Global Rallycross Championship 2014

[tbtstt]

Spotted a couple of news stories with regards to the 2014 Global Rallycross Championship, so I thought that was enough to justify a fresh thread!

First up - and I'm sure most of you will have seen it on Facebook - is the news that Red Bull will be backing the GRC in 2014:

http://www.global-rallycross.com/?post_type=post&p=6275

I also see a news story on the Global Rallycross website with regards to a presentation at SEMA this week:

http://www.global-rallycross.com/?post_type=post&p=6288

I did wonder if the GRC might be a little scaled down in 2014 with RallycrossRX going global but, according to the presentation...



...10 rounds in 2014.

[Distracted]

I wonder where those ten round are going to be at? Hope they get some really great tracks next year. I feel like some of this year's didn't work quite like they should have.

I'm excited to see what's going to happen.

[tbtstt]

X-Games returns to two events in 2014...

http://xgames.espn.go.com/article/97...ic-events-2014

...so I assume the Global Rallycross Championship will return to being a domestic series?

[rx-guru]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

...so I assume the Global Rallycross Championship will return to being a domestic series?

Known for some weeks already.

Makes the tag 'Global' redundant again, innit...?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

Known for some weeks already.

Oops. Must have missed that...

Originally Posted by rx-guru

Makes the tag 'Global' redundant again, innit...?

...yep! At least it was Global for a year.

[tbtstt]

Forgive the double post (and thread bump!), but the 2014 season is approaching and I just spotted this snippet of GRC news...

http://erc24.com/archives/16187

...VW Motorsport will be running the 2014 GRC season. I assume this is a standalone effort, or is there some collaboration with Marklund Motorsport?

What really caught my eye in that article is the possible VW driver line up; Travis Pastrana or Tanner Foust.

I personally hope Pastrana as, from a selfish standpoint, I'm a fan of both Foust and Ford, so I liked the combination of the two! The article implies it may be both of them though. I wonder if that will end any potential Euro/World Rallycross drives for Foust if he makes the jump?

[NaBUru38]

The articles mentions Andretti...

[FIRE]

VW means probably also Red Bull so Pastrana makes more sense than Foust.

[bigted]

so thinking aloud

If andretti is involved in a team, as well as building the events, you would expect to see GRC at Indycar events organised by Andretti Sports Marketing?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The articles mentions Andretti...

So it does: I'm sure that wasn't there when I first read the article!

Pastrana would seem to make more sense from the Red Bull standpoint, but I haven't seen much from Foust on Facebook with regards to 2014. Perhaps change is afoot?...

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

...VW Motorsport will be running the 2014 GRC season. I assume this is a standalone effort, or is there some collaboration with Marklund Motorsport?

KMS will race also 2 Polo's next season. The first one will be build in Germany and the second in KMS' own workshop. There are no major rx teams or even rally teams in Germany so I assume the first car is build at VW Motorsport. So is it not more likely the GRC Polo's are also build in Germany?

[USRallycross]

Wasn't Eklund building a Beetle? Could he be partnering with Andretti? Andretti looked very hard at getting in to GRC in 2013 as did another IndyCar team but no-one wanted to run Fiesta's behind OMSE.

I don't have any inside knowledge but drivers are interesting. I would be shocked if Foust were to leave Ford as he has had a long and fruitful relationship but it is Ford USA that backs OMSE whereas with VW it is global. He does have a great relationship with Jost Capito........but then again has a great one with Andreas. I would have thought Tanner wants to do some WRX rounds (with Deegan, etc.) as OMSE must be the better bet for that.

Personally I would like to see Travis in the VW as the series needs Travis and you can't find a better human being in racing.

With GRC focusing on the US in 2014 although i am now out of the series I am really hoping this is the breakthrough year. If Chevrolet get behind Pat properly then who knows where this could go.......

Mark

[rx-guru]

Andretti was mentioned in ERC24 news right from the beginning. But I changed it later from Andretti Motorsport (first info I had) to Andretti Autosport, after checking their website.

The info on Tanner as a possible driver came out of that VW press meeting in Germany, but could have been either a red herring or a wild guess...

[NaBUru38]

Now what if Pastrana visits Indianapolis in May on a Red Bull suit...?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Now what if Pastrana visits Indianapolis in May on a Red Bull suit...?

He would be mad.

[USRallycross]

He is mad but not that mad. Would he even fit? I think Travis is pretty much set to do Rally America with (guessing) Subaru and Vermont Sports Car. Main focus this year is Nitro Circus tour that comes to the US for the first time and his wife's career and family. Who would have thought we would ever use 'family' and Travis in the same sentence....>!

Lots of big announcements in the next few weeks. This fourm will light up!


Mark

[NaBUru38]

Well, the Stadium Super Trucks will race at Indianapolis on Friday 23 May. That championship is backed by Speed Energy Drink, but Pastrana would be welcome anyway.

[Distracted]

I can't see Tanner switching to VW from Ford. Ford is dominating the class right now, he'd be mad to switch. And plus, he recently got that deal with Napa(?) chassis. I'm fairly certain they wouldn't be working on a VW over Ford.

[canamman]

Is the 2014 schedule out yet?

[NaBUru38]

No. It's rather late already.

[tbtstt]

Subiesport are reporting a return to stage rally for Travis Pastrana in 2014 (with Subaru).

They aren't citing any sources, so I don't know how accurate the claim is but, on the assumption they are correct, I assume that means we won't be seeing Pastrana in a VW in the GRC?


EDIT: Official word from Subaru that Pastrana is driving for them in 2014 here. No mention of the GRC in that statement though!

[tbtstt]

Contrary to my post above, the above Subaru press release mentions Pastrana in the GRC at X-Games only.

[Cryos]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Forgive the double post (and thread bump!), but the 2014 season is approaching and I just spotted this snippet of GRC news...

http://erc24.com/archives/16187

...VW Motorsport will be running the 2014 GRC season. I assume this is a standalone effort, or is there some collaboration with Marklund Motorsport?

What really caught my eye in that article is the possible VW driver line up; Travis Pastrana or Tanner Foust.

I personally hope Pastrana as, from a selfish standpoint, I'm a fan of both Foust and Ford, so I liked the combination of the two! The article implies it may be both of them though. I wonder if that will end any potential Euro/World Rallycross drives for Foust if he makes the jump?

Ive been watching the Volkswagen Motorsport Press site, there's no official announcement from that side; I wonder if this is going to be a VW Country run team as opposed to VW Motorsport, VW USA have had a few spare pennies lately.

[NaBUru38]

In other news...

The all-new 2015 WRX STI, which debuted today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is in development at Vermont SportsCar and the team will debut the car later in 2014.

[tbtstt]

I wonder if they will rally another hatch or a saloon? All the pictures I've seen of the (rather excellent looking) new STI so far have been of a saloon.