New to WRC--How should I watch and what should I watch for

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Originally Posted by seb_sh

I'd add 2001 and the '94-'97 as great years to watch.

Although maybe a bit less exciting the Loeb era is important to watch in order to get an idea of how (boringly) dominant he was.

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Well 2003 season wasn't boring at all, at the time they said it was the most exciting season in years (before Citroen would come to dominate both titles), 2007 was a heck of a duel between Loeb & Gronholm which unfortunately was lost by an error from Marcus in Ireland (which is by the way, when I started watching the WRC) in stage 4. 2009 season started out really boring with 5/5 wins for Loeb but after that, caught many people's attention. 2011 is just so you can see the beginning of Citroen's trouble, a hint of things to come..and the tension that is the rivalry between Loeb & Ogier.

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Originally Posted by seb_sh

I'd add 2001 and the '94-'97 as great years to watch.

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I think 94-96 was a bit lame with the rotating events and Toyota penalty year. 1997 was still a bit lame with only three teams but still very tight and interesting with the new cars. 1998-1999 was super tight and interesting with new teams and drivers all the time. 2000-2003 was still very good as well, it was like a new generation of drivers and teams coming in. All those aforementioned years I followed pretty intensely, after that I stopped following the sport completely for almost 15 years...until the WRC2017 cars and VWexit made it interesting again.

Rallying was one of the first forms of motorsport that I was introduced to as a kid many years ago, but my following tailed off once I went to university. I started following it again couple of years ago and I am loving it. What I really enjoy this season is that, for me personally, it represents the missing 1987 and beyond (yes, I was there as a teenager), it is what rallying should have been back then, i.e. instead of banning Group B, FIA should (as originally planned) have imposed power restrictions and also introduce greater safety measures on the cars and impose better spectators control, while keeping the excitement of Groups B and S. Basically it should have gone in the direction of the current season. So I really enjoy this. On top of that, we have a stunningly exciting season.

I agree that the first gr.A cars were quite boring and lame compared to gr.B but later even gr.A cars become really spectacular. I personally really love those videos from early 1990' even though I could not visit the events myself.

By the way my first ever somewhat direct contact with WRC was in 1995 Brno carshow (aside of watching Eurosport and WRC photo calendars which my father gave me every year). I was ten years old back then and there was gr.A Impreza 555 of Carlos Sainz on display there and I run there and sat inside. And that's how it started :)

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Originally Posted by Mirek

I agree that the first gr.A cars were quite boring and lame compared to gr.B but later even gr.A cars become really spectacular. I personally really love those videos from early 1990' even though I could not visit the events myself.

By the way my first ever somewhat direct contact with WRC was in 1995 Brno carshow (aside of watching Eurosport and WRC photo calendars which my father gave me every year). I was ten years old back then and there was gr.A Impreza 555 of Carlos Sainz on display there and I run there and sat inside. And that's how it started :)

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My first ever rally event was Germany 2003 i believe. Not knowing how a rally works we missed all top cars at about every stage the first day.
From than on, the virus got to me, strange how you really begin to mis rally when its een a couple of months between events.

Must say we as Belgians have been lucky to have a Belgian driver in the WRC sice that period, first Duval and than Neuville.
If there's no Belgian in WRC that would take some of the fun away i'm afraid.

Also have to be honnest, National level rally's dont bother me much anymore, only going to events nearby or in combination whit small holiday.

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Originally Posted by Revman

I have moved to the level of WRC addiction.

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Haha I think someone did warn you it was addictive!! :)

I'm glad you posted as I've learned a lot of things too. So much has changed since I drifted away from the sport following Subaru's departure.

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Originally Posted by NickRally

What I really enjoy this season is that, for me personally, it represents the missing 1987 and beyond

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Originally Posted by mmm

Attachment 1364

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Would be nice to see a modern day Quattro (like the prototype they unveiled in Paris 2010 Motorshow) but that is unlikely to happen now...or a Modern day 208 T16 (not an R5)....

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Originally Posted by NickRally

What I really enjoy this season is that, for me personally, it represents the missing 1987 and beyond (yes, I was there as a teenager), it is what rallying should have been back then, i.e. instead of banning Group B, FIA should (as originally planned) have imposed power restrictions and also introduce greater safety measures on the cars and impose better spectators control, while keeping the excitement of Groups B and S.

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Group S was actually supposed to come into effect in 1988. The teams were already working towards that and Group B evolution homologations were being limited before TDC. Group S cars would have had a small turbo engine with 300 horsepower and they could have been an instance a model that's not actually sold in the showroom at all. When I saw the test videos of 2017 cars I instantly thought of Group S.

When talking about gr.S... how many of You guys know that Audi was doing development testing behind the iron curtain in Czechoslovakia where a local company even built a whole secret testing area according to their wishes? They tested there gr.B cars but also mid-engine prototypes as a part of gr.S development. The area is now deserted but at the early 90' it was used as a TV stage of Barum rally.