WRC Promoter has been announced as the new commercial rights holder for the World Rallycross Championship ahead of the 2021 season.
A tender for a new series promoter was announced in October last year, after IMG decided it would no longer run the series it had led since its inception.
The new promoter agreement has been described only as a “multi-year” agreement.
“We are pleased to be aligning with WRC Promoter as we build towards a ground-breaking electric future for the FIA World Rallycross Championship,” said Peter Bayer, the FIA’s secretary general for sport.
“The FIA and WRC Promoter have reached a common vision on how to work together for the benefit and the growth of rallycross. Our respective teams are working on a long-form agreement, look forward to commencing work on the 2021 championship and to the move of the sport towards a bright, more sustainable and greener future.
“We have worked extensively with the company as the promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship for a number of years and we anticipate they will bring the same energy and dynamism to the promotion of rallycross.”
IMG’s decision to relinquish the World RX rights brought an early end to what was believed to be a 20-year agreement – which had been extended from an initial 10-year deal – between the entertainment giant and the FIA to run rallycross’s premier series.
IMG developed World RX in 2014 after a season running the European Rallycross Championship. It added Americas Rallycross to its portfolio in 2018, but the North American series – hastily created in the wake of the collapse of Global Rallycross – was shuttered after just two seasons.
WRC Promoter’s appointment means that one entity will once again hold the commercial rights for two of the FIA’s world championships. Previously, Eurosport Events ran both the World Rally Championship and the now-defunct World Touring Car Championship.
WRC Promoter, a joint venture between Red Bull Media House and KW 25, took over the running of the WRC in 2012, while Eurosport Events currently runs the European Rally Championship separately to the WRC.
What we'd like to see from World RX's new promoter
The DirtFish team looks at what could be on the horizon for World RX under the stewardship of WRC Promoter
“World Rallycross sits on the verge of an innovative and pioneering future,” said WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel. “We see strong growth potential in all areas and WRC Promoter is delighted to be at the forefront of a series focused on sustainable technology and e-mobility.
“Rallycross provides breathtaking thrills and spills and we will build new foundations to create an engaging and progressive platform for our global audience and partners.”
In January, a tender process was also launched for the European Rallycross Championship, encompassing both its Supercar and Super1600 divisions.
No development on that front has been confirmed as yet, but the separate tender process could lead to both being run by different organizations for the first time since World RX’s founding in 2014, with both previously falling under IMG’s remit.
For 2021 at least, both will remain aligned through the new WRC Promoter agreement, as the separate tender comes in from 2022.
