Red Bull GRC: 2016 AB (After Block)
While Ken Block continues on the magical mystery tour that is running a Focus in World Rallycross, (most of) the rest of the Global Rallycross crew resume action this weekend.
The frontrunner remains the frontrunner, as Volkswagen-Andretti returns with defending champion Scott Speed and former champion Tanner Foust, who has won at least one rallycross final every year since 2010 and managed to sneak into dark-horse contention by the end of the season as the Beetles, after myriad teething issues at the start of the season, kept it together in the final three weekends.
This would look nice in @RedBullGRC, jus'sayin'... (ht @Jalopnik) http://t.co/TvJtlwLFkD pic.twitter.com/FlPLiVUKZX
Teething issues may be expected at Olsbergs, as 2015 runner-up Sebastian Eriksson and 2014 champion Joni Wiman bring in easily the biggest change of the season, becoming Honda’s factory squad with the Civic. Given the Indycar connections of other teams (Herta in particular) and the closeness with which Olsbergs had worked with Ford in the past, it’s a bit of a surprise, but certainly a welcome challenge for one of only two teams that has been with GRC from the outset of the series.
Another big change comes from SH Racing, as Nelson Piquet Jr. amicably parts from the rallycross scene for 2016, unable to fit it into a cramped schedule that this year includes not only a Formula E title defense but also a full-time World Endurance Championship ride. In his place is the absolutely deserving veteran Jeff Ward, who only ran two races last year and knocked it out filling in on Brian Deegan’s off days at Ganassi, only missing a podium at Daytona after contact with Steve Arpin resulted in a penalty.
Deegan will be running GRC full-time for the first time since 2013 at Ganassi, as he oversees his daughter Hailie’s season in Lites, and with Arpin back in the second Fiesta they should improve on 2015′s results. Deegan hasn’t won since X Games 2011 and Arpin hasn’t won period--I expect this will change before November rolls around.
Bryan Herta Rallysport brings the other M-Sport Fiesta--note I used that in singular, as they pare their operation down to a single car for championship contender Patrik Sandell, who was the only person less lucky than Ken Block over the course of the season. Where that leaves Austin Dyne is questionable, although he’s been continually posting as if he’s going to make an appearance in GRC later this season.
Also appearing later this season--and skipping most of the first three weekends!--is Subaru. Their dreadful 2015 campaign necessitated enough extra R&D work that they’re skipping the season-opener in Phoenix, only sending Sverre Isachsen to Dallas, and skipping Daytona entirely, with a full team return for the 4th of July weekend (well actually July 2-3) at The Base (which I presume is the same Base as last season, MCAS New River, North Carolina).
And about that schedule--notice I said Phoenix and Dallas? Yep, we have new events on there! But the new events are almost overshadowed by the loss of two series mainstays: X Games is dropping rallycross entirely, completing the separation of a series that used to basically be ESPN filler material before the Colin Dyne and Red Bull era; and the series will not be returning to SEMA Week in Las Vegas, opting instead to simply display their cars instead of race. Detroit and Barbados are off the calendar as well. In their place: well of course the aforementioned Phoenix (at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, once upon a time known as Firebird Raceway) and Dallas (a street course at Fair Park), plus a new event at Atlantic City’s Bader Field, and a relocated Seattle event--not at Dirtfish Rally School, but northways to Evergreen Speedway, where there’s at least some infrastructure for a proper racing event. Daytona returns, as does The Base (unless of course it’s A Different Base), Washington (which will probably stay as long as Volkswagen’s in the series and it doesn’t piss off the neighbors), and the Port of Los Angeles doubleheader becomes the season finale in October.
So bring on the racing! As Indy 500 practices get going, a visiting dignitary in the form of Sebastian Saavedra gets a one-off ride for the Phoenix weekend, so we’ll see if that develops into anything beyond the first two rounds. For that matter, I’d be shocked if Pat Moro and Rhys Millen don’t make an appearance here or there.
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