[BTCC] 2024 BTCC Rds. 7/8/9 - Snetterton 25/26 May

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Carrera Cup isn't racing this weekend, so nobody else will see it either!

You’re right! Back at Thruxton!

[Pickles]

First look at Thompsons BMW, that'll stand out on the grid:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/p16LqqRx6TfRDib8/

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Pickles

First look at Thompsons BMW, that'll stand out on the grid:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/p16LqqRx6TfRDib8/

I like it, nice to have such a different colour! Hopefully a few more sponsors will be accumulate through the season.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Pickles

First look at Thompsons BMW, that'll stand out on the grid:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/p16LqqRx6TfRDib8/

If that's the final version then I'm impressed. So rare these days to see a livery with a single sponsor instead of the usual stickerbombs we've got used to.

[Evantra]

I know it’s wet and you can’t read much into free practices… but Bobby Thompson 4th and 1st so far having barely driven the car!

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Evantra

I know it’s wet and you can’t read much into free practices… but Bobby Thompson 4th and 1st so far having barely driven the car!

With less hybrid than Morgan too......

[Robin Marriott]

I wonder how significant the difference is if you’ve made it to Q2 but you were originally in the 1st group or the 2nd.

Warmer tyres for the 6 fastest in the second group but also less time for the engine etc to cool down, which much be a negative point.

[Evantra]

Bit of a disaster for the Hyundais. Thompson impressing!

A very long lap and changeable conditions, but even so I’m surprised the gaps are so large?

[Matt K]

Hoping it's the proper start to Bobby's lengthy BTCC career, he certainly deserves it. Sadly, money talks. However, the livery looks super fine, as already mentioned, refreshing to see a car with a proper main/title sponsor rather than awful stickerbomb livery.

Impressive result by Sutton, P2 with so little hybrid, chapeau bas.
But what happened with Ingram??

[ahobson98]

All the Hyundais had no pace at all, Pearson the best in P12.

Going to be a long night for them I think.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Hoping it's the proper start to Bobby's lengthy BTCC career, he certainly deserves it. Sadly, money talks. However, the livery looks super fine, as already mentioned, refreshing to see a car with a proper main/title sponsor rather than awful stickerbomb livery.

Impressive result by Sutton, P2 with so little hybrid, chapeau bas.
But what happened with Ingram??

What apart from the Laser BMW and the NAPA cars?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Matt K

But what happened with Ingram??

No grip apparently, sounds like the car just wasn’t in the window.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Evantra

No grip apparently, sounds like the car just wasn’t in the window.

Quite a mishap given Sutton's consistency so far. Wonder if they can make it up in the races tomorrow

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Quite a mishap given Sutton's consistency so far.

What’s the record for consecutive podiums? Because you wouldn’t bet against him making it at least 8 in a row tomorrow.

[Matt K]

That's an interesting question. Just checked the 2001 BTCC results and can see Plato was on the podium 13 races in a row. Must be the record, I guess (or at least very near)?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Evantra

What’s the record for consecutive podiums? Because you wouldn’t bet against him making it at least 8 in a row tomorrow.

Andy Rouse and Jason Plato both had 13 in a row.

After that:

Rouse - 11, 10, 10
Muller - 10
Rouse, Gravett, Biela, Jackson - 8

[Matt K]

So still some work to do for Ash

[Evantra]

Addison saying it’s very wet and doubtful the option tyres will come into play, but due to stop raining about 11:00.

[InYourMirrors45]

I’ll probably get slaughtered for this but what on earth has happened to the TOCA Package?!

Snetterton just half hour down the road for me so I attend both days every year, but will give today a miss and save some money after yesterday.

The Radicals and Porsche Caymans are absolute garbage. Simply not suitable for a headline event IMO. The F4’s have always been average at best, understandably so as it’s a one make single seater series. The Mini’s just isn’t competitive this year unfortunately. Other than the BTCC Sessions it felt like a glorified club event, it really was dire. I know we lost the presence of Ginetta a season or two ago but they really need to find a suitable replacement for that soon. Think it’s a bit of a cheek that the ticket prices for entry stay the same when the support races are a massive step down in quality and in some cases quantity (aware that’s not the circuits fault) I never thought I’d say it but I was actually bored at a BTCC event yesterday.

[thetool]

The problems are multiple really:

a) The manufacturers aren't interested in running/promoting series anymore. Look at 2006 for example: BMW, Renault, Porsche and SEAT all heavily involved with at least one series each which the UK branch was actively involved in as a promoter.

b) There are substantially fewer paid drives higher up the ladder, so excelling in junior series is no longer the pathway to a top F1 drive that it once was. This, coupled with the FIA's stricter rules about the required pathway to F1 has removed the role of national single-seater championships. Using 2006 again, we had 22 Formula BMWs and 24 Formula Renaults on the grid for the first round.

c) There are more series running internationally, and the notion of trying to race at as many relevant GP venues as a junior seems to a more important consideration than it once was.

[ahobson98]

Completely agree, the package is far worse than it used to be.

The problem (I think) is that to appear on the package, it costs a lot of money for a championship, and high entry fees get passed on to competitors. Therefore only manufacturer supported championships tend to end up as a permanent part of the package.

The closest racing is always between slower cars which have a lot of drag (Minis, Caterhams, Legends e.t.c.), but drivers who have a lot of budget and don't mind paying the high entry fees for the TOCA package tend to want to drive faster cars such as Porsches/ Radicals.

Therefore the best championships only make sporadic appearances on the package. Can't really see this changing unless Gow stops charging the support series as much to appear.

[AJD]

It probably would have been different had TOCA removed the Ginettas and had time and an idea of a replacement. However Ginettas chose to move and at least to the public it came out of nowhere which made finding replacements hard I imagine.
However we are now a season on from that and still haven't got permanent replacements which probably again just shows the financial mire the country finds itself in at the moment.

[touringlegend]

Nice to have a drone on the ITV footage now.. adds a bit of a different dimension.

[Matt K]

Lack of hybrid really hurts at Snetterton. Have to say I don't like it, punishes frontrunners too much and creates too many push-to-pass moves without any fight. Don't like it at all, too gimmicky IMO.
Nevertheless, fantastic to see Bobby on the podium, so happy for him.

[Evantra]

Yes Thompson!! P2!!