2024: BTCC chat & discussion

[Sebring440]

The Wookie said:

Running components beyond their design life, running consumables to the point where there is a performance deficit (eg tyres/brakes/clutch), having volunteers rather than professional mechanics, bodging/repairing damage rather than replacing parts, buying end-of-life or lightly damaged second hand bits from top end teams rather than buying new, not doing any development on the car, ropey old trucks with no O-license, not doing any pre-season testing, even things like blagging workshop space or sharing with another business rather than having a dedicated workshop

Any particular team you're referring to? Won't be too hard to work out...

[The Wookie]

Sebring440 said:

Any particular team you're referring to? Won't be too hard to work out...

Well at least they usually turned out one car that was run half properly from what they saved on the others

[richhead]

The Wookie said:

Sebring440 said:

Any particular team you're referring to? Won't be too hard to work out...

Well at least they usually turned out one car that was run half properly from what they saved on the others

remember the throttle body pit stop!!!! I do and had a tv camera in my face the whole time lol

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

The Wookie said:

Sebring440 said:

Any particular team you're referring to? Won't be too hard to work out...

Well at least they usually turned out one car that was run half properly from what they saved on the others

Interesting that you say that. I mentioned in a tweet that I thought that a certain female drivers unreliability was due to poor preparation by the team. This as when she was failing to get out of the pit lane without a problem (or at all) but was slapped down by her saying something like ‘don’t create your own narrative’. After the summer break she changed teams and now you’re suggesting….. what you are suggesting….

[The Wookie]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

Interesting that you say that. I mentioned in a tweet that I thought that a certain female drivers unreliability was due to poor preparation by the team. This as when she was failing to get out of the pit lane without a problem (or at all) but was slapped down by her saying something like ‘don’t create your own narrative’. After the summer break she changed teams and now you’re suggesting….. what you are suggesting….

No idea, I didn’t pay much if any attention to any of that lot last year

[The Wookie]

richhead said:

Motorsport has got stupid expensive, but then so have most things, a pro team needs a workshop, trucks and good staff, all costs money.
I worked with you Wookie a few years ago in ginettas, now work for a factory wec team, as i did part time back then, you should see the money they are spending, its not far off F1 money

Sorry mate I wrote a post before but must have forgotten or got distracted before I posted it!

I’m trying to work out who you are, sorry my memory is st!! I remember doing a couple of BBQs/dinners, think one was AmD boys, I had a few mechanics come with me from BTCC to Ginettas, one of them was Andy B who posts on here occasionally, but I’m struggling to remember who came. It’s not Tom is it?

To be fair I don’t mind seeing WEC with proper budgets as it’s proper motorsport! It’s a shame it doesn’t get more widespread attention apart from Le Mans but it’s getting there. Big budgets must be good for the huys in the teams like you though, hopefully on proper money and reliably getting paid unlike some BTCC!

[TO73074E]

BrickCounter said:

Hope you don’t mind but a question changing direction a bit….

I’m off to Thruxton with a good mate for the BTCC in June, I was wondering is the paddock open to wander in, or do you need a specific pass like brands ?

I usually go to Oulton Park and you can freely walk around the paddock, but that is an MSV owned circuit. I had a quick look on Google and it seems like you can walk around the paddock at Thruxton too. Hopefully someone with 1st hand knowledge can chip in too.

[evvo602]

TO73074E said:

BrickCounter said:

Hope you don’t mind but a question changing direction a bit….

I’m off to Thruxton with a good mate for the BTCC in June, I was wondering is the paddock open to wander in, or do you need a specific pass like brands ?

I usually go to Oulton Park and you can freely walk around the paddock, but that is an MSV owned circuit. I had a quick look on Google and it seems like you can walk around the paddock at Thruxton too. Hopefully someone with 1st hand knowledge can chip in too.

Yes you can walk around the pits at Thruxton without a pit pass for BTCC, you will often see a lot of the drivers milling about to & most seem pretty approachable if you do want to say hello, you can get a good view of the cars being worked on too, myself & my son always make a few visits to the pits on a Thruxton weekend.

[DanielSan]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

The Wookie said:

Sebring440 said:

Any particular team you're referring to? Won't be too hard to work out...

Well at least they usually turned out one car that was run half properly from what they saved on the others

Interesting that you say that. I mentioned in a tweet that I thought that a certain female drivers unreliability was due to poor preparation by the team. This as when she was failing to get out of the pit lane without a problem (or at all) but was slapped down by her saying something like ‘don’t create your own narrative’. After the summer break she changed teams and now you’re suggesting….. what you are suggesting….

Some would say it's not a suggestion, more a carefully worded, vague but factual post.

There may also have at one point been a small issue of buying used parts from one team that are no longer on the grid and the team owner possibly maybe not being aware that was happening for a while. Maybe, supposedly, apparently etc etc.

[Milkyway]

Jade Edwards won't be contesting this year... It always seemed a very long shot.

[Sebring440]

Milkyway said:

It always seemed a very long shot.

Why do you say that? Not speaking from hindsight, of course.

