Dissertation topic for Rallying

[laurajsmith]

Hi,
I am doing a dissertation on Motorsports, focusing on Rallying.
Basically looking at history, types of motor sport, health and safety, sponsorship, impacts, governing body, growth and demand, and staffing.
I still have to pick/decide a dissertation name.
I really dont know what i am trying to find out, at the moment myself and a lecturer have come up with "What is the future of rallying?"
Anyone have any ideas? or things i can focus on?
Would love to hear!! thanks!

[Piglet]

What subject are you studying? For my law degree dissertation I started of researching "negligence in motorsport" and then widened it to "negligence in sport" as there wasn't enough motorsport specific info around.

[AndyS]

I think you've picked a good topic there as a lot of people are of the opinion that rallying is not what it was. Major changes due next year which will be interesting. You could start by checking out the rally scene from the late 70's through the Group B era of the early mid 80's when in a lot of people's opinion rallying was at it's height. You could compare how F1 has faired since the 80's commercially compared to rallying, which was arguable as big at the time.

In my view the major changes in the sport have taken place after Group A ended and we entered the WRC era in the late 90's. The length and format of events has changed significantly in this period. Drivers such as Carlos Sainz and Marko Martin have been very vocal in their critisim of rallying as it is now so it may be worth checking their comments out.

I know this subject has been debated hotly on here before, so I'd like to think you'll get a decent response to your request for info. Good luck.

[BertMk2]

Also there is a big difference between rallying at a world level and national/club level (and their respective futures). Are you planning on looking at rallying in general or one specific area of the sport?

[laurajsmith]

Piglet: I am studying Events Management Honours Degree,and have chosen the topic for personal circumstances due to family members being involved as rally drivers for many years.
Andy: Do you know where i would find information on the changes which could occur next year? or would you be willing to give me any information? I am finding it very hard to get information in general on rallying, would you know anywhere i could get information?

BertMK2: I am looking at Motorsport and focusing on rallying as the topic. I have not actually focused in on any areas within rallying in terms of different classes etc, as i am looking at it in a broader view, more on the different areas which make up rallying.
Well so far, i have completed my literature review, and i have looked at the following areas,the history (relating back to when motorsport began) then did a section on rallying itself, then did growth and demand where i looked at the WRC and how it is international, then i did staffing and looked at the importance of volunteers for rallying and the numbers which are needed, i went on then to the sponsorship and how important it is for all areas in rallying, health and safety was the last point, and focused on the requirements for rallying in health and safety.
I did another chapter then, which focused on the impacts of motor sport events, and looked at the social and economic impacts, which was very interesting, and then did a part on the governing from the FIA and then motorsport ireland.
I have to undertake interviews etc now to get findings, but at the moment like i said, i dont actually know what i am trying to find out, or where to go with this topic.

[sihorton]

I think if i was writing something like that i'd focus on the group b era.

It so the largest opeing of rules and regs for decades and introduced so many new manufacturers into the sport. Also with it's dramatic rise and fall of that era it could make for interesting research. Plenty of reference material out there too and could link that into it's lasting influence on modern rallying.

just a thought

Si

[AndyS]

I'm probably a case in point as someone who loved rallying as a young boy and early teenage years in the group B era but have steadily lost interest since then, particularly once WRC came in and likes of Burns and McRae had left the sport. I am therefore not the fountain of all knowledge on rallying, but there are plenty on here who are.

As regards the new regs, this involves a change in the types of cars being used. I would imagine best place to look for the technical stuff will be the WRC website and FIA websites. Others will probably be able to give some better options.

As regards background on Group B and the previous era there are plenty of websites out there. Try wikipedia or just stick Group B in you search engine. Some great footage on You Tube as well. Check out some of the in car footage and witness the lunacy of some of the spectators!

Might be worth checking out the Intercontinental Rally Challenge as well, which has emerged as a cheaper alternative to the WRC in recent years. They appear to be running on some of the old classic rallies like Monte Carlo and the San Remo which have slipped off the WRC calander. My perception of it is that they appear to be capturing some of the old feeling of these events are rallying in general.

Bert makes a good point about the difference between national rallying and international, seems to me to be a widening gap. Don't know whether other countries are going the same way or more in line with international regs.

Hope this helps and hopefully some of the really knowledgable rallying guru's on here will give you something more.

[laurajsmith]

Originally Posted by sihorton

I think if i was writing something like that i'd focus on the group b era.

It so the largest opeing of rules and regs for decades and introduced so many new manufacturers into the sport. Also with it's dramatic rise and fall of that era it could make for interesting research. Plenty of reference material out there too and could link that into it's lasting influence on modern rallying.

just a thought

Si

Just looking up the Group B Era, am i right in saying that Group B cars are banned now? i just want to confirm that the information i have is correct? In relation to "link that into it's lasting influence on modern rallying"....what is its lasting influence?

[bella]

laura, have you considered looking at the irc, and how that was set up, why it was set up, and how it has expanded? especially in comparison to how the wrc has evolved, that could get you a fair amount of words.

do you need to look at it as a where have things gone wrong or what you'd improve thing as well?

[laurajsmith]

Originally Posted by bella

laura, have you considered looking at the irc, and how that was set up, why it was set up, and how it has expanded? especially in comparison to how the wrc has evolved, that could get you a fair amount of words.

do you need to look at it as a where have things gone wrong or what you'd improve thing as well?

I am looking into this area now, thanks so much for suggesting it.
Yeah, i want to look at where is the future for rallying? or is there one? so comparing the IRC and WRC could be a topical section.

[leonidas]

As this is an events management thesis I'd be inclined to focus on the particular problems rallying organisers face when running the sport, currently for example:

- the withdrawal of major manufacturers at the top level
- the limited appeal of modern rallying to tv companies (thus limiting opportunities for marketing exposure and sponsorship)
- the lack of a career structure for young drivers and therefore participant/sponsor retention problems
- the rising cost of forest rallying (esp. in the UK) due to commercial pressure on forest owners
- the problem of public relations management in a political environment generally hostile to motor sport
- the problems of managing competition risk in an increasing litigious culture
- the reluctance of spectators to contribute to the cost of the sport and the implications this has for participant costs

These subjects aren't as obviously exciting as the Group B era but might lead to a more interesting and original thesis.

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by leonidas

As this is an events management thesis I'd be inclined to focus on the particular problems rallying organisers face when running the sport, currently for example:
.....snip....

Something like this I'd have thought, presumably it needs to be linked to your subject rather than just something that you are interested in?