Less than a decade ago, most Americans didn’t know about Rallycross. Many still don’t. Veiled in European obscurity, it remained across the pond for forty years. And then it came roaring in like the absolute beast that it is. Rallycross is a race on multi-surface tracks (tarmac, dirt, etc). Jumping and contact with other cars is frequent. Think motocross… but cars—seemingly normal cars. Ford Fiestas and Focuses, Volkswagen Beetles and Polos, Subaru Imprezas, and Hondas. But they’re massively modified to get over 500 horsepower… and the zero to sixty? Faster than a Tesla—usually 2 seconds or less. These cars shoot fire out the exhaust! Rallycross started in the Nordic area of Europe, namely Finland. It’s known in their language as “everyone’s class.” It is racing for the masses. It isn’t elite like Formula One. Kids start as soon as they can reach the accelerator. Pre-teen girls race against men in their sixties… and it’s wonderful. The professional aspect of Rallycross began in the late 60s on television in Britain and was picked up in the rest of Europe, but when introduced to Australia, it was as good as dead in the water. (Or dead in the Outback? Kicked by the kangaroo!) Basically, no Rallycross for Australia. Even after trying to bring it back in 2015, it still didn’t take off. One of my personal favorites is Emma Gilmour. She was the first female racing driver for Red Bull Global Rallycross. Gilmour has raced against world champions like Tanner Foust while holding her own. From New Zealand, Gilmour enjoys her cats and reading a good book. “Buckle up, Buttercup,” is a favorite saying of hers. Yes, ma’am. Will do. I contacted her for this post and she was very generous and nice. I asked her a couple questions: Liberty: "Does being a woman impact how you treat your racing career?" Emma Gilmour: “I've only ever been a woman racer so I don't know racing any differently. 😊 It's certainly helped me to stand out from the crowd and make me more memorable for fans and sponsors I think.” Liberty: "What's your favorite aspect of being a bad##s racing driver?" Emma Gilmour: "There are so many things that I love. Driving fast would be number one and then meeting so many passionate people in all the different aspects of Motorsport - fans, mechanics, organizers, sponsors. It's a wonderful community that I've been lucky enough to experience around the world. 😊" As you can see, she fits into the world of Rallying and Rallycross quite seamlessly. It’s a community of enthusiasts for all walks of life. I first saw Gilmour racing last year on television one day. I just happened to turn it on and watch a bit of the race. It’s thrilling and a spectacle. That’s what is important about it—it’s a spectacle that can be held on a viewable track. Unlike Formula One and other racing where the cars are out of view most of the time, Rallycross can be held in a relatively small area just like motocross and NASCAR where spectators can sit all around… and this is what sells tickets and spots on tv. Being able to watch all of the action all of the time gives Rallycross a huge advantage and is one of the reasons it has excelled. Rallycross finally came to the United States as “Super Rally” on the X Games in 2009 and spread from there. Now there are multiple leagues of rallying, like Red Bull Global Rallycross and FIA World Rallycross. Races can be watched on regular network television and attended just like a baseball game—but seriously, who would want to watch baseball when you could watch cars jumping, hitting each other, going from zero to sixty in two seconds, and shooting flames out the exhaust? Everyone’s a winner when you get to watch that. Many of the drivers have had to adapt because Rallycross is so new. Scott Speed used to race in Formula One and NASCAR, but has made the transition to Rallycross became a champion. There’s something special about Rallycross. It’s new to America, it doesn’t have the tight restrictions as other racing, and it feels a bit like the Wild West. And the cars jump and hit each other and spit fire. Did I mention that? It’s a sport that everyone could enjoy. In the Nordic area, it’s just a normal part of life. The cars driven in the international racing leagues are modified to the extreme, but there are still plenty of lower level leagues almost anyone can enter with a normal car. Like motocross, it’s easily accessible for joining in and for casual viewing—but the best part is that it’s actually entertaining. Rallycross is not elitist or snobbish—and neither drab nor boring. It’s cool and thrilling. It’s down to earth and invented by a culture of regular people that simply love driving. It started as a sport that everyone could take part in, and it still holds those values. Though, to get where racers Emma Gilmour, Scott Speed, and Tanner Foust are, you must have passion, skill, and a drive like no other. You have to be fit, focused, and most of all—an adrenaline junkie. Rallycross is just now finally making waves on the international stage. I look for it to be as popular as NASCAR and Formula One. I am proud to be an early adopter, just like Emma Gilmour, to something so thrilling.
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AuthorLiberty White Archives
November 2017
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