BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Lets hope that this new agency's job doesnt solely involve shutting down btcc centric youtube channels.

That wouldn't be their job. That's down to BTCC/ITV/Duke or an agent on their behalf dealing with IP infringements - and I don't think the BTCC is big enough for that just yet.

There aren't many channels centred solely on BTCC anyway is there? There are a few, a couple have some good stuff, but the irritating thing about BTCC stuff on YouTube is the bedroom warriors who add it onto their F1 content by putting together stuff they've read from Wikipedia - like the recent one talking about the BTCC collapsing over the winter because of Tony Gilham Racing and Team HARD merging!!

In the new world of online F1 isn't too strict and NASCAR have an open house policy (as long as you're not cutting big chunks of recent races into videos) but Moto GP are still tough on it. I wonder if Moto GP will change that under Liberty? But staying on the BTCC side of things, with the ITV Sport channel on TikTok going live next week, and the demographic and culture of that platform being built around 'remixing' will their be copyright strikes? It would be foolish to do that if 'the young uns' are to be engaged.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

But staying on the BTCC side of things, with the ITV Sport channel on TikTok going live next week, and the demographic and culture of that platform being built around 'remixing' will their be copyright strikes? It would be foolish to do that if 'the young uns' are to be engaged.

Very good point.


The rules for teams making videos have always been quite strict, with no footage showing cars on track, pit lane, grid walks, etc, being shown at all.



But all that was relaxed last year, and you're pretty much safe to use most footage you take (not from the pit lane though, due to health & safety), and even include ITV footage provided you show the ITV Motorsport logo on the screen.

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

Very good point.


The rules for teams making videos have always been quite strict, with no footage showing cars on track, pit lane, grid walks, etc, being shown at all.



But all that was relaxed last year, and you're pretty much safe to use most footage you take (not from the pit lane though, due to health & safety), and even include ITV footage provided you show the ITV Motorsport logo on the screen.

I asked one of the guys filming On The Limit last year during a Free Practice session about that, IIRC they were allowed to use their own footage from FP1 and FP2 for the show, which they hadn't been allowed to do before, but Qual and Races had to be from the ITV feed. It looked cool having the slow mo stuff added in.

I do recall something about teams/drivers having to wait a week before uploading anything they were using from broadcast, I assume that has something to do with highlights.

[mphplastering]

Jade Edwards has announced she's not on the btcc grid this season. She fallen short on sponsorship

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by mphplastering

Jade Edwards has announced she's not on the btcc grid this season. She fallen short on sponsorship

This is where TCR makes a lot of sense to me in the motorsport pyramid.

Unfortunately - I think the main blocker there would likely be her ego though. Theres always this air of ‘deserving to be there’ that goes with her and I don’t think she’d enjoy settling for less.

Which, tbh, I sort of get. I imagine when you’ve raced at the top level, taking a step back becomes a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.

[touringcarnut]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

Ollie Jackson pulling no punches on how certain teams are/were run over on the pistonheads forum.

It seems Jade's car was powered by parts from the TD rubbish bin, but Ollie called that out and I am assuming that Jade was not happy about that given her sponsor's investment. Pleased she got out when she did, I am sure.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by touringcarnut

It seems Jade's car was powered by parts from the TD rubbish bin, but Ollie called that out and I am assuming that Jade was not happy about that given her sponsor's investment. Pleased she got out when she did, I am sure.

I don’t think this was a Jade specific criticism tbh - another story I heard suggests that when Dan Lloyd was set for his race win at Donington that was taken away from him due to drive-shaft failure, the rumour that went alongside that was that the driveshaft was a second hand one acquired from another team…. Allegedly of course.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

I don’t think this was a Jade specific criticism tbh - another story I heard suggests that when Dan Lloyd was set for his race win at Donington that was taken away from him due to drive-shaft failure, the rumour that went alongside that was that the driveshaft was a second hand one acquired from another team…. Allegedly of course.

Not sure on that one, after talking to one of the senior team members at the time he did say that the driveshaft was still fine having been checked, and was due for replacement after the following round.

Of course, I've since found out that he was as shady as the rest of the senior team members so was probably talking out of his arse.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by Pickles

one of the senior team members at the time he did say that the driveshaft was still fine having been checked, and was due for replacement after the following round.

Due for replacement? That team did not practice "component lifing", they kept no records of such.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

Due for replacement? That team did not practice "component lifing", they kept no records of such.

Just saying what I was told, like I saying was probably bullshit. Funny how the part that failed had been specifically checked, this is the team that put a set of brake discs on the wrong way round.

