C. Hamm wrote on 01/04/5 at 00:43:08:luv2drift makes good points imo. As much as we ALL love rallying, and ALL want to see it flourish, when you are "in the moment," it is for yourself.
For sure. And luv2drift's opinions and concerns are certainly valid and insightful. I guess we just disagree on the potential costs and benefits of commercialization. (and luv2drift, after rereading my original posts, I realize that I may have come across a bit harshly - not my intention, sorry!)
Quote:I am just as happy, or more happy if I see 40 P1-P3, some P4, cars getting flogged hard out there, by budget teams, at each event, or regional, than to see the 12-15 teams we get now.
Me too. P3 is my favourite class. The competition is very tight, the fields are fairly large and it's one of the more economical classes to run.
But, for better or for worse, it's the Evos and the STIs that grab people's attention and draw them into the sport. The drivers of the turbocharged AWD monsters are the heroes to the young kids. I think it's good for the sport to have some of these cars running and should try to help these guys find sponsorship and reduce costs
It's equally important to help the small teams, too. Building up the Production classes will give new drivers a competitive, cost-effective way to get into the sport, and having a strong pack at the front of the field will give them a target when they move up.
Quote:I mean, as a marshal, I want to see some action for all that driving, time and expense I go through to help out! The most fun I had at GCFR was seeing if Matt Follett would finish in the car that looking worse for wear, and he did. He just kept smiling, and driving, and they made it. It was great fun in P1. No pretense there. Good honest, budget rallying. Fast ? Nope, but fun!! That's dedication.
They deserve a ton of credit. Those guys are the model for perseverance and dedication. Congrats!
Quote:It's really great to see interest from Quebec, but I fail to see how it promotes lower cost to expect a regional team to run at Baie. The towing costs are more than some percentage increase in entry fees.
The new structure of the championship means that teams can go to Baie but does not have to go. The best 4 out of 6 results score for the championship, best 3 if a team does not run one of the standalone regionals. Teams can skip one or two events and still have a very good shot at the championship.
At the same time, the new structure of the championship gives many Quebec teams a cheap way to run a championship. The new rules in the Coupe de Quebec have alienated a number of teams, who would really have no regional championship to run without the OPRC. But the current setup for the OPRC means that a Quebec team can run three events in its home province and run one event in Ontario. So hopefully we can get more entries in Ontario events and help the Quebec teams who feel excluded from the CdQ. IMO this system will benefit everybody - Quebec and Ontario teams will have more competitive fields, and Quebec and Ontario events can expect more entries.
It's almost an Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (maybe something to consider formally setting up...?)