2023: BTCC chat & discussion

2023: BTCC chat & discussion

Author
Discussion

stevemcs

8,655 posts

93 months

Monday 20th February 2023
quotequote all
Rockatansky said:
Ollie Jackson off to the Carrera Cup, and Moffat & Cook to Starline Racing by One Motorsport (BTC)
Looks like I need to follow that more closely this season. It’s a shame the Wookie won’t be in Btcc this year.

greeny12

300 posts

219 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
quotequote all
stevemcs said:
Looks like I need to follow that more closely this season. It’s a shame the Wookie won’t be in Btcc this year.
There's a nice background explainer on Touring Car Times with some quotes from Wookie. I've always followed the Carrera Cup and this gives me even more incentive!

DanielSan

18,774 posts

167 months

Monday 27th February 2023
quotequote all
What's happening with Team Dynamics at the moment? All that seems to have happened in the off season is they've sold their hospitality unit and are down a driver?

rallycross

12,787 posts

237 months

Monday 27th February 2023
quotequote all
DanielSan said:
What's happening with Team Dynamics at the moment? All that seems to have happened in the off season is they've sold their hospitality unit and are down a driver?
Are they still getting ££££ from Honda to run the cars?

DanielSan

18,774 posts

167 months

Tuesday 28th February 2023
quotequote all
rallycross said:
DanielSan said:
What's happening with Team Dynamics at the moment? All that seems to have happened in the off season is they've sold their hospitality unit and are down a driver?
Are they still getting ££££ from Honda to run the cars?
Honda pulled the cash at the end of 21 didn't they?

On-Rails

65 posts

40 months

Friday 10th March 2023
quotequote all
Latest is they’ll be doing TCR and historic’s and turning their back on the BTCC after over 30 years, which will be a real shame.

5th Cupra has been built by Team HARD, so despite them selling a TBL to PMR, it looks like they’ll be using either a Moffat one or possibly a Dynamic’s one alongside the Boardley TBL and there remains 3.

Castellet

157 posts

18 months

Saturday 11th March 2023
quotequote all
Be interesting to see how the new support series integrate, after such a long relationship with Ginetta.
At least they still have a s/s championship (F4), and good for Caterhams and Radicals to be on the live mainstream TV schedule, but sadly no ‘juniors’ this year.

DanielSan

18,774 posts

167 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
On-Rails said:
Latest is they’ll be doing TCR and historic’s and turning their back on the BTCC after over 30 years, which will be a real shame.

5th Cupra has been built by Team HARD, so despite them selling a TBL to PMR, it looks like they’ll be using either a Moffat one or possibly a Dynamic’s one alongside the Boardley TBL and there remains 3.
Dynamics leaving and another Team HARD car in some form. I'm not going to lie, that feels at best underwhelming and at worst almost like the beginning of the end of this current era of BTCC. Costs have gone a bit silly in the last few years and given the aim of NGTC was to keep things fairly even and costs down that aim has disappeared.

I'm not sure if I'm alone or not but the last couple of seasons have just felt a bit meh. Not 100% sure why, but driving standards in the bottom half of the grid especially are pretty shocking at best and there never feels like a lot to be excited about in the top half of the grid. Maybe it's just me and I'm a bit over BTCC for the moment I'm not sure.

Speed Badger

2,688 posts

117 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
DanielSan said:
Dynamics leaving and another Team HARD car in some form. I'm not going to lie, that feels at best underwhelming and at worst almost like the beginning of the end of this current era of BTCC. Costs have gone a bit silly in the last few years and given the aim of NGTC was to keep things fairly even and costs down that aim has disappeared.

I'm not sure if I'm alone or not but the last couple of seasons have just felt a bit meh. Not 100% sure why, but driving standards in the bottom half of the grid especially are pretty shocking at best and there never feels like a lot to be excited about in the top half of the grid. Maybe it's just me and I'm a bit over BTCC for the moment I'm not sure.
I get where you're coming from, I started a thread "what is going wrong with the BTCC" a while back where I expressed similar feelings. I'm actually more looking forward to the Super Touring festival meeting at Brands Hatch than the actual BTCC meeting.

