in the BRC last year, as well as his success on the world stage. I don't quite understand how the drivers are supposed to make the jump from R2 or R3 and into a WRC car though, unless they're French or heavily-financed by the bank of dad or a Gulf state.
IainW said:
. The idea for the series was for the celebrity presenters to talk about and discover more about their own personal heroes. Chris Hoy's was Colin McRae, hence he was involved. Simple.
.
That was kind of the point I was making - without celebrity presenters the series would not have been made despite the fact these are superb stories in their own right. Hoy added nothing to it in terms of entertainment or personal insight. Perhaps this is grossly unfair...but....I just got the impression that Hoy has discovered the joys of cars and trackdays quite late in life and when searching for a motorsport hero he chose McRae by default because he was Scottish, successful and was driving at the about the time Hoy was a teenager. I have no evidence for this and I accept it could be completely untrue but the programme didn't give me any cause to think otherwise which is a shame. There is nothing more envigorating than somebody sharing their passion and enthusiasm for a subject. Hoy may well be a huge fan of Colin and rallying but it just didn't come across..
But I'm being a grumpy old git and shouldn't complain as it was an hour of new TV all about Colin McRae.
Ever since I can remember, rallying has always been a huge part of my life. Watching my old man competing at grass roots level of comp safaris, up to some of the top rally's in Europe, was some of my best childhood memories. Now at 20, understandably this passion has rubbed off onto me, and I have been fortunate enough to have been able to compete in a few rally's and comp safari's myself, as both Driver and Navigator. So as you can imagine, this subject is quite close to my heart for the obvious reasons.
Now as a 20 year old trying to compete in rallying, it is near impossible to do so. For example, I will be racing at the Wyedean rally in a couple of weeks, and this will probably be the only race I will drive this season. And this is for one reason only, and that is the price of entry! At nearly £500, how can any average young person enter the all of the top UK rally's without sponsorship and backing? They can't.
If the MSA wan't too bring on the next McRae or Burn's, the simple way to do this is too create a scholarship scheme where entry fee's are reduced at a considerable rate, not the £50 that is currently offered. Along with reward and offers along the way too keep the drivers competing and interested. This will influence allot of young drivers into taking up rallying, as allot of my friends would more than likely consider rallying if the price was brought down, to say that of motocross.
As for media attention, I can see why their is a lack of rally coverage, at it's because it isn't a very spectator friendly through the TV, for the masses. It would take a huge reform to sort out media coverage, and hopefully with new technologies this may be possible in the future.
Now as a 20 year old trying to compete in rallying, it is near impossible to do so. For example, I will be racing at the Wyedean rally in a couple of weeks, and this will probably be the only race I will drive this season. And this is for one reason only, and that is the price of entry! At nearly £500, how can any average young person enter the all of the top UK rally's without sponsorship and backing? They can't.
If the MSA wan't too bring on the next McRae or Burn's, the simple way to do this is too create a scholarship scheme where entry fee's are reduced at a considerable rate, not the £50 that is currently offered. Along with reward and offers along the way too keep the drivers competing and interested. This will influence allot of young drivers into taking up rallying, as allot of my friends would more than likely consider rallying if the price was brought down, to say that of motocross.
As for media attention, I can see why their is a lack of rally coverage, at it's because it isn't a very spectator friendly through the TV, for the masses. It would take a huge reform to sort out media coverage, and hopefully with new technologies this may be possible in the future.
EDLT said:
Ved said:
The problems ..ranted a bit... financial world.
F1 ...getting annoyed... investment banks ... blahh....
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
The 2001-2008 seasons are available, mostly in full, here:F1 ...getting annoyed... investment banks ... blahh....
And with that I'm off to search for the 2001 WRC season on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/show/worldrallychampionship
EDLT said:
The FIA do know better. WRC is a global sport and they had to cancel a stage of the Monte Carlo rally because there were too many spectators. I doubt they care what the British think.
That's not really what happened though. They cancelled the stage because all the spectators bailed because of the weather and clogged up all the approach roads, making it hard to evac if there had been a prang. If they stayed put it would have gone ahead. MrKipling43 said:
EDLT said:
The FIA do know better. WRC is a global sport and they had to cancel a stage of the Monte Carlo rally because there were too many spectators. I doubt they care what the British think.
That's not really what happened though. They cancelled the stage because all the spectators bailed because of the weather and clogged up all the approach roads, making it hard to evac if there had been a prang. If they stayed put it would have gone ahead. 
