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Thread: Brc 2021

  1. #151
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    Quote Originally Posted by the sniper View Post
    My vision would be 5 MSUK organised, two day rallies, three in the forests (Yorkshire, Scottish, Welsh), two on tarmac (NI & Manx), 200km to 220km each. You'll have BRC with recce and, as has been working this year, a British National title, for those not doing recce. Ideally you'd get the British Historic Championship to follow the same calendar, as it's actually somewhat truer to what rallying historically was. The poorer rich guys spending 250k on Escorts or more on WRC cars that can't afford that can do the BRTDA instead, if it can continue to find 7 surviving forest rallies going forward...
    It sounds great but . . . .
    How much would the entry fees be (don't forget that if MSUK organise it there will be salaries to pay that current events don't pay)?
    How many competitors would be interested in entering?

    Without a significant sponsorship deal I doubt that it would be viable. Back in the golden years events could offer free entries & start money to significant entrants.

    The RAC is a special case. It only happens once every two years, and it isn't a coincidence that that it takes place on the years that there isn't a Silver Fern rally. It lets the really wealthy historic competitors have an adventure every year - one in each hemisphere. It also lets those who aren't quite so well heeled save up for a couple of years between the events. It's rare so it's aspirational. BRC is seen as humdrum. It will need a special marketing effort to turn that attitude around, particularly in the eyes of those who think that BTRDA is a national championship rather that the club championship that it actually is.

  2. #152
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    https://twitter.com/BRCrally/status/1430075774275571722

    They'll need a new media guy.......

    Is there a better sound than that of Porsche engined Flat-6 ???

  3. #153
    Senior Member Fast Eddie WRC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Boyd View Post
    Both teams and events. They put money into the sport in various ways. Rothmans, in particular, were very involved. Aside from event, team and personal sponsorship they used to put rally shows on around the country with guest speakers, films & competitions to win a variety of goodies.
    Thats going back three decades though. The ban has been on for a long time and the sport continued with good events and entries. This was with new sponsors and new Manufacturers like Seat. These are what needs to come back but sadly rally is not seen as a worthwhile investment any more in the UK. How do other national championships do it ?

  4. #154
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
    Thats going back three decades though. The ban has been on for a long time and the sport continued with good events and entries. This was with new sponsors and new Manufacturers like Seat. These are what needs to come back but sadly rally is not seen as a worthwhile investment any more in the UK. How do other national championships do it ?
    The Seat sponsorship of the Jim Clark was 20 years ago; they took over the whole town, plus the local park area with all kinds of activities. Since then, we've rarely seen that type of backing for BRC events. I think the decline of the BRC is very much a 21st century happening. It's become less and less visible, hence less and less sponsors and money coming into the sport.

    Other national championships haven't had the same issues - they're obviously a lot more proactive, and forward thinking - and can attract/keep sponsors. As a sport, we're our own worst enemy.

    Is there a better sound than that of Porsche engined Flat-6 ???

  5. #155
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    Quote Originally Posted by the sniper View Post
    My vision would be 5 MSUK organised, two day rallies, three in the forests (Yorkshire, Scottish, Welsh), two on tarmac (NI & Manx), 200km to 220km each. You'll have BRC with recce and, as has been working this year, a British National title, for those not doing recce. Ideally you'd get the British Historic Championship to follow the same calendar, as it's actually somewhat truer to what rallying historically was. The poorer rich guys spending 250k on Escorts or more on WRC cars that can't afford that can do the BRTDA instead, if it can continue to find 7 surviving forest rallies going forward...
    I'd be happy with that sort of set-up if we had a mixture of single day events and, say, RallyGB as your multi-day forest event plus three asphalt events. Even if that meant competitors could choose their best 5 scores from 6 (or just enter the 5 events).

    Quote Originally Posted by AndyRAC View Post
    The Seat sponsorship of the Jim Clark was 20 years ago; they took over the whole town, plus the local park area with all kinds of activities. Since then, we've rarely seen that type of backing for BRC events. I think the decline of the BRC is very much a 21st century happening. It's become less and less visible, hence less and less sponsors and money coming into the sport.

    Other national championships haven't had the same issues - they're obviously a lot more proactive, and forward thinking - and can attract/keep sponsors. As a sport, we're our own worst enemy.
    I had been thinking it was a bit of catch-22 situation - big sponsors need a high-calibre championship to be a part of, the sponsors and other backers need the championship to be worth their effort in the first place. But really it's down to the BRC promotor/organiser to get those companies interested in the first place. Companies still involved in rallying to this day - Michelin, Castrol, Renault, Hyundai, Toyota etc. etc.

