[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

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Originally Posted by cali

Sounds good, I'm also against Safari and have never understood why people really like this endurance test. But this year Sardinia was very nice and I actually would like to see this rally in the calendar.

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Reading through McKleins Safari book and you immediately think how pathetic some WRC rallies are these days, and how great this event actually was. There's a nice quote from Richard Burns on the matter it got dropped from the calendar.

"The problem with the Safari was that it was cought in between what it wanted to be and what the World Championship demanded it to be."

But that was back in 2002, when the cloverleaf format was immenent. I think with the current direction, the Safari should have a place on the calendar in the future, although if Africa returns, South Africa could be seen as more valuable from promoters pov.

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Originally Posted by bluuford

Guys, Safari is history. move on or dream on.
Sometimes some events disappear and some new events appear will be classic. I think that Rally Sardegna is one of those which might become classic in the future.

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There's nothing unique or interesting about Sardinia though. As it is we have too many dusty southern european/med/middle east rallies. We need more events like New Zealand which are gravel, but not hot dusty dusty gravel..... If rallies like Sardinia become classics in the future then the WRC is more or less dead.

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Originally Posted by Josti

Reading through McKleins Safari book and you immediately think how pathetic some WRC rallies are these days, and how great this event actually was. There's a nice quote from Richard Burns on the matter it got dropped from the calendar.

"The problem with the Safari was that it was cought in between what it wanted to be and what the World Championship demanded it to be."

But that was back in 2002, when the cloverfield format was immenent. I think with the current direction, the Safari should have a place on the calendar in the future, although if Africa returns, South Africa could be seen as more valuable from promoters pov.

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Like you say, the problem is not necessarily the sarari, but cloverleaf rallying.

I'm not sure about South Africa. Whilst it may be better in terms of the domestic market there, the value for someone watching in Japan or Finland or Australia is less than if the rally were run in Kenya.

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Originally Posted by Daniel

There's nothing unique or interesting about Sardinia though.

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I feel the same about Safari, I guess it's a matter of taste. I really do not wish to see Safari back.

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Originally Posted by Daniel

There's nothing unique or interesting about Sardinia though. As it is we have too many dusty southern european/med/middle east rallies. We need more events like New Zealand which are gravel, but not hot dusty dusty gravel..... If rallies like Sardinia become classics in the future then the WRC is more or less dead.

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You know, we do not have Cyprus and Turkey anymore. There are only two dusty events in Mediterranean: Sardegna and Acropolis. Greece is rough and dusty at the same time Sardegna is more smooth, sandy, maybe even more dusty. The nice thing I like about this rally is the fact they introduce new stages each year, landscape is extremely nice, roads are very variable and for me, it is something that makes this event different to others. They cover big part of the island, which is good in promotional perspective and at the same time it is more challenging for drivers.

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Originally Posted by cali

I feel the same about Safari, I guess it's a matter of taste. I really do not wish to see Safari back.

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Saying the Safari isn't unique is just mad, even if you don't like the event.

Safari and SanRemo should be back.

Safari Rally - pros and cons
Operations Perspective:
- Safari is a logistical nightmare, due to the massive expanses of stages etc. (Dakar gets around this by roadbook, and state series use a more descriptive road book to make a better balance between safety and speed).
- Cloverleaf format 'required'. Jean Todt has already backed this move away from cloverleaf for some events. 10 years ago this would have been a bigger hassle, as media needed the one spot in order to set up effectively. Again, lessons learnt from Dakar. And that is a far bigger operation than Safari will ever be.
- Lack of money to get the event running - subsidise - loan Kenya the money to get it started, get it back later.
- Can it run between Kenya and somewhere else to increase the money pool.
- flow on effects to the rally region are fantastic, something which really needs to be taken into account.
- We need to remember rallying is a rural sport, and not complete 'glitz and glamour' like our F1 cousin.

Marketing Perspective
- Absolute dream for all involved.
- it is like Monte, you win the Safari, you are always remembered and will treasure it.
- Unique - smashing through Africa at 200kph is always spectacular due to its unique challenges. It gets attention, like Monte does due to its uniqueness. Monte reached 14,000,000 viewers this year plus those who watched through third party streaming. That is with IRC promotion. The WRC version would be bigger again. Safari is the same. 14 million would not watch a live stream from Sardinia for example.
- The flow on effects for teams, tyre manufacturers etc. is huge. Conquering the Safari is still a big thing. People today still look back talk about Mini at Monte in the 60s, and those amazing images from the early 90s of Grp A in Kenya are iconic pictures.
- re-establishing the WRC brand in a market we should be in. Africa is never going to work with circuit racing, at least with rally we have a fighting chance.

