2023 ERC News & Rumours

[Sal yet again]

I'm really hoping for a great looking ERC calendar in 23 however have a sneaking suspicion that I may be disappointed!

How much money are the promoters asking per round?

[AndyRAC]

I have very little confidence in the promoter to do anything good; it's all about £££££

I constantly say, the ERC could and should be a great series - but never looks like being so.

[Andre Oliveira]

I heard Canarias (2 more years contract) and Catalunya next year.

[RS]

My ideal 8 round ERC calendar would be something like:

Azores
Canarias (or some other tarmac event in Spain, Italy, France or Germany)
Latvia
Poland
Ypres
Barum
Valais
‘A forest event somewhere in GB’

Although regarding the last option I just looked at the British Rally Championship website to see if there was an event they could piggyback and the stage mileage is pathetically short on all!

[HKSjbg]

My ideal 8 round ERC calendar would be something like:

Azores
Canarias (or some other tarmac event in Spain, Italy, France or Germany)
Latvia
Poland
Ypres
Barum
Valais
‘A forest event somewhere in GB’

Although regarding the last option I just looked at the British Rally Championship website to see if there was an event they could piggyback and the stage mileage is pathetically short on all!

Yeah to get an acceptable level of stage km for the ERC you’d have to combine 3 typical British forestry events into the same weekend and which could all run out of the same service park! Or maybe one 70km running off a remote service

[AndyRAC]

That looks good. Surely any ERC needs some of the larger countries - especially if they're not in the WRC; France/Germany.....

And I'd like to see a winter Tarmac round, similar to the Monte; I always enjoyed the Jannerrallye, a shame it couldn't continue in the ERC.

I think any UK round would likely be a Tarmac round - as any gravel event would probably be too expensive.(Unless an ERC round is significantly less expensive). IRC Rally Scotland was a nice event, with live TV coverage, but only lasted those 3 years. No legacy at all.....which is what they need to be aiming for. And there were the rumours of a Yorkshire event, but that went up in smoke when the Tour de France start was a possibility.

[pantealex]

So you want WRC and ERC in same countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal)

I think those countries which don't have WRC should be ERC priority.
Norway has big enough rallies for ERC I believe
UK/Ireland
Middle European countries, there are many without WRC
and if there aren't enough rallies for full ERC calendar, those countries which don't have WRC, could have ERC also.

I´m OK with 50/50 tarmac/gravel but there is never enough Snow rallies in any series...

[PLuto]

One thing is your "wish", one thing is wish of competitors/organisers/promoter. But most important are money...

[Co-driven]

And also with WRC Promoter, besides a huge increase in "fixed" costs like fees, amount of people from promoter/TV, etc, they also have a huge cost with everything related to the All Live.

[Sal yet again]

Calendar wise I'd like something like this :

Janner - Austria Snow/tarmac
Azores or Madeira - Portugal-Gravel/Tarmac
Circuit of Ireland - UK- Tarmac
Poland - Gravel
Ypres- Belgium - Tarmac
Tuscany - Italy -Gravel
Mont Blanc - France - Tarmac
Cyprus - Gravel

This would seem to suit the home countries of a lot of the drivers currently competing. I've included Cyprus which I know is controversial due to the stage conditions however it allows for a big end of season party in the relative warmth!