RA loses all RX

lets keep this going....so 3 events down, Xgames coming up quick....


Here's what I heard from a potentially reliable source but I have no way of confirming, so rumor away...

GRC organizer(s) pissed off RA/RC so that's why they weren't at CO event.
GRC organizer(s) not paying out prize money for SoCal and WA event (At least, not to date)
Jump builder guy not getting paid....hence major delay at CO. Owed >$60K
GRC organizer pissed off ESPN, hence why no coverage at #3.

overall opinion (from this source) is that GRC will not happen next year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2011 11:04PM by Jon Burke.

Quote
Jon Burke
lets keep this going....so 3 events down, Xgames coming up quick....


Here's what I heard from a potentially reliable source but I have no way of confirming, so rumor away...

GRC organizer(s) pissed of RA/RC so that's why they weren't at CO event.
GRC organizer(s) not paying out prize money for SoCal and WA event (At least, not to date)
Jump builder guy not getting paid....hence major delay at CO. Owed >$60K
GRC organizer pissed of ESPN, hence why no coverage at #3.

overall opinion (from this source) is that GRC will not happen next year.

Promoters: can't live with 'em
Can't kill 'em...
Lose lose.


Oh it almost goes without saying Very unprofessional of all involved to so trust what seems to be a flake monster weasel.

But we knew that they're all yahoos, didn't we?

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2011 04:37PM by john vanlandingham.

so...........I shouldnt build a car for this?

Quote
gilbrock
so...........I shouldnt build a car for this?

Why not, it's only money......

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Build your car, enter the events, and then you'll get sponsored to do the full stage stuff.. what's what my script says....

or EuroRallyCross becomes super popular, RA/RC makes super high profits , and in a bold move for a "for profit" company they give all regional rally organizers free insurance!

okay probably not...

I like having rally cars to watch on tv, and I don't want RA to go under. so I would prefer that the GRC stays with us, and that RA doesn't become a financial loser. I would hate to see RA go away, but other than that i don't really care..

for fucks sake!

didn't see that coming...LOL!

so i got the email.

Rally-Car has pulled the plug on the last 3.

not enough competitors signed up is basically what their email said, and they need more for a good TV show..

I actually really enjoyed the X-games rally car portion. perfect? no, real rally? no
has anything to do with real rally? ... barely

but anywayz ... teaming up with SCCA and USAC ... hmm

Quote
A1337STI
so i got the email.

Rally-Car has pulled the plug on the last 3.

not enough competitors signed up is basically what their email said, and they need more for a good TV show..

I actually really enjoyed the X-games rally car portion. perfect? no, real rally? no
has anything to do with real rally? ... barely

but anywayz ... teaming up with SCCA and USAC ... hmm

Ooooo!!! Oooo!!! SCCA will finally get its long awaited dream of CircusRally!!!! [/jens]

Quote
A1337STI
so i got the email.

Rally-Car has pulled the plug on the last 3.

not enough competitors signed up is basically what their email said, and they need more for a good TV show..

I actually really enjoyed the X-games rally car portion. perfect? no, real rally? no
has anything to do with real rally? ... barely

but anywayz ... teaming up with SCCA and USAC ... hmm

Even the extras in the background get paid pretty good.
20 something years ago it was over $200 a day to stand in the background on a commercial shoot...

As many have said for years to the succession of amateurs dreaming that they are sanctioning Professionals sanctioning "professional " rally: Professionals get PAID to do what they do, the PRIZE FUND (oh wait where's THAT!!!??) is icing on the cake, the guaranteed appearance money pays the rent....

Maybe they should try that and see who is willing to build and show up.

Lesse 6000 bucks guarantee at the sign-in paid at start, another 6 at halfway point.... sounds reasonable.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2011 09:57PM by john vanlandingham.

"the pump don't work cuz the vandals took the handle"

maybe the solution is all the driver pay each other, then we are all professionals :p

W.Nakamoto a long time ago told me the successful US rally driver is someone who can hold down a job to pay for their rally racing.

she didn't go off into talking about sponsorships, contingency funds, etc, nope just holding down a job... i think she's right.

Quote
A1337STI
W.Nakamoto a long time ago told me the successful US rally driver is someone who can hold down a job to pay for their rally racing.

There's an important other thing missing there. Hold down a job and creating a career and not neglecting their personal lives. There are things that are more important than rally. Kids, wives, husbands, parents, sisters, cousins, and the oft ignored, financial and emotional well being. It's finding the balance between that can be difficult. But we live in a country where we only see what we want to see. We see Ken Block and say, hey, he's living my dream life. He started so small with a small apparel company that grew into a shoe company the he sold for millions and now he's buying a ride in a WRC car! How cool! What is missing from the story is that he was really just a snowboarding bum with millionaire parents that could fund his building of an empire and help him make clothing apparel into a living. Building popularity by having the cash to buy the best ad spaces, hire the best video crews/editors, and sponsor the best skateboarders. Does anyone truly believe that Go Pro is the best camera out there? Contour, Drift Innovations, and that new one I found all have much better features than Go Pro. Go Pro will be the one that survives, not on merit, but on marketing and promotional dollars. The founder, Nick Goodman is not much different than Block except instead of a snowboarding bum, he was a surfer bum traveling all over the world. He started GoPro with his own money, which was likely in the form of a trust fund the size of which most of us could easily live and rally off just the dividends. I guess what I'm trying to say is, most of what we see and perceive as successful already started with a large amount of money.
You look at the 'professional' rally drivers and most likely have sizeable inheritances. The successful ones in my mind are the ones that started or own their own businesses (Scott Roofing for example) and seem to have found that balance between being successful in life and still find time to go rallying.
If there is anything killing rally in the USA it's perception. We need to stop idolizing the 1% that are unlike anyone else in the country and start idolizing the real heroes, which are the everyday people, working regular jobs, raising regular families, and still finding the time to follow their passions. Anyhow, time for the wedding rehearsal so probably should put on my suit soon. And drink a beer.

