Thread: Monster Energy Ford Team

Originally Posted by ProRally

Car must be road legal, maybe a bit too much for the Rallycross version.

Manufacturer...

Should be able to bring the cars into the US for limited amount of miles for up to two years under a carnet...

Could always stamp them with a VIN and register them in a state with less strict inspection laws.

I know a certain driver who needed some help with plates because of emissions where the team was based making it difficult to register the car back in 2007 (I believe you should be familiar with this particular circumstance).

Originally Posted by L5->R5/CR

Manufacturer...

Should be able to bring the cars into the US for limited amount of miles for up to two years under a carnet...

Could always stamp them with a VIN and register them in a state with less strict inspection laws.

I know a certain driver who needed some help with plates because of emissions where the team was based making it difficult to register the car back in 2007 (I believe you should be familiar with this particular circumstance).

hahhaa you gave me the dealer plates .....

You guys speak of advertising in the WRC, Ken and his DC Shoes + Monster Drink.... so what.

Remember when oh no Abu Dhabi were and still are all over the Ford WRC cars? Complaints here and there.

Pirelli on Gigi Galli's Pug and Xsara. GOOO!!! on Loeb's old car and Stobart + Expro with Henning.

Petter Solberg was a marketing tool for many of Subaru's sponsors. With out him Subaru wouldn't have been so big, same with it's sponsors.

You watch the WRC and once a camera pans a car it stops right where the sponsors have been placed with big (bill)boards on the side of each stage. If you haven't noticed watch coverage from any round! The WRC, with Ken Block; will get more notice in the US of A no doubt - more money invested into the sport - Yes, just as Abu Dhabi has with Ford and it's WRC sponsorship. Don't forget now that the ISC has changed to North One Sport. Is that good news? What will we see from that?

Sponsorship and who-pays-the-bills rules this sport not matter what level you are at, from club rallying to WRC. You act and perform to cater to the needs and tastes of the people who are supporting you.

That is why there is always a big push for a French driver to be seen driving a French car in the WRC. Luckily for the past few years, Loeb has been able to provide, but in the past there have been lack lustre efforts made by people who got their drive simply because they fitted the marketing strategy at the time. There are many other drivers who were knocked back because they were not the right person from a marketing point of view, despite their obvious talent.

Ken has a specific support base that is not from a traditional rallying background and so he has to pander to their needs in a non-traditional way. Heck, if I was to be supported by opera singing bingo players in my rallying efforts, I would be more than happy to sing falsetto while calling out bingo numbers in order to get it done.

The important thing here is that we have an extra car competing which is always better than have none.

http://www.monsterworldrallyteam.com/
no sign of Chris Atkinson. Ken will do "some" WRC rallies, not news yet which ones, and drive a Fietsa S2000 in Rally America Series.

First event looks to be Mexico. Ken drove there already.... good place to start.

WRC coverage can be tailored to a certain market to give it a regional balance. So I'm sure coverage in America can be made to heavily include Ken, a bit like what Dave in the UK did with Matt Wilson.

But in Europe I doubt he will get any more coverage than a Villagra or a Rautenbach. Obviously when he debut's he will get a decent mention/interview but beyond that he will be lucky to get a couple of glimpses per show in Europe IMO. Unless he crashes that is.

That is why hiring Atko would increase visibility for the brand and hence make it a more worthwhile marketing exercise for Monster. That can be the only issue really and is something that a few people on the forum share. I have no problem with any new sponsor or driver entering. The more machinery the better. The car will look great also I have no doubt.

But if they want to be taken seriously they need a top 8 calibre driver like Chris to back up all the posturing with some actual results. If you're going to do it then why not do it properly.

When I first heard of this rumour, I thought this would be a great thing to have Atko back in the sport again. Perhaps there are loose ends to tie up, as the rumor seemed back on the reality - apart from Chris.

Sounds like a dream team to me - Ken for the exposure and Chris for the speed / talent. He needs to get back in the WRC again!

Originally Posted by alleskids

http://www.monsterworldrallyteam.com/
no sign of Chris Atkinson. Ken will do "some" WRC rallies, not news yet which ones, and drive a Fietsa S2000 in Rally America Series.

It's not a S2000 Fiesta, but a Open class one I'm pretty sure of since it's buildt by Olsbergs MSE.

Also on autosport now.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80754

Even though not confirmed yet, I do expect Atkinson to be a part of it.

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

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.

Only everybody involved in building cars, building parts, organising events, entering events, dropping the sport because of lack of competition in local areas, so in short everybody involved....

You're going to solve the "problem" of rally in the US and your reading comprehension is so poor that you can't parse a sentence well enough to see the question was "how to make rally......up to the level of say a tiny country"

And I said you can choose any other country to compare and contrast.

And really if you can't see there is a direct link between participation and popularity then I suggest you drown yourself....but that's just me.

And you think you should be paid???

You're beyond a price! No price could capture your value.
And if there's no price, it must be worthless!

Java,

Even somebody from the People's Republic of Seattle could see the correlation between a sports popularity and the amount of competitors it attracts.

Right now Pro-Rally in the USA is a Regional Niche sport with little or no media coverage.

Don't think for a minute that if R/A announced a good TV package on a viable TV network that the entrees wouldn't start flowing in.

Originally Posted by Josti

Also on autosport now.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80754

Even though not confirmed yet, I do expect Atkinson to be a part of it.

Atkinson has to finish up some sponsor deal before the announcement.

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

Atkinson has to finish up some sponsor deal before the announcement.

Source?

I hope Block knows that there is no editing in this , you get one shot and that is it.

Originally Posted by Motorsportfun

Source?

Phone call

Thanx!

Really hope to see him competing in the WRC in 2010, he definitely deserves to be in a top-team in the WRC. And the Monster WRT, as it's run by M-Sport, is a real top-team.

http://wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101...y+Team+is+go!+

Originally Posted by logic

I hope Block knows that there is no editing in this , you get one shot and that is it.

Brilliant call!!!