[S griffin]

I think this is all hearsay and there isn’t enough evidence to prove it. So let’s leave it at that

[hen henths]

Concerning the new tyre rules, I think they could turn out to be an interesting compromise between satisfying those of us that don't like there being option tyres at all and those who like the mixing up effect it has on the racing. In theory we get to see the top ten in race 2 competing on equal terms tyre-wise (depending on how many use the hard compound in the first race) which will usually include the top championship contenders, while those futher down the order get a bit of a chance to mount an attack.

It will certainly create a new talking point and I wonder if we do see anyone backing off noticeably in race 1 to drop from 10th to 11th!

[Daverb]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

This is where TCR makes a lot of sense to me in the motorsport pyramid.

Unfortunately - I think the main blocker there would likely be her ego though. Theres always this air of ‘deserving to be there’ that goes with her and I don’t think she’d enjoy settling for less.

Which, tbh, I sort of get. I imagine when you’ve raced at the top level, taking a step back becomes a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.

Or Porsches. Abbie Eaton is racing this year in PCGB.

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Daverb

Or Porsches. Abbie Eaton is racing this year in PCGB.

Depends on the money though?
BTCC is what? Half a million (with lot's of TV time to grab sponsors)
PCCB I've heard everything from £150,000 to £200,000 (with limited TV figures)
TCR UK is (I asked Mr Lines himself) around £70k this year, or for the rest of the year with a Lynk &Co £100K

Too many people (maybe not on Ten Tenths) assume that when a driver gets a sponsor that they'll keep the money to go and race wherever they want.
As we've seen, it could be harder to raise £100k for TCR than £500K for BTCC.

Never a clear cut thing?

[Daverb]

The good thing about Porsches would have been it’s the same paddock and tv package. A lot of the younger fans who supported her could have still seen her and the BTCC races too. Hopefully they are still bitten by the bug and will attend BTCC.

It is likely too late now though and as you say just because you raised some budget for BTCC doesn’t follow to Porsches. I heard of an another BTCC driver tried to get a seat in the Porsches this season.

It must be hard not getting a drive then seeing all the quality over quantity chat. I’m sure everyone would love to drive in the BTCC if they could but results and previous form should mean more than just being able to get a budget and taking part for fun.

[TinTopGrumpy]

Those prices for PCGB and TCR UK sound far too low to me. Both are around half of what I've seen discussed as correct in the past. Guess a lot depends on whose car it is you're driving.

[ahobson98]

I mean in TCR UKs own 2024 season prospectus, the season cost for a Gen 2 car is quoted as ~100-120k, with running a Gen 1 car possible for ~80k.

70 k seems way off to me.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by ahobson98

70 k seems way off to me.

Who cares?

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by ahobson98

I mean in TCR UKs own 2024 season prospectus, the season cost for a Gen 2 car is quoted as ~100-120k, with running a Gen 1 car possible for ~80k.

70 k seems way off to me.

I agree with you there, it is not that much cheaper than bigger series in Britain

[v8supes]

Lines himself said on the broadcast last weekend that a season costs £100k

[Sodemo]

So a BTCC season in a top team costs five times what it costs in TCR? Wow, that’s crazy. What is it about the BTCC cars that requires so much prep and cost?

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

So a BTCC season in a top team costs five times what it costs in TCR? Wow, that’s crazy. What is it about the BTCC cars that requires so much prep and cost?

Some of that will be purely down to track time - over the course of the year TCR has about a third of the track time compared to BTCC.

TCR UK is 7 meetings, typically 20m qualifying + 3x 20m races
BTCC is 10 meetings, typically 2x 35m FP + 45m qualifying + 3x 20-30m races

Obviously that doesn't include any testing.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

So a BTCC season in a top team costs five times what it costs in TCR? Wow, that’s crazy. What is it about the BTCC cars that requires so much prep and cost?

You're comparing best BTCC team's cost with cheapest TCR.

Also, the BTCC season has 30 races over ten weekends, while TCR has 14 over seven. So staff costs will be 50% higher, you'll use more than twice as many tyres, brake pads/disks, other lifeable parts, more opportunities to pick up damage, etc.

[antnee]

One of the biggest cost drivers in BTCC vs TCR is the performance margins. These are so small in BTCC, that you always have to refresh stuff much more often. Where as in TCR, the competition isn't so close meaning you don't need to find every 1000th of a second. Look at Issac Smith in 2022, he was consistently quick, but never really the fastest and came 2nd in the championship.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

It’s like comparing the wage bill of the team who wins the champions league with the wage bill of the team who gets relegated from the Championship.

Yes, to the untrained eye it’s just 22 folk running about a pitch kicking a ball about. And yes, you might even see the odd moment of brilliance in the championship that wouldn’t look out of place in the champions league. But….. ultimately…..Totally incomparable.

BTCC is arguably MORE than five times more lucrative than TCR in terms of exposure / coverage and all that goes with it.