# Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing?



## a529612 (May 10, 2006)

Does anyone know why? The Quattro system made its bone in rally racing.


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## Sepp (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (a529612)*

Great question.
Something to do with a really nasty accident in Portugal.
I don't know the whole story myself.


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## vedubya (Oct 29, 2001)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (a529612)*

Skoda is still in there, Audi and skoda are owned by the same people.
I think that VAG wants to have all of the manufacturers represented in some form of racing, right now Audi is representing the name in LeMans style racing.

I think that Audi's official reason for leaving rally was that the cars were getting too fast, there were some bad accidents where drivers, codrivers, and crowd were killed. and crowd control was all but nonexistant.


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## Agaeris (Mar 10, 2004)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (vedubya)*

OK, heres the scoop

Audi withdrew from the WRC years ago because crowd control was non-existant. There were some really nasty accidents, and they told WRC that they would leave until it was fixed (it now has been, years later)
Well, WRC decided that after 17 years of Audi domination, with the SAME h-pattern-shifter car for those 17 years (while others had gone thru 3 or even 6 different models, and upgraded to sequential gearboxes) that they would ban any AWD system dubbed "quattro"








Audi had already proved thier point 17 years in a row, and were to proud to alter and rename thier awd system so they stayed out of the WRC and focused all thier energy into Le Mans, both in Europe and the US, where they are dominating there as well







http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## audis488 (May 19, 2006)

yeah the group b cars made me horny so fast and dangerious


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## a529612 (May 10, 2006)

*Re: (audis488)*

Or it no longer makes business sense to participate in WRC when the competitors are Subaru, Mitsu and such? These manufacturers are not their direct competitors for car sales.


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## rexxmann (Sep 4, 2002)

*Re: (a529612)*


_Quote, originally posted by *a529612* »_Or it no longer makes business sense to participate in WRC when the competitors are Subaru, Mitsu and such? These manufacturers are not their direct competitors for car sales.


I think that has more to do with it than anything else. Sports-car racing is more glamorous and no race in the world is more glamorous than Le Mans (except perhaps F1 Monaco). Plus, I think Le Mans has more advertising power inside the US than WRC. It represents one of the most important venues for establishing a racing pedigree.


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## allcool (Oct 24, 2002)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (a529612)*


_Quote, originally posted by *a529612* »_Does anyone know why? The Quattro system made its bone in rally racing.
"In 1986, Audi formally left international rally racing following an accident in Portugal involving driver Joaquim Santos in his Ford RS200. Santos swerved to avoid hitting spectators in the road, and left the track into the crowd of spectators on the side, * killing three and injuring 30 * " One of the 3 killed was a son of a high audi corporate exec. Audi refused to be part of WRC since they refused to control spectators.


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## threethirteen (Mar 12, 2004)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (allcool)*

thats really interesting information. i had no idea. i guess after 17 straight years of winning, they didnt really have much to prove anymore anyways... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## jakemannis (Jul 6, 2006)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (allcool)*

It's such a sad thing to have had that happen. I rally myself and Audi is such an amazing vehicle. S**t happens unfortunately in this world of racing, in any world for that matter, I guess it just comes with the territory.


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## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? (jakemannis)*

I've heard from folks at Audi in the past that it's just not their demographic anyway. The "glamorous" comment above rings to that. WRC competitors are now generally small econo cars like the Impreza, Skoda, Focus, etc. That's just not Audi's market anymore. 
I think, back then, Rallying was more glamorous than it is now. Too bad. It's one of the coolest motorsports out there. Can you imagine how cool a team of new TTs would be?


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## Agaeris (Mar 10, 2004)

*Re: Why Audi is no longer interested in rally racing? ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_
I think, back then, Rallying was more glamorous than it is now. Too bad. It's one of the coolest motorsports out there. Can you imagine how cool a team of new TTs would be?

TTs would rock, or how about some S3s! I have to agree, Audi is focusing all thier efforts into prototypes at Le mans and such, rallye has just lost its class. Not to say I still dont love the WRC, cause I do!


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