Here in Lommel on Friday, teams have been arriving, setting up and preparing themselves for this all-important third Grand Prix in the 2022 season. A full house of entries will ensure fierce competition for the thirty gate slots and the two reserve places. Those who do not make the cut automatically, will fight in the last chance event tomorrow to try one last tiem to qualify.
The weather has been mixed, with hot sun punctuated by torrential showers and thunderstorms. For the weekend however, we are hopeful the worst is over and we can have meaningful racing on a very demanding track. A good soaking was no bad thing to keep the dust down,
The WSC TV crew has been busy all day gathering stories and interviews for the regular TV Highlights Show. There is a definite air of excitement and anticipation ahead of the close race for the title lead and red plate, with just a handful of points between the top four crews.
I personally was impressed with the speed and tenacity displayed in Loket by the young and tenacious Prunier brothers Killian and Evan from France, making a point of going to speak with them. Similarly, the Swiss duo of Marco Heinzer and Reudi Betschart deserve recognition for their persistence and were well worth an interview slot.
However, the reality is, that against a background of soaring costs, a two-year global pandemic and a war waged by Russia on the Ukrainians, WSC has fought valiantly to maintain its pay-to-view live coverage service of every Grand Prix weekend. The nucleus of loyal fans and supporters who have regularly signed in and contributed their funds to enjoy the action have been both encouraging and appreciated.
Sadly, that number of loyal supporters has remained constant, but at a level which only goes a short way towards justifying the huge cost of making and transmitting live television. That pay to view audience needs to grow significantly for the system to be self-supporting. It is for that reason, the live coverage will be suspended for the remainder of the 2022 season, with every intention of formulating a viable plan for 2023 and ongoing. WSC would like to thank those subscribers who have demonstrated their confidence and enthusiasm for a live stream service.
The one-hour TV highlights show is now being aired across several platforms in many countries with good reviews. This will be unaffected and will continue to be produced with all the qualifying and race action, interviews and features.
Additionally, the normal Social Media coverage, up-dates, bulletins and features will, if anything be at an even higher level, as well as constant bulletins on the WSC website. Make sure you stay across www.fimsidecarcross.com for the very latest.
Action gets underway early tomorrow with free practice and pre-qualifying before the two group qualifying races set the scene for Sunday’s GP races.
