Tag Archives: SEMA Show

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GRC Drivers Appear at SEMA Before Vegas Finale

The annual SEMA Show attracts hundreds of thousands of car enthusiasts, brand representatives, and race drivers to the Las Vegas Strip every year. After holding the 2012 season finale in a Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot, Global Rallycross has maintained its presence at the show this year with numerous driver appearances.

In conjunction with Ford, the 2013 Global Rallycross Manufacturer’s Champion, five drivers (Ken Block, Patrik Sandell, Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan, and newly crowned series champion Toomas Heikkinen) performed demonstration runs in the same parking lot where GRC raced last season. Meanwhile, Foust and Deegan attracted scores of fans at autograph sessions across the exhibition, entertaining both sponsorship partners and fans alike, while Sandell made appearances on behalf of newly signed sponsor Kobalt Tools, Block promoted the upcoming Gymkhana Six video, and Heikkinen relished his status as the top dog of the 2013 GRC season.

For the first time in 2013, Global Rallycross has maintained a display of its own at SEMA, located at booth #50647 on the Skybridge. SEMA attendees can stop by to learn more about the series and pick up schedules for GRC’s two-day race event, held just minutes away from the show at 3901 Las Vegas Boulevard South. SEMA attendees gain free admittance with their show badge.

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GRC CEO Colin Dyne Speaks at SEMA

Global Rallycross CEO Colin Dyne spoke at Tuesday’s Racing and Performance Forum Panel, held at the SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. During his 10-minute speech, Dyne spoke to the established strengths of the sport, as well as the immediate future of the series.

“I’ve been involved in building many brands,” began Dyne, whose work with William Rast included a victory in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Dan Wheldon and a licensing partnership with Danica Patrick. “I see fashion, sports, and all these elements fusing together as one.”

Dyne was one of eight speakers on the panel, which also included representatives from all three major American automakers, multiple racing series, and technical partners. The two-hour panel featured videos and presentations, the subjects of which ranged from technological innovation to safety to building and elevating brands. For Global Rallycross, one of the key points was the sport’s growing and desirable fanbase.

“Our fanbase is young, it’s dynamic, and that’s the demographic that everybody is looking for,” Dyne commented. “Our superstars—we call them action sports heroes—create their own worlds. They have conversations with their fans every day… (and) what’s interesting in our sport is that we’ve shown virality in the social world, and really taken off in that aspect.”

Dyne also spoke to the extensive manufacturer support within the series. “Manufacturers play a big role in supporting the series,” he noted. “We have great support from Ford, Subaru, and Dodge. Hyundai is looking at coming back into the series next here, and will be racing this weekend. MINI will also be here with us, and we have a couple of manufacturers that will be joining us as well next year.”

Dyne concluded his presentation by announcing the series’ new partnership with Red Bull, which will see the energy drink join the series as title sponsor in a multi-year deal, and confirming that a 10-race schedule will be announced in the near future.

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Top 10 GRC Moments: Brian Deegan’s Last Stand

In anticipation of the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale, held on the Las Vegas Strip on November 6-7, Global-Rallycross.com looks back on the 10 most significant events in the series’ three-year history. These stories will appear on Global-Rallycross.com once a day from Monday-Friday on the weeks of October 21-25 and October 28-November 1. Click here to purchase tickets for the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale.

DATE: October 30, 2012

LOCATION: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

IN BRIEF: Brian Deegan entered the 2012 GRC season finale as the only driver with a chance to dethrone Tanner Foust for the championship. Both drivers won their first heat races, but an incident with Sverre Isachsen in the second heat forced Deegan to go through the last chance qualifier and start ninth in the main event.

After an underwhelming first attempt at the final, Ken Block’s mechanical troubles led to a full restart and new life for Deegan’s title hopes. He rocketed toward the front at the green light, pulling into a podium spot after the first corner and delivering one of the most passionate driving performances in rallycross in recent memory. He would eventually finish second, becoming the only driver to have all five of his finishes that counted toward the championship also be podium placements.

EFFECTS: Deegan had proven himself a worthy GRC driver by winning gold at X Games Los Angeles in 2011, but the 2012 season showed that the freestyle motocross legend could drive patiently enough to contend for championships. He currently ranks third in the 2013 Supercar standings, and will once again battle Foust for points position in Las Vegas this year.

Photo credit: Doug Kranz/Icon SMI

OTHER TOP 10 GRC MOMENTS

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Top 10 GRC Moments: Block On Fire, Literally, in Vegas

In anticipation of the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale, held on the Las Vegas Strip on November 6-7, Global-Rallycross.com looks back on the 10 most significant events in the series’ three-year history. These stories will appear on Global-Rallycross.com once a day from Monday-Friday on the weeks of October 21-25 and October 28-November 1. Click here to purchase tickets for the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale.

DATE: October 30, 2012

LOCATION: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

IN BRIEF: Nobody seemed to have the speed to catch Ken Block during the 2012 GRC season finale, held in conjunction with the SEMA Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot. He was fast in qualifying, won both of his heat races, and jumped out to the lead at the start of the main event.

Unfortunately for Block, a race win wasn’t meant to be. Paint caught fire inside the car’s exhaust, eventually filling the cockpit with smoke and flames. Block continued driving for as long as he could, only yielding the lead to Tanner Foust and eventually retiring when the car proved too dangerous to continue driving.

EFFECTS: Losing in Las Vegas proved to be the catalyst for major changes at the former Monster World Rally Team. In the offseason, the team, now renamed Hoonigan Racing Division, formed a technical partnership with World Rally veterans M-Sport to retool Block’s car for the 2013 season. In response, Block has earned the top seed on four separate occasions (New Hampshire, Bristol, Atlanta, and Charlotte) and won a series-leading nine heat races of a possible 11.

Photo credit: Larry Chen/SpeedHunters.com

OTHER TOP 10 GRC MOMENTS