Since the start of Speedhunters in 2008, I’ve made a point of reading literally every single comment posted on our stories. I’m always interested to see what you think of our work, both the good and the bad. There are always changes going on in automotive trends and tastes, and reading your comments helps to provide snapshots of the Speedhunters audience’s mood at any given moment.
So when the results of the Great Speedhunters Audience survey came up last month, there weren’t too many surprises. Reading through your answers for the most part helped to reinforce many observations I had intuited from reading our traffic reports and your story comments.
However there was one item in the poll that was a little unexpected to me: It appears that a lot of you are interested in rallying and the WRC.
So with this in mind, I’ve started planning for our media team to hit up a few WRC events later this year. I’ve also been digging through the various media archives on the net and managed to source some cool shots from the Ford photographic database showing the Monte Carlo Rally.
This 2001 vintage shot (I can’t believe I just wrote that) shows Carlos Sainz navigating the changeable conditions that the Monte Carlo Rally is famous for.
The Speedhunters photographic team have done some magical work shooting the Pikes Peak Hillclimb for the past two years. However this is not the only mountain that sees motorsports.
And when I look at shots like this, it really makes me want to get the team out to apply our Speedhunting craft to the WRC. What would Larry Chen come up with at the Monte Carlo Rally?
Sainz’s team mate from 200 to 2002 was the dearly departed Colin McRae.
This 2002 shot of McRae was only ten years ago, but in it already feels like a generation has passed. We’ve already experienced the Loeb era since then.
How many of you guys have been to a WRC event? Judging by this shot, the spectating experience certainly looks to be completely raw and direct.
Hmmm. The Rally Sweden is coming up in a few weeks… perhaps it’s time to be the first on the Speedhunters team to shoot a WRC event. We’ll see!
:Rod
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Local rallies only - WRC events when I hit the lotto or flip enough parts on CL.
http://www.newenglandforestrally.com/
http://team-oneil.com/
I love rally, one of the first sports I got into back in the day. I guarantee you that I voted to see more rally haha. Now a days though I want to see more variety in manufacturers racing in it. I wish the classic teams pushed back in. subaru, mitsubishi, ford, mini, peugeot, citroen, audi (idk what they would use), lancia (privateers in classics?)... a fun line up, a guy can dream...
Interesting... more please!
Oh and YES PLEASE on more rally/WRC coverage! Luvs it!
Desktops please!
Excellant, and about time too. As with every event on here, im sure the coverage will be great. There is nothin like seeing the cars we drive being throw around on a rally stage.
This is awesome to see guys, and if you could cover some of the wrc that would be fantastic.
The conditions faced on the monte this year already has shown us why theyre known as the worlds best drivers, and I'd love to see the photos you guys could take of them
more WRC will ALWAYS be appreciated!!! speedhunters to the rescue again!!!! <3
Wait a minute. This is by far my favourite website even though I don't care for drifting and now you're going to make it even better? I am over the moon. Thank you muchly for listening to your viewers.
more WRC, there really isn't enough coverage of these extremely talented drivers.
rallying.. especially when the scenery/shots are nice!
don't forget lots of articles on the classic Group-B stuff... always fun.
..and 80's/90's Group-A...!
I requested more rally coverage in the survey! Awesome!! Good work. Way to start with Carlos Sainz and McRae. Definately two of my heroes.
I'm surprised you guys don't shoot more of these. WRC is awesome. The majority of the world can't be wrong. Nice write-up.
This is awesome news !! Im excited to see what you guys can produce.
Make sure you get to a Tarmac rally, thats when the cars look their best, and dont forget to wait for the S2000 cars to pass.
Also I love that Focus, one of my favourite WRC cars. But im starting to think the new Fiesta looks better.
Great news! But I hope that you will cover not tarmac events only.
The quality of spectating the WRC varies greatly between countries. I'm in the UK and most national rallies offer a far better viewing experience than the WRC, where you are often penned in to small viewing areas and not allowed to roam: which is the whole point of watching a rally!
Would love to do spectate one of the WRC events in Europe though, especially Finland.
If you want to see spectaular rally outside the WRC, then cover an Irish Tarmac event. The quality and range of cars is second to none, plus the stages are immense!
Mexico please!
In our family we grew up around motorsports rather than basketball and football. From time-to-time we would hit up a Giants game being that we've always resided in the Bay Area. Every form of motorsports racing fascinates me. From an engineering standpoint down to the aesthetics of team liveries. You name it. Formula 1, NHRA, Indy Car, Nascar, DTM, JGTC, etc. However, WRC has always occupied a special place high up in my racing interests. No other form delivers the audacity a driver and co-pilot must co-operatively possess when navigating a course. If you took away the competition format WRC would be a group of badass cars, and equally badass drivers/co-pilots, going as fast as humanly possibly up/down a mountain range, or forest road. Long live WRC!!
WOW great shots. these are type of coverage i want. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!
I try to get to the rally every year it passes through New Zealand. We have it again this year (alternate with our neighbours these days). You don't get to see a whole lot chasing the rally round, but what you do see are the best drivers flashing past you flicking through corners, tackling all shorts of roads and conditions. its pretty awesome
I cover a lot of rallies for Dirtyimpreza.com. I'd love to cover them for Speedhunters. It's a motorsport like no other.
