Seat/BMW to enter BTCC?

[Kurt Maxwell]

ETCC gave a waiver to Honda for the Civic. I think it ends at the last race of this year.

Let's get up to speed if we want to sit and discuss at the grown up table.

[alfasud]

I've heard this 4-door restriction talked about a lot, but I've hever seen or heard it from any authoritive source. It's certainly not in the technical regulations on the official FIA European Touring car site:
http://www.fiatouringcars.com/regula..._03_04_eng.pdf

Or the slightly later version on th main FIA web site:
http://www.fia.com/regle/REG_TEC/Ann...xtes/263-a.pdf

The Super 2000 regulations refer to cars homologated in Group N, but there's nothing about 4 doors only, in the Group N or Group A technical regulations on the FIA web site either:
http://www.fia.com/regle/REG_TEC/Ann...xtes/254-a.pdf
http://www.fia.com/regle/REG_TEC/Ann...xtes/255-a.pdf

Now I'm not saying that there isn't some sort of unofficial "gentlemans agreement" between the manufacturers, to promote their 4 door models or whatever, but there doesn't seem to be anything in the regulations about this.

No doubt someone will point me to the rule on an official site and clarify this.

This "grown up table" comment Kurt - is that some sort of humour?

[peter briggs]

2003 Homologation Regulations for Super 2000 cars(ETCC) clearly states 4doors...25000 units....4.2 m or over. The manufacturers have to arrange the Homologation and they have access via the FIA of the required documents.

[Neil Adams]

will they still be allowed to have three car teams next year? it seems there will be a few more teams, (seat, bmw, griffin).

why did vlr only enter a two car team this year? other teams went up having three cars this year, couldn't they have used the advantage of allready knowing the problems of running a three car team?

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by btcc-thunder

why did vlr only enter a two car team this year? other teams went up having three cars this year, couldn't they have used the advantage of allready knowing the problems of running a three car team?

I think its a case of having the money. Remember that the VLR cars were built as a non-works effort- not easy or cheap!

[Craig]

Of course the organisers will allow three car teams in 04! I'm sure they long for the day they get 32 cars turn up and have to send two home after qualifying!!

TCN - VLR also have extensive (excessive?) commitments to other teams, drivers and manufacturers so their BTCC effort is only one small part of their effort this year. Adding an extra car would have likely pushed them right over the edge!

[touringlegend]

Interesting to note that Alan Gow has stated on an interview that BMW, Audi, Alfa Romeo and SEAT will all be in the BTCC by 2005, making the total grid of about 7/8 manufacturers. He's saying that he expects 2004 to be "halfway house" for a brilliant year in 2005.

It will be good if he can pull this one off!

Available to listen to here on the Dunlop site.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by touringlegend
Interesting to note that Alan Gow has stated on an interview that BMW, Audi, Alfa Romeo and SEAT will all be in the BTCC by 2005,

Wow, I am quite suprised to hear Gow make such sweeping statements when the manufacturers themselves have not announced a motorsport program. I wonder do they appreciate the comments Gow is making?

[touringlegend]

Not as if it's a surprise though - there's been stories about these makes entering the BTCC recently in the press.

He didn't say it was concrete though, but those are the "first four he expects" in.