[WRC] Central European Rally 17-20.10.2024

[denkimi]

There is a difference between what types of extra entries.

2 top category cars are infinitely more important than 20 extra Rally 3/4 cars.

2 top drivers are more important, no matter what car they drive. Having another serderidis has no value.

[mknight]

I'd say having Serderidis opening the road and getting tons of time on allive actually has negative value. Doesn't look like much of a "top" sport.

[meh]

What is going on with Evans? Crashed into first corner? (or the Maps failing to show up-to-date info). No split times as well.

edit: seems to be moving again...

edit 2: ok, going through in road-mode and it is the same for others. Stage cancelled.

[Jarek Z]

What is going on with Evans? Crashed into first corner? (or the Maps failing to show up-to-date info). No split times as well.

edit: seems to be moving again...

edit 2: ok, going through in road-mode and it is the same for others. Stage cancelled.

That's a wrong thread. This rally hasn't started yet

[Backa]

I'd say having Serderidis opening the road and getting tons of time on allive actually has negative value. Doesn't look like much of a "top" sport.

Some of that negative value is due broadcast direction decisions than due to pay-driver, who also has some positive value, helping M-Sport be more safe financially. It's ok to show Serderidis a little but broadcast should give him less air-time, especially when more competitive drivers are already on stage.

[mknight]

Agree

That he is allowed to enter is perfectly fine.

That he runs before Rally2s and even more importantly as first car on Saturday/Sunday is questionable.

That he is shown on all live (onboard) for basically any amount of time is directly damaging the series.

The last point can be addressed directly ( not showing him) or indirectly by running him after WRC2.

[Mary Mary]

Agree

That he is allowed to enter is perfectly fine.

That he runs before Rally2s and even more importantly as first car on Saturday/Sunday is questionable.

That he is shown on all live (onboard) for basically any amount of time is directly damaging the series.

The last point can be addressed directly ( not showing him) or indirectly by running him after WRC2.

Just as long as you're not in the "Rally2 with privateers as top class" camp.

[Mirek]

I am from Prague and this event brings the WRC to my home city but as others stated before I can see that this concept proved itself to be overambitious and far too expensive. The original meaning of the word rally is to gather the motorsport enthusiasts together to race against each other. In that sense Barum managed to rally them, CER clearly not. There are nearly 200 competitors in Barum every year with far majority being locals and then there is CER with 5 Czech crews. That comparison is absolutely brutal. While Barum managed to establish itself as a sort of festival where everyone tries to be every year the CER WRC event combines huge cost with no tradition and it doesn't work. You might say that these local competitors are not needed in a WRC event but I say they are because they are the reflection of the general popularity of the said event and of course they bring money to the organization.

[mknight]

While I get what you are saying and agree with parts I really doubt "WRC Barum" would get higher interest than CER if it was ran at end of October with similar starting fees.

Lots of crews "run out of money" by the end of the year and/or have nothing to compete for. The starting fees are probably for the most part necessary to handle large number of spectators and closed/damaged roads in populated areas. They could probably be lower if they dropped the whole "Prague" part.

The "tradition" part is off course true. But some CER Friday stages are the "traditional" ones from Sumava Rally. But Sumava doesn't really have any name outside of CZ and stages like the "circuit" are at best mediocre.

[wyler]

Mate, I didn't want to offend you. Don't take it personally, please



So what do you think? That short = good? How come? Everyone complains about decreasing number of entries in WRC, but you say it is a good trend? When I started watching rallies an event with entry list below 60 crews was considered a flop. This rally has 44 entries and you consider it a good quality event? 44 entries in the middle of Europe, the hotbed of rally sport?

You say that "short is good", but even Rally1 manufacturers want more entries:

"it’s clear that we need more brands, we need more cars, we need more drivers, we need more show" - Cyril Abiteboul from Hyundai

"As a Toyota car manufacturer, I hope that this would give some sort of message to other car manufacturers to take part in WRC" - Jari-Matti Latvala from Toyota

mate, just read above. i've already explained my point in the same post you quoted and another, and will be happy to argument it more, if there's interest and respect of other's opinions.