I guess I'm not in sync with a fair few people in my not being overly enthusiastic about this 'series'. But, I have watched / followed nearly every event.
The individual events themselves, for the most part, I've followed for years with much enthusiasm. So, don't, for a moment, think I'm not a fan of most of the events - and, more importantly, the riders.
It's a series largely made up of long (some very very long) standing, stand alone events, with, generally, increasingly, the common factor of Red Bull being the major/ name sponsor of the events.
Most of the events didn't need any sort of 'series' to keep growing / being incredibly popular among riders, teams and spectators.
So, Red Bull, with their manufacture partner - KTM / KTHusky - have set up a 'series'. Basically, their 'own' series.
A 'Red Bull Media House' series.
Red Bull / Red Bull Media House is an absolute juggernaut of publicity. The money they have, is enormous. Their Media power is Stupendous. The amount of money they put into Motorcycle Sports / their backing of KTM, for how Huge it is, is but small change (for them) compared to their F1 and other Promotional efforts.
Red Bull has quite a few 'naming rights' series World wide, such as various Rookies Cups etc, but Monster really seems to have a death grip / ownership on the Biggest series there are. So Red Bull trying to fight back, I'd say
It may also be a protest (manufacturers) against how some things are done in EWC. It's got a bit weird in Blanchards(???) series, over the last few years. But, they have seemed to start to wake up to themselves - perhaps not a small part of it is due to the threat of the WESS.
EWC has become somewhat 'exclusive', but, it is the World Championships. But, for the individual event organizers, they - ABC- need to open it up a bit more for the Organizers financial health - or at least get / give the clubs that run them a decent financial return.
There is the European Enduro Championships (which is great) and any number of National series, Regional series, all the way through to local series that thousands upon thousands of Off Road / Enduro enthusiasts participate in. All around the World.
If the WESS is to be a genuine series, it needs to be less of a mishmash of types of events, I feel. Just the Extreme Events, I reckon.
Pretty much the 'other' style of events they had this year, already have series they belong in, other than the Extreme events.
And, as I wrote, and quite a few others have written in the last few years, they, the Extreme races, as individual
events, have been doing very well for many years, as 'events' in and of themselves. Red Bull is just snaffling them up.
As for the rider attendance - well, there is a lot (well, bloody massive) of amateur rider participation in the WESS / Red Bull events. Good on it / them. It's a hell of a money maker for the (original events) organizers - more power to them.
The recent issue 43 - October 30th Cycle News has an article about EWC / WESS. Check it out, if you haven't already seen it.
Finally, Congrats to Billy Bolt. That car is worth ( or sells for) a fair bit. Sell it (or keep it) and put the money into a bank, or some investment.