    It seems like they're not really doing anything (easy for me to say, I know) to convince, for example, Renault to put on a Clio Cup like in France/ERC or Hyundai to send works drivers to the UK like they have been doing in Italy.

    And before you say it, I know, there's wayyyyyyy more to it than that, my point is more that it feels like the BRC sees itself as a club championship with a fancy title that used to mean something around the world. Instead of aiming, as it should be, to be the best domestic rally championship in Europe or the whole world, however long it would take to achieve that.

    What if a proper promoter came on board? Eurosport don't have a rally series to promote now

  6. Likes: AndyRAC (24th August 2021),Fast Eddie WRC (30th August 2021)
  7. #156
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
    Thats going back three decades though. The ban has been on for a long time and the sport continued with good events and entries. This was with new sponsors and new Manufacturers like Seat. These are what needs to come back but sadly rally is not seen as a worthwhile investment any more in the UK. How do other national championships do it ?
    Three decades ago is when the decline started. While the F2000 era is fondly remembered by many, it happened because of a restriction that banned 4WD cars from the BRC in response to declining entries and marginal finances. It attracted a few manufacturers for a few years but there were costs to events and competitors.

    The Manx and Scottish had to withdraw from the ERC. You could say it wasn't a great loss as they didn't attract many European competitors but the Europeans didn't come because those that did struggled to compete against the best of the BRC. That gave at least some measure of the level of the UK competitors.

    The Manx and Jim Clark were also forced out of the Irish Tarmac Championship limiting entries on those events and removing a way of gauging British championship drivers against those from the Irish championship.

    It also took away the opportunity for the top BRC runners to measure themselves against the WRC runners in Rally GB. Burns & McCrea, and before them Brookes, Pond, Wilson &c could enter the RAC (Rally GB now) in the car they used all year and compete in the same class at the top world runners. Under the BRC F2000 rules they needed to find a different car to do that.

    The fall off in manufacturer inerest in the BRC coupled with losing a year due to the foot & mouth outbreak caused another re-think of the rules. 4WD S2000 cars were permitted but nobody was interested in them. If only they had taken off like R5 did we may have seen an upsurge in the BRC.

    I also believe that trying to market the BRC as a "stepping stone" was a mistake. The BRC should be sold as an end in itself. It should be strong enough for the top drivers to want to compete in it for a decade or more, not just do 2 years and then move on elsewhere to ERC or WRC or give up because they can't get a WRC or ERC deal. If the BRC was that strong we'd get young Scandinavians coming here to get experience and prove themselves and the series would actually be a stepping stone for some while still being a career opportunity for others, but that needs promotion and finances that simply aren't there.

  8. Likes: AndyRAC (27th August 2021),HKSjbg (27th August 2021),PLuto (31st August 2021),the sniper (7th September 2021)
  9. #157
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Boyd View Post
    I also believe that trying to market the BRC as a "stepping stone" was a mistake. The BRC should be sold as an end in itself. It should be strong enough for the top drivers to want to compete in it for a decade or more, not just do 2 years and then move on elsewhere to ERC or WRC or give up because they can't get a WRC or ERC deal. If the BRC was that strong we'd get young Scandinavians coming here to get experience and prove themselves and the series would actually be a stepping stone for some while still being a career opportunity for others, but that needs promotion and finances that simply aren't there.
    I've been saying this for years; I look at the BTCC, that's not set up a stepping stone to elsewhere. It's an end in itself - if people move on somewhere else, then good for them. That is what the BRC should have been. Good events, providing a test for all competitors, and providing excellent action for fans/media, etc However, that boat has long gone.....
    There is no viable solution.....and I'm not sure making it an all Tarmac series is the panacea people think it might be.

    Is there a better sound than that of Porsche engined Flat-6 ???

  10. Likes: HKSjbg (27th August 2021),the sniper (7th September 2021)
  11. #158
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyRAC View Post
    I've been saying this for years; I look at the BTCC, that's not set up a stepping stone to elsewhere. It's an end in itself - if people move on somewhere else, then good for them. That is what the BRC should have been. Good events, providing a test for all competitors, and providing excellent action for fans/media, etc However, that boat has long gone.....
    There is no viable solution.....and I'm not sure making it an all Tarmac series is the panacea people think it might be.
    Sadly, I have to agree.

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    Senior Member Fast Eddie WRC's Avatar
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    Senior Member Fast Eddie WRC's Avatar
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