X games RALLY? Was it?

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Originally Posted by GigiGalliNo1

Well, it is to them an Extreme Sport! Maybe WRC is too complicated... but don't forget... they do have a Rally Series and if you watched the coverage.... havnt finished it. They do explain the sport a bit and everything, though they have different words haha and accent is funny, but just like mine :p

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Did anyone watch the first 4 or so minutes of the broadcast?

The whole time where they explained the mentality of rally, and what the X Games was relative to rally?


This was billed, presented, and comentated as a Super Special. Had the finish line not been simply stupid in design the only thing separating it from a WRC SSS was the huge jump (which the cars got special practice on and had the exact jump speed range needed to clear it properly).


Its all good and well to comment on rallying from the European perspective. You have a general population that has at the very least an indication of what rallying is. We don't have that in the US. We are still a very much "under cover" sport here. What is more interesting is the amount of WRC fans that don't know there is a domestic series.

The X Games is about two things. Getting people who have no idea about rally to go that looked pretty cool, I think I'll google this rally car thing (at which point they will find out the reality). And, getting money into our domestic series, which still only has one proper manufacturer backed team.

Last year there was a small surge in spectators and fans. This year we have a proper HD TV package in part because of this. Also, we have 3 championship committed and funded privateers, including one two car team that rivals the makes backed team for quality and caliber (run by SYMS).

You just can't promote rally in the US like you can in Europe. The basics of the sport are the same but the population and support for it are very different. In a lot of ways the X Games is a short cut to get to a more "European" appreciation and status for rally...

Love it or hate it, but in the US the X Games is worth about 2.5+ million in team sponsorships for the privateers each year, and thats VERY important.

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Originally Posted by cannyboy

Compare the SSS in Finland to the X games, and the x games stage was much better.

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In finland the sss is mainly for the sponsors, the rally is done somewhere else and i dont think you can find anything that even comes close anywhere else.

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Originally Posted by cannyboy

Not the brightest ever comment here really.

Compare the SSS in Finland to the X games, and the x games stage was much better.

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Equally thats not the brightest comment i have even read on here! Killeri SS is better for many reasons;

1. Not dangerous
2. The crowds
3. The cars
4. The jump is much better (the cars go over at the same time if its a close finish)
5. Its part of Rally Finland

All I was trying to say is that we may get a situation in the USA where people don't want to go to forest in the middle of nowhere etc.....instead opting for the easier to attend, more action packed SSS style of rallying. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if this does nothing for the amount of specy's out on the real stages. Didn't mean to offend anyone, i just don't believe its the best way to sell rallying as a sport.

Again, i don't mean to offend anyone but even though Rallying is an extreme sport, it doesn't have the ''yeh man, rad dude'' image of the X-Games, which is mostly for stonners on Skateboards and BMX's.

oh come on Doon is not that your offending anyone is that your are totally missing the point again!
yes its stadium SSS
No its not "real" rally
yes its american
yes its kindda dangerous
and yes its all a show!

but in america people think differently than in Europe, as you say this may not be the best way to sell rallying as sport but thats here in Europe! and if in America they see a car jumping over an other car and racing in a partly gravel stage they may be interested in the sport.
Lets say 4 in 10 people that watched liked it, 3 of them find the time to google it and find a little bit more about the sport, one finds out what real rally is and says "f+ck this im not going to a forest in the middle of nowhere to whatch a car for 5 seconds", one is too lazy and does nothing else than play colinmcrae in his playstation, but the other one goes to an actual rally!
what did the sport gained? well 10% of the people that watched it are now rally fans!!!
dont you think thats cool for the whole thing?
cheers

Jonas

and by the way the ''yeh man, rad dude'' is soooo stereotype Ive been to those events and there a loads and loads of nerds there that have never been skateboarding or anything like it haha

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Originally Posted by jonas_mcrae

and by the way the ''yeh man, rad dude'' is soooo stereotype Ive been to those events and there a loads and loads of nerds there that have never been skateboarding or anything like it haha

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I know, I was just having a laugh! Its like saying all rally fans have a warm flask of coffee and wear bobble hats.....actually... ;)

I get your point, and if it does attract 1 in 10 then fair enough, its done its job.

....and the prize money!! I was shocked! Might have a go myself for that kind of cash. lol! Just out of interest, what kind of prize money do winners of a WRC event get. I doubt the drivers get any do they? What to the teams get? (except from sponsors)

Haha they called the Subaru the Blue car and the Lancer the Red car in comintating :p

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Originally Posted by Doon

Equally thats not the brightest comment i have even read on here! Killeri SS is better for many reasons;

1. Not dangerous
2. The crowds
3. The cars
4. The jump is much better (the cars go over at the same time if its a close finish)
5. Its part of Rally Finland

All I was trying to say is that we may get a situation in the USA where people don't want to go to forest in the middle of nowhere etc.....instead opting for the easier to attend, more action packed SSS style of rallying. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if this does nothing for the amount of specy's out on the real stages. Didn't mean to offend anyone, i just don't believe its the best way to sell rallying as a sport.

