The European Rallycross Championship

Rallycross is a form of motorsport that, until recently, I have known very little about. In my mind, rallycross has always been a 'grass roots' form of motorsport, in which anyone could sign up to, bring along their car, and whizz around a dusty hill for a day, on a budget. 

I'm sure it does exist at that level, and more professional levels too, but I've never really been aware of how serious a sport it is, until someone kindly introduced me to the sport, and in particular, the European Rallycross Championship (ERC).

This championship has run from 1973, and became an official FIA sport in 1976, which already proves the sport has pedigree. In 1978 the need for a class system was realised, and so two classes were created; one for touring cars, and another for grand touring cars. 
However, in my opinion, a real turning point for the sport was in 1986, when Group B cars were banned from WRC due to numerous safety issues. In was in the following year that 'Division two' was set up for these Group B monsters to compete, side by side, bumper to bumper in the ERC. Famously brutal cars, such as the Metro 6R4's, Audi Sport Quattro's and Ford RS200's could now be seen thrashing round these rallycross courses, providing a unique experience of seeing these beasts racing alongside one another, fighting for positions.

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During this period, interest for the sport began to rise, and up until the early/mid nineties, the sport continued to grow. An effect of this was that drivers began to make a name for themselves, and those with the skills to win time and time again became quite famous within ERC circles.

One name that kept cropping up during my research of the ERC was that of Will Gollop. Will was a very talented and competitive ERC driver, and from what I can see, the most successful British driver the sport has ever encountered, alongside another skillful driver by the name of Trevor Reeves, also a British driver who also achieved a great deal when competing in the sport. Will Gollop achieved his greatness in the legendary Metro 6R4, with fantastic results in the years 1988-93, giving consistent podium finishes in the ERC for five years running; an incredible accomplishment in any sport.
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Much like any sport though, the limelight somewhat faded from the ERC during the nineties and noughties, as new drivers with new cars were introduced to the sport, with a high amount of WRC spec (or similar) Citroen's, Ford's, Mitsubishi's and Peugeot's being the weapon of choice for this period in the sport.

So, where is the sport these days?

It can be argued that the ERC is once again gaining interest as a sport in these modern times, with phenomenally rapid machines being skillfully handled round familiar tracks, such as Lydden Hill, by some of today's most talented drivers, one of which being Tanner Foust, someone who even put Ken Block to shame at his own game.
As for the cars, in a class of their own. For instance, Ford Fiesta's that accelerate from 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds, put into context, that's faster than a Formula One car! The type of racing that these cars provide is simply amazing, and guarantees 'edge of your seat' viewing.

Researching the ERC has been a pleasure for me, to see this wondrous cross between WRC & BTTC, (or that's how I at least see it), showing cars literally battling with one another for positions, with mud spraying up onto the windscreens blinding the drivers of the 500bhp+ monsters, as they glide from one corner to the next.

I seriously recommend to everyone that they give this sport a closer look, it really does provide brilliant racing and can only be considered jaw-dropping to watch! Here's an onboard video to get you started, make sure you get onto YouTube and watch some more, and check out the link at the bottom of the page for more info on where and when it's taking place.

Click here for the ERC official website

Many thanks for reading!

Image sources: Here (1)
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