Letters to the Editor

Yesterday's column from contributor "Flat In Fifth" has already generated quite a lot of passionate comment from our readers.

Here's a selection of the letters we've received so far.

To Flat in 5th, thank heavens that someone has had the balls to say what needs to be said!
I dont know how these guys can work so hard to destroy something and drive people away in droves! After nearly 30 years in the sport I refuse to get an officials licence, but I had a great time helping at a VCRS event last weekend.
The rest of the world runs on ROPL (recognition of prior learning), what's wrong with CAMS?
-David McAdam,
Victoria.


What a load of crap Flat in Fifth has said. If you look at V8s, Uncle Tony is about to stuff it all up, as per usual. What happens when sport and corporate Australia come together? It's called greed.
To fix rallying, tell TV if they want to televise it come and do it, don’t pay them. We need to go back to basics, grass roots rallying makes it affordable at ARC level. Nearly all events are now capable of being rounds of the ARC, it is just all the fluffy crap that has been imposed that costs heaps to run an ARC round.
As far as I can see having TV coverage is just pushing the costs out even more because our powers to be believe we need TV to make it work, or hopefully line their own pockets, just like Tony has.  
Let's get top level rallying affordable again. This might mean taking quite a few steps backwards, but get the competitors back, not just four factory cars paying for the right to be in front of cameras.
If the competitors are there and the spectators come back, TV will come and televise it because it becomes news and exciting, and if it doesn’t who cares? Take a look at how many competitors have sponsorship on their cars that (except the factory cars) have it because of TV coverage - stuff all, most is coming out of their own pockets or their Dad’s buisness.
Wake up dreamers, rallying is fun and the greatest sport on this planet. Let's stop trying to make it V8 Supercars because it never will be and let's stop lining the pockets of these so called do-gooders that are running the ARC at the moment - they are only interested in their own profitability and the sooner CAM'S realise it the better off we will all be.  
An example is offroad racing - if you get a chance, have a look at the dollars that are running at the front there and no TV coverage and more cars being bought ($350,000 turn key Jimco). What is Rallycorp doing? Stuff all. There is no company running off-road racing, just clubs and enthusiastic people.
As I have said rallying needs to take quite a few steps backwards then come forward with competitors and no money hungry companies running it, just clubs, which is what CAMS was built on, but they have lost the plot in the last decade, pushing them aside in favour of big buisness wanting to make money.
- Andrew Wylie.


The Australian Rally Championship turned into a farce when they allowed a manufacturer to build a World Rally Car to compete against our local FIA regulated cars several years ago.
Subaru withdrew from our championship for this reason, and that reason alone. If they did not want to be embarrassed by a car that does not comply to any world regulations, then they would not be out in the wilderness and would probably still be sponsoring the events that  they did.
Australian rallying is at a loss because of this, and I would suggest that Mitsubishi don't want to compete against this hybrid World Rally Car when their cars, like Subaru, challenge for the Production World Championship!
I am very sure Simon Evans is a worthy champion, but let’s see him in an equal car to Cody Crocker, as until his withdrawal due to Subaru’s unwillingness to compete  against a hybrid machine, he was unable to top Mr Crocker.
I did not think this national competition was  about building special cars because you fit in, and now you have an S2000 car. Why can you still use your HOT ROD?
Hey Simon, race what everyone else has. I know you’re good, but make it a driving thing, not the HOT ROD you’re driving.
- Glen Vincent,
Western Australia

• Add your comments. Simply email your thoughts to news@rallysportmag.com.au

Author