RallycrossRX 2015

[geordiecriag101]

Not a big fan of this circuit. Apart from turn1/ joker part the rest seams to be very much 1 at a time. Looks like rest of the field has closed up on Solberg, seams to have lost most of the advantage from last year.

[chunder]

I've seen enough I am afraid.

Car on its side in the joker lap gravel after first lap, no red or yellow flag.

Next lap, car goes off into the gravel, there was no yellow flag to let him know, there are marshals and a car still in the gravel. Cars stays in gravel so two cars now there.

Next lap, no yellow flag still, two cars go flying into the joker again, if there was a yellow they would have known not to.

Utter, utter disgrace.

I'm sorry but I have seen better marshalling at corporate kart racing.

[USRallycross]

A few thoughts from afar:

- field seems a lot closer this year than last although the weather may have played into that
- Bakkerud made some great moves in place you aren't supposed to be able to overtake
- Livestream coverage was much better than last year. Jordan is a very good co-commentator. Lots of negativity about WRX on here but I love that we can watch every round. There were many years when you couldn't get even VHS of a seaon review so every round live is a huge step forward
- glad to see Johan win. Mixes up the front of the field a lot
- I am not a Liam basher but what happened to him this weekend? just seemed to be problem after problem and it can't help when the 'team' car is so fast with a driver who has the flu.......
- agree with Chunder. Awful decision by clerk-of-course not to ref flag when Hultgren went on her lid. Did we learn nothing from Bianchi? When the Polish guy went off it could have been deadly and he had no control and then no waved yellow for Hansen and Brinks was insane......

Overall I thought a good start to the season. While many on here lament the old ERC when you look all the way back to Guru's books there hasn't been 21 cars that contest the whole series so I would say the entry looks pretty healthy.

Roll-on Hockenheim and hopefully a good circut.


Mark

[chunder]

I agree abotu Andrew Jordan, he is superb, The other guy can do one for me, all a bit laddish and too Monstery!

I think Johan has been one of the find of the last year along with Larsson. The car is well put together, proving that not just money in the factory team is enough. Their budget must be astronomic compared to Tommy's.

Couldnt care less about Liam to be honest, the way that whole deal was done is a bit odd, I cant imagien Petter and Liam get on that well, and it seems all a part of this team thing that WRX are so into.

For me this year, the roudns with teh ERC are the ones to watch, I am worried about the lack of support classes that are not IMG centric, its clear Lites are ther as Andreas is very involved in WRX, but to seemingly shove out everything else is a concern long term. Not everyone wants to see boring one make stuff I am afraid, and we al know the real reason it's there.

It wasnt live either, results were up on the sites before the coverage finished, I know because after wswitching off during the Lites race I checked!

[chasing cars]

Originally Posted by USRallycross

- Overall I thought a good start to the season. While many on here lament the old ERC when you look all the way back to Guru's books there hasn't been 21 cars that contest the whole series so I would say the entry looks pretty healthy.

Roll-on Hockenheim and hopefully a good circut.


Mark

Not so sure about such a healthy entry, yes Portugal has often suffered with lower than average entries, and sure there was plenty of quality there but still only 5 races of supercars per round of heats and many with not full grids. I believe only 18 are scheduled to do the whole championship and id be surprised if all those last the whole year. Lets face it, it was what IMG wanted from the start just 16-20 full championship runners and the odd "wildcard". Fine for tv, rubbish for those that go to the events.

For sure it looks good on tv, though the joker still seems to cause confusion for the commentator, and that is I guess IMGs main concern but for those of us going to Lydden I fear a lot of empty gaps in the programme awith a lower supercar entry than last year. Just 10 lites (why cant they at least have different shells) is also a concern and I really fear for the touring car entry. Group B and any other support will be nothing but demonstration races.

