Should just hold a stage rally on the Jurby race circuit with a few road cones and plastic barricades for chicanes.
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Should just hold a stage rally on the Jurby race circuit with a few road cones and plastic barricades for chicanes.
News this morning that the West Cork Rally has been included in next years British Rally Championship...
Read in MN that the BRC have approach the Trackrod Rally about becoming a round to replace the Manx this year. Would need unanimous competitor approval to be added so I'd guess it's possibly a long shot. I did wonder whether quite a few would use it as a last-minute gravel test outing before Wales GB anyway. Let's see.
Jack Benyon from MN has confirmed the Trackrod will not be taken as a round of the BRC.
Also on the AR podcast it was rumoured that the poor entry was the real problem for Rally IOM. The organisers seeing a big loss coming and used the Govt safety issue as an excuse to pull the plug...
According to the guy with the overall responsibility for motor sport on the Isle of Man, who is separate from the department in control of the roads/infrastructure/road closure, he says the Rally organises were offered protection against financial loses in the event of them not having enough entries (I think the rally organiser said they needed 110, but there were around 80 paid, 30+ entered but not yet paid), reliant upon the event going ahead. IIRC he says they never returned the paperwork to make the application for the financial protection... He talks about it here: https://youtu.be/hAaBq5CVgeE?t=4m30sQuote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
The whole thing seems like a right shambles. From what I can understand it seems Rally Isle of Man was cancelled when it was because they hadn't been granted the Road Closure Order at the point that they needed to pay for equipment for the event (including Trophies) and for the road books to be printed, which the RIoM Chairman said would cost around £30k. Had the Road Closure Order not been granted before the Rally, which the IoM Infrastructure people state they believed could and would be granted, the Rally would have to be cancelled and the organiser's would have suffered the loss of £30k on equipment/goods that couldn't be recouped. It's hard to tell whether the Infrastructure department were warranted in making continued further demands rather than granting the Road Closure Order, but it seems to me like the Rally organisers didn't like the demands being made of them and essentially picked up their ball and went home, leaving the fall out to fall on everyone.
One thing they all say though is that they believe the Rally will be back on next year. Well, that may be the case and it may well go ahead, but I can't see any Championship or non-IoM based entrants being keen to get back involved with this lot. This has undoubtedly further damaged the reputation of the event. I think they'll need the financially or organisational involvement of the IoM state to relaunch the event and provide some guarantees.
If nothing else, it's been interesting to follow all the news and interviews from the IoM, where they're treating it like a big deal. More noise is usually made by a tree falling in an empty forest than is made by a piece of breaking news in British rallying!
This is the view from the Rally Chairman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh9kFYo-rsw (5m 45s onwards for the stuff about the event losing money from ordering equipment should the event not go ahead)
This is the view from the equivalent of one of their MPs, who's provides a bit more of an overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7HahEzx_oE
It's been interesting to watch both view points on YouTube; agree with the previous post, it is quite a big story, and almost eye opening to see the discussions of the sport on a news programme.
With the state of the BRC I wonder whether including events not on the mainland (apart from Ulster) is a good idea? I like the idea of including the West Cork, but how many UK-based entrants will it get?
I think the BRC needs a rethink, as the relaunch hasn't really taken off; cancelled events, smallish entries, lack of decent media exposure.
David Richards certainly certainly seems to be having a positive effect elsewhere, with today's announcement that the MSA are relaxing the rules on a requirement for FIA homologated belts and seats. I may have already mentioned that he's apparently keen to push grass roots motorsport, not sure how likely he is to be worried initially about the BRC as may be more of the opinion that it needs to be built from the foundations. I.E get more people competing/marshalling/officiating at the entry level and they'll gradually step up. Currently the events/money/exposure offered by the BRC just aren't worth the outlay for the teams/drivers, and I can't see that changing soon.
Perhaps it needs a rethink of what they want from the championship, try less to be prestigious and more look at encompassing and supporting events that already work. Knock the idea of long or two day rallies on the head and just offer support to things that were already run reasonably well but with the need of support to expand.
I am telling from beginning, that current BRC came with big eyes and wanted to have successful international series immediatelly. But it is not working like that. If you want to have successful championship, you must work on it, step by step. And show the drivers that it is worth championship to do... And I think this failed.
2019 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship calendar*
16 February – Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, Llandudno, Wales
16/17 March – Quality Hotel West Cork Rally, Clonakilty, Republic of Ireland
27 April – Pirelli International Rally, Carlisle, England
28/29 June – Renties Ypres Rally, Ypres, Belgium
17 August – Ulster Rally, Antrim, Northern Ireland
7 September – The Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally, Castle Douglas, Scotland
Reserve Round – Dayinsure Wales Rally GB – Date TBC
*Calendar subject to approval by the MSA
All good events - so, in theory, should be a good championship. However, 3 'away' events isn't going to be good from a cost point of view.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Question is if you need "good events". Primary you need to have events, which are interested for the crews. Look at ERC - there is Acropolis and Cyprus, both nice events with rough gravel, but lot of crews prefers to miss it as it is very expensive, especially in terms of costs with rebuilding of the cars. I remember when czech championship had first round in Austria on Janner. It was close to czech border, on snow and with big gap before next event. In first years everybody wanted to go there to drive on snow, but in next years they have found it is too expensive event (you must be ready for snow, wet and dry) and czech sponsors were not interested in promotion in Austria...
Maybe this should be also problem of BRC? They should primary find the events, where they will have competitors. And find a way, how to persuade competitors to do more events in the championship, not only their local ones...
