Pete Pete Remner Infallible Moderator Location: Cleveland, Ohio Join Date: 01/11/2006 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 2,022 |
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Doivi Clarkinen Banned Junior Moderator Location: the end of the universe Join Date: 02/12/2006 Age: Ancient Posts: 1,432 Rally Car: 1980 Opel Ascona B |
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MRWmotorsports Martin Walter Ultra Moderator Location: North Gower, Ontario, Canada. Join Date: 03/01/2006 Age: Ancient Posts: 450 Rally Car: Nissan 240SX |
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Morison Banned Elite Moderator Location: Calgary, AB Join Date: 03/27/2009 Age: Ancient Posts: 1,798 Rally Car: (ex)86 RX-7(built), (ex)2.5RS (bought) |
Who cares about the 'official' reason. It's probably rationalised as a legitimisation of the gymkhana vids and/or value added exposure for the companies that have partnered with him... blah blah blah. I suspect theReal reason is more at the core of what makes successful people tick. It's widely known that people will trend to performing at the level of those around them when put into challenging situations. Choosing to be a 'small fish in a big pond' is characteristic that builds strength and is difficult to do for many. Some might chime in to say he's on a big ego trip - I doubt it. Not only is he actually quite down to earth in person but publicly surrounding yourself with people who are better than you is a bad start when it comes to inflating your ego. For the money he's spending on the WRC he could have easily stayed in North America and only had a small handful of people who could match his pace. He wouldn't have grown as a driver if he did that though. |
bknblk2 Tony Wood Elite Moderator Location: Wichita Join Date: 02/02/2009 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 181 Rally Car: 83 Citation "Oskar" |
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heymagic Banned Senior Moderator Location: La la land Join Date: 01/25/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 3,740 Rally Car: Not a Volvo |
He has the money. He has the talent. He has the opportunity. He likes rally. Works for me. I admire him greatly for his efforts. He could easily go road racing like all the rest of the well-to-do people. I imagine it is very hard to find that level that ensures running hard enough to learn and slow enough to guarantee a finish. |
NoCoast Grant Hughes Junior Moderator Location: Whitefish, MT Join Date: 01/11/2006 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 6,818 Rally Car: BMW |
My guess would be that he wants to popularize rallying in the USA and make it into a sustainable sport, hobby, and business for organizers, sanctioning bodies, privateers, and rallyist companies. This is his approach. It's now our responsibility to capitalize on the increase attention rally is getting by drawing more competitors into cars that they can afford to rally. We do that by putting on a good show in cars that real people can afford to build and building up the competition.
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heymagic Banned Senior Moderator Location: La la land Join Date: 01/25/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 3,740 Rally Car: Not a Volvo |
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alkun Albert Kun Junior Moderator Location: SF Ca. Join Date: 01/07/2008 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 1,732 Rally Car: volvo 242 |
Maybe we should all sign a petition that Ken should spend a year doing group f in that fancy escort mk 2 he has. I brought up that vid as support to the arguement I was having with a friend that the new wrc cars are harder to drive... No computer brain diffs= pushing if you aren't super on top of it. If he is really working to grow the sport in the US, he could sponser a fiesta cup ride or two for promising young US drivers (cough, cough, Cody) for the price of one set of dampers off the wrc car. |
Gravel Spray ------------------------------------------------- Mega Moderator Location: ------------------------------------------------ Join Date: 07/25/2008 Posts: 157 Rally Car: ------------------------- |