As a privateer wanting a crack at a WRC event. My first picks will always be Monte, Safari, Finland, UK. You aren't getting the same out of Jordan.

Safari along with Monte Carlo & Finland are events which all motorsports fan take some interest in to a degree. A rally in Sardinia, it's just another rally. It isn't going to draw more people in. Your average person who isn't a devoted rally fan will watch these events due to the adventure and the variability in conditions and influencers on the result.

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Originally Posted by bluuford

You know, we do not have Cyprus and Turkey anymore. There are only two dusty events in Mediterranean: Sardegna and Acropolis. Greece is rough and dusty at the same time Sardegna is more smooth, sandy, maybe even more dusty. The nice thing I like about this rally is the fact they introduce new stages each year, landscape is extremely nice, roads are very variable and for me, it is something that makes this event different to others. They cover big part of the island, which is good in promotional perspective and at the same time it is more challenging for drivers.

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Sorry, but the landscape in Sardinia seems boring. I think new stages are a more or less worthless thing. Rally fans love having big name stages. Say Muresk, Bunnings, Langley Park or York Railway and most hardcore fans will say "Ah!!!! Rally Australia!!!!" say Lago Omodeo and people will say Lago Omodeo you too asshole!!!!!! :angryfire Ouninpohja, Turini and so on are just epics, you don't need new crap stages when you have epic stages....

Whilst Turkey and Cyprus are gone (thank god) we still have Jordan which is another crapfest which has even less scenery than Sardinia.

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Originally Posted by Mitch555

Safari Rally - pros and cons
Operations Perspective:
- Safari is a logistical nightmare, due to the massive expanses of stages etc. (Dakar gets around this by roadbook, and state series use a more descriptive road book to make a better balance between safety and speed).
- Cloverleaf format 'required'. Jean Todt has already backed this move away from cloverleaf for some events. 10 years ago this would have been a bigger hassle, as media needed the one spot in order to set up effectively. Again, lessons learnt from Dakar. And that is a far bigger operation than Safari will ever be.
- Lack of money to get the event running - subsidise - loan Kenya the money to get it started, get it back later.
- Can it run between Kenya and somewhere else to increase the money pool.
- flow on effects to the rally region are fantastic, something which really needs to be taken into account.
- We need to remember rallying is a rural sport, and not complete 'glitz and glamour' like our F1 cousin.

Marketing Perspective
- Absolute dream for all involved.
- it is like Monte, you win the Safari, you are always remembered and will treasure it.
- Unique - smashing through Africa at 200kph is always spectacular due to its unique challenges. It gets attention, like Monte does due to its uniqueness. Monte reached 14,000,000 viewers this year plus those who watched through third party streaming. That is with IRC promotion. The WRC version would be bigger again. Safari is the same. 14 million would not watch a live stream from Sardinia for example.
- The flow on effects for teams, tyre manufacturers etc. is huge. Conquering the Safari is still a big thing. People today still look back talk about Mini at Monte in the 60s, and those amazing images from the early 90s of Grp A in Kenya are iconic pictures.
- re-establishing the WRC brand in a market we should be in. Africa is never going to work with circuit racing, at least with rally we have a fighting chance.

As a privateer wanting a crack at a WRC event. My first picks will always be Monte, Safari, Finland, UK. You aren't getting the same out of Jordan.

Safari along with Monte Carlo & Finland are events which all motorsports fan take some interest in to a degree. A rally in Sardinia, it's just another rally. It isn't going to draw more people in. Your average person who isn't a devoted rally fan will watch these events due to the adventure and the variability in conditions and influencers on the result.

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Amen brother. A-f***ing-men to that.

I think a rally should almost always bring something unique to the party.

For instance I think Rally Australia should be in Perth (with its ball bearing gravel) or not in Australia at all.

I'll give

my thoughts on the current calendar
Sweden - Superb as ever, but it really should be the 2nd round, after the Monte.
Mexico - Sorry, boring.
Portugal - Seems OK, but I preferred it where they used to have it back in 2001.
Jordan - Sorry, it's crap.
Sardinia - Crap
Argentina - OK
Greece - Good rally
Finland - FANTASTIC!
Rallye Deutschland - I actually quite like it.
Rally Oz - Sorry but it's just another gravel event......
Rally De France - Having seen some footage I think this could be a good event. But I'll wait till it's run. Would prefer Corsica if I'm honest.
Rally Spain - I preferred the older route if I'm honest but it's OK
Rally GB - An event completely ruined by having it more or less contained in one corner of the UK. It's ranging further afield this year which should be good, but if I'm honest I'd prefer to see it held in Chester so it can take in a bigger variety of stages.