World Rallycross Champs Las Vegas
The sun and sand of Nevada is a world away from Lydden Hill, that's for sure
Rallycross action in the shadow of the Vegas strip
Global in this context is the Stateside definition of it, Barbados being about as offshore as the Red Bull GRC gets, the rest of the rounds taking place on US mainland. There's a lot of interest too; Red Bull's series is broadcast on NBC with decent audiences and the drivers are household names, many through previous lives as action sports stars with skateboarders, freestyle motocross riders and others joining the fun.
Scott Speed is driving the Andretti VW Beetle
It's easy to be a bit dismissive, though that's immediately forgotten watching 10 cars fight for the best line on the first corner. Six laps later it's decided, but what a six laps, the entire circuit visible from almost anywhere you stand, the central jump making for some real heart-in-mouth moments where mid-air taps are very much expected. There's more banging and pops than a municipal fireworks display as the 10 cars lift for the second bend, a tight, 90-degree left-hander. Whooping, yes, whooping, ensues as chaotic mass of Fiestas, Subarus, a Chevrolet Sonic and Hyundai Veloster and the two new VW Beetles from Andretti Autosport sprint down the straight to the next bend.
Volkswagen's part-sponsorship of the series underlines its status and, with the Polo that forms the heart of the WRC campaign not sold in the US, the distinctive Beetle makes for instantly recognisable presence. They're unlike any Beetle you might have encountered either, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 540hp, allowing it to reach 60mph in 2.1 seconds. Its power drives all four wheels, GRC rules meaning there are no traction or driving aids to speak of, the gears shifted via a sequential shift lever rather than paddles. That's pretty much the formula, the six-lap heat races over in minutes, the briefest, high-high octane race a riot of noise, physicality and more overtakes than in a typical 70-lap F1 race.
Of course it's a contact sport!
There are rules to boost the excitement, the heats building up to the final, where the 10 best run for 10 laps. In Vegas, at night, under the floodlights and neon Scott Speed's 7UP Beetle takes what can only be described as an ambitious line into the first corner. The inevitable happens and Speed's Beetle slews into the tyre barriers on the outside of the bend, collecting a few other cars on the way. Red flags out, the clean-up is quick, Speed's Beetle making the restart - albeit featuring somewhat lighter bodywork than it started the previous race with.
Wings clipped a bit Speed's not so assertive on the second start, all the runners getting through the first bend. Then the first jump, always interesting on the first lap given how tight the pack is at this point. There's not much clear air between the cars, though plenty below them and the long-travel suspension designed to cope with the hits makes for an amusing ass-down stance when the cars accelerate ferociously out of the bends.
Big power, big suspension, big fun!
A rising star in a rising category, the 'global' badge might be something of a misnomer but there's nothing isolationist about the appeal. Big fun and action-packed racing in compact, easy to view format, GRC is very much like the city where we sampled it. Context is everything and in this one it works a treat.
Sights and sounds of Red Bull Global Rallycross vid
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[Sources: Red Bull Global Rallycross]
All the rounds are in the US, half the drivers are American, none of them could cut it in WRC, so a "new" sports series is set up, which is easy enough for Americans to participate in and watch without being confused or getting in the way of buyionf stuff. The backers use it to make money and sell people stuff they do not need whilst marketing back to everyone else who already have these sports (rallycross and rallying) as something new. Wannabe Americans get involved and buy lots of stuff.
In 2 years having turned everything up to 11, Americans will be bored of it, go back to Nascar and the remaining life in actual Rallycross and rallying will have been sucked dry and be in a worse state.
American Football is Rugby League with more equipment purchases required and longer to make people buy more stuff but not long enough to interfere with adverts.
Baseball is rounders with more stuff on sale (because it is so dull) but with less actual action on the pirch.
Armstrong did it with the Tour. Turned it all up to 11, screwed it up and then disappeared back to the US.
Cigarettes did it with MotoGP. Came blew it up left.
Global World Series Rallycross will suck any life out of grass roots rally cross then die.
Rant over, sorry. I am sure it is an amazing sport, with top class competition and well worth seeing in Las Vegas and in the UK from next year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gilxT4wEedM
Yes this is not rally cross or rally in the true form but is close racing big (in USA) names and a lot of money being poured into it and hopefully will attract young drivers to have a go at any form of racing.
It also looked liked the drivers were enjoying themselves, so many of the so called f1/ rally/btcc stars are so miserable when interviewed and never smile.
Good luck to the series and maybe it can become a world series with a race in UK, Azerbaijan, Russia, India, etc
When I was a copywriter, a few years ago, I would have been mortified to discover I'd made an error in something that had made it to print - especially if it was a really basic error like this is. I'd have corrected it as soon as I noticed it was wrong and suffered the wrath and ire of both my creative director and probably the client, too. Yet no one from PH can ever be bothered to even acknowledge when they make the most glaring errors, which happens fairly often in the motorsport articles. Is it apathy or just general stupidity, I wonder?
One of the best aspects was the paddock was open, deliberately so, to encourage interaction between drivers and teams, and this really made the event for me, as well as being able to speak to the mechanics, I was also able to chart to a number of drivers, not Mr Block who was mobbed, all of whom were happy to chat.
Another very cool thing, at least half of all the mechanics were British, which really underlined how dominant we are in the filed of motor sport engineering.
A great event, if you ever get the opportunity to see this next year, grab it, it was a petrol heads dream day out!
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