Robevo RS

iTrader: (16)

cool thanks

but i think the popularity of the rally can be blame on Detroit and the surrounding media work.
So as today we talking about it is like the chicken vs egg theory... its not advertised because its not popular , or its not popular because its not advertised... LOL
we sure tried the not advertised because its not popular... why we dont advertised it , to see why is really not popular, to find out which statement is true?

after that, we can call it dead if it is still not working. But i bet you , just in Eu , rally would be big, for many many reasons. eh it is way to long story LOL
that Xgames rally imitation is popular... Since the Ford decided to run it.....
it is all about media isnt it ?

about my experience, anyone we talk to, and they attend in one event , they are all returning spectators. Just they never heard it before. But now they addicted.
They even followed us to New Hampshire for 1 day. 7 hour dirve... Even my neighbor who is 50+ and his wife did a trip LOL
called that one not interesting...

RallyDSM

iTrader: (21)

chickens and eggs...

I would argue that Rally isn't popular because Rally hasn't really stepped up to the plate. Popularity doesn't beget a sport, nor does the sport always beget popularity.

You put it best when Migs said: it isn't well advertised. Absolutely true. I think that again, it goes back to the history of the sport in the US and the old SCCA contingent (many of which still run rally today)... SCCA Being the SECRET Car Club of America

Rally actually hid away from the public. Stayed in the shadows. Why? Because many times they were running on roads they had not properly secured from the County or State. So, they would set up just in time, run at NIGHT so they could see any oncoming traffic that they might wander into and then pack up and leave before anyone was the wiser. That's the truth.

Very early Rally embraced the idea that it was a small, hidden and secretive community and that ideology prevails amongst many still today.

RA has taken bold steps to "get the word out" with exhibition events such as XGames and the new Global Rally Cross program... and I am grateful for it. It's advertising, marketing and exposure and a far cry further than anyone has ever done before it.

The past couple of years at our local CLUB Rally events on Mt. Hood, we've had 1000s of spectators which is AMAZING!!! And why? Ask them and they will tell you "XGames" and then the internet for local Rally and OREGON TRAIL RALLY shows up.

So yeah, XGames feeds us in some way. Is it enough? Not even close. But it's a start.

I think that Rally will not ever get out of the woods and into the TV sets of America until Sponsors get behind it. In today's markets you build the brand and image before you EVER get a fan base. Look at Jersey Shore for Pete's sake. Like it or hate it, MARKETING is what got that show on the air and now, well... it's like a really bad train wreck you can't help but stare at in horror through slightly parted fingers.

There is REAL money to be made in Rally for Advertisers, TV, etc., if only people would get beyond the idea that stickers on racecars sells products. There is so much more to be had than that. In all forms of Motorsports.

It's the #2 spectator sport in the WORLD (behind Soccer) except in the US. 100s of Thousands at WRC events every few weeks, even a MILLION Spectators in Argentina. Amazing!

NASCAR, as much as people like to bash it, has figured it out. Stickers are a side effect of effective, tangible business relationships made possible through Motorsports Relationships.

As soon as RA, SCCA, ALMS, NASA and even Champcar/Indy figure that out... motorsports will thrive again.

But the longer we wait for spectators to dictate the course of our sport, the more we dry on the vine.

chickens and eggs

SonySlave

iTrader: (4)

Andrew Comrie-Picard and Antoine L'Estage have always done extremely well proving the Evos in stage rallies like OTR, however, they both always seem to choke in the X-Games events, even before the Fiestas came into play. Unfortunately for ACP, losing the NOS sponsorship like all the other NOS cars really hurt him financially and he went to a different platform. L'Estage still shows that Evos are competitive in stage rally.

The Evos, in general, just are at a massive disadvantage in both power and handling in tight spaces like X-Games and Rallycross compared to the Fords and the factory-backed Subarus. There's just no comparing the cars. When a rally amateur (Brian Deegan) can come out with a massive sponsor-backed Ford and win, that just goes to show that sometimes it's not just the driver that makes a win. Yes, I know Deegan races off road trucks, but a rally car is quite a lot different.

migs647

iTrader: (19)

I agree with all of what you said above except this.

Even popular motorsports such as Motocross and Nascar go through many sponsors because they don't see the ROI they need to continue. Monster and Rockstar are about the only ones that have succeeded over the years in MX, and it's because it's very tightly knitted into the play of the event. Rider takes a drink of monster at the end of the interview, rider has monster on his front number plate, monster is the number one advertiser.

Then you look at the lesser advertisers. Every few years the main sponsor of a team has changed. The only ones that seem to stay in the sport are already deeply rooted into mx parts / gear. But real world items? forget about it. It's very difficult to turn investment into more sales in motorsports, especially when the company / item being advertised has nothing to do with the sport.

