What if rallying was team based? We could have a National Rally League (NRL) with national coverage. Teams could come from regions like Canberra, for example. The teams could compete for the NRL championship.The idea could reinvigorate interest in car clubs. They could develop a community base seeking members, working towards fielding teams in various competitions, nurturing the young and developing driving skills. A strong point of difference to traditional motorsport is the development of junior competitions. Clubs could develop programmes to teach young members driving skills, ensuring the sport’s growth, exposure and opportunity.
Rallying could be big news in a state versus state world. * Digitally enhanced image
'Canberra Chargers coach, Neal Bates, has a tough decision to make on his A Grade Captain.'
Could costs reduce if a team pooled resources and travelled together, sharing parts and transporters?The club team idea works when there is a team goal. Whilst we have teams that rally, we don’t have regional teams, but individual teams. This model makes it hard to get corporate support. That’s why large corporates prefer teams and events, rather than one-man bands. If a region had its own rally team the local region could support it with donations, fundraisers and much more. Giving a region or town something else to jump up and down about on the weekend other than football could be great, capturing motoring interest. The challenge for rallying into the future is substantial. From environmental constraints to the market change in base vehicles to SUVs, along with the transition to electric cars, we have our work cut out for us. The desire for rallying is sparked by sensational images of fantastic car control at impossible speeds, and the look and sound of top cars is infectious. In my office I have non-car people becoming fans of the WRC due to their exposure to the sport through our work in motorsport. If people are exposed to the sport they find it interesting.
Marketed well, rallying could attract huge crowds to national championship events. Photo: Peter Whitten
What will rallying look like in 25 years? I have no idea, but the changes we start to consider now will lay the foundation for a prosperous future.If we do not find a way to target and capture youth interest, especially in an environment of SUVs and electric cars, rallying may have a limited future. The top of our sport must work a lot harder to work the fans over by engaging with them more and doing a lot more to work on their brands. Looking ahead, a 500bhp electric Fiesta with 800nm of torque with a selectable soundtrack (1 for Escort, 2 for Datsun, 3 for Quattro, 4 for Stratos) will be fine thanks! I think the new-look Brisbane two-car Fiesta team from the Broncos’ offshoot is going to hose Canberra’s Bates team in the 2025 NRL rally league!
- Dallas Dogger
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https://rallysportmag.com/comment-mixed-surface-state-championships-rallyings-latest-hot-topic260618/ https://rallysportmag.com/fresh-look-for-fiesta-wrc-at-pre-finland-test/VIP Exclusive Content
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