RE: TV coverage
The main reason current US rally coverage lacks oomph and a human connection is precisely because it lacks a human connection.
Fans want (and need) to see more than the top few cars blasting past. They want to hear what it's like to run a rally, see what it's like, feel the stress and the dirt and the heat and what it's like to change tires out on a hot stage and try to bandaid a banged-up car together long enough to finish.. They want to hear what other fans think and want to get out of watching live rally. They don't want to hear hype...rally is so exciting you don't NEED to rely on hype (hint hint, SCCA & Speed TV)
Speed TV is relying too much on the onboard footage from front-runners. We see what Higgins/Lagemann/ONeil are seeing, but have NO IDEA what they are thinking, feeling, or actually experiencing. It's too sanitized, with the rough edges of the experience polished off in an effort to portray rallysport in a positive light.
People don't watch TV to see stories about cars. They watch to see stories about OTHER PEOPLE racing cars. This is a crucial difference. Once a production crew manages this transition with US rally coverage, many good things will happen. Broadcasters know this difference--once they see stories that will work, they won't be charging for air time...you'd acutally get some production funding.
The key is to have rally people and TV professionals work together. Even better would be to have rally people who actually ARE TV professionals direct the coverage. This has been done in other sports, I know, I've done it and had 100+ programs aired on national TV.
Cheers,
Dave G
LDR Co-Pilote (and TV producer in a Former Life)
"...Embrace loose gravel, beware big trees..."