Quote
Anders Green

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

I was saying already way back in mid 80s that ALL POWER TO THE SOv ---oh wait wrong slogan, wrong decade! er seems like 100% of the attention is on Buffum and Millen, maybe an occasional "feature" on the "local scene" might be good.
"Identification not Adulation!"


Yeah and all power to the Soviets is pretty good too!

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

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I'm not convinced that there is a viable group of potential ralliests that don't rally because they can't afford an Sti. The SCCA race ranks are full of people who can't afford an Indy car (and I'll bet there are more than one who can) and they manage to still find a way, right down to the Solo program. Same with NHRA and NASCAR. People that want to race somehow find a way. I'd guess the last time I saw a 2wd car on a WRC broadcast it belonged to the police telling marcus to park it...

We don't necessarily concentrate on the top 1%, but we don't cater to the bottom 1% either...especially the 1% who just never have a real intent of getting on stage. Part of the problem is many people haven't organized an event, haven't seen it from the inside. The top 1% still pay for hotel rooms, pay for practice roads, pay entry fees, show up on time at parc ferme, keep their cars clean, make public appearances, sign autographs. They ask for no 'comps' or special treatment. Travis and Ken both worked their way to the top, no silver spoons there. Moro and ACP, hardly any tea drinking little finger extension there.

This might be a bit harder to grasp for NRS events as they don't have the same top 1% running. They do have the same botttom 1% and most everyone else in between, icluding organizers and workers. Since we've done both RA and NRS at the same level, both national and regional, I can honestly say there was no difference to competitors at any of the events that I ever saw. Organizer costs were within nickels most of the time. NRS actually costs more for a small field regional.

First we need to realize there will always be someone with more resources. Deal with it.
Second we need to realize that there are a number of people that just can't afford to rally.
Third...some people will buy an very expensive bicycle and leave their rally project sitting unfinished.
Fourth we need more people in rally, but we need the ones that can afford it.
Fifth we need to know that just because a new guy shows up on a forum and complains he can't afford to rally that is just another person with a laptop..or library card..

Realistically we can make a small effort to find who owns the old rally car sitting next to the barn and maybe shake a few loose from the cobwebs and into the hands of people that will use them. That may have a very small effect and help a few people that don't have the resources or time to build a car from the ground up. That's my next great thing to save rally.