This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

Ford introduced its new Super 2000 Fiesta rally car at this weekend’s Rally of Scotland.  The car will make its WRC competition debut in the new S2000 category next season and by 2011 that’ll be the top class in the WRC.

The S2000 cars will be down on technology, turbochargers and power as the international rally world goes lemming-like into the abyss of cost cutting.

Super 2000 cars have competed in the South African Rally Championship since 2004.  Similar cars currently compete in the Production class of the WRC and they’re a category in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

So the technology isn’t new and cars already exist. But going backwards in racing technology will only delay needed factory development for road cars.  This means marketing minions will control another form of motor sport.

Ask the NASCAR teams going out of business how they like marketing in charge of factory racing budgets.

Super 2000 may be a step backwards.  Maybe the engineers can sneak some break through engineering into the deal when no one’s looking. Long term, that’s a sad thing for racing. 

How do you like racing as entertainment now?

Peace.