Future of Rallycross - thoughts from Belgium

[RoyG]

Instead of driving over 500 miles to Knockhill, I made a shorter trip over to Belgium to have a look at my first European event - a Regional Championship Rallycross meeting at Arendonk.


Impressions, in no particular order -

Circuit - Mickey Mouse, but excellent spectator viewing of the whole track from banking around the circuit. This circuit is exclusively for Rallycross.

Facilities - basic. The paddock is in a field next to the circuit - could be a problem in really wet weather. But the race control etc. is in a permanent building. The PA is excellent, though I couldn't understand a word of Flemish!!

Entry - healthy 50+, not a Supercar in sight, but with an amazing variety of machinery - Golf, 205, Nova (sorry Corsa A), Corsa B, Astra, Manta, Volvo, Audi, BMW, Mercedes! - to name but a few. Compare that with BTRDA events - about 40% 205, 50% Mini, 10% other.

Driving standards - robust!! Plenty of action, particularly braking into the many hairpins!

Organisation - slick. Turnaround time between races was minimal, with two breakdown trucks and a very compact layout there was rarely more than a minute or two between races.

Spectator numbers - healthy, a few hundred I'd guess, very enthusiastic.

Starts - 4 in a row for all classes, so no kamikaze moves from the back row.

Weather - no need for bowser!



Conclusions -

It seems that grass-roots Rallycross is alive and well in Belgium. My guess is that the same is true for other European countries, which I guess explains why the higher levels of the sport are so much healthier than in UK.

My view is that the long-term future of Rallycross in UK depends more on the lower levels of the sport than just concentrating on the higher profile events. If the grass roots die, Rallycross is history.


Comments please!


Question - does anyone know what the regs are for the Belgian classes A, B & C?