Tag: GRC

GRC X-Games – Brazil Review

Mike Shaw

      The first round of the re-invigorated Global Rallycross Championship made its debut at the X-Games in Brazil last weekend. Quite a few drivers are committing to the full GRC season this year, as well as a number of one-off drives. Notably missing are Rhys-Millen and Hyundai after Hyundai pulled out of all motorsports in the USA at the end of last year. Also missing was the Subaru Puma team. It appears they are doing only the American events and skipping the more expensive long distance events. The…

Read More

OP-Ed Rallycross: Does it Help or Hurt Stage Rally?

Mike Shaw

This Sunday is the season opener of the FIA European Rallycross Championship (a.k.a. RallycrossRX), which will be followed in just a couple of weeks with the Global Rallycross Championship opener at X-Games Brazil. I began to ponder what other motorsports, and particularly rally fans, thought of the sport of Rallycross. Do you think it helps or hurts stage rally? A quick overview of Rallycross for those not in the know. Rallycross uses what at first appears to be typical 4wd WRC type hot-hatches like the Ford Fiesta and Citroen DS3.…

Read More

Global Rallycross Championship Gets New Investors and CEO

Mike Shaw

      This week the Global Rallycross Championship closed a deal with a new investor to help take the series to the next level in 2013 and beyond. LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Colin Dyne and Europlay Capital Advisors, LLC, a structured investment group, have become majority shareholders of the Global RallyCross (GRC) Series. Colin Dyne, who will take over as GRC’s Chief Executive Officer effective immediately, brings significant experience and business acumen from the licensing, branding and racing arenas. Responsible for driving the development of the William Rast brand, Dyne also…

Read More

Global Rallycross Championship – 2012 Season Wrap-up

Mike Shaw

Last week saw the final round of the Global Rallycross Championship at the Special Equipment Market Association (a.k.a. SEMA) show in Las Vegas.  This time the track was set up in a large parking area just outside the convention center.  It still had the big gap jump, but this time it was properly made of dirt instead of the death steel of the other rounds.  As was expected, Tanner Foust took the win in the final heat but that was only after a very close battle with Ken Block.  This…

Read More

GRC Round 5: New Hampshire

Doug Patterson

Editor’s Note: Here’s the latest in a series of fan-submitted commentary on the Global Rallycross Championship from Mike Shaw (@oregonwings). We hope you enjoy it as much as we here at OpenPaddock have. The X-Games was over. Loeb returned to France, Toomas Haikkenen is recovering with his broken ankle after a gnarly collision with the jump ramp, and Marcus Gronholm was still out after his bad concussion. Round 4 of the GRC was going to New Hampshire, and I was beginning to lose interest in this new take on a…

Read More

GRC Round 4: X-Games 18 – Was there any doubt?

Doug Patterson

Editor’s Note: Mike Shaw (@oregonwings) continue to provide us with excellent insight to the Global Rallycross Championship. My apologies for the delay in the release of this and a post that will be released tomorrow. Those of you know me know what’s been occupying every scrap of my spare time lately. –Doug Patterson The X-Games round of the Global RallyCross Championship was supposed to be an epic battle. We have had 2 time World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm dominating the season in his Ford Fiesta, and then coming into the…

Read More

GRC – Event 2 Review: Texas

Doug Patterson

Another excellent contribution from rally fan and fan of OpenPaddock.net, Mike Shaw (@oregonwings). Do you love motorsports as much as us? Why not contribute your thoughts and opinions? We’d love to post and share them! Round 2 of the GRC takes place at Texas motor speedway in conjunction with the IndyCar event. A little bit longer course is laid out this time vs. the one in Charlotte. It is still 100% tarmac, but the one thing everyone is talking about is the return of the large jump. This time it…

Read More

Global Rallycross Championship – Event 1 Review

Doug Patterson

Contributed article by Mike Shaw (@oregonwings) — So the first round of Global Rallycross Championship took place two weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Unusually this GRC event was 100% tarmac instead of the 50/50 tarmac and dirt split. Apparently the folks at Charlotte didn’t like the idea of a couple of tons of gravel and dirt being dumped onto their precious asphalt and being ground in by 600 plus horsepower fire breathing 4wd rally cars. That meant the 70ft gap jump present at all rounds last year was missing…

Read More