Our editorial on the Australian Rally Championship’s uphill struggle with falling entry numbers has got the rally community talking. Fans of our Facebook page have been quick to give their views on what they believe is wrong with the Australian Rally Championship, and ways in which they feel it can be fixed.
Below is a selection of those comments:
Paul Bennetts
I agree, bring back unrestricted 4wd.
Langdon Patrick
I looked at the results on Sunday and kept hitting refresh because I thought something was wrong and it wasn't loading all of the results. But then I realised that five ARC, five 4WD and one Classic was it! Rallying at the top level in this country is broken
Josh Embry-McCutchen
Oddly they say that top level rallying is broken over here in the US and our ruleset has focused on turbo 4wds for nearly 2 decades at this point.
  Â
Scott Wright
S-2000 and RRC is the way the championship needs to go that would be awesome to watch.
Fro Horobin
That would be great Scott, but who's going to pay? If we can't afford the G2/R3/2WD ARC, we sure as heck can't afford RRC/S2000.
Gavin Mosher
I think to get spectators out in the Forrest they need to remove spectator marshals and safety bunting so spectators can see the action. I think G2 is a step in the right direction of bringing back group G cars. As a result with these rules a well run essentially privateer team could potentially win the championship! Everyone likes to see an underdog fight his way to the top. And I would actually pay for a spectator ticket to see to gravel spec time attack cars.
Nathan Senior
The cars are NOT the problem. Good drivers, having a go, will be good to watch regardless of what they're driving.
Once again, the issue is that the ARC is too expensive to compete in, and lacks a healthy club/state scene to support it.
This discussion has been going on for fifteen years now. We will keep having it until we realise that sporting value brings commercial value (and never the reverse), and we stop destroying the sport in the pursuit of a quick buck.
Jodi Mann
Oh gosh I do love the standard "bring back group G" kneejerk reaction........!
Nathan Senior
The ARC represents very poor value for money. The cost:time:hassle:competitive kilometre equation is dismal.
Why would any state (or club) level crew choose to spend a lot more money to do less kays, while (often) being treated like a second class competitor?
Rallying in Australia needs a far larger support base to sustain the ARC's desired level of professionalism. It should be a pyramid that's built in layers, beginning with a solid foundation of club level punters and finishing with the ARC as the top stone.
Instead, we're holding the top stone in the place we want it, and are now hoping that the rest of the pyramid will somehow magically appear and give our arms a rest...
Vehicle eligibility has been fiddled with many times, to no avail: I support the 2WD ARC, but vehicle regs are never going to fix the problems we face.
     Â
Trevor Page
The question is why bother watching the ARC?
With the multiple fields they run these days (4?), and the gap between fields (10mins?) you end up with ~30mins of nothing happening. Combined with the boring spectator points where you're herded like cattle into a little fenced off area where you can barely see the action. Its boring.
Without spectators and TV coverage (is the ARC even on TV anymore?) there is no reason for companies to sponsor competitors in the ARC.
With the high cost of running a car and the lack of sponsorship most competitors can't risk pushing the car to the limit as they can't afford to repair it. It doesn't matter what the type of car is, if it isn't being pushed it's boring to watch.
With the amount of time you have to spend (all day in the forest) and the cost (spectator fees) it's hardly worth going just to watch Reeves/Pedder pushing it.
Unfortunately rallying in Australia is a dying sport. They need to stop focusing on getting manufacturer cars into the sport and start focussing on the grass roots. Applying the business model for the V8 Supercars hasn't worked for rallying and will never work.
Nathan Groom
I would agree with Gavin mosher as a spectator I like all the the cars when driven with guts! It's the nanny state of "crowd control" that is strangling the fun .
Darren Masters
Nathan Senior = very eloquently said & an intelligent, well put response(s)
Something I've firmly believed for many many years. Base the entire ARC on the east coast for starters. TV costs money so forget it (for now).
Just get the fees down, kms up & get the numbers up. Perceived value. If you can register it, you can run it....
We need to remember how to crawl to be able to walk properly....
Or make the ARC a 2 event shoot out of the state champion winners....
Boost state level competition....
No offence to current powers that be. I know everyone has great intentions & is trying so so hard to make this work....
Without the numbers though, it really doesn't matter what else you do....
Steven Shepheard
Convince Scott to apply the love a devotion he has to 2wd to a new exciting change.
Have a 2wd a 4wd and a classic ARC Champion. Watch the fields grow and grow.
Don't be concerned about manufactures look for companies to back the sport. Make tyres all Hard and less per event. Friday Reece rally Saturday Sunday as the way it is we spend too much time away.
For two years use the TV money budget for advertising paid adverts in papers web sites and maybe even news reports bring RallySport Mag onTo the shelves...Rebuild the interest. We don't need a new type of car this is why we are where we are competitors can not afford change.
Just free up the current classes. Car of the moment (86,BRZ) Toyota V Subaru one make series Australia loves RWD. I believe with added championships it will become bigger than ever. Give state a reason to step up, as the way it stands now you win state and you need to sell your car to run ARC.
I believe if you build it THEY WILL COME.
Andrew Wylie
It's all simple who ever is the fastest in what ever car wins the event then you have your class's.
Forget about TV forget about someone going to the WRC because let's face it unless you are going to pay for your drive works teams won't let you drive on ability just ask anyone driving in the WRC or v8 or f1.
G2 rules are awesome just let them be 4wd and make them exciting to watch and drive.
But allow the 4wd back in that have been put out to pasture as has happened in this sport to many times.
People have invested in cars then told no sorry you cannot run that you might beat a factory car.
Bring it back to a sport not a business.
RallySport Magazine
Love the idea of getting RallySport Mag back on to the newsagent's shelves, Steven Shepheard. It's been over 7 years since we were a printed mag.
Steven Shepheard
I would think spending what would be looked at as a large amount but out of the budget a small amount as money well spent. whay have rally.com. when you could pay RallySport Mag to do both and get it to the people
To have your say, go to our RallySport Magazine Facebook page by clicking HERE.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
