2023 ERC News & Rumours

[Sal yet again]

I'm really hoping for a great looking ERC calendar in 23 however have a sneaking suspicion that I may be disappointed!

How much money are the promoters asking per round?

[AndyRAC]

I have very little confidence in the promoter to do anything good; it's all about £££££

I constantly say, the ERC could and should be a great series - but never looks like being so.

[Andre Oliveira]

I heard Canarias (2 more years contract) and Catalunya next year.

[RS]

My ideal 8 round ERC calendar would be something like:

Azores
Canarias (or some other tarmac event in Spain, Italy, France or Germany)
Latvia
Poland
Ypres
Barum
Valais
‘A forest event somewhere in GB’

Although regarding the last option I just looked at the British Rally Championship website to see if there was an event they could piggyback and the stage mileage is pathetically short on all!

[AndyRAC]

That looks good. Surely any ERC needs some of the larger countries - especially if they're not in the WRC; France/Germany.....

And I'd like to see a winter Tarmac round, similar to the Monte; I always enjoyed the Jannerrallye, a shame it couldn't continue in the ERC.

I think any UK round would likely be a Tarmac round - as any gravel event would probably be too expensive.(Unless an ERC round is significantly less expensive). IRC Rally Scotland was a nice event, with live TV coverage, but only lasted those 3 years. No legacy at all.....which is what they need to be aiming for. And there were the rumours of a Yorkshire event, but that went up in smoke when the Tour de France start was a possibility.

[HKSjbg]

My ideal 8 round ERC calendar would be something like:

Azores
Canarias (or some other tarmac event in Spain, Italy, France or Germany)
Latvia
Poland
Ypres
Barum
Valais
‘A forest event somewhere in GB’

Although regarding the last option I just looked at the British Rally Championship website to see if there was an event they could piggyback and the stage mileage is pathetically short on all!

Yeah to get an acceptable level of stage km for the ERC you’d have to combine 3 typical British forestry events into the same weekend and which could all run out of the same service park! Or maybe one 70km running off a remote service

[pantealex]

So you want WRC and ERC in same countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal)

I think those countries which don't have WRC should be ERC priority.
Norway has big enough rallies for ERC I believe
UK/Ireland
Middle European countries, there are many without WRC
and if there aren't enough rallies for full ERC calendar, those countries which don't have WRC, could have ERC also.

I´m OK with 50/50 tarmac/gravel but there is never enough Snow rallies in any series...

[PLuto]

One thing is your "wish", one thing is wish of competitors/organisers/promoter. But most important are money...

[Co-driven]

And also with WRC Promoter, besides a huge increase in "fixed" costs like fees, amount of people from promoter/TV, etc, they also have a huge cost with everything related to the All Live.

[Sal yet again]

Once again I'll ask the question how much is the promoter likely to ask for to have a rally included as part of the ERC?

As mentioned above the circus that is All Live etc must cost a pretty penny not all of which will be covered by user subscriptions. I cant see an event coming to the UK anytime soon for the lack of a headline sponsor unless someone can have a word with Gus Greensmith's dad! Its going to need a Central/Local Government interest and with our economy tanking thats just not going to happen. When I look at the start ramps and stage side advertising on a lot of European events you can physically see the appetite for rallying as a marketing tool something which has long since left the sport here.