The confirmation of Ken Block for the World Rally Championship is interesting – and it’s really good news. One thing is for sure, Ken will have a difficult time in the beginning, as the World Rally Championship is on a completely different level compared to national American rallying. However, talent pays off and if Ken has it in him, he can be as good as anyone else. There are quite a few drivers in the championship that has started off with very little experience – and by running the WRC and the Rally America Block will gain a lot of experience during this year. I think the star duel of Block vs. Räikkönen will be an interesting thing to follow this year as they come from different backgrounds but both lacks the larger experience of rallying on a World Rally Championship level. Maybe Block will have a small advantage, but I’m not sure…
No matter the results, the addition of Ken Block and the Monster WRT is a huge boost for the championship. Ken is a superstar in America, which is a very important market for car manufacturers as well as for most global brands. Rallying has always been seen as a European sport over there (Block also says that himself to USA Today), and with a boosted interest there – doors may open up for wider US TV-coverage, new investors in the sport and a better reputation of the championship world-wide. Also, if Block stays in the championship and if maybe even Pastrana joins, I would be surprised if we didn’t get a US round of the championship within five years.
Besides that, I’m quite sure that the Monster WRT will uppen the level of the marketing and PR connected to the World Rally Championship. I’m not a big fan of many US motorsports, with Nascar as a good example, but the skills in PR and marketing is better in the US than anywhere else. Already today with the launch you can notice that everything is prepared; presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (with a launch clip!), branded clothes and connections to all important sponsors. To underline the difference, just read the main goal of the Monster WRT:
“To become the most visible team in the sport, both through our efforts in racing and creative marketing”
Some people may consider this goal bad as it puts the sports performance a little bit to the side, but hey? Anyone that has been involved in rallying on a higher level knows that the money in the sport (which is necessary for the championship to exist) comes from sponsors that aren’t in the sport just for fun – they wanna make business out of it. So in fact nothing has changed, it’s just a more straightforward way of seeing it.
As a conclusion, I’m really excited to see Block and Räikkönen in the World Rally Championship. Core rally drivers like Sebastien Loeb, Marcus Grönholm and the other guys must exist and will always exist – but to broaden the view and get superstars from other disciplines and championships into the sport will just improve the championship and also create better potential for the core guys to become big stars. With a huge boost in star quality and a new formula (WRC1.6T) coming up for 2011, I can’t wait to see the future of the World Rally Championship seen over a few years. If you as me, I think it’s brighter than ever!
