BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[mprmke]

Jackson didn’t breach the terms of any contract. Team Dynamics approached him, not the other way round. It is, however, a very long story, more of which will become more widely know during the course of 2019!

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by mprmke

Jackson didn’t breach the terms of any contract. Team Dynamics approached him, not the other way round. It is, however, a very long story, more of which will become more widely know during the course of 2019!

The approach coming from Dynamics to Jackson rather than Jackson to Dynamics has long been my understanding too

[mprmke]

Team Dynamics desperately wanted a proven BTCC race winner to replace Shedden, but it didn’t happen. A hell of a lot has happened behind the scenes since then, but safe to say MJ has come out of it all far better than Motorbase.

[S griffin]

Just a shame he’s still on the sidelines for now

[Evantra]

Not strictly BTCC news, but Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden will be 'reunited' in a GT3 Audi at the Bathurst 12 hours!

[RS67]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Massive investment to just sell them on 3 months or so later, could this have been to help a pay off and stay away for a year agreement?

What pay off? Motorbase weren't the ones needing to terminate a contract. If any party needed paying off, it would be Motorbase, to be bought out of the contract.

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by RS67

What pay off? Motorbase weren't the ones needing to terminate a contract. If any party needed paying off, it would be Motorbase, to be bought out of the contract.

Bartie held Mat to his contract & then said he wasn't driving. So that's where that the rumblings stem from.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Overboost

Bartie held Mat to his contract & then said he wasn't driving. So that's where that the rumblings stem from.

This exactly - read Mats comment when this came out "On Wednesday this week, my contract to drive the Motorbase Performance car was terminated"


Interesting choice of words, his contact to drive the car was terminated, not his contract with motorbase. None of us have any idea on the wording of what was in this contract but there may well have been a clause that they had reserved the right to drop him as a first choice driver should performances not be meeting a level, or if some off track misdemeanors mean he wasnt a suitable to represent the team or sponsors. Essentially putting Mat on the equivelant of gardening leave where he is unable to work for/with a new team until contract end date was reached. Which would also explain why to my knowledge he wasnt present at any BTCC events and aside from a one off in Britcar with Stewart Lines, barely sat in a race car for 12 months

[Peter Mallett]

He did a few historic races IIRC.

[btccbloke]

i would also suggest if you were headhunted in your own job, said to your superior that you were interested in the approach and said you were considering leaving, they talked you round and so the headhunting company took on someone else, if your employer then immediately decided to sack you claiming you were a disloyal employee, they would probably get their backsides sued pretty quickly

[RS67]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

This exactly - read Mats comment when this came out "On Wednesday this week, my contract to drive the Motorbase Performance car was terminated"


Interesting choice of words, his contact to drive the car was terminated, not his contract with motorbase. None of us have any idea on the wording of what was in this contract but there may well have been a clause that they had reserved the right to drop him as a first choice driver should performances not be meeting a level, or if some off track misdemeanors mean he wasnt a suitable to represent the team or sponsors. Essentially putting Mat on the equivelant of gardening leave where he is unable to work for/with a new team until contract end date was reached. Which would also explain why to my knowledge he wasnt present at any BTCC events and aside from a one off in Britcar with Stewart Lines, barely sat in a race car for 12 months

That still doesn't mean Jackson would have come out of it better financially. If anything I would have thought Jackson would be the one to take a financial hit. He takes a wage from his sponsorship. Sponsorship which now doesn't appear on the cars. If he wasn't released from his contract until it expired naturally, I can't see his sponsors paying for that. It would make sense he would have paid for it himself. It is not unusual for drivers to start paying for their drives in instalments from the day they sign on the dotted line. This money will help pay for any preseason preparation work on the car and testing. Miss any payments and you are in danger of losing your drive. Motorbase will have already had money off Jackson. Jackson's seat was filled, so where would Motorbase have been hit financially?

[RS67]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

i would also suggest if you were headhunted in your own job, said to your superior that you were interested in the approach and said you were considering leaving, they talked you round and so the headhunting company took on someone else, if your employer then immediately decided to sack you claiming you were a disloyal employee, they would probably get their backsides sued pretty quickly

Not exactly the same as it is unlikely that you would have signed a contract to work for a set period. If you had you wouldn't be allowed to leave and if it was that sort of contract, you would need to buy yourself out of it. Your company wouldn't even need to do anything to convince you not to leave.

[btccbloke]

Well that was just my thoughts but if they are wrong, in that case perhaps the person who suggested it can enlighten us....

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by RS67

Not exactly the same as it is unlikely that you would have signed a contract to work for a set period. If you had you wouldn't be allowed to leave and if it was that sort of contract, you would need to buy yourself out of it. Your company wouldn't even need to do anything to convince you not to leave.