Quote
NoCoast
If there is anything killing rally in the USA it's perception. We need to stop idolizing the 1% that are unlike anyone else in the country and start idolizing the real heroes, which are the everyday people, working regular jobs, raising regular families, and still finding the time to follow their passions.

I agree. The more media attention is give to / created about / consumed about $$$,$$$ teams the more people will connect rally with $$$,$$$. If that's what you're trying to accomplish, great. If not, then it's working against you.

I, like Grant, see the big money teams as the 1%. The 99% are the heart of the sport.

Anders

---

Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.

Quote
Anders Green

Quote
NoCoast
If there is anything killing rally in the USA it's perception. We need to stop idolizing the 1% that are unlike anyone else in the country and start idolizing the real heroes, which are the everyday people, working regular jobs, raising regular families, and still finding the time to follow their passions.

I agree. The more media attention is give to / created about / consumed about $$$,$$$ teams the more people will connect rally with $$$,$$$. If that's what you're trying to accomplish, great. If not, then it's working against you.

I, like Grant, see the big money teams as the 1%. The 99% are the heart of the sport.

Anders

Yeppers..for starters we need a new catch phrase...something like

Celebrate mediocrity

or

If you don't stand out in a crowd then go to a room by yourself

Then we need to start accepting food stamps at registration. Refuse all entries from people making over 15K a year. No tires with over 3/32 accepted at tech. Rename all the car classes again..Poor Boy open, PB lite, PBRWD, PBFWD, add a couple more classes...too poor to race (2p2r) ...Vintage Volvo (V2) for starters.

I noticed just the other day that the local dirt track only had a couple hundred cars for the weekend. Must be caused by people quitting because they can't be Kinser. Road race trackes everywhere are sitting silent because everyone who wasn't Scumacher quit also.

You guys are plain silly

Dave Clark, JVL, Sean Tennis, myself and several hundred other ralliests all started in the shadow of Buffum, Millen, Light and Shepard. We still built cars, had a blast, made friends, wrecked cars, told stories and are still here today in some capacity. What changed??

Why is Travis, Block, RA, Niday, Hurst, myself, McQuade, Denise and many others responsible for Grant not rallying?? Why? We put on Nationals and run regionals with them. We lower fees to help regional guys. We have one tech and Parc Ferme where everyone is at. We run the fields together, no 5 hour wait between so the masses don't see the regionals. Sure regional results don't get national attention, I shouldn't have to explain that one. We even stoop so low as to put on regional only events...imagine that.

Why does Cody Crane (who doesn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of) manage to rise to the top? Why does Duplesis have a following? They certainly aren't rich. Maybe it is talent and effort, under appreciated attributes for sure.

Maybe we should look at other things rather than blaming the haves for all the have nots problems. Be responsible for yourselves. We aren't losing ralliests because Ken has a bank account or Travis is famous. If people aren't building cars because of them they wouldn't build anyway. It would be some other excuse. If someone is so stupid they don't think any of the regional guys are having fun then they are too stupid to be on stage anyway.

Wanna help grow the sport? Help organize when you aren't running, work an event. Instead of spending 1/2 a paycheck on booze, go help a new team finish the car. Donate $50 to someones entry (stay off lattes for a week). Spend the time posting and bitching over the man and the system helping a small team realize their dreams. That there's a start.

...and wash your F'n cars so at least it looks you're deserving of the attenion everyone is so desperately needing (maybe you can borrow some soap from a rich guy)...

Carry on...

obtw..this certainly isn't intended as an attack or rant or directed at anyone in particular. The term "you" as used in the post is directed at ralliests in general who find it easier to blame others for all the shortcomings that happen.

Asking Grant why he isn't on stage is valid to the discussion, along with every other entrant in the last 8 years that has a car sitting. Each one has a reason that is valid for them but when you add the numbers I'd guess there are more rally cars collecting dust in garages than collecting dust on stage. These are cars that are built, may need a bit of work, but still the biggest hurdle is done, the car has already competed. I don't have any answer to this situation. I do believe if we got the cars back on stage it would make a sizeable impact (maybe not the best word to use here )....

We need to deal with those cars first, before worrying about the 1% wealthy or phantom new guys. Lets get 'em fixed or sold or whatever, but get the done deals back on stage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2011 11:41AM by heymagic.

Quote
heymagic
...Why is Travis, Block, RA, Niday, Hurst, myself, McQuade, Denise and many others responsible for Grant not rallying?? ...

Maybe we should look at other things rather than blaming the haves for all the have nots problems. Be responsible for yourselves. We aren't losing ralliests because Ken has a bank account or Travis is famous.

I think we're actually in agreement, largely. My point is twofold:

1) We don't need to worry about the top 1% because they have plenty of resources and as long as they want to come, they will. However, whether they do or don't does not impact the large majority of the events in the sport. So focus instead on the issues facing the other 99%. Gene, I think you and I agree on this point.

2) If we "train" everyone (through lots of media exposure about those 1%) that rally is only about cars like those 1% have, we should not be surprised when the unintended consequence of way more media than ever before is no one knowing that they can go rally in cheaper cars, leading to less people rallying.

Cheers,
Anders

---

Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.