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OK, but who would you get to organise and run the "long" events? You don`t seriously think that for instance RAC MSA would even think of going back to staging an event running stages in Wales, Grizedale (Lake District), Kielder and Scottish Borders nowadays? That was the classic RAC Rally 20 years ago, but today it just isn`t realistic, is it - for a number of reasons. I do agree we have lost something that was great, but it just can`t be done anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
Although good points raised by Iskald, some counter points
1) As for better media and TV, in Germany we never ever had less WRC on terrestrial TV or in newspapers than today or the last few years! That is despite having had a German round recently! Similar I hear from friends in France and Belgium. And hasn't Yle of the rally nation N°1 (Finland) stopped WRC completely? Plus UK that is already half of Europe where WRC media has gone down! Plus all of Australia it seems, plus I hear similar complaints from USA. Maybe it has gone up in Cyprus and Fiji Islands.
2) The article specifically says that it does NOT want a return to chase cars or anything too much to the stone age extreme. A limit to service barges and mechanics is included in the thought and why should this not be workable. In contrary what is found in central service today I doubt this is cheaper than the old setup, nor adds anything to the show. The whole point is about the inefficiency of clover leaf. If rally cars are safe enough to travel 150kms road sections after action, they should be save enough for more stage action after a limited service. The rally cars should spend their time on stages, not on road sections for many hours every leg! The example shown in the article only shows stages that are actually used in Wales Rally GB 2008. This example intends to get one thinking towards a compromise between the extremes – and if cleverly done, as it is food for thought this compromise can give us a lot more marketable action without any big cost increase!
3) As for running stages over a larger geographical area, again the artical specficially says it does not need to be rallies with different night halts 1000s of kms apart (though it suggests a more central host town or maybe one different night halt. From Cardiff you have not many directions you can travel, Chester for example you could hold a leg in Englnad and even Lake District or Kielder would not be further away than i.e. Rift Valley for the recent Safari or Valence for IRC Monte Carlo). However I know a number of motor clubs in UK that have withdrawn their support to the “RAC” because they were fed up travelling to Wales as volunteers, when they would have loved to carry on running the stages more local to them. Other events actually do go that more widespread route in their WRC off-year.
4) If Iskald’s points are so correct, how does he explain the public, TV and manufacturer interest in the Dakar?
If I don’t reply any further here, even (or because?) with this subject being straight linked to my own article, I expect the libellous forum owners to ban and/or to abuse me again...
Nice to see you back on the forums Chris. Nothing wrong with that post at all in my eyes :)
Yes because other nation wide TV station, MTV3 has the rights now, YLE is still the NORF rally radio broadcaster and they do show WRC in their sport news.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_B
3. I have actually never understood the reason for Rally GB running in Wales exclusively, but it must have something to do with money...? I agree with you that Chester would be perfect, with possibilities to run stages in different regions both in England and Wales. But it could still function as a cloverleaf rally, couldn`t it? Maybe with one remote service every day, as it is allowed in the WRC now. So it isn`t neccessary the format that is wrong, is it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_B
4. Dakar has it`s own position as an adventure, more than a rally (rallyraid). And how strong is exactly manufacturers interest in the Dakar?
I do agree with you in many of your other arguments, but we must also be realistic and accept that the traditional events won`t come back in exactly the formats of old days. Those days are long gone, but some adaption to a more flexible way of organising rallies, would possibly serve the sport better than the current situation.
Are u freaking kiddin' me?!? Begs me to wonder if A) Chris is your current loverQuote:
Originally Posted by Daniel
or B) What it is you need from Chris?
Er.... WRC is shown on terrestrial TV in Australia as a highlights show (on SBS, on the sunday following the event) and on Foxtel pay-tv during the event.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_B
Which is better coverage than the domestic series which is now not on 'regular' terrestrial TV and is only on freeview several weeks after the event :(
One point people espousing abandoning the cloverleaf system miss, is the approvals process every km of rally has to go through these days, and the increased difficulty as society becomes increasingly unhelpful/hostile to anything that might disturb their rural idyll. Look at the hassle Rally Australia is having already.... environmental reports, development applications, greenie complaints. Long rallies across multiple authority jurisdictions and through an increased number of communities would only make this worse.
Yes tv coverage has increased in absolute numbers. But how much does this have to do with the globalization and the explosion of tv networks the past 20 years? The only people who watch rally now are the fans. Casual followers are not watching and not caring.
On top of that, national rally championships (at least around where I live) are almost completely vanished from the mainstream media. The rallysport as a whole is suffering from the obsession with the WRC in my opinion.
I would assume that widening the possible area of the rallies would make it easier to find friendly communities and not more difficult?Quote:
Originally Posted by mjh
A lot, I'm sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lousada
I'm afraid I do think mjh had a point here. The regulations that particularly affect rallying would tend to be imposed on a national basis, I should think. I would certainly imagine this is the case in the UK.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lousada
What seems to be your problem? Did Chris turn you down or something in the past?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nenukknak
What's so wrong about posting a link to someone's work? I've quite agreed with some of the stuff BDunnell has posted in the past but you don't see people asking me if he's my boyfriend :laugh: Are you jealous of me or something? :dozey: