Monster Energy Ford Team

[swordsman]

?

That people think this is an marketing ploy and i agree at some part of it.
But hate is a strong word.

But on the other hand, we have all been crying after more cars/drivers..
And to be honest, i rather see this then more conrads...

Agree about Conrad - but... A marketing ploy? Yeah, sure it is! The whole WRC is a marketing ploy and wouldn't exist if it wasn't marketing. It's a bit more hands-on marketing with Americans, as their society is probably a little bit more commercialised than in Europe - but I mean... Isn't that much a good thing? Why try to hide the fact that marketing pays the championship! Better to be open then... And I'm sure the WRC have seen worse drivers than Ken Block and also worse financers (read: Billy Rautenbach).

[anthonyvop]

You just figuring that out?
It was obvious to me at the first event I entered in 1984.

Nothing makes my head explode so lets see what a complete outsider-non-participant says is the key to mass participation on the scale of say a small country of only 5 million, example Finland.

Compare and contrast, I assume since you're a cultured world traveler you can tell us all about the roots of Finnish culture, why Finnish culture differs from the other Noric/Lutheran cultures and why a country with 1/60th the US population has approx multiples more drivers active, hundred more events and has produced generation after generation of WRC caliber drivers...

Background information on your activities in rally would add weight to your explanations.

We await your thesis.


If you don't like to talk about Finland choose some other country where rally has mass participation: Sweden, UK, France come to mind.

Who is talking about participation? I am discussing popularity. It is great that you are so up on statistics of Finland but what does it have to do with the popularity of the sport in the USA?
I know it upsets people like you but the USA isn't Europe.

Rally is as or more popular in other countries as well. Argentina gets up to a Million Spectators to it's WRC. Are you suggesting that the US applies the Argentinian example to boost popularity?

If you want a real marketing plan for Rally in the USA feel free to contact and don't forget your checkbook. I am not cheap but I am worth it.

[wotaguy]

reading thru thread,i have to agree with livewire,i support all the drivers they are doing what i love. its another driver in WRC if he is aloud to mature this season, learn the car stages etc, then who knows, marketing ploy, well isnt most sport about sponsership =selling . i would like to see Atko in team thou, think he would help Ken

[Koppomsbo]

Agree about Conrad - but... A marketing ploy? Yeah, sure it is! The whole WRC is a marketing ploy and wouldn't exist if it wasn't marketing. It's a bit more hands-on marketing with Americans, as their society is probably a little bit more commercialised than in Europe - but I mean... Isn't that much a good thing? Why try to hide the fact that marketing pays the championship! Better to be open then... And I'm sure the WRC have seen worse drivers than Ken Block and also worse financers (read: Billy Rautenbach).

Agree that everything about this is marketing

But, u can put the monster energy stickers on a car that maybe Kris Meeke, Pg Andersson, Guy Wilks, Gardeister or whatever is driving

[swordsman]

Agree that everything about this is marketing

But, u can put the monster energy stickers on a car that maybe Kris Meeke, Pg Andersson, Guy Wilks, Gardeister or whatever is driving

Yup, but you obviously wouldn't get the same out of it. Not on the global market - and especially not on the US market.

[wotaguy]

saying that , if this makes intrest in rallying increase in America, and they all flock to the rallies, they wont see Block cos he is in Europe lol , With just Travis Pastrana, main driver in Rally America series that will suffer, which is a shame as there are some great rallies over there.....note just my opinion OK!

[Koppomsbo]

Yup, but you obviously wouldn't get the same out of it. Not on the global market - and especially not on the US market.

Not them but WE (the rally fans) would

Well i agree, but this is to bad. Rally is starting to look like circuit racing..
Only nice stickers and cool team wear (including sunglasses)

[swordsman]

Not them but WE (the rally fans) would

Well i agree, but this is to bad. Rally is starting to look like circuit racing..
Only nice stickers and cool team wear (including sunglasses)

Agree and disagree at the same time. Maybe it's like that, but let's wait and see for a while. The guy has been a top scorer in other sports and I don't think he's a happy loser.

[rallymatt]

saying that , if this makes intrest in rallying increase in America, and they all flock to the rallies, they wont see Block cos he is in Europe lol , With just Travis Pastrana, main driver in Rally America series that will suffer, which is a shame as there are some great rallies over there.....note just my opinion OK!

Ken is competing in the Rally America series as well, in a Fiesta.

[userwave]

the WRC needs a public figure like Ken Block right now, it will gain some much needed hype to the series.

If he can't deliver decent results, then it's all for nothing though !



as for the WRC coming to America, I think it's still quite a long way's off in terms of gaining enough attention to stadium sport crazed American's...