Sainz says rallies are boring....

[gloomyDAY]

Really?

I thought the WRC was perfect in every way. Dwindling entries and viewership is an absolute indicator of the rally phenomena.

Yes, I am being sarcastic.

[Shrike]

Still better than nascar

[gloomyDAY]

Still better than nascar

Yeah, ****ting on a far more successful automotive series is a solution.

How about some thoughts and sensible chatter?

[L5->R5/CR]

Yeah, ****ting on a far more successful automotive series is a solution.

How about some thoughts and sensible chatter?

What is really the point of comparing the two.

The two don't compare. In NASCAR you have institutionalized parity among drivers where the playing field is much more level (everybody is "equal" even though there are teams that are far more equal than others). But what is more is that NASCAR, whether it publicly embraces this or not, is structured to be entertainment first and sport second.

Part of NASCAR's formula for success is that it is built on a cult of personalities. So few NASCAR fans cheer for a driver because they are X nationality or are from Y location. People root for fans because "he is their guy" and that is something that has been fading from the WRC for the last 5 years. There is no parity in the WRC, the events are stale, the drivers personalities are smothered to the point that they don't really connect with the average fan and eventually this leads to dis-interest. NASCAR is fundamentally different in its product, so much so that there isn't much comparison that can be made...

We get glimmers of hope in the WRC from Mikko, Jari Matti, and Gigi but with Bosse gone and Loeb continuing to dominate (and Loeb's attitude and lack of personality, but especially his sour grapes and sore loser behavior at Sweden make him very hard to like). Most of the true Petter fans I know love him for his personality, his heart, and his character, not his championship or the team he drives for. We need more of that in the WRC for the WRC drivers to hit home with the fans. Getting more excitement, more of an exotic feel, and more variety and parity in events will certainly help.

I am a huge rally fan, but the only WRCs that I make a true and genuine effort to watch (ie the only ones I want to watch on my TV, in their entirety) are Sweden/Norway, Finland, and New Zealand (Australia would have been on that list). Even as a fan the coverage is so bland that I'll watch the other shows in chunks whenever I have 10-30 minutes of down time...

[AndyRAC]

I saw this story on ITV Teletext, and I'd have to agree. He was quoted as saying " Rallies used to 'paralyse' a country, now they take place in a corner were nobody know it's taking place" Certainly sounds like he was talking about Rally GB, but could be any country. He's right though, I think we all know that. Sounds like an interesting interview, as was McRae's in the Christmas issue of Motorsport News. Both spoke common sense, are you F1A, ISC listening??

[A.F.F.]

I tried to watch Nascar race the other night but I couldn't. Of course it didn't help that i know nothing about it BUT, if it is so brilliantly marketed indeed, how com I wasn't amazed at once ???

No, it really was as exciting as watching trees grow.

[Tomi]

I agree with him 100%, especially the quantity/quality part, also i dont think it will be better taking events to places where nobady knows what it is about.

[turves]

No, it really was as exciting as watching trees grow.

Cool, Oak tree's are my favourites to watch... I must tune in...

I find pretty much all circuit racing boring, with possible exceptions being the Aussie V8's and Champcar (as long as they aren't just going around oversized roundabouts).

I agree with Carlos though. Rallies used to be based in a town/city and branch out around the country. They are boring now. Part of the fun was following an event all around the country. I'm now getting bored of the same old stages with the TV cameras in the same old places.

[AndyRAC]

Cool, Oak tree's are my favourites to watch... I must tune in...

I find pretty much all circuit racing boring, with possible exceptions being the Aussie V8's and Champcar (as long as they aren't just going around oversized roundabouts).

I agree with Carlos though. Rallies used to be based in a town/city and branch out around the country. They are boring now. Part of the fun was following an event all around the country. I'm now getting bored of the same old stages with the TV cameras in the same old places.

Strange isn't it, the Rallies were changed to make it easier for TV and media to cover, now there is less coverage than ever. Not only that, less people are interested because it doesn't visit their area anymore. Take the RAC, used to go all over the country and was a National event - now it just a South Wales event, why would Joe Public in Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham be interested??

[turves]

Strange isn't it, the Rallies were changed to make it easier for TV and media to cover, now there is less coverage than ever. Not only that, less people are interested because it doesn't visit their area anymore. Take the RAC, used to go all over the country and was a National event - now it just a South Wales event, why would Joe Public in Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham be interested??

Exactly, although I live not far south of Nottingham and still go...

I can't say for the other events in the WRC, but the RAC used to be the biggest sporting event in the country, as far as the number of spectators attending the event goes. I doubt very much it is anymore. I used to love trekking up North for a couple of days with my old man, and then back down for a couple of days in Wales, it was an adventure, especially for a kid...

Sadly those days are gone and we can only dream of them returning nore: