We promised it before, we had some big news to share this week. Because there will be some changes to the Rallycross_ERC you know, good changes.
First of all, the Twitter account started in 2009 and was born out of the interest I had towards the ERC and Rallycross. Yet despite modern media and the internet, my knowledge and experience of Rallycross was very limited. Limited to visiting the Belgian Round of the European Championship each year, finding out who lead the championship, cheering at the winners and going back home to wait for another year. TV coverage didn't/doesn't exist apart from the Scandinavian Countries and Motors TV for digital viewers, and only occasionally would newspapers write about Rallycross.
So after yet another visit in 2009, I created the Twitter page with a official sounding name and (still) to my amazement it caught on to the 800 followers it had now. Since WRC coverage was becoming marginal over time (Eurosport pushed it into midnight slots, or would randomly broadcast it) I started reporting on that as well. Than the Intercontinental Rally Challenge emerged, and was added to the Rallycross_ERC portfolio. This year the Global Rallycross Championship got covered.
More and more the old name of Rallycross_ERC stopped reflecting what the twitter page was about. The twitter page covered much more than the ERC alone. And when your jacket gets too tight you buy a new one, and that is exactly what is going to happen. From this weekend on, @Rallycross_ERC will change to @RallyandCross, a new name with a wider focus on the world of off-road motorsports. The blog was created under this name months ago, and suits the whole combination of blog and twitter rather well don't you think?
The new name allows us to use several media forms under the same flag, where before the twitter account operated under a different name than the blog, it is now all together under one label. This makes it easier for you to connect with what is happening in the world of rally and rallycross and to connect with what we're up to.
But there is something extra in store for you as well, RallyandCross is coming to Facebook! Our Facebook page will give an overview of our twitter posts as well as the posts on this blog. Search for "Rally and Cross" and hit that like button!
Above all, enjoy all that is new, and this weekends Rally de France,
The Rally and Cross Team
Thursday, 4 October 2012
WRC Rally France Preview - Can Loeb clinch title #9 at home?
WRC Rally France Preview - Can
Loeb clinch title #9 at home?
by Martijn Kösters
Just three rounds remain in the 2012 World Rally Championship, and the title chase could all be over on sunday. Only Mikko Hirvonen can beat Sebastien Loeb to the title, but even that will not only come down to him. Loeb goes into his home event with a 61 point lead. With the notion that a maximum of 56 points remain in the championship after the French round (2x 25 for a win, 2x 3 for Power Stage Win), a win for Hirvonen would not neccesarily mean that he could still take the title, as Loeb can comfortably finish second, win the power stage and take yet another title.
The odds are very much against Mikko Hirvonen, not only does he challenge the one man who has been reigning the WRC since 2004. He also takes on Loeb at home turf, who was born in the Alsace region. One factor might give Hirvonen some hope, Loeb did not win here last year due to an engine failure.
Action starts this afternoon (Thursday) with a small stage in Strasbourg, with real stages being driven throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. In total the rally consists of 22 tarmac stages with a combined length of 404 kilometers. Friday will see two equal loops of three stages: Hohlandsbourg(28km), Vallee de Munster(22) and Soltzeren(20), with the Mulhouse stage as added extra to the Friday.
Saturday starts a bit earlier around 8.30 CET with the Massif des Grands Crus-Ungersberg stage of 18km, followed directly by the longest stage of the rally Pays d'Ormont (43.45km). Pays de la Haute Bruche (24) and Klevener (11) complete the loop of four stages, which will be run twice.
The Sunday sees perhaps a different style to which we are used to. Six stages, all be it shorter than the rest, will be run without Service half way through. At 9.23 CET the Vignoble de Cleebourg (17) kicks off, followed by Bischweiler (8) and Sebastien Loeb's home town stage: Hagenau (6). These three stages will be run twice, but without a service.
by Martijn Kösters
Just three rounds remain in the 2012 World Rally Championship, and the title chase could all be over on sunday. Only Mikko Hirvonen can beat Sebastien Loeb to the title, but even that will not only come down to him. Loeb goes into his home event with a 61 point lead. With the notion that a maximum of 56 points remain in the championship after the French round (2x 25 for a win, 2x 3 for Power Stage Win), a win for Hirvonen would not neccesarily mean that he could still take the title, as Loeb can comfortably finish second, win the power stage and take yet another title.
