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SuperCharge: New electric 'urban rallycross' series announced


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Poll: Another electric racing series with a 'Rallycross' format (9 member(s) have cast votes)

Will this series be successful?

  1. Yes (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  2. No (4 votes [44.44%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 44.44%

  3. Don't know (5 votes [55.56%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 55.56%

Are you a fan of the idea of the RallyCross format for electric racing?

  1. Yes, I love it (1 votes [11.11%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 11.11%

  2. Yes, but I have thoughts (explain in comments) (1 votes [11.11%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 11.11%

  3. It's not for me but it makes sense (4 votes [44.44%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 44.44%

  4. No, I don't like it at all (2 votes [22.22%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 22.22%

  5. Don't know (1 votes [11.11%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 11.11%

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#1 Ben1445

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 17:02

Right, the basics of the idea of this new one: 

 

SuperCharge. Sort of 'Urban Rallycross' with electric cross-overs with 500kW, joker laps, jumps, low friction zones (...gravel?) in global cities with 'amphitheatre' tracks. 

 

Spec chassis, silhouette bodywork but manufacturer involvement is targeted and (interestingly) there's planned freedom to engineer a battery.

 

Formed by ex-F1/WRX/Speedway personnel. Hopes to apply for FIA International Status. Planned launch 2022. 

 

More details here: https://racer.com/20...ries-announced/

 

Super-Charge-Launch-002.jpg

 

So, with reference to the poll question... 

 

Thing is, the World Rallycross Championship is still in the process of its electric transition. There's also PureETCR which will be a touring car technical ruleset at heart and will visit regular tarmac road and street courses...but plans to make use of the rallycross format for short, high power sprint races. Extreme E is different in many ways but their race format will still be fairly short, high power races of the round robin variety. There's something of a trend here, with all of these high profile electric upstarts going for roughly 500kW sprint races. 

 

I'm genuinely interested in people's thoughts on this. Are all these series on the money or totally missing the point? Is this format a good fit for the technology/a modern audience? Not every announced series will make it to active competition, let alone survive - so how does one win in the electric racing gold-rush? 



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#2 Myrvold

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 17:41

I don't see it catching on. I just don't see the interest for it. It's not like the Stadium SuperTrucks have given a massive boost to the events they have been to. And while they race on larger tracks, and are way softer set up than these will be, you'd need big names to even drag some interest from it.

 

Also, as you mention World RX will have electrical cars as well, both as support-series and they will race electrical and traditional ICE's together in SuperCars. Seeing the speed of Projekt E, especially in Riga, I wouldn't be surprised to see the e-supercars getting faster than ICE's in a fairly short time (as they will be lighter and more powerful than Projekt E).

A bit of the reason why RX in the US never catched on, was that they didn't manage to capture a huge interest in the US, nor from traditional rallycross-fans. I see this ending in the same category as well. It can even be seen in World RX, there is a significant lack of engagement and interest in events that is done in rather, uhm, non-RX, RX-tracks. While when they finally managed a proper RX track at Spa, the engagement went up a lot compared to the other new tracks.

 

Lastly, I actually don't see the positives in adding people from IMG(Endeavor), they are good at changing up whatever they are involved in, but they ran the whole company to a 7 billion USD debt as well...



#3 Anja

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 17:55

As I pointed out about Extreme E once, you need to tap into an existing audience when starting a new series. FE succeeded because it attracted a lot of people who were already watching open wheel circuit racing - which is among the most popular in motorsport. This won't have that advantage. And the interest in "general audience" (as in people who aren't already into racing) just isn't significant enough to build a fanbase from zero, electric powertrains won't change that. 



#4 Muppetmad

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 18:06

I think Extreme E has legs because of the environmental angle, which will appeal to the target demographic. This won't have that advantage. But who knows?



#5 Ben1445

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 18:37

I think I just personally don't like the rallycross/sprint/knockout race format. I much prefer the ebbing and flowing of strategy or slowly clawing back a disadvantage through hard graft. When a race all over in five or so minutes it feels underwhelming. That's not to say it can't be exciting or entertaining (individual races can definitely be a rush) I just... I don't know really. It doesn't feel eventful. 

 

Maybe that's what might make the format work for a city event. Something to go and watch because it's there which is exciting and thrilling, doesn't require much prior knowledge and generally makes a good day out. Not sure what this means for PureETCR which will do this but largely on permanent racing circuits with touring cars. 

