Ford back in the BTCC...

[James_EHF]

Well, kind of, not a works team, but about time!



http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72250

Arena sign Chilton for BTCC return

By Jamie O'Leary Tuesday, November 25th 2008, 12:28 GMT


Arena Motorsport will return to the British Touring Car Championship next season with Tom Chilton as the lead driver in a team of Ford Focus STs.

Contrary to recent speculation, the team will run as an Independent entrant rather than a factory-backed outfit, and look set to run between one and three cars in the series.

Team Principal Mike Earle, who ran Chilton in the Honda works team from 2003-2004 and as an Independent the following season, and has masterminded all but one of his seven BTCC wins, is delighted to have the 23-year-old driver back on board.

"We have selected Tom as the driver to lead this programme due to his suitability from both an on-track and off-track perspective," said Earle.

"As a driver he has a proven track record and we are very excited to be re-united with him after the successes we enjoyed together in 2004 and 2005. Out of the car Tom has a unique appeal to our commercial partners and provides excellent PR opportunities for the programme.

"Everyone at Arena is looking forward to the challenges ahead and we are aiming to return to the winning ways we enjoyed in the BTCC in the past."

Chilton finished 10th in this year's BTCC standings with Team Dynamics and broke a three-year win-less streak with victory in the final race of the season at Brands Hatch.

[dpbird90]

Hmm, with Focus ST's?
There are too many hatchbacks in BTCC, and as far as I can see, for no good reason. The best car all season has been the Vauxhall Vectra, which is a saloon.

SO why not use the Mondeo? If they did it in the paintjob of the 1992 Mondeo BTCC (yellow/blue) then it would look ace.

[Simon Mason]

For "selected for his suitability both on and off track" read.... dads paying... again.

Either way it will be nice, not just to see another car in the BTCC but actually to see a Ford in there again.

[german tony]

Surely the current Focus is about the size of a mid 90's Mondeo?

Ok, that's a bit OTT but nonetheless the current Mondeo, like the new Vauxhall Insignia (wasn't that a brand of deoderant?) is just too big to be a BTCC car.

Finally, I thought the BTCC was restricted to 2.0 litre cars & surely the current Focus ST is a 2.5?

[SamHH]

dpbird90 said:

The best car all season has been the Vauxhall Vectra, which is a saloon.

They use the hatchback version don't they?

[Munter]

german tony said:

Surely the current Focus is about the size of a mid 90's Mondeo?

Ok, that's a bit OTT but nonetheless the current Mondeo, like the new Vauxhall Insignia (wasn't that a brand of deoderant?) is just too big to be a BTCC car.

Finally, I thought the BTCC was restricted to 2.0 litre cars & surely the current Focus ST is a 2.5?

They'll either use the 2.0 or adjust the stroke of the 2.5 I would suggest. Got to unbolt the turbo as well. So my guess is they will pull a 2.0 out of stores and bolt that into a Focus ST chassis.

[MrKipling43]

SamHH said:

dpbird90 said:

The best car all season has been the Vauxhall Vectra, which is a saloon.

They use the hatchback version don't they?

Yeah, but it's a hatchback saloon, rather than a Hatchback. Basically, it looks like the old early 90s cars, which is want is important!

Ban wings! Ban wings! Ban wings!

[dpbird90]

MrKipling43 said:

SamHH said:

dpbird90 said:

The best car all season has been the Vauxhall Vectra, which is a saloon.

They use the hatchback version don't they?

Yeah, but it's a hatchback saloon, rather than a Hatchback. Basically, it looks like the old early 90s cars, which is want is important!

Ban wings! Ban wings! Ban wings!

At one time didn't they ban aero packages that were not on the production model? I remember there was a huge row about Alfa Romeo having an aero package then adding it as an optional extra to about 3 cars?

[Munter]

dpbird90 said:

MrKipling43 said:

SamHH said:

dpbird90 said:

The best car all season has been the Vauxhall Vectra, which is a saloon.

They use the hatchback version don't they?

Yeah, but it's a hatchback saloon, rather than a Hatchback. Basically, it looks like the old early 90s cars, which is want is important!

Ban wings! Ban wings! Ban wings!

At one time didn't they ban aero packages that were not on the production model? I remember there was a huge row about Alfa Romeo having an aero package then adding it as an optional extra to about 3 cars?

Yes I think it was supplied in the boot when you got the car. And Alfa went away in a huff because they got caught.

[SamHH]

MrKipling43 said:

Yeah, but it's a hatchback saloon, rather than a Hatchback.

"Hatchback saloon"? Isn't that what the Skoda Superb is? To me the BTCC Vectra is a hatchback, not anything else. I agree that cars from that market sector look more appropriate though.

