BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

I agree there.
And what happens when if the Pro drivers go En Masse to somewhere else next year as well?

Exactly! That sort of happened between 2023 and 2024. Of the 28 drivers to start at least one race in 2023, a massive 19 have not returned in 2024. They are Adam Smalley (moved to British GT3), Robert de Haan (moved to Supercup), Gus Burton (moved to Carrera Cup USA), Will Martin, Micah Stanley, James Kellett (moved to Carrera Cup Deutschland), Theo Edgerton, Matthew Graham, Will Aspin, Ryan Ratcliffe, Jake Giddings, Max Bird (moved to British GT4), Henry Dawes, Frazer McFadden, Seb Melrose, Jason Lockwood, Justin Sherwood, David Fairbrother and David Stirling.

With that in mind, assembling a 21-car grid with 12 new or returning names is impressive.

But its where those 12 new or returning names have come from that is perhaps the unsustainable part moving forward, and also where the whole Porsche "pyramid" seems to fail IMO. No one from the 2023 Sprint Challenge grid has moved up to PCCGB for 2024. Since Sprint Challenge joined PCCGB full-time on the TOCA package in 2022, only two drivers have moved up to the premier domestic Porsche series - Harry Foster and (very briefly) David Stirling. Even if we factor in Sprint Challenge pre-TOCA, only Theo Edgerton and Nigel Rice properly stepped up (Ian Humphris and Archie Hamilton contested just a couple of PCCGB races).
Instead, the 12 new or returning names have come from BTCC (Gamble, Jelley, Lloyd and Butel), the South African Touring Car Championship (Rackstraw), British GT (Wallis), GB3 (Rees), GB4 (Smith), club racing with the CTCRC (Eaton), historic racing (Mowle) and no racing at all in 2023 (Burns and Hosking).

Maybe I'm being overly harsh on Porsche and once the racing starts, we'll have good racing, additional entries and a good grid for upcoming seasons. I think we're probably due in 2026 a 992.2 Carrera Cup car as well which could be a reset point.

[coffinpilot]

Did Sky News pre-empt an announcement coming just before media day?
They do say Nic - the Team HARD driver - is racing from the weekend of 27th of April....

https://news.sky.com/story/nicolas-h...nkK38TjApwXFqR

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

Did Sky News pre-empt an announcement coming just before media day?
They do say Nic - the Team HARD driver - is racing from the weekend of 27th of April....

https://news.sky.com/story/nicolas-h...nkK38TjApwXFqR

I'd be very surprised considering his main reason for leaving mid last year was a lack of preparation on his car, this year isn't looking a whole lot better. Also if he's racing at Brands that weekend, it won't be in BTCC.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Pickles

I'd be very surprised considering his main reason for leaving mid last year was a lack of preparation on his car, this year isn't looking a whole lot better. Also if he's racing at Brands that weekend, it won't be in BTCC.

I thought that it was alleged that the main reason behind him walking out, at Croft wasn't it, was because Gilham had demanded more money than agreed upon before he consented to the car being prepared for the weekend. Hamilton refused to pay any extra so left the garage.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Also if he's racing at Brands that weekend, it won't be in BTCC.

Brands 27th April is a 750MC meeting

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I thought that it was alleged that the main reason behind him walking out, at Croft wasn't it, was because Gilham had demanded more money than agreed upon before he consented to the car being prepared for the weekend. Hamilton refused to pay any extra so left the garage.

Correct.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Brands 27th April is a 750MC meeting

Could be just poor reporting; maybe they meant that he was a former Hard driver in the BTCC? And maybe he will be in another series?

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Correct.

Again was there any substance to any of these rumours of Hamilton last year

You seem to know a lot about team hards situation but don’t back anything up

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Could be just poor reporting; maybe they meant that he was a former Hard driver in the BTCC?

^ this

He's been doing the rounds to promote his book. The interview made no mention of what he was doing this year. I think the author of the news story, or whatever AI algorithm they use, just tried to pad it with a few incorrect facts.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Sloppy ‘journalism’.

He’s already confirmed he won’t be driving in BTCC this year.

If and when he does return, I’d wager pretty strong money it won’t be in a Team Hard car.

