International Rallycross Thread.

Pretty nice concepts, vetteman24. I was wondering a bit how you'd modify such courses to include things like the Penalty Box and the Joker. Those two are great starts towards them being rallycross venues.
 
#LatviaRX. I predicted this last year, so I'm quite pleased.

11755884_1066316143380879_402854326998933557_n.jpg


I like how specific they've been with the estimated lap times:

10388086_1066316100047550_1143718925291360940_n.jpg
 
Based on a report from the Detroit Free-Press, I have made what is a very rough layout of what is the layout for Detroit. Note that it does not include the Joker, dirt sections, and penalty box but here it is!
 
Global Rallycross will be racing at Detroit this weekend. Before then, I want to mostly talk about something I've noticed in rallycross- the Joker.

In this landscape of rallycross, the Joker is interesting. The way I've learned it, the Joker is basically an extra section kind of like a shortcut. The Joker section on Global Rallycross courses are more like shortcuts. When I looked at some other rallycross series with their Joker sections, the Joker is a longer way around. Like when I looked at the Holjes rallycross course, the Joker was this long way around one section. I don't know... I would think such a section of track would be better served as a challenging alternate route rather than mostly a shortcut like in most GRC courses.

From a strategic standpoint, the Joker is pretty interesting. You know you MUST drive the Joker section for each race and can only use it once. I bring up Holjes as an example mostly as a good example considering the controversial finish to the 2015 event there. Hansen utilized the Joker in that exciting (yet controversial) finish.


I just wanted to discuss the Joker for this post prior to GRC racing Detroit this weekend. Good luck to all drivers and teams competing at GRC Detroit.
 
JohnBM01
Global Rallycross will be racing at Detroit this weekend. Before then, I want to mostly talk about something I've noticed in rallycross- the Joker.

In this landscape of rallycross, the Joker is interesting. The way I've learned it, the Joker is basically an extra section kind of like a shortcut. The Joker section on Global Rallycross courses are more like shortcuts. When I looked at some other rallycross series with their Joker sections, the Joker is a longer way around. Like when I looked at the Holjes rallycross course, the Joker was this long way around one section. I don't know... I would think such a section of track would be better served as a challenging alternate route rather than mostly a shortcut like in most GRC courses.

From a strategic standpoint, the Joker is pretty interesting. You know you MUST drive the Joker section for each race and can only use it once. I bring up Holjes as an example mostly as a good example considering the controversial finish to the 2015 event there. Hansen utilized the Joker in that exciting (yet controversial) finish.


I just wanted to discuss the Joker for this post prior to GRC racing Detroit this weekend. Good luck to all drivers and teams competing at GRC Detroit.
Click to expand...
I prefer the WorldRX joker as it eliminates the penalty box which I never liked, but it requires a fast driver for the whole race instead of GRC where you can luck into a win by taking the joker on the last lap
 
I strongly dislike the GRC Joker. A Joker is an extension of the track to navigate, not a straight-line corner cutter.
 
image.jpg
Here is the Detroit track
I was pretty close on my prediction but I still think that they could have done a lot better and good thing it being run counter-clockwise
 
Had this been a non=GRC event, that blue section would probably be part of the main course while that extra section would be the Joker. Also, I agree this would probably be a better course run counterclockwise/anti-clockwise. It should still be a good course. From the different GRC venues I've seen, nothing is cooler than that Dirtfish course from GRC Seattle last year or so.
 
Ken Block won the 2015 GRC Detroit 1 event, and Patrik Sandell won the 2015 GRC Detroit 2 event. NBCSN is supposed to show the GRC Lites action from Detroit on Wednesday.

There is one note I wanted to make from a previous post. I mentioned the difference between Global Rallycross and most other rallycross series with the Joker. There was one race (not a final) in which Petter Solberg jumped the start and had to take TWO Joker laps. Did he win? See for yourself:



If there was a double Joker lap in GRC, the driver would probably win by a country mile since the Joker in GRC courses is more like a shortcut rather than the long way around.


Up next... GRC Washington, D.C. Our nation's capital gets some GRC loving on August 15. Round 7 of 12 coming up.
 
Interesting course! Seeing something like this course around Catalunya kind of makes me wish Global Rallycross come up with some more interesting courses. I could see that Joker be used strategically to set up interesting finishes. However, you'd better Joker early because I don't see any last-lap passing happen if you haven't taken the Joker lap previously.

This should be fun.
 
Turn 3 into 4 doesn't flow at all. There'll be a lot of straight-lining and general contact.
 
