2022 ERC News & Rumours

[rallyfiend]

The ERC needs a rethink regarding the calendar, and host countries......And they need to sort the promotion. It's not good enough....

I guess next year the new promoter gets their first real chance to make changes. I think they were stuck with what Eurosport had agreed for this year.

I hope there are some new events.

It needs a bit of a shakeup

[Tom K]

So.. Catalunya as a ERC finale. Interesting solution. Maybe we will see only ERC in Salou next year...

[Eli]

So.. Catalunya as a ERC finale. Interesting solution. Maybe we will see only ERC in Salou next year...

Exactly what I wanted to say, is this their way of preparing the ground for next season? Would be a shame to lose this rally from the WRC, they need that tarmac round, especially now it's full tarmac again.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Spain confirmed then.... I wonder how WRC+ / ERC+ will show both ?

https://www.fiaerc.com/erc/news/erc/...ale-confirmed/

[Sal yet again]

What a lame cop out but can see why they have done it with a Spaniard likely to win the championship! Will save a few euro shipping BeccsyWeksy and co on another junket.

[PLuto]

It is simple - they didnt found any other event interested in investing money for the last round. And as they need to have 8 rounds because of all agreements and TV rights, they have found the easiest way...

[Sal yet again]

Which speaks volumes for the current state of the championship/s promoter. Everything is like a sticking plaster and needs a proper shakeup.

[Sal yet again]

Like a lot of people I had hoped that all the talk of a new dawn for the ERC and a feeder series for the WRC/WRC2/3 would have already born fruit however its kind of turned into the problem child that the parents just pack off to boarding school rather than sit down and work out what the problem is.

There still seem to be enough well healed younger drivers in Europe that could populate the championship however a bit like our own "premier" series it seems that there no longer is a reason to wait and its better to jump straight to WRC level even if its just the European rounds. Maybe only allowing Rally3 and below machinery for the overall title and putting an upper age limit for the drivers crown would push the series as a talent factory as we are not seeing the "Junior" teams from the manufacturers a few people were touting a season or two ago.

As it stands IMO the ERC will just be a backing singer in Spain. FFS they cant even give proper coverage to class winners in the WRC and on WRC+ so how is the offspring series going to fare any better?

[AndyRAC]

I wonder whether the ERC should be a 'stepping stone' championship. Isn't that what WRC2/3 are for? The ERC needs to be a championship in its own right - and one worth winning. Put decent events in it, promote it properly, and make it worth doing.

And go to the major markets; Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium then add in Barum, Azores, etc Or be really radical and make it a Tarmac only series.....but I'm not sure that would be popular.

[HKSjbg]

I know it was a very different prospect back then with 40+ rounds in a season, but why was the ERC so strong in the 1980s/1990s despite a strong WRC? Is my perception of the ERC in the 90s wrong or was it just that rallying in general was in better health?