A change would do the WRC good

So what’s happened to the World Rally Championship these days? The series we see now is just a straight fight between Citroen and Ford and that’s it. With the likes of Subaru and Suzuki being the most recent castaways, one would think that the WRC is descending into freefall.

It’s nothing like it used to be. Remember the days when it was all about the big manufacturers providing full works efforts and producing some truly great machines. Times like the Group B and Group A eras are sorely missed, as they provoke brilliant memories of an Audi Quattro threading its way along a mountain pass on the Monte Carlo Rally or a Subaru Impreza 555 catching massive air as it flies over a crest on the roads of San Remo. So where’s it gone?

The recent economic downturn could be a factor. With motorsport being such a money-orientated sport these days, the manufacturers need car sales in order to help finance their racing efforts, alongside sponsorship. But if no-one has the cash to buy a new Subaru or Mitsubishi for example, then this means they have to cut back in some areas. Motorsport, unfortunately, tends to be high on their list of things to drop.

With the new 2011 rules moving the WRC into the Super 2000 class of rallying, and with also talk of new regulations for a turbocharged 1.6 litre engine, things seem to be getting done to bring the sport back into its former glory days. The S2000 category already has a great influx of car makers on board, with machines from Peugeot, Skoda, Ford, Abarth, Proton, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen and Honda all represented in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, a series which already uses the S2000 rules and regulations. The WRC will have a championship for this class of cars for the first time this year, as a means to settling them into the premier rally series before the change in rules next year.

Also, rallying is now in capable hands with Jean Todt at the helm of the FIA. For those who know about him, he started his motorsport career as a rally co-driver before taking charge of Peugeot’s factory rally effort, when they entered the WRC under the Group B rules and took two driver’s and two manufacturers world championships with the fearsome 205 T16. He’s already said it himself that he wants to “create a much bigger interest from the manufacturers, the privateers and the media”. This is exactly what the series needs.

With just two factory efforts supported by a whole host of private and independant customer teams, there’s no real competition. Not like how it used to be. With more interest from manufacturers, the WRC can become great again, and if Todt can do it, which I think he will, it most certainly will be. Maybe they should even bring back homologation rules. Then we can see some real road-going rally rocket specials again. Now that would be something.

Let's "C" now, which one?

Image: flickr.com

OK, I've a bit of a dilemma here. I quite fancy purchasing one of the new World Sportscar Review DVD which available from Duke Video now. I saw them featured in Autosport and right now I'm tempted to buy one. I'm a massive Group C sportscar fan and it's my favourite era of sportscar racing with such classic race cars as the Porsche 956 and 962, Jaguar XJR-9, Toyota TS010 and my all-time favourite the Peugeot 905B. Admittingly the latter 2 don't feature in any of the DVDs I'm looking at but they are 2 of my best-liked machines from the category.

So, which one to buy? Well, that's the problem - I can't decide! So, after a rather helpful suggestion from Christine and Mr C at Sidepodcast, I am going to put up a poll asking you lovely lot which one you can recommend me to buy. The original toss-up was between 1985 and 1988, but do you think there's a year which is worth looking at as well? Whichever one comes out the winner is the one I will buy with my own money from Duke Video - and that's a promise.

So, direct your attention to the right-hand side of the screen, scroll down to the poll and vote which one you think is the best year of WSC racing!

Happy Birthday, Franck Montagny!

Today is French racing driver Franck Montagny's 31st birthday. Why am I singling this out in particular. Over my time at Sidepodcast, Christine has taken a liking to him after seeing him at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007 when he was still with Toyota as a test driver and noting he was just wandering about not doing anything special in particular because, well, I guess no-one really knew who he was.

Still, since his F1 testing days, he has gone on to bigger and better things. He produced a fantastic drive at last year's Le Mans 24 Hours for Peugeot, driving long stints at a brilliantly fast pace. His car could have even won the event had it not been for the incompetence of Christian Klien putting it in the gravel during the night. Still, he managed 3rd which is something to be proud of. He also came 2nd in his first Champ Car race last year as well, which was ironically the final race for the formula ever before the IndyCar Series took over, been a race winner for Acura in the American Le Mans Series AND raced for Team France in A1GP! Boy, does he get around or what!

Next season, we all hope it will be success all the way for Franck, who I actually class to be one of the best French drivers in the world right now, second only to Sebastien Loeb who quite frankly can drive anything with 4 wheels and beat the pants off of anyone around. But for now, here's to Mr Montagny reaching 31 years on this earth. Many happy returns, Franck, and all the best for 2009!