Totally off topic but I always sign contracts for my services for a period.

[mprmke]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Totally off topic but I always sign contracts for my services for a period.

As do many people. Sure, most jobs don't have those kind of terms, but there are still a lot that do.

Anyway, MJ came out of the situation a hell of a lot better than Motorbase did, aside from the fact he didn't get to drive last season, which is of course what he wanted. Anyway, 2019 is a totally new situation.....

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

This exactly - read Mats comment when this came out "On Wednesday this week, my contract to drive the Motorbase Performance car was terminated"


Interesting choice of words, his contact to drive the car was terminated, not his contract with motorbase. None of us have any idea on the wording of what was in this contract but there may well have been a clause that they had reserved the right to drop him as a first choice driver should performances not be meeting a level, or if some off track misdemeanors mean he wasnt a suitable to represent the team or sponsors. Essentially putting Mat on the equivelant of gardening leave where he is unable to work for/with a new team until contract end date was reached. Which would also explain why to my knowledge he wasnt present at any BTCC events and aside from a one off in Britcar with Stewart Lines, barely sat in a race car for 12 months

His contract was probably 'terminated' as a result if his actions. He was publicly announced as driving for Team Shredded Wheat at ASI last year, so presumably from then on he his contract was sealed for the season. If he did something like approach another team for a drive (or accept an approach from another team offering him one) that could have caused his existing contract to be terminated.

[Alfisti]

Either way... is anybody expecting Mr Blobby driving in BTCC this year?

Can't see him having the reported cash for BTC.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Either way... is anybody expecting Mr Blobby driving in BTCC this year?

Can't see him having the reported cash for BTC.

He nearly did...sort of.. See the last paragraph

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-1994/32/sensible-season

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Either way... is anybody expecting Mr Blobby driving in BTCC this year?

Can't see him having the reported cash for BTC.

Assuming you mean MJ, tho he has been my favorite driver over the years, and I would love to see him back, I would say no.
Even if he did get some sort of payment from Motorbase for ripping up a contract, it wont be anywhere near the money BTC want for a seat which we are rumoring at £500k.
He will probably have lost all his sponsors at this stage too


(and incidentally on the earlier point, I work as a contractor and typically get a 6 or 12 month contract at a time, if i want to leave after 3 months because i get a better offer I am able to with agreed notice, I wouldnt expect to be talked into staying then told my contract is terminated when the other offer is no longer available)

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by RS67

That still doesn't mean Jackson would have come out of it better financially. If anything I would have thought Jackson would be the one to take a financial hit. He takes a wage from his sponsorship. Sponsorship which now doesn't appear on the cars. If he wasn't released from his contract until it expired naturally, I can't see his sponsors paying for that. It would make sense he would have paid for it himself. It is not unusual for drivers to start paying for their drives in instalments from the day they sign on the dotted line. This money will help pay for any preseason preparation work on the car and testing. Miss any payments and you are in danger of losing your drive. Motorbase will have already had money off Jackson. Jackson's seat was filled, so where would Motorbase have been hit financially?

But he may have had offers to do better-paying work on the BTCC weekends which he'd have turned down otherwise.

I heard a story of a driver who, having lost his drive, was immediately offered four days work coaching in France, paying significantly more money.

[medius]

In other musings. Turkington holdings generally buys the chassis in which Colin used when he wins a title. So does that mean his 2019 125i is a chassis his family owns or would WSR build a fresh one for him alone? Its a unique situation for him having never defended a title! I think the Oliphant/Jordan chassis are going to be last years cars as there's nothing wrong with them. Would Turkington risk a piece of coins racing career being written off in competition?

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by medius

In other musings. Turkington holdings generally buys the chassis in which Colin used when he wins a title. So does that mean his 2019 125i is a chassis his family owns or would WSR build a fresh one for him alone? Its a unique situation for him having never defended a title! I think the Oliphant/Jordan chassis are going to be last years cars as there's nothing wrong with them. Would Turkington risk a piece of coins racing career being written off in competition?

They haven't even bought the 2014 winning car yet. Priaulx, Goff and Jordan have all used it since.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

They haven't even bought the 2014 winning car yet. Priaulx, Goff and Jordan have all used it since.

Sounds like Triggers broom!

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

They haven't even bought the 2014 winning car yet. Priaulx, Goff and Jordan have all used it since.

Your right he’d have to buy 2 cars if he wanted both his Championship winning cars, if he swaps chassis again it could go for the set 😂

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

He nearly did...sort of.. See the last paragraph



https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...ensible-season

Lol. Ralf was actually a contender for the Volvo Estate? How well known was he then?