BUSINESS Rallycross to see mainstream event exposure in USA
The company behind US Rallycross, and one of the country’s top circuit operators, have teamed up to help build up the popularity of this exciting sport in America. Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) and Speedway Motorsports Inc (SMI) – which owns and runs eight
of the US’s top circuits – have announced they are to run Rallycross events at selected NASCAR Sprint Cup and IndyCar race weekends. The events will take place
throughout 2012 at SMI tracks Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the companies hope the inclusion of well-known names such as Ken Block, Tanner Foust and Travis Pastrana will help sell the initiative to the public. The Global Rallycross Championship enters its second year in 2012 and boasts strong manufacturer support, with Hyundai, Ford and Subaru all committed to the series and fielding factory- supported teams. Top line sponsors such as Puma, Discount Tire, GoPro and Motegi Racing are also involved. Marcus Smith,
‘A high-impact show with a jaw-dropping wow factor.’ So says Marcus Smith of SMI
president and chief operating operator of SMI, said: ‘Speedway Motorsports has always been committed to providing the very best in motorsports entertainment, and the Global Rallycross Championship will be a tremendous
complement to several of our NASCAR and IndyCar weekends. It’s the ultimate combination of action sports and motorsports where ‘big air’ meets high speed. These drivers combine racing, drifting and stunt jumps into a high-impact show with a jaw- dropping wow factor.’ Ford Racing director, Jamie Allison, supported the move: ‘For Ford, Global Rallycross is an important fan outreach that allows us to connect with new generations of fans by showcasing our exciting new vehicles like Fiesta and Focus in action sports.’ He added: ‘We applaud Speedway Motorsports and GRC officials for taking this step to move Rallycross to the next level.’ This year’s Global Rallycross Championship preliminary schedule is as follows: 26 May (Charlotte Motor Speedway), 9 June (Texas Motor Speedway), 30 June - 1 July (X Games, Los Angeles), 14 July (New Hampshire Motor Speedway), 1 September (venue TBA) and 29 September (Las Vegas Motor Speedway).
Numbers look good for Audi Formula 1 entry
The momentum behind Audi’s expected entry into Formula 1 within the next three years continues to build, with exceptionally good sales reported by the company in 2011. The German prestige car manufacturer’s
annual results showed that Audi had the largest volume increase in its history last year, with more than 1.3 million cars sold, which increased its revenue to €44.1 billion. That translated into a healthy profit of some €5.3 billion.
The figures make 2011 the most
successful year in the company’s history and, with experts expecting the car market to grow by four per cent in 2012, the company is looking to build upon its success. Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management at Audi, said: ‘Never before have we had such a large increase in deliveries in a single year… We want to continue on this path in 2012 and grow more strongly than the market as a whole.’ The results come soon after
Wolfgang Dürheimer, the CEO of Bugatti and Bentley and Volkswagen Group’s motorsport representative, made it clear to the German press that one of the group brands would be racing in Formula 1. While it has not been said that this brand will be Audi, there are a number of indications that this might be the case. Firstly, of the 10 brands
Auto Union last competed in Grand Prix racing pre-war 82
www.racecar-engineering.com • May 2012
Volkswagen Group owns, the only one with a product range that could take on the four
brands currently on the F1 grid in various forms (Renault – as engine supplier – Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes) is Audi. It also has a range of vehicles that is wide enough to cover all the bases should another manufacturer enter the fray. Also, Porsche is to return to Le Mans and
the World Endurance Championship in 2014 and, while there has been some talk that the two companies could go head to head for a year, during the 2010 Paris Motor Show Porsche chairman, Matthias Müller, made it clear that either Porsche or Audi would compete at Le Mans, while the other would go to Formula 1. It is thought that Audi will enter the open-wheel series as an engine supplier to begin with, probably in 2014 at the very earliest, before buying out an existing team for 2018. With Red Bull’s existing sponsorship links to VWG (with Audi in DTM and SEAT in WTCC, plus a rumoured switch from Citroën to VW in WRC next year) it is thought that Toro Rosso – which is widely believed to be up for sale and is already in partnership with VW as its road car supplier – is a likely candidate.
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