paranoid_android
paranoid_android UltraDork
12/6/18 3:37 p.m.

From my Facebork feed, it seems Americas Rallycross signed a multiple year deal to run at Mid-Ohio.  After reading the article Aabout them in the most recent GRM issue, this is pretty interesting news.

Article is here.

 

irish44j
irish44j MegaDork
12/6/18 3:46 p.m.

Still waiting for my invite. I guess I need to work on being an "action sports star" lol...

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
12/6/18 3:47 p.m.

I can get excited about this when they start adding classes that people can actually enter and race in. 

paranoid_android
paranoid_android UltraDork
12/6/18 4:44 p.m.

This is the first “pro” type event to catch my attention in a long time.  Depending on ticket prices, this may be a chance for a selfie with Ken Block cheeky

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ UberDork
12/6/18 4:46 p.m.
EvanB said:

I can get excited about this when they start adding classes that people can actually enter and race in. 

Seriously.  Give us a 2wd class with a cheap spec tire and let's party.

captdownshift
captdownshift PowerDork
12/6/18 5:22 p.m.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

There are lots of old no longer competitive IT class cars in need of a new playground. 

irish44j
irish44j MegaDork
12/6/18 6:12 p.m.
paranoid_android said:

This is the first “pro” type event to catch my attention in a long time.  Depending on ticket prices, this may be a chance for a selfie with Ken Block cheeky

Or go to a stage rally he's entered in and get it for free ;) I must have watched 100 people take selfies with Ken at NEFR (and Travis, and Higgins, among others).  Our car was parked next to his, but only one little kid asked for a picture with us cheeky

 

fidelity101
fidelity101 UltraDork
12/6/18 6:26 p.m.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:
EvanB said:

I can get excited about this when they start adding classes that people can actually enter and race in. 

Seriously.  Give us a 2wd class with a cheap spec tire and let's party.

why do I feel we should take this into our own hands?

paranoid_android
paranoid_android UltraDork
12/6/18 7:16 p.m.

In reply to irish44j :

The little kid made the right choice!

Honestly I don't know where he's racing this year, I haven't looked.  Maybe Sno*Drift?

----------

The whole rallycross thing (in this context) does seem like it could easily fill fields at the grassroots level.  But based on the GRM article, and now the ARX website, they have to figure out how to piece a season together for the pros first.

irish44j
irish44j MegaDork
12/6/18 8:04 p.m.

This is interesting, because I could have sworn there was a different series called "American Rallycross" which was basically this kind of stuff, but it was more grassroots and pretty much open to any stage rally car. I know some of the guys I rally with (like Gary DeMasi) participated. It didn't last very long (mostly because a lot of stage guys didn' twant to berkeley up their cars going door-to-door with other stage cars, I guess). But yeah, it was essentially the same as "ARX" but at a lower level. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
12/6/18 8:39 p.m.
fidelity101 said:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:
EvanB said:

I can get excited about this when they start adding classes that people can actually enter and race in. 

Seriously.  Give us a 2wd class with a cheap spec tire and let's party.

why do I feel we should take this into our own hands?

 

Aaron_King
Aaron_King PowerDork
12/7/18 9:46 a.m.

I saw that yesterday too.  I will probably take the kids to check it out.

sachilles
sachilles UltraDork
12/7/18 9:47 a.m.

Glad to see it in that part of the country.

A few other spots may emerge for the season, but the sport is still very much at a crossroads with this current company/promoter.

 

My opinion from the inside looking out, is that the concept needs to be accepted by the short track oval tracks in middle America for it to grow. The courses don't need to be that large. The concept can easily be transferred to the feeder classes within the oval race community(4 cylinder and street stock type of classes). I see that as the grassroots path towards wider acceptance in North America.

I don't think it will gain popularity trying to entice the stage rally folks, as those doing that already find themselves in a bind to find funding for that habit without worrying if some other racer is going to smash their car up. They might do it once in a while for fun, but it won't sustain itself. As is ,US rally is having a hard time maintaining it's numbers.

Anyways cool to see a new track being added. Hopefully the dirt section is the same concept as COTA or the European tracks, where they used unscread (sp?) concrete under a few inches of dirt. It survives the abuse better, making for much less delays for track maintenance, and still allows for a rough/loose surface.

trigun7469
trigun7469 SuperDork
12/7/18 1:32 p.m.

It will be interesting what the layout is.

irish44j
irish44j MegaDork
12/7/18 3:35 p.m.
sachilles said:

Glad to see it in that part of the country.

A few other spots may emerge for the season, but the sport is still very much at a crossroads with this current company/promoter.

 

My opinion from the inside looking out, is that the concept needs to be accepted by the short track oval tracks in middle America for it to grow. The courses don't need to be that large. The concept can easily be transferred to the feeder classes within the oval race community(4 cylinder and street stock type of classes). I see that as the grassroots path towards wider acceptance in North America.

I don't think it will gain popularity trying to entice the stage rally folks, as those doing that already find themselves in a bind to find funding for that habit without worrying if some other racer is going to smash their car up. They might do it once in a while for fun, but it won't sustain itself. As is ,US rally is having a hard time maintaining it's numbers.

Anyways cool to see a new track being added. Hopefully the dirt section is the same concept as COTA or the European tracks, where they used unscread (sp?) concrete under a few inches of dirt. It survives the abuse better, making for much less delays for track maintenance, and still allows for a rough/loose surface.

Hell, I'd do it. Old BMW steel and bumpers are a lot stronger than Subarus :D

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
12/8/18 10:55 a.m.

In reply to irish44j :

They probably split 2wd and 4wd up because the sponsors would not have any of it if people in rear wheel drive were beating up on their marketing showcases in their all wheel drive cars.

 

See also WRC in the early 2000s when the top 2WD class was faster than Group A.

irish44j
irish44j MegaDork
12/8/18 5:51 p.m.
Knurled. said:

In reply to irish44j :

They probably split 2wd and 4wd up because the sponsors would not have any of it if people in rear wheel drive were beating up on their marketing showcases in their all wheel drive cars.

 

See also WRC in the early 2000s when the top 2WD class was faster than Group A.

yeah, I was being facetious. My car would stand no chance against a Turbo subaru. I'd never be close enough to one to worry about bumpers lol.

bmw88rider
bmw88rider SuperDork
12/8/18 10:31 p.m.

I'll be interested to see if ARX has any teeth. I have lanyards and hats from 3 different "pro" Rallycross series. 2 are dead and ARX has run what 3 events? I love Rally Cross and it feels just like short track dirt tract racing with jumps. 

 

Lyfe Motorsports was demoing cross kart at one of the ARX races. Lot of fun to drive. At $35K for a complete car it was a little beyond GRM but it wasn't too bad. 

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