Is this the downfall of RA?

Anders Green Wrote:
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> Excellent research Alan. Do you happen to have the
> total numbers (national plus regional) available
> too? I'd guess more 2wd info would be in the
> regional entries.

No, I just went to rallyracingnews and got the entrant count from the results. Then I counted the G2, G5 and P cars as 2WD.

The results there are for each rally (national and regional), not combined. It would take some time to generate a full set of counts (because you have to filter out dual entries).

alan

I ran a rallycross last weekend and there were 3 2wd ~20 Subarus (all 4wd) 1 Evo and 1 Suzuki Sx4. The Prepared AWD was nothing but subarus

Most of the folks new about RA and some were at STPR this year

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2008 01:52PM by turoc.

turoc Wrote:
> A quick look at 03 STPR entry list there were 90
> total entries and a waiting list 29 of em 2wd and
> in 02 something like 23 2wd that started. The last
> year of SCCA which Regional rallies were suspended
> is obviously not going to have many 2wd entries.
> Once RA took over the number of 2wd entries
> dropped drastically. A lot of teams are well aware
> that marketing for 2wd is not done or is
> secondary.

A trend is more than the number of entrants over two years. Please cite real numbers to back up your claim.

> Its just not a matter of the lack of
> 2wd but the ideaology RA has created; You need to
> rally AWD Turbo to be succesful. Thats the
> perception most people/fans have these days. When
> I tell people/friends I rally an 87 Golf they
> think I am BSing. They think Rallying can only be
> done in a blue subaru. When they see my car, they
> tell me I need something new, something like a
> Subaru!

In my opinion, RA (well, the PR firms RA has hired) has been fairly unsuccessful in promoting rally's image to the general population. The only success has been X Games.

If you want to blame anyone for the perception of rally that you don't like, blame Colin McRae and Grand Tourismo.

alan

Reference group: 2008
Model adjusted for individual events
Year, estimate, p-value
2005, 13.2016, <.0001
2006, 5.6815, 0.0509
2007, 5.3266, 0.0548

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Grant Hughes

Plotting alan's data yields:


The slope shows a 0.067 2wd entry/event increase. Clearly a lot of variance about the line but it does show a first order increase...

I hate to say good to see RA go ...But it is like CART and IRL..Having two or three or five groups trying to be "the ones" who run rally just kills it.."I feel" one reason NASCAR does so good is its just one group running it ..

I just wish we would go back to trying to build the sport from the grass roots up ..And not from the high dollar down...

Its like my old rally truck ..I would have to up date the cage ..Why it's not going any faster then it did ten years ago .. Have trees gotten stronger I may hit or cliffs farther down I may drive off of ..

I went a little different route than Alan. At the old RA site, they have archived results going back to at least 2006. For each event, I went to the results from the first stage and counted P, G2, and G5 as 2WD and the balance as AWD.

2006
Event / AWD / 2WD
Sno/30/15
100AW/26/24
OTPR/36/19
STPR/40/21
MAINE/42/12
OJIB/25/18
COLO/15/8
LSPR/27/23
WW/16/12

2007
SNO/32/17
100AW/33/24
OTPR/45/29
OLY/38/24
STPR/35/14
NEFR/23/12
OJIB/29/13
COLO/21/11
LSPR/34/32

2008
SNO/32/8
100AW/40/13
OLY/30/15
OTPR/34/26
STPR/27/12

-Bill

Bill Beers Wrote:
> I went a little different route than Alan. At the
> old RA site, they have archived results going back
> to at least 2006. For each event, I went to the
> results from the first stage and counted P, G2,
> and G5 as 2WD and the balance as AWD.

That's a good idea.

I have been trying to get all of these numbers into a spreadsheet so that it is easier to slice and dice the entrant data, but I keep doing other things instead.

alan

I'm so confused. RA is killing 2wd? Isn't RA the sanctioning body that forces new drivers to 2wd (G2 or P) only?

I really don't think there's any anti-2wd conspriracy. I've never seen any evidence that either RA or NASA takes measures to reduce the number of 2wd entries (either actively or as some sort of unintended consequence).

In fact, 2wd seems quite healthy among RA regional rallies out here in the Southwest. Take a look at the top three OVERALL drivers in RA's Southwest region:

1. Michel Hoche-Mong: VW Golf
2. Eddie Fiorelli: VW Golf
3. Chrissie Beavis: VW Jetta

Insurance, fuel, and entry fees is killing it right now.

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Grant Hughes

SNO*DRIFT is a bit on an anomaly. I've heard a lot of 2WD, especially RWD, drivers who won't enter because it is a snow rally. They don't usually have a good time at that event. Something about time spent in snowbanks. They really don't like the narrow ranch roads. I know, if we just let them use real studs Like they do in the old country.

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Bruce Beauvais
Too many SAABs to count

tipo158 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> In my opinion, RA (well, the PR firms RA has
> hired) has been fairly unsuccessful in promoting
> rally's image to the general population. The only
> success has been X Games.
>

Funny you should say that. Cause it was WMG that gave RA the boot from the X Games for 09 after WMG was put in charge of x games stuff for 2009. At least thats what I heard was said at the super secret x games "perspectives" meeting at oregon.

Dun dun dun!!!

john vanlandingham Wrote:
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> at Doo-wops this year

Hey John, speaking of Doo Wops this year, am I mistaken, or did a 30yr old, 2WD Volvo come out on top, overall?

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

DR1665 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john vanlandingham Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > at Doo-wops this year
>
> Hey John, speaking of Doo Wops this year, am I
> mistaken, or did a 30yr old, 2WD Volvo come out on
> top, overall?
>
Why, yes as a matter of fact it did, and I assure you there were lots more whistles and cheers and neverous giggles from those watching John Lane, Tom Burress and Adam Crane than the other cars, and THAT noise, reaction approval assent whatever is a good gauge of what people REALLY are excited too see.
>
>
> Brian DR1665 | Phoenix, AZ
> 86 245GL - daily | 91 GVR4 - rally project

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
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RA has G2,P, G5, Historic, is a staunch supporter of MaxAttack! as well as requesting novices start in G2 or P. They have done no harm to 2wd classes.

Rally in general will suffer this year along with the large number of people losing homes, jobs, cars , retirement funds and many other hardships. It's called a recession along with $5 a gallon fuel. How the fuck is any of that RAs fault ???