The point I was making is that WRC is far more popular than PH's resident whingers would have you believe.
Just watched it - very mixed feelings. Parents used to keep me out of school to go watch group B cars. I've marshaled, and pushed cars out of ditches/onto their wheels. I was there in Dyfi (I think - memory may be glitchy!) in '95 - IIRC the stage was run twice, and we camped up on top of a bank all day. I remember sitting there in the dark hearing them come across the other side of the valley - everyone else was popping and banging the anti-lag, but one seemed not to lift at all until (presumably) the hairpin where it doubled back. 30 sec later the subaru appears; an order of magnitude more sideways and more committed than anything else. I may be wrong about where, but I still remember the forrest, the noise, and the moment 18 years later.
On the other hand, I also fly, understand the issues, and have read the accident report in detail. Wish I hadn't in many ways. I guess genius is often flawed, but..
As to 'fixing' rallying, I don't know, but one of the things that killed it more than anything for me was paying too much to be herded into a pen, often with a rubbish view. Of course if you make the stages tiny, and cram everyone into the same place you'll get overcrowding.. and the monte has always had spectator problems - for as long as I can remember anyways! Used to be that you'd find youself a spot, the marshals were sensible (or too thinly spread), and people were (in the main) sensible about where they went/stood. That's incompatible with the modern world it seems (and that makes me sound like an old git too..) Shame tho. Reminds me how cool it used to be!
On the other hand, I also fly, understand the issues, and have read the accident report in detail. Wish I hadn't in many ways. I guess genius is often flawed, but..
As to 'fixing' rallying, I don't know, but one of the things that killed it more than anything for me was paying too much to be herded into a pen, often with a rubbish view. Of course if you make the stages tiny, and cram everyone into the same place you'll get overcrowding.. and the monte has always had spectator problems - for as long as I can remember anyways! Used to be that you'd find youself a spot, the marshals were sensible (or too thinly spread), and people were (in the main) sensible about where they went/stood. That's incompatible with the modern world it seems (and that makes me sound like an old git too..) Shame tho. Reminds me how cool it used to be!
Colin McRae was awesome. I was at the San Remo rally back in 2003 iirc, standing at the top of a cliff with the start line below me. It was a small straight a few hundred yards with a sharp right at the end where the car would disappear from view and charge down the mountain.
About 5 cars ran before Colin, all the big names, and they all did the exact same thing, first gear, second gear, lift, corner, then hammer down the mountain through the gears.
Colin turns up, loads of cheers, splutter, stop. Stalls the car off the line. there is a moment of silence before the car crackles back to life with an urgently manic turn of revs, he's pissed off and revving the crap out of the car, definately not stalling this time, he blasts off like a champagne cork, first gear, bang, second gear, bang, third gear - he went around that corner flat out in third gear when everyone else was lifting in second. I remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as it does writing this now, and that was the magic of Colin, he was visibly and audibly so much faster than the others, his driving style that much more flamboyant, yes he wasn't as consistent because he drove so close to the edge, but when he got it right, my word.
What a loss. I really enjoyed the documentary and reconnecting with a sport I've become so detached from. What an era, I hope it gets a revival.
Regards
Nito
About 5 cars ran before Colin, all the big names, and they all did the exact same thing, first gear, second gear, lift, corner, then hammer down the mountain through the gears.
Colin turns up, loads of cheers, splutter, stop. Stalls the car off the line. there is a moment of silence before the car crackles back to life with an urgently manic turn of revs, he's pissed off and revving the crap out of the car, definately not stalling this time, he blasts off like a champagne cork, first gear, bang, second gear, bang, third gear - he went around that corner flat out in third gear when everyone else was lifting in second. I remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as it does writing this now, and that was the magic of Colin, he was visibly and audibly so much faster than the others, his driving style that much more flamboyant, yes he wasn't as consistent because he drove so close to the edge, but when he got it right, my word.
What a loss. I really enjoyed the documentary and reconnecting with a sport I've become so detached from. What an era, I hope it gets a revival.
