National Top Class?

[Sulland]

Do every nation run R5/Rally2 as their top class this year?

Have any nation had debate on a possible switch to Rally3 as top class to get more competitors in the top class?
Rally2 is cheaper than many other top cars to buy and run, but still expensive for most private drivers that has rally as a hobby.

[Mirek]

British championship few years back was a great example why making cheap cars as the top category doesn't work. Now all relevant people know it didn't help anyone and nobody will repeat the same mistake again.

[Sulland]

Yes it did not go that well for the UK. First they went for GrN, and then R3 btw 2006 and 2015.
But UK was the pinnacle of motorsport industry, and suddenly Germany went past. Motorsport used to be a big industry in both single seaters, tin-top, sportscar, Rallycross and rally. And the open british rally championship was big. Not any more.
Reasons I guess are many.

But in countries where Rally2 has about 4-8 cars, it could become a wider and better championship if Rally3 is made top dog.
All drivers would like to become a works driver, but very few makes that target.
In my book it could be more fun with 15-20 Rally3 cars driven on the limit from drivers used to Rally2, than a handfull of Rally2 cars.

[Mirek]

Sulland, it's over and over again the same argument. When you go cheap you loose public interest and by that also the money which come in the sport. Going cheap doesn't make the sport more accessible. Making it popular makes it more accessible and you can't make it popular without giving the spectators a proper show. They want to see those top cars. One would think that after countless failed attempts to transform the sport into something cheap people learned that.

[the sniper]

British championship few years back was a great example why making cheap cars as the top category doesn't work. Now all relevant people know it didn't help anyone and nobody will repeat the same mistake again.

Don't bank on British rallying not making the same mistake again, anything is possible here!