Finally an acceptable use for the awful chicane that IMO ruined the circuit for me. That uphill start is going to be great, but I agree with @hsv 3-4 has no flow what so ever. RBGRC is going back to DC, and I attended last years race (sat by the double hairpins) and thought it was by far the best circuit on the calendar and my hope is that it will be the same circuit, and if Daytona is any indication it might go though a minor tweak or be the same altogether
 
I was curious and wanted to see what World Rallycross Canada is like. Trois-Riveres is a wonderful street course. I remember seeing some races on TV from GP3R. The action around the Trois-Riveres rallycross course is very cool. I do think Global Rallycross should consider a Canadian venue. Probably if not Trois-Riveres, maybe set up a course around Mosport or Mont-Tremblant. But I do still think Canada should get some GRC loving.

While I do think rallycross is fun to watch, I'm actually starting to like World Rallycross more than I do Global Rallycross. Maybe it's the quality of competition and the intensity of the race tracks as to why I like RX a bit more than I do GRC. I know I mentioned stuff like the Joker in FIA World Rallycross compared to the GRC Jokers. It also doesn't hurt having ex-WRC racers compete as well. There is just that extra that makes FIA World Rallycross better. I'm not going to say "by leaps and bounds," though over GRC. Again- both series are fun to watch. I've just been watching a bit more FIA World Rallycross on YouTube a bit more than I have most GRC events.

I think it would be great to see more international venues for rallycross. You know... not just America, not just Canada, not just Europe... why not some rallycross in places like Brazil, Argentina, perhaps some Middle Eastern rallycross, India, Thailand, China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand? Maybe there is rallycross in most of these places but just not as well known. This stuff is still fun to watch.
 
Rallycross has always been very much a European sport. Having GRC, even though it still isn't a true rallycross series, meant it was the first time the sport had been run outside of Europe properly.
 
vetteman24
Looks like they are going the GRC route when it comes to the joker lap
Click to expand...
I question whether or not it will kick off. There's already two competing championships, and no races have been run. And there are no dedicated rallycross venues (that I know of). In order for the sport to really kick off, I think that there would need to be a following in Asia and a round of the World RX here - probably in a city; Eastern Creek, Sandown or Queensland Raceway might work.

Here's my attempt at Sandown, but it's probably too long - it would be very fast, though:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/m/?r=6676359&rf=1
 
Up next on the Global Rallycross Championship schedule for 2015 is Washington, D.C. The race this weekend will take place in our nation's capital. The usual insanity of GRC will rock D.C. once the race there kicks off. Be sure to enjoy if you'll be checking it out either on TV or in person.
 
Here is the remaining FIA World Rallycross Schedule for 2015:

* Rd. 8: Aug. 21 - Hell (Norway)
* Rd. 9: Sep. 4 - Lohéac (France)
* Rd. 10: Sep. 18 - Catalunya (Spain)
* Rd. 11: Oct. 2 - Istanbul Park (Turkey)
* Rd. 12: Oct. 16 - Franciacorta (Italy)
* Rd. 13: Nov. 27 - San Luis (Argentina)

I usually say a true World Championship usually incoroporates at least one venue from North America and South America, Europe and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The race at Istanbul Park can be thought of an Asia-Pacific deal since Istanbul Park is on the Asia side of Istanbul. I do think World Rallycross should consider adding some more Asia-Pacific locales like India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, and of course... Australia and/or New Zealand. I wonder where the series would race in the United States. The Dirtfish Rally School that makes up the GRC Seattle round would probably be too good for the series. If you recall that course, what is the Joker for that GRC course would be the regular route for World Rallycross.

Also, you learn something new every day. There's a Hell in Michigan... and in Norway, apparently. :)
 
JohnBM01
Up next on the Global Rallycross Championship schedule for 2015 is Washington, D.C. The race this weekend will take place in our nation's capital. The usual insanity of GRC will rock D.C. once the race there kicks off. Be sure to enjoy if you'll be checking it out either on TV or in person.
Click to expand...
I so can't wait to go there this weekend.
 
JohnBM01
I do think World Rallycross should consider adding some more Asia-Pacific locales like India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, and of course... Australia and/or New Zealand.
Click to expand...
An Asian expansion would probably only work with several rounds. Rallycross is not established on this side of the world.

If it did happen, then it would probably have to be in an urban area. Sydney's Eastern Creek could do it. This would work:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/m/?r=6686297&rf=1

It's kind of hard to follow, but it starts and ends in the same place.
 
Another factor to keep in mind is money. Travelling to the US and Asia isn't cheap when you're moving an entire race team. Both the wrx organization and the teams probably have limited resources.

But as the series gets a few more seasons on it's back, I'm sure we'll see rallycross being brought to places where it doesn't have a foothold.
 

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