[paul1982]

Originally Posted by chasing cars

Not so sure about such a healthy entry, yes Portugal has often suffered with lower than average entries, and sure there was plenty of quality there but still only 5 races of supercars per round of heats and many with not full grids. I believe only 18 are scheduled to do the whole championship and id be surprised if all those last the whole year. Lets face it, it was what IMG wanted from the start just 16-20 full championship runners and the odd "wildcard". Fine for tv, rubbish for those that go to the events.

For sure it looks good on tv, though the joker still seems to cause confusion for the commentator, and that is I guess IMGs main concern but for those of us going to Lydden I fear a lot of empty gaps in the programme awith a lower supercar entry than last year. Just 10 lites (why cant they at least have different shells) is also a concern and I really fear for the touring car entry. Group B and any other support will be nothing but demonstration races.

Portugal has had the lowest entrylist for years! So that is no surprise..... all the other rounds in Europe will have big fields with 30+Supercars for sure!
For ERX you can count on +/- 15 permanent cars. With also 18 permanent cars already in WRX. And you get some wildcards to!
S1600 is still good and i think TC will be better than last year (more scandinavian drivers because of the smaller calander with 3 rounds in the north)

I don't know what it will bring for the future (i also have my doubts)
But at the moment it is really good! Good entries, big crowds, still possible to go in to the paddock. And if the mix between old tracks and new tracks is 50/50 i can life with it. (Yes qlso here i have doubts for the future).

But at the moment it is all very good!

[paul1982]

I think lydden will give the smallest entrylist. But stil with 30+ Supercars!
Belgium, Germany, Norway, Italy and Spain is with ERX.
Than you have Holjes and Loheac with always big entries because of the home drivers.
left lydden.... (they will miss S1600... thats it)
and then Canada, Turkey and Argentina with only the permanent drivers.
So give me a reason we get bad entries this year?

[1975DCS]

I will wait for the schedule and entry list, but I do fear it won't justify £45,- entree fee, parking, €60-110,- to get overseas, €100,- fuel and about £50,- overnight costs...

[CS1]

Originally Posted by 1975DCS

I will wait for the schedule and entry list, but I do fear it won't justify £45,- entree fee, parking, €60-110,- to get overseas, €100,- fuel and about £50,- overnight costs...

Thats exactly why I am going to the Italian round - £58 ryanair flight (return) is cheaper than putting the diesel in my car to get to Lydden!!!

[tbtstt]

Ramona Karlsson confirms Euro Rallycross campaign:

Originally Posted by World Rallycross E-mail

RAMONA KARLSSON CONFIRMS EURO RX ENTRY

Sweden’s Ramona Karlsson has confirmed she will enter this year’s FIA European Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy (Euro RX). Karlsson will compete in her own team, Ramona RX, and is the world’s first female driver to run her own RX Supercar team.

Karlsson – who competed in selected rounds of last year’s World RX – has worked hard over the winter break to secure the budget to race in 2015. This year she will compete in all five Euro RX rounds: Belgium (15-17 May), Germany (19-21 June), Norway (21-23 August), Barcelona (18-20 September) and Italy (16-18 October). She will also contest her home event, World RX of Sweden, which takes place in Holjes from 3-5 July.

”It feels so great to finally announce this and to do it together with my own team,” said Karlsson, who is also a member of the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission (WMC). "I’ve put in a lot of hard work to secure various sponsorships, to gather and incorporate experienced and professional people into the team and I’m very happy to see it become a success."

Ingvar Gunnarsson Motorsport is currently making the final updates to Ramona’s VW Scirocco Supercar ahead of Karlsson’s debut in Belgium next month (15-17 May).

Karlsson conclued: "I’d like to say a big and warm thank you to everybody that has made this possible. Kenneth, Daniel, Ingvar Gunnarsson Motorsport, all the sponsors, and last but not least to everyone who has supported my team through my crowdfunding campaign. This will be great fun, and I can’t wait to start!"

[rx-guru]

She did already in late February.