[richhead]

The Wookie said:

Sorry mate I wrote a post before but must have forgotten or got distracted before I posted it!

I’m trying to work out who you are, sorry my memory is st!! I remember doing a couple of BBQs/dinners, think one was AmD boys, I had a few mechanics come with me from BTCC to Ginettas, one of them was Andy B who posts on here occasionally, but I’m struggling to remember who came. It’s not Tom is it?

To be fair I don’t mind seeing WEC with proper budgets as it’s proper motorsport! It’s a shame it doesn’t get more widespread attention apart from Le Mans but it’s getting there. Big budgets must be good for the huys in the teams like you though, hopefully on proper money and reliably getting paid unlike some BTCC!

no not tom, not sure what hes up to now, its Andy, sorry about the late reply, on the way back from imola now.

[CanoeSniffer]

The Wookie said:

Running components beyond their design life, running consumables to the point where there is a performance deficit (eg tyres/brakes/clutch), having volunteers rather than professional mechanics, bodging/repairing damage rather than replacing parts, buying end-of-life or lightly damaged second hand bits from top end teams rather than buying new, not doing any development on the car, ropey old trucks with no O-license, not doing any pre-season testing, even things like blagging workshop space or sharing with another business rather than having a dedicated workshop

My guy literally just described my entire club racing setup

[stevemcs]

Less than a week to go and i still haven't decided if i'm going, i'm fed up with all of the rain.

[SpudLink]

stevemcs said:

Less than a week to go and i still haven't decided if i'm going, i'm fed up with all of the rain.

Current forecast is a wet Sunday afternoon. But who knows.

A couple of weeks ago I was watching club racing from Donington on YouTube. One of the big recovery JCB type vehicles got bogged down in the mud with it's wheels spinning. There has been a lot of rain this winter, but it has to stop eventually.

[Milkyway]

If there is a bit of the wet stuff during the quali sessions... It could mix the grid up a bit.

Edited by Milkyway on Tuesday 23 April 17:14

[stevemcs]

SpudLink said:

Current forecast is a wet Sunday afternoon. But who knows.

A couple of weeks ago I was watching club racing from Donington on YouTube. One of the big recovery JCB type vehicles got bogged down in the mud with it's wheels spinning. There has been a lot of rain this winter, but it has to stop eventually.

This was our view on arrival last year.

Last year we watched a tractor pull a jcb and caravan out after the jcb got stuck.

[usn90]

The Wookie said:

It’s a big problem, I can remember when I raced Caterham C400 superlights in 2008, they introduced a few upgrades and the grid thinned out because of the extra cost

My budget for arrive and drive using my own car run by a half decent team was 17k.

These days the equivalent cars are still simpler but I’m told you can blow over 100k on a season by the time you’ve refreshed the engine every few rounds and swapped the diff out every session. Insane.

In C400s the cost increases pushed people upwards and downwards, some went back into the lower series, others like me went for progression and better value for money, even if it was more money.

I think it’s still the same to an extent, there’s some cracking cheap racing (I do the odd EnduroKa race with my mates and it’s great fun) and there’s some great National level racing that isn’t a big step up from higher club racing.

At the end of the day, if you’re spending 60-100k on something like a Porsche Club drive you could be looking at either a chunk of of cash in the bank and something like a Boxster Cup drive to be in a similar car or row the boat out a bit more and get into a spanking Cayman GT4

To me it feels like we’re in a similar place to a year or two before I started in BTCC, although it could just be because that’s where I actually am

Apologies if already known on here, but are you a driver in BTCC? If so is your name common knowledge on here also?

Will be watching this season due to the borefest f1 has become

[cuprabob]

usn90 said:

The Wookie said:

It’s a big problem, I can remember when I raced Caterham C400 superlights in 2008, they introduced a few upgrades and the grid thinned out because of the extra cost

My budget for arrive and drive using my own car run by a half decent team was 17k.

These days the equivalent cars are still simpler but I’m told you can blow over 100k on a season by the time you’ve refreshed the engine every few rounds and swapped the diff out every session. Insane.

In C400s the cost increases pushed people upwards and downwards, some went back into the lower series, others like me went for progression and better value for money, even if it was more money.

I think it’s still the same to an extent, there’s some cracking cheap racing (I do the odd EnduroKa race with my mates and it’s great fun) and there’s some great National level racing that isn’t a big step up from higher club racing.

At the end of the day, if you’re spending 60-100k on something like a Porsche Club drive you could be looking at either a chunk of of cash in the bank and something like a Boxster Cup drive to be in a similar car or row the boat out a bit more and get into a spanking Cayman GT4

To me it feels like we’re in a similar place to a year or two before I started in BTCC, although it could just be because that’s where I actually am

Apologies if already known on here, but are you a driver in BTCC? If so is your name common knowledge on here also?

Will be watching this season due to the borefest f1 has become

If you have a glance at his profile you will see who it is

Dan Cammish also contributes to this thread every now and again.

[usn90]

cuprabob said:

If you have a glance at his profile you will see who it is

Dan Cammish also contributes to this thread every now and again.

Ah, just seen.

Never knew Dan posted either, I raced Dan back in karts