[BTCC] BTCC News & Rumours 2025

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

only three seem to be in with a chance of the championship. And that's the BMWs, the Fords and the Cupras and looking at the results so far they are only in the hands of Sutton, Ingram whilst there could be 3 drivers in the BMWs.

I assume you meant Hyundais!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Evantra

I assume you meant Hyundais!

Yes I do; I seem to be posting too often when I'm either tired or not fully awake!

[Ant25]

What world TCR drivers would you like to see come over and give the Btcc a go?

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Ant25

What world TCR drivers would you like to see come over and give the Btcc a go?

Erlacher.
Saw an interview a little while back where Chilton reckoned that he, Sutton and Ingram are the three best FWD Tin Top drivers on the planet. Would love to see him in a BTCC car.

[MarcusH26]

https://btcc.net/btcc-officially-opens-invitations-for-two-new-teams-in-2025/

Invitations open for 2 " High quality 2 car teams" to apply join the grid for next season.

[BtccLee]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

https://btcc.net/btcc-officially-opens-invitations-for-two-new-teams-in-2025/

Invitations open for 2 " High quality 2 car teams" to apply join the grid for next season.

For me, the most interesting line covers the 2027 regulation changes.

“Those updates will actually be cost-saving updates, and we won’t be making any current cars redundant.

“Therefore, cars purchased or built by current or new teams will also be valid to use during that next phase of the regulations.”

Hopefully encourages prospective entrants, and new teams, to invest knowing they are secure moving forward. Be interesting to see if new outfits, or teams from the support series, decide to make that step up.

[codename_47]

Frustrating that BTCC following the recent trend of capping grid numbers as we all know bigger grids lead to better racing as well as more opportunities for up and coming drivers and team personell to gain a start within the championship

I'd be fine with it if they said "We can't go any higher than 24 because we're going to Castle Combe/Anglesea and we can't fit any more cars in the pits there" but it's never for logical reasons like that....

[v8supes]

I told you Team HARD were coming back but you all called me a mug

[TinTopGrumpy]

Originally Posted by codename_47

F1
I'd be fine with it if they said "We can't go any higher than 24 because we're going to Castle Combe/Anglesea and we can't fit any more cars in the pits there" but it's never for logical reasons like that....

That is one of the major reasons for capping the grid though. The whole package was getting too big for some of the circuits they go to with all the hospitality setups etc that sponsors expect even in the support races.

See what Gow was saying back in 2018 on the subject:

https://www.motorsport.com/btcc/news...44797/3116938/

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by v8supes

I told you Team HARD were coming back but you all called me a mug

“High quality 2 car teams”. Probably not then

[Protonman]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

“High quality 2 car teams”. Probably not then

This could add a bit to the Indy ranks and make that more competitive but have to ask where the cars will come from . Probably too pricey for new builds and the cars left over from before are very out of date . Will be interesting to see what PMR do when their Astra hits its deadline .i also note this is not an open invite for One Motorsport and Dynamics to return .

[S griffin]

Hopefully a few more can come in. There’s room for a few more

[mick bennett]

Where are these mystery new teams with a large enough budget to actually achive anything ??

[Mike Harte]

I would imagine that Gow is hoping that teams such as Parker or Century might be able to "graduate" to the BTCC grid. Or possibly teams from British GT.

[redshoes]

So having spend the early part of the year telling us that this season's reduced grid was fine, albeit a little sooner than expected, now TOCA are saying they want 4 extra cars.

The point about 2027 regs isn't that surprising. There have already been comments in the press about the new rules being an evolution of NGTC rather than a complete change. Depending on how much of an evolution, existing cars will either be upgraded or grandfathered/BoP'ed in. An entirely understandable and sensible approach.

The question for me has to be where are these new entries coming from. Graves are the only team I can think of who have openly talked about wanting to step up.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The question for me has to be where are these new entries coming from. Graves are the only team I can think of who have openly talked about wanting to step up.

