BTCC entries/rumours that never came to be

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Good sleuthing!!

Thank you.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

For now, I'm focusing on the "Possible Additional Entries" from 2006 that never happened, here's Part 1:

The 3rd Team RAC MG

The 2 DW Racing Astras

A 2nd Tech-Speed Astra, probably would have been O'Neill until he replaced Leggate.

Westley Barber as Mark Jones' team-mate at Xero Competition until they signed Adam Jones.

Jamie Spence in a Quest Racing Astra until they signed Murray.

Michael Wilson in a Butler Motorsport BMW.

Team Add-It with a Honda Civic, this wasn't by any chance the latest name for John Batchelor's team, was it?

[S griffin]

Harrow Motorsport were hoping to run a second Renault 19 alongside Nigel Albon in 94

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Harrow Motorsport were hoping to run a second Renault 19 alongside Nigel Albon in 94

Don't you mean Harlow?

ExcelR8 looked at Jags before switching to the Hyundai's.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

2006 Possible Additional Entries Part 2 (Part 1 concluded at point that Adam Jones joined the series):

James Pickford linked to the 3rd Team Halfords Honda, until Howell appeared in the last four meetings.

Eoin Murray initially linked to running his Alfa under his own name, then a reformed Gary Ayles Racing, until he joined Quest Racing.

Henry Taylor linked to the 3rd Team RAC MG and a CMS Astra Sport Hatch.

Dan Eaves linked to the 3rd Team RAC MG.

John George linked to a 2nd Tech-Speed Astra Coupe.

Jonathan McLoed in an Alfa.

Oli Wilkinson and an unnamed Scottish team-mate joining the series from Knockhill onwards, driving Vauxhalls.

Paul Bird in a 2nd Kartworld MG.

During this time, Murray, Marsh and Kizilirmak were all confirmed as entering the series at Croft and Donington.

[cos]

RJN were planning a S2000 Primera in 2004.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by cos

RJN were planning a S2000 Primera in 2004.

Wasn't that car also intended to race in the ETCC at some point?

Graham Rose and Tony Kenworthy entered the first round of the 1987 BTCC in a Mitsubishi Starion and Renault 5 GT respectively. Neither made the start.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Wasn't that car also intended to race in the ETCC at some point?

Graham Rose and Tony Kenworthy entered the first round of the 1987 BTCC in a Mitsubishi Starion and Renault 5 GT respectively. Neither made the start.

Vague recollection that the Starion was a prodsaloon as I believe Rose did a bit of Uniroyal or Monroe rounds that year?

Kenworthy's car was a cup car I think.

TWR entered the Commodore test hack and a Rover for the '87 British GP supporter but Tom took the Holden to the clashing Nurburgring ETC round where he shared driving with Jeff Allam.

Never quite got to the bottom of this one. There are ine or two possible theories!
Perhaps when the entries were planned TWR did not realise the races were on the same weekend, or the German race date moved?
Or perhaps the intention was to be at both events but something came up in the Holden testing that needed rapid feedback so a late entry was made?

There were often one off or guest entries for the BGP round.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

2006 Possible Additional Entries Part 2 (Part 1 concluded at point that Adam Jones joined the series):

James Pickford linked to the 3rd Team Halfords Honda, until Howell appeared in the last four meetings.

Eoin Murray initially linked to running his Alfa under his own name, then a reformed Gary Ayles Racing, until he joined Quest Racing.

Henry Taylor linked to the 3rd Team RAC MG and a CMS Astra Sport Hatch.

Dan Eaves linked to the 3rd Team RAC MG.

John George linked to a 2nd Tech-Speed Astra Coupe.

Jonathan McLoed in an Alfa.

Oli Wilkinson and an unnamed Scottish team-mate joining the series from Knockhill onwards, driving Vauxhalls.

Paul Bird in a 2nd Kartworld MG.

During this time, Murray, Marsh and Kizilirmak were all confirmed as entering the series at Croft and Donington.

Some of these have to be taken with a pinch of salt, as this is Wikipedia we're talking about.

The cancellation of the Birmingham round in 1988 denied the swansong of Tom Walkinshaw in a self-run Sierra and the debut of Nick Whale in a Corolla.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Some of these have to be taken with a pinch of salt, as this is Wikipedia we're talking about.

The cancellation of the Birmingham round in 1988 denied the swansong of Tom Walkinshaw in a self-run Sierra and the debut of Nick Whale in a Corolla.

The TWR entry was the blue and yellow Herbie Clips liveried Commodore. It ran in qualifying at least.

[S griffin]

There's a few 94 rumours here:

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...ensible-season

Perhaps the strangest is Ralf Schumacher being linked to Volvo!

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The TWR entry was the blue and yellow Herbie Clips liveried Commodore. It ran in qualifying at least.

My mistake.

2001:

Peugeot originally intended to run the 307 (or possibly the 306).