Regards
Nito
Edited by NITO on Monday 28th January 23:07
upsidedownmark said:
Just watched it - very mixed feelings. Parents used to keep me out of school to go watch group B cars. I've marshaled, and pushed cars out of ditches/onto their wheels. I was there in Dyfi (I think - memory may be glitchy!) in '95 - IIRC the stage was run twice, and we camped up on top of a bank all day. I remember sitting there in the dark hearing them come across the other side of the valley - everyone else was popping and banging the anti-lag, but one seemed not to lift at all until (presumably) the hairpin where it doubled back. 30 sec later the subaru appears; an order of magnitude more sideways and more committed than anything else. I may be wrong about where, but I still remember the forrest, the noise, and the moment 18 years later.
On the other hand, I also fly, understand the issues, and have read the accident report in detail. Wish I hadn't in many ways. I guess genius is often flawed, but..
As to 'fixing' rallying, I don't know, but one of the things that killed it more than anything for me was paying too much to be herded into a pen, often with a rubbish view. Of course if you make the stages tiny, and cram everyone into the same place you'll get overcrowding.. and the monte has always had spectator problems - for as long as I can remember anyways! Used to be that you'd find youself a spot, the marshals were sensible (or too thinly spread), and people were (in the main) sensible about where they went/stood. That's incompatible with the modern world it seems (and that makes me sound like an old git too..) Shame tho. Reminds me how cool it used to be!
Great memories for me too!On the other hand, I also fly, understand the issues, and have read the accident report in detail. Wish I hadn't in many ways. I guess genius is often flawed, but..
As to 'fixing' rallying, I don't know, but one of the things that killed it more than anything for me was paying too much to be herded into a pen, often with a rubbish view. Of course if you make the stages tiny, and cram everyone into the same place you'll get overcrowding.. and the monte has always had spectator problems - for as long as I can remember anyways! Used to be that you'd find youself a spot, the marshals were sensible (or too thinly spread), and people were (in the main) sensible about where they went/stood. That's incompatible with the modern world it seems (and that makes me sound like an old git too..) Shame tho. Reminds me how cool it used to be!
The rallies back then were a big adventure for spectators, we would spend 6 nights sleeping in the forests in the car. You could stand where you wanted pretty much, the banter between fans was great and the atmosphere when McRae came through was electric. There was none of this buying stage passes before you left home, you just turned up and paid a marshall on the gate.
For me rallying went downhill as soon as it went to WRC rules. Go back to pre-97 and the cars you were watching were heavily based on the ones you got in the showroom, as a car nut it was great just seeing the high performance rally reps in the car parks.
Secondly rallying lost its unpredictability. A driver could get a puncture, go off in a stage or whatever and drop 5 mins but still come back to win the rally.
This was because the pace notes were not allowed to be so precise and they were not sprint events.
The cars through all the different classes were also cheaper under group A so more affordable for young drivers therefore more of a chance of being noticed when they put in a big performance, like McRae in his Nova or Burns in his 205Gti.
The TV coverage also needs to get back to showing more of the outside of the car on the stage rather than all the incar footage, its not only more spectacular but lets us see the car and lets us see the sponsors name on the side of it.
Maldini35 said:
That was kind of the point I was making - without celebrity presenters the series would not have been made despite the fact these are superb stories in their own right. Hoy added nothing to it in terms of entertainment or personal insight. Perhaps this is grossly unfair...but....I just got the impression that Hoy has discovered the joys of cars and trackdays quite late in life and when searching for a motorsport hero he chose McRae by default because he was Scottish, successful and was driving at the about the time Hoy was a teenager. I have no evidence for this and I accept it could be completely untrue but the programme didn't give me any cause to think otherwise which is a shame. There is nothing more envigorating than somebody sharing their passion and enthusiasm for a subject. Hoy may well be a huge fan of Colin and rallying but it just didn't come across.
But I'm being a grumpy old git and shouldn't complain as it was an hour of new TV all about Colin McRae.
The impression I got was that Hoy's probably been an enthusiast all his life, but now his career is winding down a bit, he's got more time to indulge in it more with his hard earned cash, as he'd never be allowed to go near a racing car when he had Olympic games to prepare for.But I'm being a grumpy old git and shouldn't complain as it was an hour of new TV all about Colin McRae.
EDLT said:
FWD doesn't have to mean its boring
May not have to, but it often does.NZRC runs to Group-N regs for the main championship, with a 2wd support class (mostly Fiestas) the odd S2000 car. Plus the usual crowd of entertaining classics and local club cars at each event.
They're in the process of introducing a more open class which should be interesting to see this year - a few of the competitors reckon they can build a competitive car for a much lower cost than Group-N.
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