Possible Canadian WRC Event 2023

Well this was interesting, just popped up yesterday and has been making the rounds:

https://i.imgur.com/aFlkldg.jpg

http://rallypromoter.ca/

I know the group of people who are doing this. Considering Warwick Patterson is the brainchild behind the award winning Subaru Rally Team USA "Launch Control" series that has ran for a few years, the team certainly has the media savvy to pull it off. Realistically, it will come down to government funding and interest.

Canada has actually tried this before. The story of what happened to the organization out east in Quebec in the early millennium is a fascinating one, and goes to highlight how badly things can go wrong for organizing clubs, members, and the community as a whole. Rallying in Canada lost an amazing national level winter event, clubs were bankrupted, all very sad stuff (worthy of a documentary IMO). Motorsports doesn't happen in a vacuum, sometimes people get the idea that faceless organizations put these events on, but in reality a lot of it is done by ordinary people like ourselves who dedicate massive amounts of unpaid time (and sometimes their own money) to making these things happen!

As another interesting point, the directors are all from out west. This almost guarantees that this will be a winter event ran somewhere in Alberta or BC (pure speculation on my part)! Keith Morison helped develop the Big White Winter Rally into a national level event starting in 2008, the first new national event Canada had seen in almost a decade. It will be very interesting to see where this goes.

Needless to say, if it does happen, I will be there competing. Over the next year I am going to be looking into what is necessary to run a R5 car at the event (one level below WRC) :)

Is having a wrc event in Quebec really any more relevant to us in western Canada than one in the US or Mexico?

Cool if it actually makes it here, but no one gives a shit about western Canada in the scope of the world.

:dunno:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by killramos

Cool if it actually makes it here, but no one gives a shit about western Canada in the scope of the world.

---

Grand Tour disagrees.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by killramos

Is having a wrc event in Quebec really any more relevant to us in western Canada than one in the US or Mexico?

---

Could you expand on your post? I feel like there is some context is missing for me on your thoughts. My "hypothesis" is that the event would be in Western Canada. Having a WRC event (or for that matter, ANY motorsport event) in a specific locale is hardly relevant to anyone in this day and age what with instant access media. I personally would be excited to see a rally event anywhere in Canada :dunno: WRC does have a Mexico event, and Canadian competitors compete there regularly. Specific to the "why" of having an event in Canada, well the director of WRC says it best himself:

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/febru...9--12-12-.html

Quote:

---

“We welcome the formation of this organization to further explore the opportunities for a WRC event in Canada, and look forward to working with them to pursue all possible options together for an exciting future,” says WRC Promoter GmbH Managing Director Oliver Ciesla. “WRC Promoter and the FIA have long stated their desire to expand the global impact of the WRC by increasing the number of events outside of Europe. Canada is, in particular, of great interest to the WRC, its car manufacturer-backed teams, and commercial partners. It offers the WRC further access to the North American market and can provide a new sporting challenge and competition environment.

---

USA doesn't give a shit what goes on outside its borders, but it gives slightly more of a shit if the stuff happens in Canada. On top of that, Canada will actually have spectators come out, whereas Americans hate having to work to spectate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by killramos

I
Cool if it actually makes it here, but no one gives a shit about western Canada in the scope of the world.

---

I think you are entirely missing the point. It has little to do with Western Canada. The WRC is a promotional tool, and manufacturers want events in North America. They go to friggin' Australia, which while having a better rally culture, does not do much for them advertising wise.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rage2

Grand Tour disagrees.

---

Haven’t gotten to this weeks episode yet. Should be interesting.

While I understand your saying it will come here I just disagree and that if Canada gets anything it’s always going east before west.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by killramos

While I understand your saying it will come here I just disagree and that if Canada gets anything it’s always going east before west.

---

For the most part, I don't disagree. My only reasoning for this hypothesis is that the committee is made of individuals from the west. In the end, the event will be put on where it can be most financially viable, which I "think" would be the east. However, crowds are not what is needed for a WRC event, so that throws most of the reasoning for an eastern event out the window.

If it is out east, it will most certainly be in Quebec. The board of directors may change to reflect this, as having a Quebecor on the board would be useful in Quebec (again, this is all my own speculation).

And there we go, out east is the target:

https://www.poleposition.ca/actualit...ls.php?ID=2900

Will be interesting to see how they get around the politics. An uphill battle to say the least! But Quebec has some of the best winter roads in the country, it surely would be an amazing event.