ramping up the pressure on wrc?

[MJW]

After Rallye Monte Carlo another organiser showing fingers at WRC event layout changes of the last decade or so, robbing the events of their unique characters. The Rallye San Remo organisers announced before the start of their event that for 2010 they want to return to what made their event a real classic in the 1980s. The format of the IRC Rallye San Remo 2009 is compact with only 2 days and repeated stages - though long stages. For 2010 the plan is to run leg1 on the legendary Tuscany powder gravel stages added on to the event. Legs 2 & 3 then are as the rally is this year. Here the info from the organisers themselves:

The President of Automobile Club Sanremo, Sergio Maiga, yesterday Thursday September 24th, officially announced the will of the Organizing Committee of Rallye Sanremo, to go back in 2010, to the format that made the history of this event, returning on the roads of Tuscany.





Sergio Maiga: “Our idea received a favorable reception from manufacturers and now we are in contact with the Italian Automobile Sporting Commission (CSAI) in order to obtain the authorization to propose crews a mixed event, that will provide a first leg on gravel in the heart of Tuscany and a second part on the legendary roads of the Ligurian hinterland”.





This format, that once regrouped Liguria, Tuscany and Umbria, has been abandoned in 1992 (first and only victory in the World Rally Championship of Andrea Aghini – Lancia Delta HF Integrale) to change it to an all asphalt event.





The first reaction from press, drivers and local representatives who attended the announcement, has been very favorable and all indicates that this unexpected initiative could have a positive outcome.

[BDunnell]

I don't think the IRC is putting a great deal of pressure on the WRC, to be honest. It still has less of a public profile than the WRC, which is only natural — one, after all, is still the World Championship despite its desperate state at the moment. Going back to 'classic' event formats is great, but will it drive a nail into the WRC's coffin? I doubt it.

[Barreis]

It's good that preasure is on WRC..

[Tomi]

I don't think the IRC is putting a great deal of pressure on the WRC, to be honest. It still has less of a public profile than the WRC, which is only natural — one, after all, is still the World Championship despite its desperate state at the moment. Going back to 'classic' event formats is great, but will it drive a nail into the WRC's coffin? I doubt it.

agree, irc is too much noise about nothing really, in what way are they putting pressure?

[MJW]

What I meant about putting pressure on WRC is if IRC brings back traditional type of rallying, like what is being proposed for San Remo, it seems to play to the views of a lot of people on here who are fed up with the type of rallying (3 stages, service, repeat, end of day) format of late.
I am not convinced about IRC, but I think its bad for the sport to have 2 championships, they shoul amalgamate both and have the traditional events back in WRC and run them like MC & San Remo plan. Think Italy - gravel days in Tuscany in the autumn then some ashpahlt stages and return to San Remo seafront, or Rally Italy in a container port and teh stages are "another Mediteraen gravel rally" I know where I would chose, (good restaurants at San Romolo, old Lancia car parts on the walls as decoration as well)

[AndyRAC]

What the IRC have done is how how bad the events in the WRC have become. Compare the Monte this year to previous years - this years was more like an 'old style' Monte. I think most people and now it seems ISC have realised, that the 3 stages, service, repeat stages has ruined the sport. Variety is needed. If the IRC is the kick up the backside that the WRC needed, then good - 2 series does the sport no good, as seen from the Cart/Indycar split in USA. I also fail to see the attraction in numerous 'dry, dusty gravel Mediterranean' events all in the middle of the year, one after the other. Acropolis, yes, as it's a classic - the others are just fillers. What is needed is a range of events(2-5 days), surfaces(smooth gravel, rough gravel, tarmac, snow-ice etc), a fair split between surfaces - this year has been stupid with only 1 'proper' Tarmac event- I haven't included Ireland as that was replacement for Monte.

[Daniel]

agree, irc is too much noise about nothing really, in what way are they putting pressure?
I agree but it does show the WRC up in a number of ways and the WRC needs to learn from what it's doing wrong or it'll go even further down.

[Sulland]

Well, if you see what the IRC team have made in 2,5 seasons its not bad.

Many actually find the IRC rallies more fun to follow, since it is less predictable than WRC.

[tmx]

I've been watching recent IRC coverage and I think it finally hit, I now find IRC coverages more entertaining and fun to watch than the boring WRC coverages. Something to do with the onboards of drivers having to push the car to the limit with the high revs, I beginning to "dig" this driving style.