2008 Rally New Zealand - official thread

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Originally Posted by xavier

Do you actualy think that driving to split, like it was in the past years, is not better than the comedy we see this year?

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My dear Xavier, the driving to the splits is only one of the two major problems of reversed running order.

Equally, or even more important downside is that by putting slower drivers first and suffer from the sweeping, you also make it much harder for slower (new, small or struggling) teams to make it to the top. Effectively, that makes the climb to the top much steeper, discouraging anyone from trying to join the sport.

WOW! what has happened to Henning? 3rd stage win i a row. Even Petter has picked up the pace. I guess the fight for road positions.

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Originally Posted by jonkka

My dear Xavier, the driving to the splits is only one of the two major problems of reversed running order.

Equally, or even more important downside is that by putting slower drivers first and suffer from the sweeping, you also make it much harder for slower (new, small or struggling) teams to make it to the top. Effectively, that makes the climb to the top much steeper, discouraging anyone from trying to join the sport.

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Isn't it better that the road sweeping affect driver ranked 10-15 rather than affecting driver that are fighting for the lead?

Fights for the 10th place are surely not as important than fights for the 1st place! Honestly what does it change for Suzuki and Subaru that they are penalized for being slow on day 1 and 2?

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Originally Posted by xavier

I hate the FIA! If they dont change the rule for next year i wont follow any gravel events!

I dont know who's the idiot that though this year running order was a good idea, but the guy should be nailed to tommorow's front runner car bumper and use as a sweeper!

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Relax! Tomorrow will make for great rallying.

Final leg may come down to the wire. :monkeedan

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Originally Posted by xavier

Isn't it better that the road sweeping affect driver ranked 10-15 rather than affecting driver that are fighting for the lead?

Fights for the 10th place are surely not as important than fights for the 1st place! Honestly what does it change for Suzuki and Subaru that they are penalized for being slow on day 1 and 2?

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A matter of opinion, obviously.

In some motorsport disciplines the winners are given extra ballast to keep the field together. Ie, they are penalized for success and that's considered fair and square as it's considered to keep the interest up by preventing runaway success.

In rallying, sweeping can be considered to be a similar equalizer. Some don't like the concept (me included), but penalizing the slowest, poorest or least experienced is by far worse concept if you ask me.

What it might change for Subaru or Suzuki is that if they see that even with their best efforts their progress is hampered by conditions they cannot affect, they'll call it a day and quit the sport. In my opinion, all should be done to encourage more works teams to enter the sport and not the contrary. Powerful teams will always be there and will always win but if no new blood is introduced, sport will decay due to inbreeding.

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Originally Posted by jonkka

It's easy to say but much harder to find that solution.

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Yes, I understand well this should be not easy. Probably solution fully correct to everybody can't be find, but at least more less. Better than nothing, I hope.

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Originally Posted by jonkka

A matter of opinion, obviously.

In some motorsport disciplines the winners are given extra ballast to keep the field together. Ie, they are penalized for success and that's considered fair and square as it's considered to keep the interest up by preventing runaway success.

In rallying, sweeping can be considered to be a similar equalizer. Some don't like the concept (me included), but penalizing the slowest, poorest or least experienced is by far worse concept if you ask me.

What it might change for Subaru or Suzuki is that if they see that even with their best efforts their progress is hampered by conditions they cannot affect, they'll call it a day and quit the sport. In my opinion, all should be done to encourage more works teams to enter the sport and not the contrary. Powerful teams will always be there and will always win but if no new blood is introduced, sport will decay due to inbreeding.

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You sure have a point there. But no "2nd grade" teams got any perks from that system. The only difference may be at the amount of time they are behind, but the current system did not help them to get ahead of the other teams. So tell me how it motivates these teams?

It is far worse for the image of Rallying that drivers stop on the side of the road! How can a manufacturer commit money to that kind of farce? It is supposed to be a sport where the fastest and smartest wins on the course of a few days. Now it is who is fastest on the last 1/2 day!

What's wrong with a system where the running order would be 9-16 and then 1-8. No drive to the split and 1-2-3 drivers have about the same road conditions?

Wow... I'm amazed. Folks drove pretty fast and most of them are still in the game. Back in the good old days, only a handfull kept on going after saturday leg :D

You can say whatever you want about the starting order and tactics, one thing is for sure. It's going to be an intense final leg :up:

I still didn't understand, what did Loeb do on the last stage, his splits are fast?

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Originally Posted by jonkka

I don't mind about the score, the most important fact is that both top teams have used tactics, admitting that those are necessary in a fight for the win. This ends all discussion about Citroen's moral superiority.

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Amen to that! Its been such a bore following the various discussions portraying Ford as cheats and cowards and Citroen as saints. Its a race, you do everything the rules permit to win.