European Rallycross Challenge 2013

[FIRE]

...

On Saturday, November 1 representatives of six international Rallycross organisers and some ASN members had a meeting in Holland where they agreed to launch a European Rallycross Challenge in 2013. The new series of events will be held in central Europe, to be run at at least six different venues. So far the French ASN FFSA and the Dutch ASN KNAF have already commited to the new challenge, other federations are said to follow soon.

...

The challenge was initiated and will be run by the Dutch ASN KNAF. Its motto reads “Rallycross the way it’s meant to be”, and together with adjusted rules and friendly entry fees it is claimed to be the Rallycross of the future. Those new regulations should be friendlier, clearer and are based on 40 years of Rallycross experience. Rules that are difficult to control will be deleted and the winners will be awarded with attractive round and championship prizes. The total prize money for 2013 is announced to be of more than €100,000.00.

...

The European Rallycross Challenge (ERC) will see open paddocks and will be promoted to the big crowd from one central organisation. A uniform appearance and promotion will add to the awareness of the competition. All traditional and modern communication will be used: TV contacts will be approached and races will be made available through live streaming!

...

• 2013 European Rallycross Challenge (ERC) Calendar:
• 20.04.–21.04. Wachauring at Melk (Austria)
• 18.05.–19.05. Circuit des Ducs at Essay (France)
• 27.07.–28.07. Circuit de Kerlabo at Cohiniac (France)
• 10.08.–11.08. Duivelsbergcircuit at Maasmechelen (Belgium)
• 17.08.–18.08. Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard (The Netherlands)
• 21.09.–22.09. Autodrom Česká LÃ*pa at Sosnová (Czech Republic)

Full article: http://erc24.com/archives/8876#more-8876

Doesn't sound bad! Of course having two series isn't good for the sport but on the longer term when ERChampionship moves to events outside Europe I am sure there's room for a series like this.

I am not sure about the name. Next year there will be 3 ERC's: European Rallycross Championship, European Rallycross Challenge and the European Rally Championship. Very confusing.

[rx-guru]

The tag for the former ERC is 'RX' or 'RallycrossRX' now. Not noticed yet?

[WJM]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

The tag for the former ERC is 'RX' or 'RallycrossRX' now. Not noticed yet?

This has been bothering me for a while now. The tag for the new IMG Rallycross is an inverted 'R' with an X. These are both letters in the cyrillic alphabet. If you translate that to Roman letters you get 'Ya' and 'Kh'.

I wonder what Timurzyanov and the other Russian drivers think about the new IMG logo?

[NaBUru38]

ERC is European Rally Championship to me.

[tbtstt]

No sooner had I mentioned it in another thread, when I see more information has come out! The European Rallycross Challenge now has a logo...



...and a website:

http://www.ercweb.eu/

Bit more information now up on ERC24 as well:

http://erc24.com/archives/8942

[Stephen H]

No mention on Rallycross World ....yet.......

[juha205]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

No mention on Rallycross World ....yet.......

[FIRE]

I like the logo.

Originally Posted by Stephen H

No mention on Rallycross World ....yet.......

Since a couple of months that website is no longer worth to visit.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Bit more information now up on ERC24 as well:

http://erc24.com/archives/8942

Rules difficult to control have been deleted

Someone an idea what they mean with this?

[Minicross424]

I'm sorry this is a little off topic but I have just watched on motors tv today the British rallycross review.
Where have all the supercars gone??
At Pembray it looked like the late 90's all over again

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Minicross424

I'm sorry this is a little off topic but I have just watched on motors tv today the British rallycross review.
Where have all the supercars gone??
At Pembray it looked like the late 90's all over again

Yeah, the Supercar grid did thin out as the year went on. Steve Hill didn't run the full Championship and Ollie OD went back to the RX150's (I assume he still has the Focus?). I was expecting Steve Harris to be a bit more competitive in the C4 as well.

Hopefully they will all be back to try again in 2013. Might see the ex-Binks Mk.6 Fiesta running as well?

[Stephen H]

Jochen Coox has posted a revised Belgium National Championship calendar on facebook. The joint rounds with the German championship seems to have gone. But looks like the propose challenge round at Essay is now a French and Belgium national round.