The whole thing about extra teams coming in is putting the cart ahead of the horse anyway. The grid is limited by the number of drivers with sufficient budget. If there were to be 5 extra drivers arrive with £750k each then existing teams would expand overnight to accommodate them.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by thetool

The whole thing about extra teams coming in is putting the cart ahead of the horse anyway. The grid is limited by the number of drivers with sufficient budget. If there were to be 5 extra drivers arrive with £750k each then existing teams would expand overnight to accommodate them.

On the basis WSR have an open seat and PMR wound back to two it seems a tad optimistic. Also how is the One Motorsport test programme going with the big return next year ? Or was that fantasy double talk?

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by thetool

The grid is limited by the number of drivers with sufficient budget. If there were to be 5 extra drivers arrive with £750k each then existing teams would expand overnight to accommodate them.

Technically the current TBL availability means they couldn't expand, but I don't disagree with your point. If there were drivers out there with a budget then WSR and PMR would still be running their full quota of entries, and One would still be on the grid.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by mick bennett

Where are these mystery new teams with a large enough budget to actually achive anything ??

I thought the whole article was nonsense. There are well regarded teams like One and Dynamics that vanished due to lack of drivers and sponsors. Arguably, one of the best teams on the grid still has an empty seat.

All this new teams nonsense. Posters have mentioned Parker and Century, yet they are GT teams who buy a current car from BMW or Porsche. You can't do that in the BTCC. Gow is stuck with an outdated business model for teams clinging onto the heritage of attachment to manufacturers in various forms, that will have no interest in a saloon car based series that is no longer relevant to their market. Half the current grid is racing cars that are no longer on sale or are old models.

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[TinTopGrumpy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

So having spend the early part of the year telling us that this season's reduced grid was fine, albeit a little sooner than expected, now TOCA are saying they want 4 extra cars.

They've wanted the grid to be 24 for a few years now. The reduced grid comments were in the context of only being four cars away from what they wanted.

[touringcarnut]

Originally Posted by redshoes

So having spend the early part of the year telling us that this season's reduced grid was fine, albeit a little sooner than expected, now TOCA are saying they want 4 extra cars.

The point about 2027 regs isn't that surprising. There have already been comments in the press about the new rules being an evolution of NGTC rather than a complete change. Depending on how much of an evolution, existing cars will either be upgraded or grandfathered/BoP'ed in. An entirely understandable and sensible approach.

The question for me has to be where are these new entries coming from. Graves are the only team I can think of who have openly talked about wanting to step up.

The conclusion could be reached that we could be losing 2 or more of the existing teams after 2024, such is the increase in costs of late. Perhaps the new teams are to replace what we are yet to know we are losing.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by touringcarnut

The conclusion could be reached that we could be losing 2 or more of the existing teams after 2024, such is the increase in costs of late. Perhaps the new teams are to replace what we are yet to know we are losing.

Or not, of course.

[Sodemo]

I think it’s more likely we will lose two more teams than gain them.

[coffinpilot]

I'd love to know where they can save money by adapting the current regs to post NGTC.

One set of extra, extra hard tyres to last the season (which I don't think would please Goodyear.)

Reducing personnel (or making personnel bed down overnight in hospitality awnings to save on hotel bills.)

Homologating cars so when you roll a car off the lorry for the start of 2027 you're not allowed to do any development for 10 years.

Get rid of long haul venues - Croft/Knockhill/Thruxton?

Seriously though, where can they save money, what kind of components can be cut in price, and what would be the price range to help BTCC long term? Between £250k back of the grid and £400k for top end seats? Or £350k to 500k? Would Alliance/WSR be happy with a series where they can't engineer an advantage?

[Sodemo]

They could limit the personel I guess which would be a significant cost. However it would mean that doing quick engine changes or near full rebuilds after a big race day shunt would be difficult to impossible.