Jesus Christ, your championship runs in 6 countries, no wonder it's in trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Running in Scotland, Wales and England isn't that big a deal though and it ran similarly even when it was popular.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarek Z
Yes, that's not a problem; there used to be RSAC Scottish Rally, Vauxhall Rally of Wales and the Pirelli International Rally.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrJan
I think an issue may have been trying to get events interested in being a BRC round; the Trackrod was and in the end pulled the plug. The Mid Wales was and the following year had to cancel due to small entries/ budget issues....
My only disappointment is all the gravel events are 1 day; but I suppose that is a cost issue due to the forestry per mile charges...
As a fan of the sport, you wish it success - but it's a long way to go before its on the same level as the BTCC, British GT, BSB....and I doubt it can reach those heady heights.
For sure the BRC should choose nice events and provide fine conditions to privateers but getting Ford, Hyundai, VW/Skoda or Peugeot/Citroen UK importers into the series must be the main priority, as only manus can bring the key factor for success: media coverage.
I watched a recent round of the Belgian RC last night. They have a good entry of R5 cars, plus GT Class Porsches, BMW M-Cars and Historics.
We have better roads for rally over here but the BRC could learn a lot from them in terms of organisation.
The BRC 60th Anniversary is being 'celebrated' at the RallyDay at CastleCombe today......
Probably more appropriate to hold a wake...Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
I did RallyDay last year and it was great, far better than I'd imagined. Having Malcolm Wilson, Tanak, Elfyn Evans, JML and a 2017 WRC there certainly helped!
I was thinking of doing rallyday this year as only done it once about 15 years ago, but a £25 ticket put me off and the weather forecast sealed the deal.
I do wonder how long it will continue - when you look at something like RallyLegend, it's not really comparable; sadly.
The BRC must think people are stupid after stating that FOUR driver's are still in the running going into Rally GB.
Matt Edwards has double the points of the others and still his Joker to play !!
Nice to see rallying getting some British press coverage...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Doqv2eQX4AIx5Eb.jpg
It was never really in doubt, but Round 4 (Rally GB, day 1) confirmed Matt Edwards as 2018 BRC Champion. :champion:
Very well-deserved after a dominant year and so many good results elsewhere too. The competition wasnt as strong as it might be but you can only beat who is there.
Matt is also one of the real nice-guys of rallying and it was great to meet and congratulate him at the M-Sport service area.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DovxvHCXgAEc2S0.jpg
Matt Edwards seals the Championship with Round 5 win. (Rally GB Day 2/3).
Shame that Rd 4 winner David Bogie retired on SS20 with a mechanical issue.
Fastest BRC driver in WRC Wales was 10min slower than 18y Rovanperä, LOL
(Fastest FinnishRC driver in WRC Finland did win WRC2)
I agree the BRC isnt the strongest. But Edwards only had to finish Round 4 to win the title so wasnt pushing on Day 1.Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
He wasnt pushing after that either on Rd5 as he didnt have anything to gain. Bogie was still running out of the 'contenders' and was 6mins ahead of Edwards when he retired with a mechanical issue.
I'm certainly no cheerleader for the current BRC, but to be fair, David Bogie was only 3 minutes behind Rovanperä after SS19, only 10 seconds behind Huttunen in 4th, but had a bit of an off and damaged the car on SS20. That's in a privateer Skoda. Also worth mentioning Tom Cave in his i20 R5, having only done two rallies this year (one in a Mirage R5, the other (iirc) a Group N Subaru Impreza), he was only +1:25 behind Rovanperä and setting competitive times going into Saturday morning, was also ahead of Huttunen's i20, but lost 10 minutes off the road. Eventual DNF after a "heavy landing" in SS20 which resulted in a broken sump guard and oil leak. While Tom Cave wasn't in the BRC this year, my criticism of the BRC here is that the BRC should at least be affording/providing a marketable platform on which the likes of Tom Cave and Osian Pryce can raise a budget to take part.Quote:
Originally Posted by pantealex
As Sal and Eddie say, there were extenuating circumstances around Matt Edwards showing, but still, I don't think his pace was much off what I'd expect anyway.
Rally GB will only be a reserve round next year. One of the things I find most incomprehensible about the likes of having Rally GB, Ypres and now West Cork on the calendar, though particularly the former events, is that the current BRC guys turn up and get shown up. How does it do the reputation of the BRC any good? How does it help British rallying to have a BRC round in Belgium? In the case of Ypres, it's not like most sports where there is a return match, where the Belgians have to come over and take on the British guys on something like the Isle of Man or even a British forest rally for example (which would be great), the British guys just go there to be also-rans amongst local fast experts...Quote:
Originally Posted by Sal the 2nd
Talking of Rally GB, I heard some talk from there that Bogie will do the Irish Tarmac Championship rather than the BRC next year. We'll see what happens...
Rovanperä showed up all of the other R5 driver's, many with good cars and good teams behind them. It wasnt just the BRC guys.
The younger Brits like Greensmith and Ingram (while he lasted) did well.
And driver's like Cave and Yates show we have some decent prospects coming up.
No doubt there are fast young Brits. Perhaps more now than ever. Greensmith, Ingram, Cave, Bogie, Pryce, but only one of them felt compelled and was able to raise a budget to do the BRC this year, and seemingly Bogie may not be interested next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
More positively, just came across this video on the BBC Sport site. A short but really pretty comprehensive review of the conclusion of the BRC from Rally GB. Sounds like the BRC might have found a friend at BBC Northern Ireland? Good job. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/motorsport/45795413
Edwards in WRC2 is a waste of money. Too old already. Yates has the right age, but better do ERC first and get consistent first.
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I agree - if the funding is there then ERC is the way to go for Matt Edwards.Quote:
Originally Posted by mousti
Matt Edwards sounds hopeful:
'Pleased to announce we will be continuing our association with @Morrisoil into 2019 after a successful meeting at HQ today concerning our plans! Great to have the ongoing support of such a successful UK producer !' https://t.co/fGGske83P4