Again, i don't mean to offend anyone but even though Rallying is an extreme sport, it doesn't have the ''yeh man, rad dude'' image of the X-Games, which is mostly for stonners on Skateboards and BMX's.

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rallycross maybe interesting for americans, they like circuit and contact sports more, rather than solo driving.

when i was watching the game i didn't even know the drivers were driving, except for the guy who won, they were just crashing into anything deliberately. the jump was very cool, but the course needed to be redesign for better safety, especially the finish.

The X-Games featres:-


(a) A super special stage

(b) Handfull of 'invited' drivers & crew

(c) A knock out system

(d) Is widely televised

(e) Packed stadium


If I am not mistaken, this is just a US version of the Race of Champions!?!

So why say it is not rallying?????

At least the X Games featured all rally drivers & looked good. Just need the Rally America organisers to adopt FIA regulation cars to make it more relevant.

Plus we now have Pastrana & Block competing outside the US. Bringing rallying closer to the American market. That is alot of sponsorhip dollars that could flow into the WRC eventually. If not with these drivers, but maybe a new generation inspired from what they saw. Without X Games, there would be nothing.

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Originally Posted by Doon

Equally thats not the brightest comment i have even read on here! Killeri SS is better for many reasons;

1. Not dangerous
2. The crowds
3. The cars
4. The jump is much better (the cars go over at the same time if its a close finish)
5. Its part of Rally Finland

All I was trying to say is that we may get a situation in the USA where people don't want to go to forest in the middle of nowhere etc.....instead opting for the easier to attend, more action packed SSS style of rallying. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if this does nothing for the amount of specy's out on the real stages. Didn't mean to offend anyone, i just don't believe its the best way to sell rallying as a sport.

Again, i don't mean to offend anyone but even though Rallying is an extreme sport, it doesn't have the ''yeh man, rad dude'' image of the X-Games, which is mostly for stonners on Skateboards and BMX's.

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People already don't really want to go into the woods to watch cars in masse now anyway, so what can it hurt.

See, here is the problem. You are judging an American event, featuring largely American drivers, and its relevance to American rallying, with a Euro view. Its just different.

There is also a huge misperception of what the X Games fan base is. There are a lot more people into watching the X Games then stoners on skateboards and BMXs. Just more misinformation making a realistic judgement impossible (BTW, I thought it was a great Rally Cross and very entertaining but not rally...)

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Originally Posted by Livewireshock

The X-Games featres:-


(a) A super special stage

(b) Handfull of 'invited' drivers & crew

(c) A knock out system

(d) Is widely televised

(e) Packed stadium


If I am not mistaken, this is just a US version of the Race of Champions!?!

So why say it is not rallying?????

At least the X Games featured all rally drivers & looked good. Just need the Rally America organisers to adopt FIA regulation cars to make it more relevant.

Plus we now have Pastrana & Block competing outside the US. Bringing rallying closer to the American market. That is alot of sponsorhip dollars that could flow into the WRC eventually. If not with these drivers, but maybe a new generation inspired from what they saw. Without X Games, there would be nothing.

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Rally America regulations are very similiar to the FIA atleast for car construction. Event regulations are different but that represents the constraints that the event organizers are saddled with.

Our top class of cars are built off of Group N specifications with more freedom on the drive train, larger restrictors, and less constraints with regards to body panneling. You could take a N4 car and build a more powerful motor and change the gearbox and have a high spec US car.

The X Games last year generated about 2.5 million USD directly into teams involved in the sport, thats pretty big... If it keeps getting bigger it will be good for rally (because if rally is good in the US it can make things better in a lot more places).

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Originally Posted by Doon

Equally thats not the brightest comment i have even read on here! Killeri SS is better for many reasons;

1. Not dangerous
2. The crowds
3. The cars
4. The jump is much better (the cars go over at the same time if its a close finish)
5. Its part of Rally Finland

All I was trying to say is that we may get a situation in the USA where people don't want to go to forest in the middle of nowhere etc.....instead opting for the easier to attend, more action packed SSS style of rallying. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if this does nothing for the amount of specy's out on the real stages. Didn't mean to offend anyone, i just don't believe its the best way to sell rallying as a sport.

Again, i don't mean to offend anyone but even though Rallying is an extreme sport, it doesn't have the ''yeh man, rad dude'' image of the X-Games, which is mostly for stonners on Skateboards and BMX's.

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Doon, you have that already in Europe. You only have to count the numbers at a super special & they easily outnumber those out in the forest stages at most events.

Plus the X Games does not mean that all American rallying will shift to Super Specials in stadiums. To qualify for an invitation to the X Games you must obtain a high position in a regular Rally America series rally & their championship.

The USA already has a glut of stadium racing from motorcross, monster trucks, tractor pulls, off road buggies, baja, mud running etc.....

Rally got into the X Games because of computer gaming. They saw the appeal of it to the X Game crowd. No, it is not a European mentality but it is not a European market they are trying to win over.

Thousands of motorcross fans are now taking a serious look at what rallying is because of Pastrana's crossover. Now fans of other extremem sports are getting a closer look too.

Let it grow, let it be strong.