[paul1982]

20 Touringcars in Belgium
... should be the same as in Lydden! 10 more than i expacted! So with 30+ SC and 10-15 RX lites it isn't so bad!

[1975DCS]

Judging by the entry list Belgium looks to be the better event to watch... But I don't like the circuit that much and I don't like that you are relative far away from the action sitting in the grandstand. But at least they have the ERX SuperCars and Super 1600's as a bonus (I am not a big fan of TouringCars).

[Hickey]

I love the touring cars, especially when it rains. Seeing 20 top, competitive rwd cats will be great. Hope Lydden gets the same numbers and about 30-35 super cars. Then would be about 65 cars at best and that is only about 10 less than last year. Still a shame not to have the ErX guys though. Anyone know if Andy Jordan is racing at Lydden?

[1975DCS]

Speaking of the (possible) ERX drivers, what happened to Kuypers, Coox, Mechelen, Volders (?) kind of missed the scene. Still think there are lots of drivers capable of a decent to good performance in both the ERX and WRX, the French for example...

[rallycrossnl]

I know of cars not being (fully) build for the 2015 season because the slight chaos about the 2016 regulations, one of which is the placement of the petrol/gas tank. Due to this a builder doesn't know if his 2015 spec car could be sold on for the 2016 season. Rather bad investment if it has to be partly rebuild before it could be sold.

[paul1982]

Originally Posted by 1975DCS

Speaking of the (possible) ERX drivers, what happened to Kuypers, Coox, Mechelen, Volders (?) kind of missed the scene. Still think there are lots of drivers capable of a decent to good performance in both the ERX and WRX, the French for example...

Mechelen ended his career last year
Kuypers have a new car... maybe RCE
Coox only Belgium Championship
Volders did one RCE last year but drives SN in Belgium/ Holland

[1975DCS]

Thanks for the answers, too bad that the Fiesta was short lived and didn't bring van Mechelen what he was looking for. Coox was present last year, you would expect him appearing in the ERX/WRX neighbouring countries. Last year I saw Kuypers bus leaving Lydden, to bad he didn't drive and sort of is in the background lately. Same is for Volders, it's a pity there is decent machinery within 350 km's just standing still in the garage...

[tbtstt]

Shame Van Mechelen won't be back, I really liked the look of his Fiesta. Do you know if his car has moved on, or does he still have it?

[paul1982]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Shame Van Mechelen won't be back, I really liked the look of his Fiesta. Do you know if his car has moved on, or does he still have it?

Pauwels owned the car now. He won with that car the RCE in Holland in 2014 and used it in some belgian rounds.....and i think he still have it.

[pele1977]

Originally Posted by chunder

As I said earlier, do not fret.

The European series is showing a resurgence, and that will cater for all the people who do not want WRX or are not sponsored by a drinks company. Sooner or later there will be a ERC again, Poland, Hungary, Holland, Czecho, all the places that have been priced out by IMG. Go and support them, I will certainly try to.

Just give it time. Let WRX basically be X Games Gymkhana so that IMG can try and sell it for millions to SKY or Eurosport. It might last a while, but it is unsustainable, theya re just trying to make a quick buck while WRC is struggling and manufacturers are interested. No-one has tried before.

ERC will be back, just like it was before.

I really hope so (Ahvenisto in my mind).

[rallycrossnl]

With support from all sides, tracks/clubs/ASN's/promotor,fans etc, the RCE can be the alternative. It isn't there yet.

Jos Kuypers drives, and wins LMV8 races at the Raceway Venray Oval.

[FIRE]

Why did Volders buy the Fiesta when he has no plans to drive it?

[rallycrossnl]

Would be an interesting question for him to answer, but first answer is, because he can.
I thought he would do BK and NK with it. NK SC is no more, so I expected to see it at duivelsberg last month. It wasn't there.

[paul1982]

Volders have the focus mk3. Not the fiesta.