FIA World Rallycross Championship 2018

[dwkGravey 0]

Someone other than Kristoffersson might have a chance at winning this weekend!

https://www.motorsport.com/world-rx/news/psrx-south-africa-late-delivery/4302372/

[tbtstt 2,387]

dwkGravey said:

Someone other than Kristoffersson might have a chance at winning this weekend!

https://www.motorsport.com/world-rx/news/psrx-south-africa-late-delivery/4302372/

Rumours that EKS are currently sitting in the port with a wave machine pointing out to sea are completely baseless... :D

[kheiro 5]

dwkGravey said:

Someone other than Kristoffersson might have a chance at winning this weekend!

https://www.motorsport.com/world-rx/news/psrx-south-africa-late-delivery/4302372/

I Don't Think So
 http://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/article/10184/psrx-will-race-in-south

[KingOfCoins 286]

Man, I was hoping for a different winner this time. 

[mats27 83]

Got some great camera shots on the live stream, especially showing the launch.

[KingOfCoins 286]

And with that, I'm done. I promised myself I would drop the series if Kristofferson won all the races after Hell and that's exactly what happened. 

Luckily ERX and ARX will have full live streams next year

[tbtstt 2,387]

I can understand the frustration with the World Rallycross this year but, as much the overall Championship was predictable, I am rather in awe of Kristoffersson. I think he had less of an advantage this season, yet he has smashed the record books in a way that is unlikely to be matched by anyone else.

That said, I hope we see more variety in winners next year.

[mats27 83]

tbtstt said:

I can understand the frustration with the World Rallycross this year but, as much the overall Championship was predictable, I am rather in awe of Kristoffersson. I think he had less of an advantage this season, yet he has smashed the record books in a way that is unlikely to be matched by anyone else.

That said, I hope we see more variety in winners next year.

Plus Solberg has been much more on form recently, and has threatened Kristoffersson a couple of times. Audi and Peugeot are close, and I can see GCK making big improvements also, so i'm hoping for some good racing next season.

[JorritVD 1,236]

So far VW is the only factory team next year. I hope the variety is better next year, but probably not. Tracks and Cars more suit the race driver than a rally driver type of style and therefore also more predictable.

Ekstrom announced on his instagram this was his last WRX as a full timer. No idea really what that exactly means, but it gives me kinda hope EKS is back next year as a private team in some kind of form. Maybe ERX with some WRX events. I hope partners like BWT step up and a good pay driver like Larsson or Baumanis or Szabo join and the team could have an nice combined ERX, ARX or WRX program.

[tbtstt 2,387]

JorritVD said:

So far VW is the only factory team next year. I hope the variety is better next year, but probably not. Tracks and Cars more suit the race driver than a rally driver type of style and therefore also more predictable.

Ekstrom announced on his instagram this was his last WRX as a full timer. No idea really what that exactly means, but it gives me kinda hope EKS is back next year as a private team in some kind of form. Maybe ERX with some WRX events. I hope partners like BWT step up and a good pay driver like Larsson or Baumanis or Szabo join and the team could have an nice combined ERX, ARX or WRX program.

There is a video on the EKS Facebook recorded after the final where Mattias confirms he won't be a full time driver in the Championship next year. 

No decision on the team or the cars yet. 

[DiRTKiNG808 15]

Well, unfortunately I’m done watching World RX. It’s way to expensive to watch here in America and all I get to see is one driver win every race. Also I wish the tracks were more dirty like GRC. I will definitely watch the free ARX championship though. I’m super excited to see how that turns out. Plus ARX has great teams like Andretti, Subaru and Hoonigan.

[Janneman60 154]

Over here there is no livestream available, but with a VPN connection it works fine. Can't you use one instead? You are right this season was a one man show. 

As for the tracks, there have been a lot of duscussions. For us 40 year rallycross fans we like the old school tracks.

[RodgerDavies 933]

I've never been a big RX fan, but I will occasionally watch now they put them on YouTube and the 'suggested vids' algorithm hasn't yet worked out the difference between rally and RX...

I must say that the circuits are the biggest downer. There is always a bit of an issue with RX to me where the circuits don't feel natural, because someone has created them, but this modern style of forcing one into a corner of an F1 circuit with some cones and barriers is cringe worthy IMO; Hockenheim and Barcelona spring to mind immediately and the South African and UK rounds were awfully bland too (artificial jumps always bug me).