[gti-ted]

Great news in my opinion, somehow it hasn't been the same since Ford left and hopefully some others ( Volvo) may see fit to follow.

Anyway of/on topic we need to get rid of those chuffin Seat weasels it's just not cricket..

[german tony]

How much bigger is a Sierra Cossie 500 over & above a Focus ST?

Answer, they are about the same size surely?

The Escort Cosworth is smaller than the Sierra but the Mk 1 Focus is bigger than an Escort. Then the Mk2 Focus is bigger again.

This suggests that the current Mondeo is bigger still.

[Chris_w666]

Munter said:

german tony said:

Surely the current Focus is about the size of a mid 90's Mondeo?

Ok, that's a bit OTT but nonetheless the current Mondeo, like the new Vauxhall Insignia (wasn't that a brand of deoderant?) is just too big to be a BTCC car.

Finally, I thought the BTCC was restricted to 2.0 litre cars & surely the current Focus ST is a 2.5?

They'll either use the 2.0 or adjust the stroke of the 2.5 I would suggest. Got to unbolt the turbo as well. So my guess is they will pull a 2.0 out of stores and bolt that into a Focus ST chassis.

So basically it will just be called an ST to try and use the halo effect to shift some of the old stock before they try selling the RS then?

Why not call the race one a Zetec S as the closest you could buy to the 2.0 race car would be a 2.0 with a fettled duratec and uprated suspension.

[chevronb37]

gti-ted said:

Great news in my opinion, somehow it hasn't been the same since Ford left and hopefully some others ( Volvo) may see fit to follow.

Anyway of/on topic we need to get rid of those chuffin Seat weasels it's just not cricket..

Seat have already pulled out. And canned the Cupra series for good measure.

Good to see Ford back in the BTCC, although I struggle to get very excited about 2.0L tin tops these days. Would be great to see a return to the glory days of the mid-1990s, but manufacturers have too many other commitments. At least they have universal parity in regulations now.

Really ought to try and see the series next year...

[tomTVR]

Munter said:

german tony said:

Surely the current Focus is about the size of a mid 90's Mondeo?

Ok, that's a bit OTT but nonetheless the current Mondeo, like the new Vauxhall Insignia (wasn't that a brand of deoderant?) is just too big to be a BTCC car.

Finally, I thought the BTCC was restricted to 2.0 litre cars & surely the current Focus ST is a 2.5?

They'll either use the 2.0 or adjust the stroke of the 2.5 I would suggest. Got to unbolt the turbo as well. So my guess is they will pull a 2.0 out of stores and bolt that into a Focus ST chassis.

Thats what i would expect. Stlll good stuff though.

[RedexR]

As a Blue Oval follower I have one thing to say about the driver...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

[rubystone]

RedexR said:

As a Blue Oval follower I have one thing to say about the driver...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

To be fair, he is a good driver - pedalled that Civic round well a few years ago.

[Spiritual_Beggar]

rubystone said:

RedexR said:

As a Blue Oval follower I have one thing to say about the driver...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

To be fair, he is a good driver - pedalled that Civic round well a few years ago.

But look at the state of his hair!!!!!!!


Seriously though...Ford back in one way or another is good news.

Now all they are missing is; Volvo, Renault, Nissan, Peugot......

[MrKipling43]

SamHH said:

MrKipling43 said:

Yeah, but it's a hatchback saloon, rather than a Hatchback.

"Hatchback saloon"? Isn't that what the Skoda Superb is? To me the BTCC Vectra is a hatchback, not anything else. I agree that cars from that market sector look more appropriate though.

Oh yeah, it's definitely a hatchback, but at least it looks like a Saloon Car of the old school.

On the subject of 'old' vs 'new' BTCC, I've got a mate who races for one of the works team and he says you can buy a brand new 'full works prepped' BTC car for about £250-300k. Back in the days of Cleland, Soper and Winkelhock, the cars they were racing cost upwards of £500k! Each! and that was 15 years ago. Ouch. No wonder all the manufacturers left!

Edited by MrKipling43 on Thursday 27th November 16:58

[rubystone]

MrKipling43 said:

On the subject of 'old' vs 'new' BTCC, I've got a mate who races for one of the works team and he says you can buy a brand new 'full works prepped' BTC car for about £250-300k. Back in the days of Cleland, Soper and Winkelhock, the cars they were racing cost upwards of £500k! Each! and that was 15 years ago. Ouch. No wonder all the manufacturers left!

Mate of mine ran a '98 Accord a year or so back - ex BTCC car and an engineering tour de force - I think they reached their peak in 1999 with the second generation Prodrive Mondeo with its myriad of tweaks - shame most of them were not available for viewing at the time!