The odds are very much against Mikko Hirvonen, not only does he challenge the one man who has been reigning the WRC since 2004. He also takes on Loeb at home turf, who was born in the Alsace region. One factor might give Hirvonen some hope, Loeb did not win here last year due to an engine failure.
Action starts this afternoon (Thursday) with a small stage in Strasbourg, with real stages being driven throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. In total the rally consists of 22 tarmac stages with a combined length of 404 kilometers. Friday will see two equal loops of three stages: Hohlandsbourg(28km), Vallee de Munster(22) and Soltzeren(20), with the Mulhouse stage as added extra to the Friday.
Saturday starts a bit earlier around 8.30 CET with the Massif des Grands Crus-Ungersberg stage of 18km, followed directly by the longest stage of the rally Pays d'Ormont (43.45km). Pays de la Haute Bruche (24) and Klevener (11) complete the loop of four stages, which will be run twice.
The Sunday sees perhaps a different style to which we are used to. Six stages, all be it shorter than the rest, will be run without Service half way through. At 9.23 CET the Vignoble de Cleebourg (17) kicks off, followed by Bischweiler (8) and Sebastien Loeb's home town stage: Hagenau (6). These three stages will be run twice, but without a service.
Monday, 1 October 2012
ERC/GRC Rallycross Review: Action on and off track
ERC/GRC
Rallycross Review: Action on and off track
by
Martijn Kösters
Double
the action this weekend as both major Rallycross series had an outing
on either side of the globe. The Global Rallycross Championship had
its first of two events in Las Vegas (with a race at SEMA in four
weeks time) and the European Rallycross Championship went for its
final spin at the Estering in Germany.
Although
the Global Rallycross Championship had its final on Saturday evening
local time, we will start of with the ERC since important
developments took place over the weekend. As you may know, next
year's FIA Rallycross Championship is undergoing some changes
including a new promoting party, IMG. As IMG basically organises this
championship, she has the right to select venues on which to stage
events, meaning some tracks might be left out. This has resulted in
the formation of a break-away series, going by the name of FIA
Rallycross Challenge. The Challenge will use the same Rallycross
regulations written by FIA. One issue is that the series has yet to
be approved by the FIA, who will not be overly pleased with two
European Championship in the same class of motorsport on roughly
similar tracks. To
Be Continued...
Back to on-track action, the ERC came to Buxtehude for round ten out of ten of the season. All the titles were awarded last week, but championship standings provide enough excitement for 2nd and 3rd place in the championship. In Supercars Liam Doran, Davy Jeanney and possible Alexander Hvaal hoped to profit from #2 in the standings Tanner Foust. In Super 1600 Skorupski, Leppihalme, Linnemann and Rakhmatullin had a chance at taking 'silver' for the 2012 championship. Touringcars had less battles still in the championship, although Robin Larsson could reward his great run in the second half of the season with third place in the Championship.
Back to on-track action, the ERC came to Buxtehude for round ten out of ten of the season. All the titles were awarded last week, but championship standings provide enough excitement for 2nd and 3rd place in the championship. In Supercars Liam Doran, Davy Jeanney and possible Alexander Hvaal hoped to profit from #2 in the standings Tanner Foust. In Super 1600 Skorupski, Leppihalme, Linnemann and Rakhmatullin had a chance at taking 'silver' for the 2012 championship. Touringcars had less battles still in the championship, although Robin Larsson could reward his great run in the second half of the season with third place in the Championship.
The
A-finals on Sunday saw plenty of action, with some of the favourites
being caught out in crashes. In Touringcars Anton Marklund and
outgoing champion Lars Oivind Enerberg retired from the gravel trap.
Robin Larsson took his fifth victory of the season, and his fourth
from the second half of the season, giving him maximum points from
the second half of the year. Ole Habjorg finished second ahead of
Castoral, Enlund and Lundh. Both Koen Pauwels and Derek Tohill were
absent from the A-final.
