BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Nice, pretty obvious Smiley is among drivers. Wonder who gets the second seat. Could it be the likes of Lloyd or Patterson?

Hopefully Thompson or Lloyd

[Matt_123]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Nice, pretty obvious Smiley is among drivers. Wonder who gets the second seat. Could it be the likes of Lloyd or Patterson?

I think it should be one of the HARD castoffs, as theyre experienced with the car, and can bring good funding. I'd expect it to be Patterson if i had to choose one - however it could be any of them

[Evantra]

Bits from Autosport: https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/...olds/10558171/

“Moffat, who drove for the One Motorsport Honda team in 2023, is believed to be on the driver market for a seat with an established squad next season, but series insiders have suggested that his and Boardley’s TBLs will be in use.”


“The other question relates to the fate of Thompson and Lloyd, Team Hard’s standout drivers from 2023. Both benefited at Hard this season from the presence of leading lights from the old Team Dynamics, with veteran technical chief Barry Plowman engineering Thompson, Tom Hunt looking after Lloyd, and three-time champion Matt Neal in an advisory role.

Thompson said that this trio could move with him to an existing team in the series.
“At the moment I’m fully confident we’ll be there,” Thompson told Autosport. “I’m working very closely with the guys at Team Dynamics – Matt and Bazza.
“We’re just trying to make it happen, but nothing’s set in stone yet.”


“Lloyd, who came within a mile of his fourth BTCC victory at Donington in August before driveshaft failure pitched him on the road, has a history with Smiley and the Taylors, but is understood not to be in the frame for the second Restart seat.

“Honestly I’m not sure,” said Lloyd. “I’ve known about it [the demise of Team Hard] for weeks and we’re looking at other options, but the budgets are so difficult.
“It’s tough, but I’m trying to piece things together.”


So sounding more positive for Thompson than Lloyd from this.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Evantra

I don’t think there was much substance to those rumours?

"Multiple Manufacturers " really? Like who? Isn't that one of the timebombs facing BTCC?

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by Ant25

Matt neal was hoping for a return and had multiple sponsors and manufacturers approach him?

"multiple sponsors and manufacturers approach him"?

Wherever did you hear that from? It was his loss of sponsors that made the team withdraw.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Restart confirm Smiley and two Cupras.

https://www.btcc.net/2023/12/15/chri...estart-racing/

Nice to have a new team in the series and to have Smiley back. Shame Team HARD have gone, say what you like about them, they did give opportunities to more than a few drivers

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

"multiple sponsors and manufacturers approach him"?

Wherever did you hear that from? It was his loss of sponsors that made the team withdraw.

No idea what the circumstances are but you can have lot of sponsors and still not have the budget to race. Losing the likes of Halfords or Yuasa or Cataclean is a different matter.

[S griffin]

I was hoping we’d see Dynamics again in 2024, but sadly it doesn’t look like happening. Pity really, a great name to the series

[Ant25]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

"multiple sponsors and manufacturers approach him"?

Wherever did you hear that from? It was his loss of sponsors that made the team withdraw.

He said it himself when we fount out they they wasn’t going to be 2023 season

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

"Multiple Manufacturers " really? Like who? Isn't that one of the timebombs facing BTCC?

Must've been Kia and Volvo

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by Daverb

Seems like death by a thousand cuts for the BTCC.

Hybrid cost/complexity/unreliability, Team Dynamics, Ginetta, Team Hard, TCR UK, Gows stubbornness, cost of drives, difficulty getting sponsorship, expensive ticket prices.

Will be interesting to see the announcements over the next couple of months.

Team HARD goes down and you're talking about the death of the entire series?!

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Must've been Kia and Volvo

Can’t be Volvo - they have stopped importing cars. Just SUV’s now . And before anyone starts I know I am being pedantic !

[Craner Curves]

So we have the remnants of BTC Racing MK1 (PMR), mk2 (One) and now the latest incarnation. Yes I know it's a different name.

[CroftPilgrim]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I was hoping we’d see Dynamics again in 2024, but sadly it doesn’t look like happening. Pity really, a great name to the series

They could always return by using someone else's TBL. That's how Hard ran 6 cars. Perhaps we've not seen the last of them yet....

[Mike Harte]

It's been written on these pages quite a few times that one team or another have returned their TBL/s to TOCA. I've often wondered whether TOCA reimbursed those teams when they returned the TBLs; does anyone know the answer?

And if the TBLs are returned and TOCA does reimburse the team, is the3 amount returned the same as was paid initially or what the price is/was at the later date when returned?

[redshoes]

I don't think TOCA have ever public stated what the initial cost of the TBL was, or if there even was a cost. My assumption has always been that at best it was a nominal value, something like £1.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by CroftPilgrim

They could always return by using someone else's TBL. That's how Hard ran 6 cars. Perhaps we've not seen the last of them yet....

Good point. Just because they haven't appeared on the TBL list doesn't mean they can't acquire someone else's

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I don't think TOCA have ever public stated what the initial cost of the TBL was, or if there even was a cost. My assumption has always been that at best it was a nominal value, something like £1.

If this is definitive, then it makes claims that a TBL is a financial asset for a team a bit of a nonsense.

[Toyotat112]

Originally Posted by CroftPilgrim

They could always return by using someone else's TBL. That's how Hard ran 6 cars. Perhaps we've not seen the last of them yet....

Believe me, they will never be returning to a paddock ever again.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Toyotat112

Believe me, they will never be returning to a paddock ever again.

And you know this, how?

[Toyotat112]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

And you know this, how?

It’s obvious, isn’t it?

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by Toyotat112

It’s obvious, isn’t it?

Maybe to you. Perhaps they won't return to BTCC depending on how many (if any) bridges were burned but it's a bit of a stretch to say they will never be in a paddock again.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

If this is definitive, then it makes claims that a TBL is a financial asset for a team a bit of a nonsense.

I never claimed it was definitive, it's just my understanding / best guess. TOCA have never publicly declared a value, but then there's a lot of things they don't declare publicly.

It has a value in the sense that it is sellable commodity. If a new team wants to join the grid, or an existing team want to increase the number of cars they run, the the only option is to buy a TBL from another team. It's value is purely what someone else is prepared to pay for it. If no new teams want to join the grid then it has no value. I don't think anyone has ever claimed it would be financial asset that would be included in your ledgers, as least not for any more than a nominal value.

[Mike Harte]

Redshoes, I did say "if".

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

Maybe to you. Perhaps they won't return to BTCC depending on how many (if any) bridges were burned but it's a bit of a stretch to say they will never be in a paddock again.

Having an idea of the extent of the debts, and knowing how many bridges have been burnt, I'd say a BTCC return is definitely out of the question. I'd be very surprised if Tony is seen in a paddock again.