 

I know a lot of it is down to limitations of battery technology, but it's not like longer electric races (Hello FE) or or even a handful of short races in a weekend (hello BTCC) don't work. So I think I'm just surprised that all of these new electric categories are following this high power sprint path (other than eWRX, which does inherently make sense). 



#6 PayasYouRace

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 18:57

I'll be more excited for an electric version of the type of series I already enjoy. FE is fun and the cars are cool but I tire of only street circuits, and the slightly gimmicky format. Extreme E seems OK but I'm not into rally raids either so doesn't work for me.

 

I like the idea of rallycross, but I'd prefer actual rallycross. Even then, it isn't my thing. I get the urban theme for a lot of electric series because urban is the environment that EVs make sense right now, but I don't think it's for me.

 

You know what I think would really work? Having an electric small car series on the ToCA support bill, benefitting from the live coverage on ITV4. They could have replaced the Clio Cup with a Zoe Cup. Or replace the Porsche Carrera Cup with a Porsche Taycan Cup. Or even replace British F4 with an electric single seater championship. The idea being that it puts EV racing in front of race fans, both at the track and on TV. It would get everyone used to EV racing, show people that it works on normal circuits and not on gimmicky street circuits, and that it can exists side by side with ICE racing for the time being.

 

Do similar things with other popular national championships and EV racing should gain a lot more acceptance. If we're going to go extreme, replace the F3 races supporting Grands Prix with EVs. After all, FE only has exclusivity on world championship single seaters.



#7 Myrvold

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:07

You know what I think would really work? Having an electric small car series on the ToCA support bill, benefitting from the live coverage on ITV4.

 

That's a thing I thought about, but didn't mention.

 

Are this supposed to be the headliner for a raceday/weekend? Seems awfully short on action for it.



#8 Ben1445

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:43

You know what I think would really work? Having an electric small car series on the ToCA support bill, benefitting from the live coverage on ITV4. They could have replaced the Clio Cup with a Zoe Cup. Or replace the Porsche Carrera Cup with a Porsche Taycan Cup. Or even replace British F4 with an electric single seater championship. The idea being that it puts EV racing in front of race fans, both at the track and on TV. It would get everyone used to EV racing, show people that it works on normal circuits and not on gimmicky street circuits, and that it can exists side by side with ICE racing for the time being.

 

Do similar things with other popular national championships and EV racing should gain a lot more acceptance. If we're going to go extreme, replace the F3 races supporting Grands Prix with EVs. After all, FE only has exclusivity on world championship single seaters.

I fully agree. The Smart Fortwo eCup has been pulling in healthy grids in Italy the last three years now supporting various larger series, which should be a pretty solid proof of concept (I mean honestly). Also ERA* are currently testing their Dome F4 based electric entry level single seater in Belgium so it can't be long before we see those making an appearance somewhere. 

 

So hopefully that's all on the way. But it would certainly make me feel a lot more at ease to have a few such series being announced and established before yet another of these new age motorsport entertainment type series like SuperCharge comes along. Grassroots racing could do with a slice of the pie, especially if it can take advantage of the lower running/service costs associated with EVs which could make the sport more accessible. 

 

*not the old English Racing Automobiles of yesteryear, though that would be cool



#9 PayasYouRace

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:48

The Smart Fortwo eCup has been pulling in healthy grids in Italy the last three years now supporting various larger series, which should be a pretty solid proof of concept (I mean honestly). 

 

Electric microcars drafting round Enna-Pergusa is a thing I never knew I needed in my life. If that works, fully electric NASCAR Cup at Daytona will too.



#10 Rodaknee

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:55

A new sport needs to answer a simple question. 

 

"Could a spectator take it up?"

 

I reckon this fails.  It needs special cars and tracks.  To get into it you'd need to pass through other established motorsports first.  I think this is someone jumping on the electric sport bandwagon, who thinks he's found a gap in the market.  Even if he does succeed in running an event, where is it going to be seen?



#11 danmills

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:59

It's basically grown up real life Scalextric.

#12 danmills

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 19:59

Or Hotwheels for Humans.

#13 PayasYouRace

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 20:02

Or Hotwheels for Humans.

 

Who or what were Hot Wheels originally meant for?



#14 BobbyRicky

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Posted 21 October 2020 - 22:36

Who or what were Hot Wheels originally meant for?


Baby seals