The other part of of the problem with Rally is the viewers will only see the advertisement once on the car. Supporting a team is almost useless unless they can get the product / logo in the sights multiple times. At least with Nascar and other track sports, they will see it multiple times, multiple laps.

Until Rally can pull a VERY big number of viewers, it's going to continue to be 2nd tier sport in the US. Rally may not be dead, but it has an amputated leg, 1 arm and an eye patch on.

While I may not be happy that has pulled out of motorsports, I completely understand it. The ability to get ROI and brand recognition for a few Evos playing in the dirt is very difficult.

Robevo RS

iTrader: (16)

i think in my country is the No1 sport .

ViNZx_xD

cant agree more..but sigh thats how it gonna go.

OhhBx

iTrader: (9)

X-Games was never a rally event and it will never be one this is all for ****s and giggles and Subaru for the most part been on top of the rally game so lets just give them some time and im sure Evos will make some kind of improvement at these events!!

hamflex

iTrader: (18)

Well everyone we can all do our own part and rep the evos at all of your local, regional, and national events. I have tried to contact mitsubishi to find out if they even have or had a grassroots program. I can't even find a true contact to talk with them.

Butt Dyno

iTrader: (10)

Losing to cars with more horsepower and a TON more money in them isn't embarrassing IMHO.

lillev23

iTrader: (34)

I personally believe drag racing is still king in the U.S, because (1) cost to spectate is low, (2) cost to compete is low, (3) there are tracks everywhere (and new ones always being built), and drag racing is the biggest from of grass-roots racing out there. At anytime, you can take your stock car, $20, and race all day at your local dragstrip.

Robevo RS

iTrader: (16)

all day , you mean maybe 3 minutes all together all day, if you are real lucky and have a really low hp car... LOL
the darg is a least efficient racing. $20 maybe sounds good for a race , but when you add up everything , that 3 minutes became a real expensive 3 minutes for a given racing time. Never mind if you brake anything.

i am not even slightly a fan of drag racing i see 0 thrill in it. I mean you shift up all the 4 gears? Top of that as son as you became faster you run less then 10 sec at the time?
Drag racing is waaay beyond me.

GTisRule

iTrader: (5)

X-games is popular mainly due to the likes of showcase stars like Ken Block and Travis Pastrana. Ken's Gymkhana videos have spread to the mainstream like wildfire, with MILLIONS of non motorsport fans watching the videos. X-games comes up, people want to see Ken perform Gymkhanaisk stunts and tricks that resemble the video, and ESPN not being dumb builds tracks accordingly. Mix in HUGE sponsorship from Ford and Subaru, you get a track tailored to them.

On a side note, I saw some facts on Red Bull awhile back. They spend 80-90% of their profits on advertisement (Sponsoring motorsports, events, making videos, etc) where the next nearest beverage company was Coke at 19%.

Defcon5Es

iTrader: (5)

I think Mitsubishi doesn't want to be sellout. They keeping it real, i tell you that.

wingless

iTrader: (15)

I have issues with Ford. They have a great rally program and have never imported a single turbo AWD Cosworth Escort or Focus to the US. because they decided Americans don't want them. So F-them!

As for Subaru, back when they decided to import the WRX I was all over it, I put a deposit down and everything. When they arrived I drove it and I was pretty disapointed with its wretched slowness, even coming out of a vr6 GTI. I ended up in a Honda s2000 which instantly put a grin on my face every time but was the most impractical car ever.

In 03', I again went to Subaru to drive the newly imported STI and they were total d1cks like it was the greatest car ever and wouldn't let me drive it. So F-them!

Next on the list was an Evo. The dealer was actually grateful for the business and it was love at first sight and drive. They will have to pry my cold dead fingers off of the steering wheel of my Evo.

Truth is the Evo may not have been the smartest finacial descision for Mitsu and Ford was probably wise to avoid the demographic altogether while Subaru was always a niche AWD brand, but I love Mitsu for giving me exactly what I want and I will always be a fan now.

Robevo RS

iTrader: (16)

in 2003 i spend literally 6months to actually write /not me my wife LOL/ letters to Ford, we actually ended up /some connection help from above/ to talk to Major Ford guys, In these conversation led i actually talk to One Hungarian origin Nascar super big dog.
Anyway the final conclusion was they can not provide me through ANY dealer ship a Ford Cosworth from EU.
one of the reason was the factory warranty, and so other stories. Getting special EU cars through factory dealers is not uncommon. xample special Audi's or Mercedes's or Land Rover's etc.

So i literally spend countless times and connections etc to get one Ford Cosworth to myself in the states. Didint worked.

now here is the BEST part. The rules in rally said , only car can race in the rally which is produced and sold in the dealerships , minimum 2500 unit/year....

Now you tell me how many AWD turbo charged Frod did you see latelly in the dealers?
These are NOT WRC cars....
Or how many Cosworth RS Ford been sold at the dealers in the US?

So i actually ended up in the Evo. As you might guessed