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View Full Version : Ford to exit WRC



HHURICANE1
10-16-2012, 04:04 PM
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/16/ford-exiting-wrc-after-2012-season-as-euro-economy-struggles/

It's getting close to a privateers formula. First Mini now Ford. With Loeb "retiring" is Citroen going to stick around?

Kramerica
10-16-2012, 04:57 PM
Doesn't really surprise me, my (limited) understanding is that because of the turbo restrictors and displacement limits the winner is whoever can homologate the lightest car, since fiesta wasn't competitive out of the box ford has to wait another five years to homologate the next model. They really should bring Group B in one form or another so there is a bit more room for development. Either that or make it a spec series, but it is already close to becoming that :dunno:

EDIT:should say my knowledge of current WRC is very small, my view is based solely on my (again, small) understanding of current regulations and what I think is a huge economic barrier to develop a competitive car (big homologation numbers)

CanmoreOrLess
10-16-2012, 06:27 PM
F1 needs to take over WRC, as is WRC is being run into the ground and manufacturers are fleeing. Can't even get races on TV here in Canada, yet I can watch darts, bowling, donkey races, etc.

HiTempguy1
10-16-2012, 06:45 PM
Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
F1 needs to take over WRC

You fuck the fuck off and stay away from WRC. WRC does not need to be anything like F1.

The biggest issue (elephant in the room and nobody wants to acknowledge it) is having gone away from GroupA.

Manufacturers bitched about GroupA being expensive... which it may have been. What they failed to realize is real cars, real roads, real fast is the POINT of rallying. People watch WRC in large part for the real cars. They aren't real cars anymore, and might as well be a spec series.

It also hasn't helped that no one has been able to beat the french robot for a billion years. Almost embarrassing.

And finally, what you may not know is Jari Mati Latvala has essentially signed with VW. VW's budget dwarfs the others (even with them chopping off a couple $10m to put towards Global Rallycross). Ford literally has no way to win the championship with Loeb still sticking around on a partial schedule (and Citroen having Hirvonen) and VW with the other top two talents and a fully developed car.

MSport also isn't gone. The Fiesta will still be raced by MSport. You have to remember, the economy is still absolutely screwed over there at the moment.

BMW is dropping out for a number of reasons. Also, consider Suzuki was fully prepared to compete in the WRC before the FIA f*&ked them in the asshole a couple times, the WRC isn't exactly running on a lot of goodwill.

On the bright side, Hyundai is coming in, which is super cool.

CanmoreOrLess
10-16-2012, 07:03 PM
I was thinking in terms of F1 marketing and the ability to hold viewership which is the life blood of all sports. Whatever WRC has been doing for the last decade has been a failure, all the major car makers should be in this sport.

WRC is not on TV in NA, without the U$A it is doomed.

Sugarphreak
10-16-2012, 08:15 PM
...

HiTempguy1
10-16-2012, 08:24 PM
Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess

WRC is not on TV in NA, without the U$A it is doomed.

Without an event in the US, or Canada, unlikely.

As there always seems to be, the FIA/WRC did make small approaches about a WRC event in NA somewhere. Quebec has a number of things going for it, mainly, WRC quality roads, a high percentage of volunteers/rally people, and close access to the highest population densities in North America.

I don't think it will happen anytime soon after the Canadian government (possibly Quebec specifically, I forget how the story goes), basically bankrupted an event happening here in the 90's that was supposed to be a WRC event.

Unfortunately, Global Rallycross will probably win budgets in North America over WRC, possibly forever. However, with Ken Block competing (possibly) in a "almost" WRC Fiesta next year in Rally America events, it might not matter. The action at the front of the Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships is WAY better than anything the WRC has had in the past two to three years.

HiTempguy1
10-16-2012, 08:28 PM
Originally posted by Sugarphreak

I wish I could get WRC races on TV.... I could totally spend a Sunday watching it.

Would every "aired on TV" rally show around the world suffice, including HD WRC content?

http://www.youtube.com/user/MotorsportFunCyprus2/videos?view=0

I mean, unless you're one of those Luddites that just HAS to watch it on crappy cable tv... ;) I got y0 back mang.

bituerbo
10-17-2012, 09:48 AM
Kananaskis Rally is Nov 4th (~2 weekends from now) and about 45 minutes down the road.

Markll7
10-17-2012, 10:03 PM
WRC was done a long time ago.

Alak
11-03-2012, 08:01 PM
Originally posted by Markll7
WRC was done a long time ago.

x2