Not a fan of rally but I'm looking forward to some sick rally shots
The Autosport show was a great way to remind ourselves just how good rallying was – and still is
That is brilliant job, thank you! Really waiting for some Acropolis Rally stuff
You couldn't do it soon enough
A Feature on The swedish rally would be great as one of the hardest rallies on the calendar due to the ice and snow. How about a feature on one of the sports up and comers Hayden paddon from New zealand last years Production WRC world champion he has sold shares in his own company to get to the top of world ralling using his winnings to repay the investors. this year he is racing in SWRC against the like of Sebastiian Ogier ex Citroen WRC
If you read every single comment to see what we have to say, respond to this question:
How are ya today Rod?
Still loving the site!
YES!! More Rally!
I've never been to WRC event, because they don't come to America :/, but I've been to plenty of Rally America rallys. It is probably one of the best motor events I can imagine. The rawness and openess of rally is epic, and the skill is amazing. I'll be looking forward to see what you guys can cover with WRC.
I'd love to see some coverage of the rally tarmac sprint races as well that are taking place in Poland and other European countries. There's lots of vids of those on youtube... they look awesome! Lots of amateur entries.
It`s good that you value the opinion of your readers. And I agree that more rally content will be appreciated. I would definitely like to see some rally car features.
Finally! More rally! Rally plus the Speedhunters flare would make for amazing shots!
it'll be interestin ONLY if they put their cars into mass production...
WRC is amazing , and everyone who likes cars should be forced to watch one full race , and the they will be hooked , youd be a small 1% who like cars , but not rally as well .
screw that 1 % lol ,
WRC, and the othr rally leagues are amzing and we definetly do not get the rally coverge we should in the USA , im tired of looking at an iphone app to watch WRC races , hit em up speedhunters , yall are sick and speedhuners+WRC/Rallycross= epic dirty car shots !
More rally and hillclimb!!! lots of hillclimbs!!!
Rallying is way more fun and spectacular than drifting, I do think it's deserves more cover from Speedhunters, since this is about speed...
I think it's safe to say that outside of Speedhunter's American readers nearly everyone on this site follows F1 AND WRC. I could be wrong but Europe and Africa love it, Asia loves it, the Caribbean loves it, South America loves it...WRC is nearly as MAJOR to motorsport fans as F1 is to most. Glad you realised that there are followers of the sport on the site.
Evolve: I can agree with you. I LOVE drifting but it can't beat the extreme speed, extreme tension and concentration (driving while listening to pace notes), super long stages and agony like rallying brings.
Yes Please!!!
We don't get tv coverege of the WRC in Puerto Rico so it would be nice if you post some videos highlights of the WRC like with the Dakar. That by the way was awesom!!
SPEEDHUNTERS SHOULD GET IT'S OWN TV CHANNEL!!!!!
You're on the right track! More rally and hill climb events for sure!!! But also agree with others hat regional events would be cool to see in the archives of SH.
Kyle I am fine... thank you for asking!
IMO.... WRC hit it's peak right before the Loeb era started
It is still a good championship, but it was a GREAT championship earlier.
I always forget to check Discovery HD Theater/Velocity for the tv coverage in America too
WRC on SpeedHunters would be awesome, how could you not cover one the fastest street cars?
Been to a few Rally GBs.
Yes please go out ant and all WRC events. Loved your coverage of the Dakar. Although outsourced, those photos were stunning. Imagine the coverage real car nuts like you guys could get. Love love love WRC!! THANKS
You can tell who's not a real rallying fan when they say ''more rally'' instead of ''more rallying''
That Focus is lovely. I had forgotten it existed.
Love the coverage. I don't follow WRC but can definitely respect the driver's ability and the amazing cars that participate. I'm pretty easy to please, though... awesome cars, regardless of purpose or vintage make me incredibly happy. Keep up the good work, guys!
YES!!!!!!!!! glad to see you guys picking up the WRC keep up the great work!
Love WRC! Don't forget to support Rally America! Oregon Trail Rally! Insane crowned forest roads FTW.
Nice... kinda answers my request also haha
I asked for more event coverage.
we love rallying!! wooo, the action of rallying is just incredible
I managed to get to my first WRC event last year, it was Rally GB. Utterly fantastic, will definitely be going again. Took one of my favourite pictures of a person: http://goo.gl/Hk2FO
Sort of what Kerry said, I love this site even though I don't especially care for drifting or import drags. WRC makes for some awesome photgraphy and not many sites show any of it. I enjoy the classic stuff import or domestic, Le Mans/Endurance racing, any of the local street culture (cars'n coffee, the meets in Japan etc) Touring cars, F1 and many other things. The site shows the car culture from many angles and many that are not commonly found on the interwebs. Keep up the good work.
Amazing photography mate, any chance of desktops???
Dont forget Tommi Mak and the brilliant Evos. Perhaps do a feature on the origin and rise of the Evos. Most of our North American brothers would know little of them until they got the 8.
Rod, don't forget to hit up some rallies in your home country this year too! The Canadian Rally Championship gets a depressing lack of coverage and it's got some great scenery.
First form of racing I was ever exposed to was WRC in Kenya Africa. Will never forget car after car hitting a section of road I was standing at catching major air at a hillcrest.
Get Matt to cover Wrc New Zealand!! its in a month or so. I've been to approx 22 WRC events in my 30 year life. NZ has fantastic rally roads (voted best roads by the wrc drivers) and awesome scenery. DO IT!!
I went to Rally Germany to try and shoot some photo's last year and I have to say I have great respect for the photogs who take up the challenge of covering a rally. It is a extremely demanding schedual with little down time and there is almost no way to hit up each stage unless you have a personal helicopter. The climbing and hiking that is required to get to shooting locations and the challenge of just finding the stages is exhausting.
All I can say is I will be better prepared this year. lol
Would love to see as much rally coverage as possible. Keep up the good work guys.
Hello