BTCC 2008 Off-season: News & Rumours

[duke_toaster]

[WISHFUL THINKING]Maybe next year they will enter it as a full fat factory team[/WISHFUL THINKING]

[Koulle]

Jackson is looking very strong, I wouldn't be suprised if he is a contender for the championship this season.

[NendoShisu]

BTCC.NET http://www.btcc.net/images/gallery/lg_3590_1882.jpg

Fab Gio's Vectra now has a BLACK grill on the front. which was driven at the Brands Hatch Testing Day.

[Icebaby]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

IIRC, he's sponsored by BMW dealers, but not getting any backing from the manufacturer, hence not manufacturer status.

I think Jacksons entry is very grey, did I not read that he has personel from BMW on board and these have been merged from Jackson motorsport crew, If so he should be classed as a manufacturer IMO.

Whilst Jackson is fast I think his downfall will be not having a team mate as seen at Thruxton last year Gio had some help to keep Plato at bay.

[NendoShisu]

Jackson is heavily reliant on Andy Priaulxs Motors as well. I wonder how he would be getting on if he didn't have those cars.

[touringlegend]

Isn't the likelihood with Jackson that the team probably got the car on a deal from BMW UK ?

[cos]

BMW themselves aren't giving any financial support; the ££ is coming from Accident Exchange. Just because they've hired a couple of guys from FormulaBMW doesn't mean they should automatically be classed as a manufacturer. They may well be paying BMW for some technical assistance, but that facility is available to anyone running the 320sis.

[Ed Peters]

Originally Posted by NendoShisu

Jackson is heavily reliant on Andy Priaulxs Motors as well. I wonder how he would be getting on if he didn't have those cars.

And the set-up of the cars are being assisted by RBM at the track!

[bigted]

ANy way back to team 48, how has Matthew Gore got a Nat A License, ist he racing in the caribean that competitive?

[Icebaby]

Originally Posted by bigted

ANy way back to team 48, how has Matthew Gore got a Nat A License, ist he racing in the caribean that competitive?

I heard he only had a provisonal licence !

[Icebaby]

Originally Posted by cos

BMW themselves aren't giving any financial support; the ££ is coming from Accident Exchange. Just because they've hired a couple of guys from FormulaBMW doesn't mean they should automatically be classed as a manufacturer. They may well be paying BMW for some technical assistance, but that facility is available to anyone running the 320sis.

Why are team Dynamics and Honda classified as manufacturers then as Honda doesn't give financial support does it?

[cos]

Originally Posted by Icebaby

Why are team Dynamics and Honda classified as manufacturers then as Honda doesn't give financial support does it?

Maybe not financial support, but perhaps technical support that any other team running Hondas would not receive.

[touringlegend]

Don't they provide TD with road cars etc ???

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Icebaby

Why are team Dynamics and Honda classified as manufacturers then as Honda doesn't give financial support does it?

They aren't classified as manufacturers.

TD did get some technical support from Honda when they were building the cars but no funding. That technical support would not be available to any other team so TD can not be classified as independents. However, Honda are not paying the required entry fee so they are not classified as a manufacturer team either.

They can score Driver and Team points, but not Manufacturer, Indie Driver or Indie Team points.[*]

BMW will provide technical support to anyone who wants to pay for it so someone like Jackon (or WSR last year) can get that technical support and still be an independent.

[*] EDIT : That was last year. Looks like TD will be independents this year

[gregc]

Originally Posted by redshoes

[*] EDIT : That was last year. Looks like TD will be independents this year

Funnily enough someone asked about this on the official forum today, and according to Alan Gow...

Their status is the same as last year.

[redshoes]

I thought the media day release didn't show them as either (M) or (I), hence my original comments, but when I checked the entry list on BTCC.net they are listed as (I).

[Ed Peters]

Xero Lexus hits the track.
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2064

[werner]

The Lexus looks nice. It's a shame it's not a current car.

I think it's a bit odd that Honda doesn't enter as a manufacturer, unless the fee is very high. But other than that, it would be a free entry compared to what they do now. I mean, they apparently already do some things that make Dynamics ineligible for the indy-championship, so that doesn't matter.
Does anybody know how high the entry-fee is, and if there are more duties when you have entered as a manufacturer? (I can imagine that you have to take part in some promotions etc.)

[werner]

Does anybody have a clue who has driven that car in Oulton, and who is going to drive it in the BTCC?

[cos]

Originally Posted by werner

The Lexus looks nice. It's a shame it's not a current car.

I think it's a bit odd that Honda doesn't enter as a manufacturer, unless the fee is very high. But other than that, it would be a free entry compared to what they do now. I mean, they apparently already do some things that make Dynamics ineligible for the indy-championship, so that doesn't matter.
Does anybody know how high the entry-fee is, and if there are more duties when you have entered as a manufacturer? (I can imagine that you have to take part in some promotions etc.)

£6,450. I don't think there are any "duties" required over and above what would be required of any other participant.

[El_Gibleto]

Could it be that having a works funded entry in the BTCC is not part of Honda's UK marketing plan and that the feel that they would gain litlte from been involved?

The current advertising themes used by Honda seem to be common to several national markets and emphasize different aspects of the Honda 'experience.

As much as many of you love the BTCC is is at the end of the day a minority interest series in a minority interest sport, where the audience demographics do not match the target audience for Honda's product and marketing aims.

[cos]

Ah, each manufacturer does have to "provide TOCA (free of charge) with twelve flags measuring approx. 180cm x 90cm prior to the start of the season for use at each circuit." Apart from that, not much else.

[touringlegend]

I guess the thing with a manufacturer is that in many cases they will want overall control of the team, it's all or nothing for them.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by El_Gibleto

Could it be that having a works funded entry in the BTCC is not part of Honda's UK marketing plan and that the feel that they would gain litlte from been involved?

Very true. We have also seen in the past were manufacturers have blocked people using certain models so that if the do badly it doesn't reflect on that manufacturer.

The entry fee is really only a very small part of the cost. Look at the amount Vauxhall for example spend on marketing and hospitality thoughout the year.

[KA]

Originally Posted by werner

Does anybody have a clue who has driven that car in Oulton, and who is going to drive it in the BTCC?

Seems to be some speculation on other forums that it could be Thomas Erdos- if that's true, it would be a good call by the team, although I think there's an LMS date clash somewhere?