2020 ERC News and Rumors

[PLuto]

I would like to only note that Fafe was from beginning NOT planned to replace Azores. There were discussions with them to be included in the championship. Only now, after sudden cancellation of Azores, it seems like "replacement" for Azores...

[PLuto]

Fingers crossed. Bit iffy across the border just now so hopefully Portugal doesnt go down hill. Seems to be a reasonably strong Portugese championship field to go alongside the ERC field who will enter more so than in the Azores.

There was expected very strong entry list in Azores. If we dont count WRC cars, for sure much stronger than in Turkey...

[Luis Pacheco]

I would like to only note that Fafe was from beginning NOT planned to replace Azores. There were discussions with them to be included in the championship. Only now, after sudden cancellation of Azores, it seems like "replacement" for Azores...

The confirmation a week after the cancellation of Azores seems very coincidental. Barum's cancellation was in early July.

[Andre Oliveira]

Fingers crossed. Bit iffy across the border just now so hopefully Portugal doesnt go down hill. Seems to be a reasonably strong Portugese championship field to go alongside the ERC field who will enter more so than in the Azores.

National championship not counting. Vidreiro will be on next weekend, so maybe some will test there.

[PLuto]

The confirmation a week after the cancellation of Azores seems very coincidental. Barum's cancellation was in early July.

Believe me, I know a lot about it...

[Rally Power]

Fafe confirmed :
https://www.fiaerc.com/81370/

Great to see Fafe confirmed; I hope it’ll be the start of a lasting presence in the ERC and that next year event will be already run on the iconic gravel stages. Fingers crossed!

Also hoping the top Portuguese crews will manage to run this year event, although it won’t be easy for them (once the national series calendar wasn’t properly adjusted); besides them, it’d be nice to get also some top crews from Galicia and other spanish regions.

P.S: two notes on some weird info from the official PR; 1) until further notice, the National Health Authority (differently from the corresponding body of the Azorean Region) allows spectators in the stages; 2) The neighbor city of Guimarães is (just like Porto, btw) a Unesco World Heritage site, for sure a much more valuable reference than a forgotten Uefa cup...

[Co-driven]

The confirmation a week after the cancellation of Azores seems very coincidental. Barum's cancellation was in early July.

Come on, I am pretty sure Pluto is the guy here on this forum (and maybe on the whole ERC circle) with the best and most updated information. If he's saying that Fafe is not a replacement for Azores, it's because he knows what he is talking.

Besides that, it's his birthday today.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

This Fafe Montelongo event is all-tarmac but replaces Azores which was gravel. So it's certainly not a like-for-like swap.

[Luis Pacheco]

Come on, I am pretty sure Pluto is the guy here on this forum (and maybe on the whole ERC circle) with the best and most updated information. If he's saying that Fafe is not a replacement for Azores, it's because he knows what he is talking.

Besides that, it's his birthday today.

I know Petr personally. I am not doubting his word.

Yesterday the president of the Portuguese motoring federation said that the cancellation was due to financial reasons.

Here in portuguese:

https://www.motor24.pt/desporto-naci...oLLboGjNZzcxeg

[Luis Pacheco]

Hard words

Amorim "runs over" GDC and its president
"The guess club"

In an interview with RTP-Açores, the president of the Portuguese Federation of Automobilism and Karting was devastating with Grupo Desportivo Comercial and its president Rui Moniz.
Amorim states that the club was in a bad way and it does not know if the FIA ​​and the promoter will continue to give the club credibility, - «The Rally dos Açores was very bad in the photo after all this happened».
The president of the FPAK states «The Rally if it had to be held in March would not have happened, Covid was a scapegoat» and Rui Moniz denies that the rally was canceled and not postponed and explains why, the proof to be postponed has to a new contract can be concluded.
Amorim considered that the lack of police was only a "fait divers" to cancel the rally.
Ni Amorim even says that the club has no credibility whatsoever and that he does not believe in the club himself - "The club has a new board that has already applied for two tests, has already canceled two tests, the club has not done anything yet".

in Rallyface: https://www.facebook.com/Rallyface/v...5275217127064/