[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

**Rally Hokkaido** · 1st Jul 12, 03:53

Originally Posted by Maxi

Gronholm crashed at rally cross practice and was knocked unconscious.

Edit: He was brought to the hospital and is awake and alert and undergoing some tests.

I heard he had to be cut from the car, which hit a concrete block sticking out at apex of a corner. Can someone confirm his injuries are not serious? And did the design of the course contribute to the seriousness of the incident (again!) ?

**Rallyper** · 1st Jul 12, 06:28

N.O.T please give some comments of yours of this crazy spectacle going on in US! (This is serious)

**TyPat107** · 1st Jul 12, 06:36

Just watched the incar and it had nothing to do with the jump. He landed off the jump and turned in early on the next turn and it looks like part of the barrier is just barely sticking out and he was way too close and caught it. Sorry I tried to find a link to post it but it didn't work.

Hope Marcus recovers quickly. Also wonder if Citroen would consider pulling the plug on loeb driving. I doubt they see any benefit from risking Sebs health for a weekend when he is looking at another championship.

**logic** · 1st Jul 12, 06:37

do you have a link to the crash?

**TyPat107** · 1st Jul 12, 06:40

Here is the best I can do. Why Gap jumps are stupid

The vid of Marcus is near the bottom.

**Gherid_lacksGPS** · 1st Jul 12, 07:29

Note sure about being cut from the car.

Regarding Toomas, photographers and media are not allowed to approach the car. The help did seem to come a bit late, but the context of space is not known, nor the relation of crews to the ramp.

It is getting rather embarrassing, the safety of this event....

**TyPat107** · 1st Jul 12, 07:45

Oh yeah cut out of the car. Pictures here. All sizes | Rallycross photos © Jakub QBA Nitka/ERC24.COM | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

**Gherid_lacksGPS** · 1st Jul 12, 07:56

What the ****?

**Franky** · 1st Jul 12, 08:25

Originally Posted by TyPat107

Oh yeah cut out of the car. Pictures here. All sizes | Rallycross photos © Jakub QBA Nitka/ERC24.COM | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Were they thinking "Oh, let's make a cabrio!"?

**makinen_fan** · 1st Jul 12, 08:29

it does not look like a huge crash, not even the left corner of car is not destroyed... why did they need to cut the whole rood off...

**WRCfan** · 1st Jul 12, 08:40

The second driver injured at X-Games!? All the rallies he did, all those dangerous roads, and the monkeys who organise this competition make a course so dangerous (dumb obstacles on racing lines and jumps), which could potentially kill a driver. They don't deserve the participation of drivers like Marcus and Seb if they are going to run the event like a bunch of circus chimps.

**6789** · 1st Jul 12, 09:59

Here's some footage - terrible crash, looks like he tried to take a little bit too much off the corner.

**vkangas** · 1st Jul 12, 10:47

Originally Posted by makinen_fan

it does not look like a huge crash, not even the left corner of car is not destroyed... why did they need to cut the whole rood off...

Marcus was unconscious after the crash so better to cut the roof off than try to bend him out not knowing internal injuries. They did the right thing.

**Barreis** · 1st Jul 12, 11:03

Maybe he's too old for this. Didn't look like nasty crash, he had much worse crashes in WRC.

**Lousada** · 1st Jul 12, 11:10

Originally Posted by vkangas

Marcus was unconscious after the crash so better to cut the roof off than try to bend him out not knowing internal injuries. They did the right thing.

Rallycross cars like I think all FIA approved competition cars are designed that the driver can be extracted while still in his seat, without needing to cut the car. Apparently the problem was that the in the accident the doors were crushed shut. Also I do not think the rescue crews are very experienced in rallycross. In both accidents the Ford mechanics were way earlier on the scene than any marshal or doctor....

**N.O.T** · 1st Jul 12, 11:32

Originally Posted by Rallyper

N.O.T please give some comments of yours of this crazy spectacle going on in US! (This is serious)

I do not mind rallycross, i actually like it a bit... i do not like they way it is marketed in the US though... They seem to focus mostly on circus antics like gap jumps and other stupid meaningless things rather than the driving though, which is a pity since they only manage to attract rednecks with reduced mental capability as fans...the same people who like those drift videos of block.

hope marcus is ok... Mr Loeb created some serious mental focus problems through the years to anyone who challenged him... his presence alone is enough to cause focus problems.

**jbmarcus21** · 1st Jul 12, 15:37

drama for Marcus.. gutted ...

((

**Gregor-y** · 1st Jul 12, 16:41

Originally Posted by Gherid_lacksGPS

Regarding Toomas, photographers and media are not allowed to approach the car. The help did seem to come a bit late, but the context of space is not known, nor the relation of crews to the ramp.

If all those people at the inside of the jump are media then were there no marshals or safety crew at the jump at all? The jump's not going anywhere so having to drive an oversize pickup truck there after the wreck seems like poor planning.

**Gherid_lacksGPS** · 1st Jul 12, 19:39

Originally Posted by Gregor-y

If all those people at the inside of the jump are media then were there no marshals or safety crew at the jump at all? The jump's not going anywhere so having to drive an oversize pickup truck there after the wreck seems like poor planning.

Agreed. I would like to know where the help came from, though. If they had to navigate an odd route due to track layout and what not - which again, is still poor planning.

Regarding Marcus's accident. I always tell people, the problem isn't speed itself, it's that sudden, abrupt stop that gets you. 85mph to 0 in .1 seconds is pretty violent.