Red Bull GRC: Ford secures manufacturer’s championship (VIDEO)

By Nov 5, 2015, 12:30 PM EST
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LAS VEGAS – Ford has another Red Bull Global Rallycross manufacturer’s championship in the books for 2015. The video confirming that is above, and the full release details are below:

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It’s now five for five.

Ford Performance maintained its perfect record in the GRC Manufacturers’ Championship at the Red Bull Global Rallycross series’ finale Wednesday when Olsbergs MSE’s Joni Wiman claimed his first career victory at the Village Lot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The win clinches a Manufacturers’ Championship for Ford for the fifth time in five GRC seasons, cementing its position as the winningest manufacturer in the series.

“Our organization is incredibly proud of the continued success the Ford Fiesta ST has seen in the series,” said Dave Pericak, Global Director at Ford Performance.  “Five Manufacturers Championship titles in five years is certainly an accomplishment.  It can be attributed to a combination of the engineering of the vehicle, as well as the hard work and dedication from all the teams and drivers.”

Ford Fiestas have seen unparalleled success in global rallycross with a total of 88 podium appearances and 29 wins since the series premiered in 2011.  There has not been a Global Rallycross race in the series’ history without a Ford Fiesta on the podium, and Ford has previously captured four drivers’ championships.

“Five consecutive championships is an incredible accomplishment in any sport, but especially in motorsport, where competition is so tight,” said Red Bull Global Rallycross CEO Colin Dyne. “Ford has been a part of Red Bull GRC from the beginning, and has continually elevated its commitment to stay atop the Manufacturers’ Championship as other brands have joined the series. We’re proud to call Ford a partner, and we’re happy to congratulate them on a well-earned accomplishment.”

IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
IndyCar
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”