The first BTCC meeting I attended was in 1996, right at the height of Super Touring and it was a memory that stays with me to this day. I do think the lack of proper bona fide manufacturer entries and 'professional' drivers has something to do with it, although the WSR, Dynamics and NAPA teams are professionally run. It seems like the only Manufacturer affiliated team this year will be WSR BMW, I think it takes away some of the stakes of competition. Plus, I think that competitors should use the engines of the vehicle you are driving, rather than a generic Swindon engine in a Civic bodyshell.

agent006

12,035 posts

264 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
It's getting dangerously close to a two make series. FWD vs RWD. So much of the package is common across the grid now. It does make you wonder if that's putting manufacturers off. There's no way to prove their tech is better than the rest, as it's all the same. Why would Honda, or Audi, or Vauxhal, or whoever bother to enter if their primary goal is to show how much better their hybrid system is than everybody else's?

I grew up with super touring too, but having recently watched a few races back on Youtube, the racing wasn't always that great and the driving standards were really poor at times. I guess a result of paid drivers in works seats with no damage bills to pay.

andy97

4,703 posts

222 months

Saturday 18th March 2023
quotequote all
I think TCR will be more interesting this year. Pity it’s not on TV.

rallycross

12,787 posts

237 months

Saturday 18th March 2023
quotequote all
andy97 said:
I think TCR will be more interesting this year. Pity it’s not on TV.
Really ? I’ve seen one race live when I was racing at Donnington and it was a complete bore not enough cars and huge range in lap times.

andy97

4,703 posts

222 months

Saturday 18th March 2023
quotequote all
rallycross said:
andy97 said:
I think TCR will be more interesting this year. Pity it’s not on TV.
Really ? I’ve seen one race live when I was racing at Donnington and it was a complete bore not enough cars and huge range in lap times.
A lot more cars in it this year, and some decent teams.

CanoeSniffer

926 posts

87 months

Saturday 18th March 2023
quotequote all
rallycross said:
andy97 said:
I think TCR will be more interesting this year. Pity it’s not on TV.
Really ? I’ve seen one race live when I was racing at Donnington and it was a complete bore not enough cars and huge range in lap times.
TCR was excellent last year, as was the support series Civic Cup. The whole season was on YouTube, I hope it’s the same for this year. I’m easily just as excited for TCR as I am for BTCC, and I was a huge detractor in the early days when TCR was really very very pants. It’s come a LONG way and I’d highly recommend following it alongside BTCC.

agent006

12,035 posts

264 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Was't AmD another team that swapped BTCC for TCR a few years ago?

GlobalRacer

230 posts

13 months

Monday 20th March 2023
quotequote all
andy97 said:
I think TCR will be more interesting this year. Pity it’s not on TV.
It's live streamed and these days that's not really any different than being on TV other than much less ads than TV.

DanielSan

18,774 posts

167 months

Monday 20th March 2023
quotequote all
CanoeSniffer said:
TCR was excellent last year, as was the support series Civic Cup. The whole season was on YouTube, I hope it’s the same for this year. I’m easily just as excited for TCR as I am for BTCC, and I was a huge detractor in the early days when TCR was really very very pants. It’s come a LONG way and I’d highly recommend following it alongside BTCC.
It'll be on their YouTube channel again this year. With full grids this year might be the year that TCR offers more exciting racing than the BTCC does but we'll see how both series go.

Willhire89

1,328 posts

205 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
DanielSan said:
Dynamics leaving
What is the deal with Flash and the second Dynamics TBL - anyone know?

GlobalRacer

230 posts

13 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
Willhire89 said:
What is the deal with Flash and the second Dynamics TBL - anyone know?
Never mind the 2nd one, what about the 1st one? They haven't announced any drivers yet. Mind you the same is true of Speedworks but at least they've said they are racing in the BTCC this year.

I guess both are just waiting to grab headlines at media day?

Willhire89

1,328 posts

205 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
GlobalRacer said:
Willhire89 said:
What is the deal with Flash and the second Dynamics TBL - anyone know?
Never mind the 2nd one, what about the 1st one? They haven't announced any drivers yet. Mind you the same is true of Speedworks but at least they've said they are racing in the BTCC this year.

I guess both are just waiting to grab headlines at media day?
I think Rowbottom took the first TBL with him.....