But oddly there is no Belgium national round in August, so the Belgium challenge round is not part of the Belgium Championship. Is this because of the IMG event in Ireland?

[rallyloverke]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

Jochen Coox has posted a revised Belgium National Championship calendar on facebook. The joint rounds with the German championship seems to have gone. But looks like the propose challenge round at Essay is now a French and Belgium national round.

But oddly there is no Belgium national round in August, so the Belgium challenge round is not part of the Belgium Championship. Is this because of the IMG event in Ireland?

The Belgian Fia-classes will have a "national" event during the mentioned French challenge round. The supernationals will have their national event during the Belgian challenge round. So both events are still a round for the new challenge.

[Stephen H]

Thanks, rallyloverke, that makes sense.

[FIRE]

According ERC24 is the prize money the same as in ERC 2012. Entry fee 100 Euro more expensive as in ERC 2012

[rx-guru]

Originally Posted by FIRE

According ERC24 is the prize money the same as in ERC 2012. Entry fee 100 Euro more expensive as in ERC 2012

http://erc24.com/archives/8898

[FIRE]

Jochen Coox, Alex & Robert Theuil are considering taking part in the European Rallycross Challenge.

[chunder]

I just think this is a bad idea

No real need to setup a new championship, just sit it out and see what happens.

This all reminds of the UK a few years ago, and look where that got us.

Stupid, selfish and downright greedy.

[dcdesign]

There is a need, for those drivers who have the cars, but not the time or the budget to take on a whole ERC-campaign. The drivers who previously took part in some ERC-races in the neighbourhood, but can't do that anymore because you must take part in all of them. They want a professional ERC, but many of the ERC-drivers were just amateurs, they don't drive for a living, but because they like to drive... And IMG-ERC just don't cater for that anymore...

[FIRE]

Because in ERC Supercar drivers have to do the full championship I think there's room for the Challenge, especially if these events take place together with national championship events.

I am not sure for Super1600 and Touringcar classes. These have not the full season rule so except for a higher entry fee there's not much difference with the past.

If ERC becomes a world championship I am convinced there's a need in all 3 classes for the Challenge. So maybe the Challenge should have wait a couple of seasons.

[Stephen H]

With two rounds being proposed at French Championship Rounds, and throwing a Belgium Round into that, The Essay and Kerlabo meetings stand a good chance of being very decent events.

Guess there is a conflict of interest, but if the Grand Prix meeting at Croft could be part of Challenge in the future, then it would be great to see some some French and Belgium supercars, super 1600's (and Belgium touring cars) out against the British Runners.

[dcdesign]

The challenge is more the place for the S1600 and Touringcars, not the IMG-ERC; Even more then in Supercars, professional racers in S1600 and Touring can be counted on one hand. With IMG going to just a professional championship, there won't be much space for amateurs competing... With drivers paying their cars themselves and preparing them themselves in the evening, raising the entry fee is already enough reason for not taking part in the IMG-ERC, just because the budget is missing...

[Janneman]

Originally Posted by chunder

I just think this is a bad idea

No real need to setup a new championship, just sit it out and see what happens.

This all reminds of the UK a few years ago, and look where that got us.

Stupid, selfish and downright greedy.

IMG's intention is to have a global championship, so a World Rallycross Championship. But offcourse that's not in place yet. But stupid enough they now call there championship ERC.

On the other hand, if IMG does go global this leaves space for an european championship. These organisers react quick and already have it in place for 2013. A pitty the name they should use is already given to IMG so they have to call it 'challenge'.

So I believe both championships have a good reason to excist. The thing that is stupid and selfish is the battle over the 3 letters ERC.

Regards,
Jan

[rx-guru]

That actually belongs to the European Rally Championship rather than to Rallycross.
In Rallycross ERC was used only as an abbreviation instead of using the whole name of the series, although the official name was "FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers" and not "European Rallycross Championship". But when ERC24 started up in 2006 that ERC became a commonly used tag. However, wonder if the planned World Rallycross Championship is claiming the WRC tag...

[FIRE]

Can we see this as confirmation for the Challenge?