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I thought that it was alleged that the main reason behind him walking out, at Croft wasn't it, was because Gilham had demanded more money than agreed upon before he consented to the car being prepared for the weekend. Hamilton refused to pay any extra so left the garage.

I did hear that part of it was that if he signed on and didn't race they couldn't nominate a replacement, and if he pulled out for reasons not Force Majure they'd get a fine. Don't know how true that is.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Adamcas87

Again was there any substance to any of these rumours of Hamilton last year

You seem to know a lot about team hards situation but don’t back anything up

Tony? Is that you??

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

I did hear that part of it was that if he signed on and didn't race they couldn't nominate a replacement, and if he pulled out for reasons not Force Majure they'd get a fine. Don't know how true that is.

I think (don't quote me) that as he hadn't taken part in FP1 they could've put a replacement driver in the car, if they could find someone in that short time.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Pickles

I think (don't quote me) that as he hadn't taken part in FP1 they could've put a replacement driver in the car, if they could find someone in that short time.

They could have done even if he had taken part in FP1. Silverstone 2012, Chris Thornton qualified the Insignia but pulled out due to 'health' issues and Gilham did the races.

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Tony? Is that you??

No sorry and am glad I aren’t to be honest

[Streethawk]

Originally Posted by v8supes

I feel like this season is starting really late and yet its no later than the last couple of years, whats that about?

Cant wait to see Team HARD take it to the big boys. Tony Gilham has been working so HARD to get this team on the grid and with all those cars and data then they have to be real contenders.

Wtf have you been smoking!
They'll be lucky to get one car on the grid.

[Streethawk]

Originally Posted by Adamcas87

Again was there any substance to any of these rumours of Hamilton last year

You seem to know a lot about team hards situation but don’t back anything up

Perhaps all the ex personnel should start speaking out and say how much they are owed. I also read on here somewhere that people are being contacted to work for them this year.

What about their Facebook post about the scholarship?
Fantasy world if that happens, where's the money for it all from what people have paid?

[Streethawk]

Originally Posted by Adamcas87

Again was there any substance to any of these rumours of Hamilton last year

You seem to know a lot about team hards situation but don’t back anything up

Perhaps all the ex personnel should start speaking out and say how much they are owed. I also read on here somewhere that people are being contacted to work for them this year but deleted the email.

What about their Facebook post about the scholarship?
Fantasy world if that happens, where's the money for it all from what people have paid?

[Greem]

I know someone who did some work for TG several years back. They were left massively out of pocket - I don't know if any money eventually arrived, because they won't talk about it now. Withholding payment causes many more problems than just financial ones.

[tocatrucky]

Originally Posted by Greem

I know someone who did some work for TG several years back. They were left massively out of pocket - I don't know if any money eventually arrived, because they won't talk about it now. Withholding payment causes many more problems than just financial ones.

Most professional motorsport folk have been burned by them.

If the do appear (and that's a massive IF), it'll be mostly staffed by the facebook BTCC group fans just happy to be there pretending to be involved in a touring car team for a twitter bio update. They'll soon see the reality of the situation.

IMHO.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by tocatrucky

Most professional motorsport folk have been burned by them.

If the do appear (and that's a massive IF), it'll be mostly staffed by the facebook BTCC group fans just happy to be there pretending to be involved in a touring car team for a twitter bio update. They'll soon see the reality of the situation.

IMHO.

Do TOCA / Motorsport UK no have " fit and proper person" criteria? In the end more fool anyone who extends credit to known defaulters

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Do TOCA / Motorsport UK no have " fit and proper person" criteria? In the end more fool anyone who extends credit to known defaulters

if motorsport uk did that then the grids throught the whole of uk motor sport would be severly depleated!!

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by tocatrucky

If the do appear (and that's a massive IF), it'll be mostly staffed by the facebook BTCC group fans just happy to be there pretending to be involved in a touring car team for a twitter bio update. They'll soon see the reality of the situation.

IMHO.

It's like Team B&Q all over again

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

if motorsport uk did that then the grids throught the whole of uk motor sport would be severly depleated!!

That would go for a few of the championship organisers too......

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

That would go for a few of the championship organisers too......

and uk based f1 teams of recent past
and so on