Suzuki suspends WRC program
Another one bites the dust. Today was the deadline for manufacturers to announce their intentions to race in the FIA World Rally Championship for 2009, and Suzuki saw fit to let its entry expire after just a single year of competition. The Japanese automaker calls the move a countermeasure to "the contraction of the automotive sales caused by recent global economic turmoil." In other words, fewer car sales mean less excess money for racing. Worse, Suzuki says it expects things to stay bad for the foreseeable future, so riding out the storm wasn't a possibility.
Suzuki was just beginning to see some success in WRC, finishing in the top five for the last two races of the season with its SX4 WRC racer. The manufacturer's Swift Cup will remain active in 2009. This move follows rival automaker Honda's announcement that it would be suspending Formula 1 and AMA Roadracing competition, also a result of the global economic downturn. Thanks for the tip, everyone!
[Source: World Rally Championship]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RaceneednotApply 5:38PM (12/15/2008)
What's next? Boyscouts stop their pinewood derbies?
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Mobius_1 5:46PM (12/15/2008)
People stop eating.
Mark 5:48PM (12/15/2008)
Yes. Balsa wood cars are congruent with million-dollar racing programs.
Conundrum 6:29PM (12/15/2008)
@Mark...
Suzuki:
$10 million racing program/$20 billion US dollars revenue
5 hundredths of one percent of Suzuki's gross revenue
Boyscout:
$10 balsa racing program/ $520 anual allowance (thats $10/ week)
1.9% of his gross annual income.
Hmmmmmmm....
jrhmobile 6:00PM (12/15/2008)
Heck, I just want to know where I can buy their castoff speedparts. I think an SX4 on steroids would be a lot of fun!
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Richard 6:00PM (12/15/2008)
There is a rumor that Subaru will follow suit tomorrow.
Here's to hoping NOT!
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Kevin 7:26PM (12/15/2008)
Yikes. I hope that isn't true.... it's hard to picture rallying without a Subaru competing.
On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised after reading about the new FIA WRC rules for 2010, moving to an S2000-based series.
Bob 6:01PM (12/15/2008)
As I was saying the other day we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg here. There wont be much manufacturer support in racing for awhile.
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RaceneednotApply 6:05PM (12/15/2008)
@ Mark
sarcasm fail.
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Kevin 6:35PM (12/15/2008)
At some point are we going to see some American manufactures drop out of NASCAR?
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Brendan 6:41PM (12/15/2008)
Kevin: We're not that lucky.
Richard 8:08PM (12/15/2008)
Check out yesterday's article from the NYTimes on just that:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/business/14nascar.html?sq=nascar&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1229389679-03bXAQO8sHYWacExP7UWbw
speedball3 6:37PM (12/15/2008)
Weren't there rumors about the FIA changing WRC rules making the current SX4 car obsolete? Do Suzuki's WRC program suspension and the WRC rule change coincide?
Oh, and agree that an SX4 on steroids would be fun! Awesomely fun!! If they sold a detuned version, flared fenders and all, as a street car I'd be a huge fan!
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