Enzo Mucci signed for the JS Motorsport Alfa Romeo team which originally intended to run 6 147's, 4 Touring and 2 Production.

There were six Astra Coupé's in all, I presume two of them were unused spares that went to Barwell in 2002?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2008/05/30/team48-unlikely-to-show-in-2008/

Since it mentions two cars, I wonder if Matthew Gore still would have been Darrell Wilson's team-mate?

Also, in further reference to 2001:

https://www.crash.net/btcc/news/6765/1/production-glut-guarantees-xmas-stuffing-for-bmp - The article preceding this mentions rumours linking Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell to Peugeot prior to Steve Soper's signing.

[S griffin]

Interesting that Edenbridge were originally gonna enter with the Beemers in 01

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Interesting that Edenbridge were originally gonna enter with the Beemers in 01

I remember Autosport mentioning that.

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

TWR entered the Commodore test hack and a Rover for the '87 British GP supporter but Tom took the Holden to the clashing Nurburgring ETC round where he shared driving with Jeff Allam.

Never quite got to the bottom of this one. There are ine or two possible theories!
Perhaps when the entries were planned TWR did not realise the races were on the same weekend, or the German race date moved?
Or perhaps the intention was to be at both events but something came up in the Holden testing that needed rapid feedback so a late entry was made?

There were often one off or guest entries for the BGP round.

There were rumours in Autosport and Motoring News the week before the GP weekend that the TWR entries for the GP support were likely to be no-shows and they had other plans for the weekend.

Autosport, 9th July, under the headline "What's Tom up to now?": 'As we suggested last week, Tom Walkinshaw has declared his intention to enter one of his VL-spec Holden Commodores in the Dunlop BTCC event supporting this weekend's GP at Silverstone. Walkinshaw and his crew took a second day trip to Snetterton on Monday to give the car further running time. A darker rumour, however, suggests that Tom's GP entry is an elaborate double bluff, and that one of the 4.9 litre Commodore will actually turn up at the Nurbrgring this weekend, for the fourth round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. By the time you read this, we should know for certain....'


James Kaye was another guest entry for the GP support who didn't make the race- he'd leased a Group A Corolla, however the intended car, which was a rally rather than race car, got comprehensively shunted on a rally the previous weekend, and a replacement couldn't be sourced in time.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Wasn't there a rumour that the Audi 80 would be making an appearance in the 1991 BTCC?

[S griffin]

I think Trackstar might have been planning to run them

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Team Dynamics were linked to running BMWs/Alfas/the Honda Accord Euro-R before switching to the S2000 Civic in 2007.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Aaron Slight tested for Honda in 2000 but only ever drove for them in the 1997 RAC Tourist Trophy.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Wasn't there a rumour that the Audi 80 would be making an appearance in the 1991 BTCC?

The Audi was rumoured as was the Merc 190. BMW coming in a couple of years later with Schnitzer was a real eye opener for all the main makes and because the 3 had been major rivals in DTM at the time, I think people started adding 2 and 2 and coming up with 5.

Bottom line was that Merc did not see class 2 as the right strategy for them. I know for a fact it was a serious consideration when the C180 was launched though.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The Audi was rumoured as was the Merc 190. BMW coming in a couple of years later with Schnitzer was a real eye opener for all the main makes and because the 3 had been major rivals in DTM at the time, I think people started adding 2 and 2 and coming up with 5.

Bottom line was that Merc did not see class 2 as the right strategy for them. I know for a fact it was a serious consideration when the C180 was launched though.

Yes, I remember Merc were set to join the BTCC in 1993, possibly with Tim Sugden and Bernd Schneider?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

1986:

There were moves afoot to try and encourage the MSA to remove the upper class capacity limit in order to allow a rumoured Allan Grice Holden entry for certain rounds as well as possibly an ex TWR Jaguar XJS entry to re envigorate the quality of the entry in the top class, at least. (Sorry to paraphrase you chunterer)

Barrie Williams was supposed to drive David Sears' Toyota Supra at the British GP Support race. Mike Smith was rumoured to be entering a Ford Escort and Chris Maries, a Renault 5 but neither turned up, not that that was a problem with a race that featured 32 entries.

[S griffin]

When Ford re entered in 93 Andy Rouse’s team tested both FWD and RWD on the car, before deciding on FWD

Also, not sure if this has been mentioned, but 888 were going to switch to a Vectra in 04, but the car was too heavy, so they switched back to the Astra

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

When Ford re entered in 93 Andy Rouse’s team tested both FWD and RWD on the car, before deciding on FWD

Also, not sure if this has been mentioned, but 888 were going to switch to a Vectra in 04, but the car was too heavy, so they switched back to the Astra

Ah yes, that's why the Mondeo didn't appear until mid-season.

I have previously mentioned the BTC-Touring Vectra of 2004. There was a rumour the car would still make an appearance that year, possibly converted to diesel. The car was later shown off at the 2007 Autosport International Motor Show disguised as the Super 2000 version.