New rally countries

[Finni]

Nowadays rallying is getting down in countries like Great Britain. But I find it very interesting that there is new countries coming into rally scene. There seems to be huge rising interest to rallying in east Europe. I mean in countries like Poland, Czech and Russia. Sometimes we hear otherwise non-available live-information by people from Czech. I have sometimes took a look to their forum and it seems to be more alive than any other sites!

There is of course new rally countries like Estonia and Norway but I suppose that their interest is partially caused by having own star drivers in wrc. Is the future of rallying coming fron east Europe? Why rallying has such rising tendency in those countries? Are west europeans too poodelish to get grip from such brave and masculine sport as rallying? I kind of understand that rallying fits well into such brutal cultures like russian. ;)

[sal]

More money to grease the wheels of politics more like. How can Russia have a slot on the calendar when it's not even run a candidate event? From what I hear the IRC round wasnt so succesful in 07 so guess mucho smooshing has ensured it's place.

You cant deny that the Czech series is well supported and Poland always had big crowds when it was a round of the ERC but still thing it comes down to how much money is washing around. In the UK rallying is at an all time low in media senses with no top driver and a round of the WRC that fails to capture the general publics imagination in the same way as the old RACs.

[Josti]

Poland and Czech Republic has always been big rally countries to my knowledge. But I guess lesser known rally countries get more interest there too these days. The gap between West and East Europe isn't that big anymore as say 10 to 15 years ago. I can't help to believe it plays an important roll too.

Wel, apart from the British and Belgian (where budget is low) championships, there's not much complain about I guess. Overhere, the sport raised in populairity since 2000, 2001. Even to the point that we've at least 10 to 15 WRC's per rally and quite a varied entry on top of that. So far, no WRC star was necassary for that.

[jonas_mcrae]

The same question Ive been asking for a long time and no one answers, why the Czech Republic doesn't have a candidate event for WRC? Barum was ok so why not to try WRC? Ive seen loads of footage from there and the tarmac events look amazing!

[shurik]

I would say Russia is a developing rally country, it's still a long way to catch Chech, Poland, Estonia and Hungary. Quality of organisation and public attention is the key, and, unfortunately russian automobile federation, which recent decisions is quite inadequate - all they do, is steadily kill national group, first they took champion title from national championship winners, now they took away team championship.
Also real estate boom kills all the fun - for instance there is no big rally event closer than 200 km from Moscow and the closest championship event is 400 km away, not talking about training tracks, which has been vanished couple of years ago. St.Peterburg has a better situation, but not for long.
Funny thing is the vast majority of rally drivers is from Moscow and St.Peterburg :(

[urabus-denoS2000]

I disagree about Czech Republic,Poland,Hungary and others being new rally countries.they always have vary strong drivers and cars.their championships are always extremely good.I personally think that the Czech championship is the best in Europe,at least one of the best.I would like to remind you that the Rajd Polski (Rally of Poland) is the 2nd oldest rally in the world.The Barum rally has always been one of the best rallies in the world.
Look at some of the drivers.Prokop was 3rd in the JRC and winner of the c2 challenge.Kresta was a works Ford driver and a important test driver.Vaclav Pech has simply dominated the whole Central European rally zone. A Bulgarian driver Dimitar Illiev has been on top of the ERC for the last two years.My country,Croatia,had had a rally championship even under Yugoslavia.You probably dont know this,but a Croatian(then Yugoslavian) Jovica Paliković won the Monte Carlo rally in 1968(not sure).
So I dont think that you should reffer to these countries as new ones.

[urabus-denoS2000]

Paliković won its class in the monte

[Ferjancz]

Well for the year 2010 Bulgaria was announce for a round of WRC for the first time !You can imagine the joy of all the Bulgarian rally fans! For long years Rally Bulgaria is round of the ERC ! Every time we get great evaluation from the FIA observer! We have struggled for a round of WRC for many years ! Our rally federation even wanted our rally event to be part of the WRC in 2009 because it will be the 40-th rally Bulgaria ! Any way . In the past few years eastern championships are getting stronger and stronger so it seems logical that rounds of the WRC will take place in the eastern countries.

[jparker]

Malcolm Wilson on the topic:
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/158636-0/wilson_rotation_only_fair_way_to_go.html

[AndyRAC]

Sorry, but I can't agree. It's like having Nascar without Daytona, F1 without Monaco, etc.The 'classics' should have stayed, in 2010 there are 3 new events back to back. Utter madness, and not only that one year doesn't meet the criteria for a World Championship - not enough continents.

[jparker]

Sorry, but I can't agree. It's like having Nascar without Daytona, F1 without Monaco, etc.The 'classics' should have stayed, in 2010 there are 3 new events back to back. Utter madness, and not only that one year doesn't meet the criteria for a World Championship - not enough continents.

Circuit racing is not good example in that regards, it's kind of same no matter where it takes place. Rallying on other hand could be totally different experience. I agree, it may not happen, but it's something worth trying.

[AndyRAC]

Circuit racing is not good example in that regards, it's kind of same no matter where it takes place. Rallying on other hand could be totally different experience. I agree, it may not happen, but it's something worth trying.

Possibly, but they wouldn't be mad enough to drop their 'big' events. If they did they'd still manage as they are both thriving Championships with lots of interest. The WRC can't afford to drop it's 'classic' events, simply to let new events in. The WRC is still in trouble and doing this is almost unbelievable. I'm not against new events, but not at the expense of the well known events that get better coverage than the other Rallies. I still can't believe they're running 3 new events in a row. What planet do these people inhabit?? Or are they trying to kill the WRC off??

[Simmi]

Expanding into new markets without the cost necessarily going up by simply added events isn't that bad. I agree its a shame the classics are going to be missing for a year but it's a good excuse to go to a foreign rally when your home rally goes.

But seen as they are trying out new events how about doing an event in England? If Monte and Corsica can then Wales and England can surely. Or is that just me being selfish...

[jparker]

Possibly, but they wouldn't be mad enough to drop their 'big' events. If they did they'd still manage as they are both thriving Championships with lots of interest. The WRC can't afford to drop it's 'classic' events, simply to let new events in. The WRC is still in trouble and doing this is almost unbelievable. I'm not against new events, but not at the expense of the well known events that get better coverage than the other Rallies. I still can't believe they're running 3 new events in a row. What planet do these people inhabit?? Or are they trying to kill the WRC off??

Well, it's delicate situation you know. The way I see it (i don't want to go in details and I may be wrong), but the current classic events are facing the following dilemma, be better event every second year, or be a poor event every year.

[AndyRAC]

Well the F1A, ISC, Whoever keep coming up with new ideas every few years on how to improve the WRC. And what happens, they get dropped or not even implemented. When will they learn? I suppose a new idea will come out - why bother with a co-driver, why instead of stages miles away just hold it on one stage. Oh yeah, on a GP track!!