On the other hand, the tight and narrow dedicated RX circuits feel a lot more natural; Estering was the one that really stood out of the ones I have seen this year.

[tbtstt 2,387]

RodgerDavies said:

I must say that the circuits are the biggest downer. There is always a bit of an issue with RX to me where the circuits don't feel natural, because someone has created them, but this modern style of forcing one into a corner of an F1 circuit with some cones and barriers is cringe worthy IMO; Hockenheim and Barcelona spring to mind immediately and the South African and UK rounds were awfully bland too (artificial jumps always bug me).

The circuits have been my biggest gripe this year. For the first couple of years the Championship was balanced between old and new circuits, but they are increasingly leaning towards non-specific rallycross venues and, like you say, the layouts are not producing good racing. 

CotA was the worst track of the year for me: short and unexciting.

[RodgerDavies 933]

Yeah, I'll all for it where it's short and gladiatorial with a big crowd almost on top of the action, but on those circuits with a few temporary grandstands and a huge empty paddock, race circuit or large expanse in the background, it looks like some people just broke in to do doughnuts in a car park. For the record, I have the same thing with circuit racing too - I struggle to watch anything at Silverstone as it's just a big car park with lines painted in it these days.

[mats27 83]

Love the older tracks like Lyngas or even Nyirad from a few years back.

[tbtstt 2,387]

RodgerDavies said:

Yeah, I'll all for it where it's short and gladiatorial with a big crowd almost on top of the action, but on those circuits with a few temporary grandstands and a huge empty paddock, race circuit or large expanse in the background, it looks like some people just broke in to do doughnuts in a car park. For the record, I have the same thing with circuit racing too - I struggle to watch anything at Silverstone as it's just a big car park with lines painted in it these days.

Silverstone is, by a significant margin, my least favourite circuit in the UK: it feels more like a business park than a race circuit.

That said I tried to go to the rallycross there with an open mind - and I will concede it was better for spectators than I was expecting - but the circuit is very slow. For those who have never seen rallycross before it was probably OK, but I thought the cars never really got a chance to get going. 

I don't think the Silverstone circuit is beyond rescuing though, there is enough space at the bottom end of the circuit to extend and speed things up a bit. On the assumption that Silverstone are willing to pay for that of course!

[JorritVD 1,236]

Even some rumors now that VW also will leave WRX as a factory team. That could mean that Subaru will be the sole factory team in whole WRX, ARX, ERX. 

Will be interesting how the IMG series will look like at the start of the season.

[JorritVD 1,236]

Just thinking, if VW would pull out, and the Polo would not be available to use, would it be a possibility for PSRX and EKS to team up together? The Audi cars from EKS are available and the drivers could be than Solberg and Bakkerud. 

[RallyDriven 398]

I honestly think they tried to run before they could walk with WRX. They saw it was growing and they tried to expand too quickly, and in the process they made it too expensive for privateers and pissed off the manufacturers. Now they are looking at starting next year with neither, with loads of contracts for new tracks

[RodgerDavies 933]

Still a lot of privateers next year aren't there? Have any pulled out about from the Fords? And new Skodas are coming. May be very close behind VW.

[Ruben Correa Alves 28]

Olsbergs MSE is skipping 2019.          

[tbtstt 2,387]

Areyouben said:

Olsbergs MSE is skipping 2019.          

Yeah, part of their justification was that they want to start looking at electric rallycross (and perhaps try and get Ford back onboard). 

I was really pleased to see OMSE back in 2018, especially as they gave Larsson a drive. Real shame it wasn't a better season for them.

There has been talk (and it may just be that) that GRX and GCK may receive manufacturer support for 2019.

[RallyDriven 398]

US COTA has been dropped for next year. Wasn’t the best track but shame to lose an event with no replacement. Also leaves a two month gap from Latvia to South Africa

[tbtstt 2,387]

RallyDriven said:

US COTA has been dropped for next year. Wasn’t the best track but shame to lose an event with no replacement. Also leaves a two month gap from Latvia to South Africa

Yeah, shame to lose a round but, of all the circuits in 2018, CotA was by far the worst (in my opinion). Looks like the FiA at least partially listened to the teams and culled the number of flyaway rounds.