Charlotte, North Carolina. Between the running of the NASCAR’s Nationwide
History 300 and the CocaCola 600, Global RallyCross [GRC] will debut for the
first time in front of NASCAR fans under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway
on this, one of the biggest weekends on the American motorsports calendar.
Holding the first round of the 2012 GRC
at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a significant step forward for GRC in their
effort in bringing RallyCross to mainstream American motorsports fans. The NASCAR
fans that stick around after the History 300 will not be disappointed as we
expect the opening round of the series to be some of wildest racing seen on
this storied NASCAR track.
In the USA, the sport of stage rally has struggled through
the years to draw NASCAR and other mainstream motorsports fans from the
comforts of track style racing. Hiking miles into the woods to watch single
cars pass one-by-one just did not appeal. Nonetheless, in recent years Rally
has gained some popularity with the younger set that have strayed from the
beaten path their parent’s made to NASCAR tracks, and NASCAR has taken note.
From its humble beginnings at Lydden Hill race track
in England in the late sixties, RallyCross has seen a steady rise in popularity
throughout Europe. Now, with thousands in attendance and regular television
coverage of the championship events throughout Europe, veterans from Europe are
looking to the U.S. as the next home of the sport.
Rally
America made the first push to introduce European style
RallyCross to American fans in 2010, with several very successful events staged
at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Manufacturers Ford, Subaru and Hyundai would
all dip their toes in the RallyCross pond to test the waters in 2010. As we
moved into 2011, the series changed hands to the Global RallyCross Championship
[GRC] and the manufactures followed. The 2011 Championship was contested over
three rounds in Irwindale, California; Seattle, Washington and Pikes Peak
International Raceway in Colorado, before concluding with the XGAMES. Despite losing out to Liam Doran for XGAMES
gold, Tanner Foust would claim the overall GRC title in 2011.
There had been some grumblings from some the
RallyCross faithful in Europe during the first few years of U.S. competition
that it lacked proper tracks, the format was wrong and it was not affiliated
with FIA. Nonetheless, GRC organizers have continued down the path of tweaking
the sport for the U.S market. Although I
would like to see more dirt and more track curbs for the cars to lift off, the
in-your-face layout at Charlotte promises to be engaging.
As GRC moves towards the first round of the 2012
Championship the attraction to this highly charged form of door-to-door racing
has continued to gain traction with both U.S. fans and car manufactures. Ford racing, in conjunction with Olsberg MSE,
continues to put significant investment into the development of their Ford
Fiesta in the pursuit of their second GRC title. Leading the charge for Ford
will be Tanner Foust. Tanner, who is currently leading the 2012 European
RallyCross Championship, is pegged as a hot favorite for the win in Charlotte.
Nonetheless Foust should expect stiff competition from
within the Ford Racing camp. Rockstar
Energy teammate Brian Deegan, for one, has already proven his ability at XGAMES
rally. Deegan, who has also dominated
the off-road trucking world taking both Lucas Oil Pro 2 Unlimited and Pro Lite
Unlimited Championships in 2011, comes in with maximum seat time, which is
always an advantage.
Olsberg will also run two additional cars for Team Best
Buy. One with multi-time WRC Champion Marcus Grönholm. Marcus claims to be more focused than he has been in
years and is going all out for the championship. Up and coming British Rally
Cross driver David Binks will partner with Grönholm to make up the 2-car Best
Buy team.
Olsberg will also
enter Toomas Hekkinen as a team driver in yet another Fiesta. If he is not under team orders this
exceptionally talented young driver could very be in the hunt for a major upset.
"I see the
future of rallycross in the U.S. and I'm looking forward to being part of a
great show … Now I'm ready to fight for the glory with superstars. I've
followed XGAMES since I was a kid, so it is my dream come true to join
in," said Hekkinen, rallycross champion in his native Finland.
Monster World Rally
Team driver Ken Block should also be a top three contender, given his
experience in the WRC and his massive tire shredding time behind the wheel of
his Ford Fiesta during his many Gymkhana productions. But Block does lack seat
time in RallyCross, or any other form of door-to-door racing for that
matter. Nonetheless, “In the Hoonigan We
Trust.” Block’s Fiesta clearly has shown it has the power needed to get
ahead. If Ken can get a clean start -- see
yah! It would be safe to say that a 1,2,3
victory for Ford Racing this weekend is highly likely.
Dodge has also jumped
into the GRC fray for 2012, with the introduction of their new Dodge Dart.
Dodge has tapped multi-time XGAMES and Rally
America champion, Travis Pastrana to steer them to victory. But I am feeling that Pastrana is a long shot
for the victory in this the opening round of the 2012 GRC. Travis will be jumping directly from his Nationwide
car and into the RallyCross car after competing in the History 300. Also, given
the fact that this is the inaugural running of Dodge RallyCross car, one would be
expecting a learning curve for the driver and possibly some teething problems
with the car.
Subaru has clearly shifted
focus from the Rally American Championship where they are now only running a
single car team. Teaming up with GRC title sponsor Puma, Subaru will enter a
total of three cars in Charlotte. Team
leader Dave Mirra will be back in the STi again for 2012, after coming off a challenging
year in 2011. Mirra will be joined by fellow XGAMES Gold Medalist Bucky
Lasek. It is going to be “Baptism by
Deegan” for Lasek if he’s not on the pace. I have to say, I’m somewhat
surprised that Subaru is throwing Lasek in the deep end not having any prior
rally experience. We will see how this
all shakes out.
Rounding out the
team, and possibly adding a little insurance for a podium spot, Subaru has
again enlisted the services of European RallyCross Champion Sverre Isachsen.
Barring no mechanical failures, I expect Sverre will lead the charge for the
team. Although Vermont Sports Car has put a lot of development into the STi
over the winter, it’s going to be a challenge for the team to stay with the
nimble Fiestas, but we’re keeping an open mind.
Hyundai is back with
the Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) team. Team
principle Rhys Millen will be joined by Stephan Verdier in the second
Hyundai. It’s great to see Stephen
getting this opportunity from RMR. Verdier, who ran as a privateer in 2011, in
his Subaru impressed many as he mixed it up with the best, often bettering the
Subaru factory effort. "Being a part of Rhys Millen Racing, this
partnership gives me the best chance at the championship," says Stephan
Verdier.
Drivers will conduct
practice and qualifying this evening, minus the gap, which has just been
removed from the track layout for Charlotte.
Stay tuned through
the race for updates and photos.
Photos and Preview By Neil McDaid
Twitter@ NeilMcDaid
Twitter
@rallyworldnews