Ch. Result: 1. Anton Marklund 142pt., 2 Derek Tohill 121pt., 3 Roman Castoral 115pt.
In Super 1600 it took a few tries to decide a winner. Jussi Leppihalme caused a red flag in the first take of the A-final, and also had to retire. Take two saw chaos in the first corner, leaving Joni Wiman unable to compete. Eventually Teemu Suninen, who was fast all weekend took the win ahead of this year's champ Bakkerud and Sergey Zagumennov.
Ch. Result: 1. Andreas Bakkerud 138pt., 2 Krzystof Skorupski 114pt., 3 Jussi-Petteri Leppihalme 113pt.
In Supercars, a spectecular crash saw two cars out after the first lap. Peter Hedström hit the armco barrier on the inside, sending his car across the track into the path of Pavel Koutný, who as a result barrel-rolled along the armco, and straight over Hedström's car. After the restart, Liam Doran profited from both Tanner Foust's and more surprisingly Timerzyanov's absence from the final to take the win. Jeanney second, Stig-Olov Walfridsson scored his best 2012 result with third.
Ch. Result: 1. Timur Timerzyanov 148pt., 2 Liam Doran 104pt., 3 Tanner Foust 100pt.
Over in the United States, the Global Rallycross Championship worked off round 5 out of 6, with the Discount Tire-America's Tire Cup concluding already this weekend. Tanner Foust wanted to score here, he skipped the European Rallycross round in Germany (and others) in order to take a shot at the GRC. Foust did not let himself down by being fastest in practice and eventually taking the win. Fellow Rockstar teammate Brian Deegan finished second ahead of 2011 European Champion Sverre Isachsen, Toomas Heikkinen and Stéphane Verdier. Foust's win secured him the Discount Tire Cup, which he also won ahead of Brian Deegan. This result also puts him another step closer to the Global Championship, as he increases his Championship lead on Brian Deegan to 16 points.
The GRC will be finishing at the SEMA centre in Vegas, during the last weekend of October.
Ch. Result: 1. Anton Marklund 142pt., 2 Derek Tohill 121pt., 3 Roman Castoral 115pt.
In Super 1600 it took a few tries to decide a winner. Jussi Leppihalme caused a red flag in the first take of the A-final, and also had to retire. Take two saw chaos in the first corner, leaving Joni Wiman unable to compete. Eventually Teemu Suninen, who was fast all weekend took the win ahead of this year's champ Bakkerud and Sergey Zagumennov.
Ch. Result: 1. Andreas Bakkerud 138pt., 2 Krzystof Skorupski 114pt., 3 Jussi-Petteri Leppihalme 113pt.
In Supercars, a spectecular crash saw two cars out after the first lap. Peter Hedström hit the armco barrier on the inside, sending his car across the track into the path of Pavel Koutný, who as a result barrel-rolled along the armco, and straight over Hedström's car. After the restart, Liam Doran profited from both Tanner Foust's and more surprisingly Timerzyanov's absence from the final to take the win. Jeanney second, Stig-Olov Walfridsson scored his best 2012 result with third.
Ch. Result: 1. Timur Timerzyanov 148pt., 2 Liam Doran 104pt., 3 Tanner Foust 100pt.
Over in the United States, the Global Rallycross Championship worked off round 5 out of 6, with the Discount Tire-America's Tire Cup concluding already this weekend. Tanner Foust wanted to score here, he skipped the European Rallycross round in Germany (and others) in order to take a shot at the GRC. Foust did not let himself down by being fastest in practice and eventually taking the win. Fellow Rockstar teammate Brian Deegan finished second ahead of 2011 European Champion Sverre Isachsen, Toomas Heikkinen and Stéphane Verdier. Foust's win secured him the Discount Tire Cup, which he also won ahead of Brian Deegan. This result also puts him another step closer to the Global Championship, as he increases his Championship lead on Brian Deegan to 16 points.
The GRC will be finishing at the SEMA centre in Vegas, during the last weekend of October.
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