Thursday 15th February 2018

Dan Cammish to race in 2018 BTCC

Double Porsche Carrera Cup champ to partner Matt Neal at Honda

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Anybody who's slumped, hungover, in front of ITV4's British Touring Car Championship coverage during the past few years will know Dan Cammish's name. As will those who just like Porsche racing. He's the man who took back-to-back Carrera Cup GB titles in 2015 and 2016, which is some achievement when you consider just how competitive that series is. No better way to prove yourself than in a one-make championship, is there?

Now Cammish is transferring his expertise to BTCC, replacing Gordon Shedden in the Halfords Yuasa Racing team and driving the second Civic Type R alongside Matt Neal in the BTCC. Replacing a triple champion was always going to be difficult, though Cammish comes in with considerable pedigree: as well as the Porsche success, he won 24 races in the 2013 UK Formula Ford season. And the championship too, funnily enough.

Following a year spent competing in both the UK Carrera Cup and the pan-European Supercup, Cammish will dedicate his efforts in 2018 to the BTCC. Commenting on the move, he said "I have my hopes set high for 2018 and lifting the overall drivers crown would be a dream come true" - nothing like a bit of ambition Daniel, bravo - and continued: "I appreciate, that as a works team driver, points for the manufacturer and team's championships are the main priority." So no punting off Matt Neal in a last gasp lunge at Surtees...

This year's championship begins at Brands Hatch on the weekend of the 7th and 8th of April; with the grid full to capacity yet again, plus the 60th anniversary celebrations, it looks like being another great season of tin-top action. And don't forget, Dan, that rubbing is racing...

[Cammish photo: LAT photo]

[Presuming Ed]

Dare I say he's selling himself a little short by entering the BTCC rather then pursuing his Porsche ambitions.

[Frimley111R]

Where is Shedden going?

[Gary29]

Frimley111R said:

Where is Shedden going?

He's announcing his plans this morning apparently.

[Krikkit]

Presuming Ed said:

Dare I say he's selling himself a little short by entering the BTCC rather then pursuing his Porsche ambitions.

No reason he can't prove himself in BTCC then step up again to WEC or simlar. A factory team nod opens many doors.

[Matt Bird]

Gary29 said:

Frimley111R said:

Where is Shedden going?

He's announcing his plans this morning apparently.

Good question! Audi in World Touring Car Cup...

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases...

[Agent XXX]

The biggest trouble with the BTCC is ITV's coverage.

Indeed it was one lazy, hungover Sunday morning a while back I decided to slump in front of the TV. Gave up in the end and just set the next round to record.

Over 2.5 HOURS of adverts during the program. Two and a half HOURS.

Utterly ridiculous.

[Mammasaid]

Agent XXX said:

The biggest trouble with the BTCC is ITV's coverage.

Indeed it was one lazy, hungover Sunday morning a while back I decided to slump in front of the TV. Gave up in the end and just set the next round to record.

Over 2.5 HOURS of adverts during the program. Two and a half HOURS.

Utterly ridiculous.

That's easy to solve though, as you said, set to record, and don't start watching until after a good lunch (1:30 onwards) then you can skip the ads, and still watch all in one go.

[markcoznottz]

The number of times drivers have switched categories and made a success of it is ridiculously small, for reasons that are not always obvious. Same as former f1 drivers trying touring cars and not doing much. I seem to remember Alan McNish trying Porsche supercup and struggling.

[DanielSan]

Agent XXX said:

The biggest trouble with the BTCC is ITV's coverage.

Indeed it was one lazy, hungover Sunday morning a while back I decided to slump in front of the TV. Gave up in the end and just set the next round to record.

Over 2.5 HOURS of adverts during the program. Two and a half HOURS.

Utterly ridiculous.

You get a full days racing on free to air TV, the races are uninterrupted and you’re still complaining about it? Would you prefer the 20 minutes of nothing that happens between races when’s you’re there anyway and pay for the privilege of watching or have a few adverts and it stay free to air?

[briang9]

Dan was superb in the Porsche support events, just hope he does as well in the FWD car in BTCC, which lets face it is a tad less "sporting" than what he is used to, and has it's fair share of rookie numpties

[Truckosaurus]

Mammasaid said:

That's easy to solve though, as you said, set to record, and don't start watching until after a good lunch (1:30 onwards) then you can skip the ads, and still watch all in one go.

Indeed. Or just not watch the first hour of the show which is all 'filler', and then it isn't too bad.

[SpudLink]

Mammasaid said:

Agent XXX said:

The biggest trouble with the BTCC is ITV's coverage.

Indeed it was one lazy, hungover Sunday morning a while back I decided to slump in front of the TV. Gave up in the end and just set the next round to record.

Over 2.5 HOURS of adverts during the program. Two and a half HOURS.

Utterly ridiculous.

That's easy to solve though, as you said, set to record, and don't start watching until after a good lunch (1:30 onwards) then you can skip the ads, and still watch all in one go.

That’s what I do. Do something more interesting on Sunday morning, then fast forward through the BTCC coverage. By watching the racing but skipping adverts, I’ve normally caught up with the live broadcast by the start of the last race.

DanielSan said:

You get a full days racing on free to air TV, the races are uninterrupted and you’re still complaining about it? Would you prefer the 20 minutes of nothing that happens between races when’s you’re there anyway and pay for the privilege of watching or have a few adverts and it stay free to air?

That’s a very good point. ITV4 are giving us free live coverage of the BTCC, and several support races, and filling time between live races with replays of races from earlier in the weekend. That’s not bad.

[DiscoColin]

Presuming Ed said:

Dare I say he's selling himself a little short by entering the BTCC rather then pursuing his Porsche ambitions.

Perhaps, but one wonders whether becoming essentially a Honda factory driver at a time when they have GT3 and Japanese Super GT programmes might have at least made an appearance in the back of his thought process. Another aspect is that following the Porsche path generally means that the only way to a factory drive is basically to get picked up by Porsche (who with their LMP1 withdrawal actually have a driver surplus at the moment). He will certainly have had other options, but they wouldn't likely have been factory gigs and we can only speculate of the amount of 'sponsorship' that he would have needed to find to get a full season seat in any of the GT series.

[mrbarnett]

So BTCC is still going - I guess I learned something today.

Last time I watched it there were Astra Coupes and...not a lot else. Maybe it's improved since? Now I want to dig out the VCR and watch the mid '90s BTCC videos that are collecting dust somewhere at my parents'.

[mrbarnett]

Serious question: I'm guessing they relaxed the rule on forced induction? They're not still going around with 2.0 <300hp n/a engines, are they?