Block, talent?? I don't think so, perhaps you could say he's gained some "skill" over the years...but talent I don't think so, at least not any beyond your average guy that's been fortunate enough to accumulate the stage miles he has. That's not to say I think he does not belong in the WRC, anyone with enough ching and the desire should pursue their dream and if it's the WRC, awesome. Shit, more power to him! I cheer him on every time, but to just get to the finish and not make an douche of himself. If he's paid for this out of his own pocket he can approch it how ever he wants but if there is real $upport from Monster, Ford and who ever else to "develope" him as a legit WRC driver he's got a RESPONSIBILITY to finish and get the miles in. I've noticed his handlers are always comparing sec per KM to the top guys, this clearly unatainable goal and maybe some personal ego issues >>> delusions <<< are what is getting him into the trouble. I would think the way to approach it best would be to take no chances what so ever, gain stage miles and allow the speed to develope through gaining experiance with pace notes, driving technique and car set-up changes. Accidents happen yeah, but damn he's looking wreckless, shake down!!! WTF!?!?! Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2011 02:39PM by Gravel Spray. |
heymagic Banned Senior Moderator Location: La la land Join Date: 01/25/2006 Age: Fossilized Posts: 3,740 Rally Car: Not a Volvo |
He has enough talent or skill to win several nationals here, so he has something going. I doubt he will ever be able to run up front over there, too far behind on age and experience. He definitely needs to get to the end of several events and then turn up the wick. We are totally agreed on this. |
john vanlandingham John Vanlandingham Elite Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Kinda making me worry how much we agree on things, Pete. I don't think he has any more skill driving---on average---than anybody else, and really we have no reason to imagine that he does---or equally, doesn't. There's no real easy way to measure it, especially when he has always purchased cars not just well built--relative to the competition, but way in excess of the competition... The BULK of the results we can look at for him have been in Northamerica with a HUGE RANGe of skill and prep specs and we all know that there are many who do more with less, and then there are those who always HAVE more and do whatever. there's obviously overlap in results---just like we see some Golves and a gawddam blue Volvo mix it up in the top 5 amongst technologically hugely superior cars occasionally. When the few times that both Travvie (remember him?) and Blocky were in fields full of cars of similar spec--and drivers with enough budget to be in the events be it a while back in the GpN Subies, or 08 Colin McRae Stages or now WRC---he/they have been mid pack at best or lower 1/3 at average. That doesn't look like a lot of talent. But he has amassed enough seat time to do a mediocre to poor job in any WRC where the going is more difficult---gravel, mud, snow. And to do an middling job on asphalt-----where the grip relatively speaking--is regular, or predictable.. What he doesn't have is what he needs : Time. Like 10 years. I was told by a passel of World Champions when i asked "What should i do if I wanted to do International level (a step above National but below World Championship which in those days was all glory---ie no Start Money)--most between 25-27 back when i was 16 "Give yourself 10 years, and if you can't make it in 10, you're not going to".. they were right. It took 10 years for a schmuck to get enough a) physical condition and b) routine to do a couple of seasons at International level... So I belive ANYBODY could, given 10 years of budget get to reasonable level, and maybe only be 30-35 minutes behind the leaders in a 3 hour SS time event... |
Reamer Jeff Reamer Super Moderator Location: Marlette, Michigan Join Date: 08/14/2010 Age: Possibly Wise Posts: 489 Rally Car: Subaru |
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NoCoast Grant Hughes Junior Moderator Location: Whitefish, MT Join Date: 01/11/2006 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 6,818 Rally Car: BMW |
What drama are you talking about? I'm assuming you mean the tactical fake tire change by Mikko? I say it's no different than Citroen slowing down on day one to make sure you're not first on the road on day two. Let's look through Ford's perspective. Loeb is third on the road behind Mikko (2nd) and Jari (1st). Ogier is 4th. Mikko stops on stage to 'change a puncture' Restarts strategically in front of Loeb. Loeb loses so much time that he will not be able to be in the lead by the end of the day. Mikko loses a ton of time, but it also means he'll be battling for fourth and end up in better start position for day three. It's now up to Ogier and Jari Matti to battle for the win. If Jari can keep from losing too much time due to road position, he should be able to make it back up on day two. Keep the machine Loeb out of the lead and go for maximum points and let the two young guns battle for the win and hope your man comes out on top. Exact same strategy I would have employed if I was manager. |
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