Future of BTCC

So, which manufacturers do people think BTCC are gonna be able to attract for next year now Seat have decided to leave? BMW, Honda and Chevrolet have the cars already in place to enter manufacturer teams, personally I would love to see people like Ford, Renault, Audi, Volvo, Nissan, Peugeot, Alfa, Toyota, but its pretty unlikely, especially Ford with their financial situation atm. BTCC's just getting its feet back and becoming decent, I've never seen Oulton Park so packed when I went this year! Last thing it needs is to go back to the Vauxhall domination years...


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2008 03:39PM by Ianwoollam.

Exactly. I remember when there were loads of manufacturers. I used to love it in the late 90s. I'd like Renault, who are already in a lot of other motorsports (National and International), Nissan and Audi.

I think you might get BMW, as the cars (and perhaps the team to run them) are already there. Maybe Chev might come in, but is the UK market as big for them as Europe?



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

BMW will not run a works BTCC team. They are running an ALMS team in 2009, and will not stretch further.

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Thats why I reckon they might, in effect, franchise out the running to WSR or whoever, and just pay to enter as a works team, rather than an independent.



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

Don't Honda do that with Team Dynamics? as even though they arn't in the independents champ they are still not classed as a manufacturer either.

Seen as they are still using the Super 2000 rules still like WTCC, the only cars realistically that I could see been entered as a manufacturer are the BMW 320si, Chevrolet Lacetti, Peugeot 407, Peugeot 307, Honda Civic Type R, Toyota Corolla or finally the Volvo C30. Rest are either too old, or just wouldn't make sense to try and promote in this country. In my opinion they should dump the damn Super 2000 rules and go back to the Super Touring, but people always want things cheaper


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2008 12:14AM by Ianwoollam.

none, because they are (will) all going to go to sportscars

Sim

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jbnd05 Wrote:
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> Exactly. I remember when there were loads of
> manufacturers. I used to love it in the late 90s.
> I'd like Renault, who are already in a lot of
> other motorsports (National and International),
> Nissan and Audi.

I also used to love the late 90's. I think BTCC should go back to the Super Touring specs, with the same manufacturers, as seen in those fun to play simulators TOCA Touring Cars 1 & 2.

Sometimes I find myself imagining what the most recent Mondeo, 406(now 407), S40 (my favorite at the time), Laguna, A4, Vectra, Primera , and Accord versions would look like, racing each other again

Ah, the old days.

Cheers

BMW - entering ALMS with a M3 GTR
Chevrolet - cutting back on motorsports, moving from GT1 to GT2
Peugeot - ALMS/LMS/Le Mans
Honda - Acura LMP1 program
Toyota - Dome LMP1

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Would be good to see some, the races ive watched this season ahve been amazing.

One driver ive taken a liking to is Matt Jackson

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Apparently Ford are looking into the feasibility of an entry but who knows.

jbnd05 Wrote:
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> Apparently Ford are looking into the feasibility
> of an entry but who knows.

Hmmmmm, but Ford still don't have a S2000 spec car other than the new Fiesta S2000, and the Fiesta would suck ass


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

Monster shunt at Brands Race 3....

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That was rather a big one...

Surely Ford couldn't enter with a Fiesta? Firstly, it sucks, and secondly it doesn't compete in the same market as a Vectra/Leon/Civic/BMW



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

The Fiesta is a fine little car compared to the next generic Vauxhall Rep-mobile.

If BTCC wants to survive it needs to get away from expensive S2000 privateers competing against Vauxhall.

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DaveEllis Wrote:
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> If BTCC wants to survive it needs to get away from
> expensive S2000 privateers competing against
> Vauxhall.

Problem is from what you were saying, that's gonna be impossible seen as manufacturers are apparently too busy with other racing series, and the cheap Privateers are pretty much a waste of space


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam

What I mean is either appeal to manufacturers, or make it a fully private series. A privateer series will see costs drop. A Manufacturer series will appeal to the fans more, but the prices will rise.

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Wouldn't the Focus be more suitable for a Ford entry? I know it's quite the car in WRC at the moment (nothing on the Citroen on it's best day mind), but when Top Gear did the Focus ST a while back, I thought it looked and handled good. Getting it up to BTCC spec shouldn't be that hard, surely.

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DaveEllis Wrote:
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> What I mean is either appeal to manufacturers, or
> make it a fully private series. A privateer series
> will see costs drop. A Manufacturer series will
> appeal to the fans more, but the prices will rise.

Ah right, well to be honest I think myself the success and better coverage the BTCC is getting at the moment should really work in their favour for attracting new manufacturers Of course I'd love to see the S2000 rules been scrapped though.

turkey_machine Wrote:
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> Wouldn't the Focus be more suitable for a Ford
> entry? I know it's quite the car in WRC at the
> moment (nothing on the Citroen on it's best day
> mind), but when Top Gear did the Focus ST a while
> back, I thought it looked and handled good.
> Getting it up to BTCC spec shouldn't be that hard,
> surely.

Making a car to BTCC spec would be easy, the 2.0L Focus is well within the required limits, but Ford, who are still in financial trouble, ain't gonna go out and make a S2000 Spec Focus just to enter into BTCC, especially when they have the S2000 spec Fiesta sitting there ready to go.


PSN/Xbox 360 ID - Ianwoollam



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2008 10:43PM by Ianwoollam.

Going back to Brands, did anyone notice how poor Kravitz was? He was only on the screen for a total of about 7 seconds, yet it was constantly hilarious viewing. The BTCC race 3 grid selection was brilliant. :D

I'm almost tempted to go back through the show and compile a selection of Kravitz Kock Ups.

I know he's poor, but I never thought I'd laugh at an ITV motorsport programme. It happened constantly on Sunday. :D

John George looked well out of it on his way to the doctor's car. It's like he'd been fed laughing gas instead of oxygen. He was stumbling around all over the place, looked completely lost, yet was grinning half the time. Surreal, I'm sure.