BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[coffinpilot]

Just a thought. If Area can charge a driver £150,000 (quoted by two drivers at other teams in the TCR Paddock) for TCR UK, and the aborted move into TCR for Dynamics, it makes me wonder if they could just head that way.
At the end of the day they could easily run in BTCC, but if TCR keeps growing (by that I'm not suggesting to BTCC or BGT levels) they could probably make a greater profit on a lower income there. At the end of the day it is business after all.

[Ant25]

Apparently dynamics are coming back next seasons but won’t be under team dynamics? Anymore info on this?

[coffinpilot]

Another thought. If Carl Boardley has his Mojo back (and if we're honest a guy from the back of the BTCC midfield dominating TCR doesn't do that series any good, especially after Smiley won it last year) would he consider the BTCC again?

Just with all the money stuff around Team HARD coming up (as mentioned in the Donington thread with Dan Lloyd mentioning he's had a bit of a money headache) I just wonder what his TBL situation would be if they went under.

Would he be able to get a car or two (with a paying driver) on the grid if he could bag two HARD cars on the cheap. I mean, if they ended up in a position where Bailiffs came in, the cars aren't worth that much without a license to race them in BTCC. Hardly collectors cars are they?

Just a random rumination while I'm stuck in the small room for a sit down.....

[Ant25]

Who would like to see a return for Jack goff or matt Jackson? Or even baby Andrew Jordan

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Ant25

Who would like to see a return for Jack goff or matt Jackson? Or even baby Andrew Jordan

Not me. And not them either.

[Ant25]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Not me. And not them either.

How come?

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by sceptic

And not them either.

Exactly this.

Jordan has (I think) publicly stated numerous times he will not return. He's very busy running the immensely successful family historic racing team business (and I would imagine enjoys that far more than stressing about finding X amount of sponsors to compete in the BTCC). The "Jordan Racing Team" are among the best preparers/restorers in the trade now, and they prepare (and often race with their customers) just about anything from the 1950s-2010s. Everything from Austin A40s and Minis, through to TVR Griffiths and Bizzarrini 5300 GTs and Porsche 911s. They even run an early-2010s ex-Waltrip NASCAR Cup Toyota Camry and ex-PCCGB 911s.

M Jackson had his time in the BTCC and has moved on - he still makes occasional appearances in historic racing. Ditto for Goff really - had some great results but with the vast budgets required now has moved on.

[Ant25]

BWT cars would look mega someone needs to bring them in

[Matt_123]

Originally Posted by SSmith

Given Team Dynamics have sold some of their equipment I can't see them returning in their previous form.

I could imagine a scenario where Team Dynamics officially partner up with Team HARD, expanding on the work Neal and Plowman have done there this season.

2 cars could be run under the Dynamics umbrella using their expertise (something that could be attractive to a sponsor and be the draw for a big name like Huff to do a full season). HARD could then focus on running 4 cars and wouldn't be stretched as thin.

Unlikely to happen, but this is the BTCC!

Right, I have just given this a bit of thought, and I reckon this has legs. I'm not sure how realistic my version of this is, but i reckon this could be how it may work.

First, Dynamics have 2 Cupras, which can allow for better sponsors because of the recognition that Dynamics have in Touring Cars, and the expertise to be put into making the cars better. Then, Team Hard split their camp into teams of 2 (which they have done in the last few seasons) using an 'A' team and a 'B' team: the A team being used for the better drivers who'll be further up the order, and the B team for the pay drivers and newbies (think when NAPA joined in 2022 and had Sutton and Cammish while Motorbase had Jackson and Osbourne in different colours.)

Now, in my humble opinion - and this is just a bit of a guestimate it may not be that realistic - the drivers could be:
Dynamics: Rob Huff and (possibly) Gordon Shedden - or Henry Neal (or if neither are that realistic then Bobby Thompson take your pick )
Team Hard A: Dexter Patterson and Dan Lloyd
Team Hard B: Pay Drivers and Debutants - feel free to put whoever you like here - I might go for Daryl DeLeon and Jack Mitchell but this can be whoever you fancy.

Again this may be all complete waffle but it did sound like a very good idea. Thank you for your time

[Evantra]

MINI JCWs return for 7 events next year with the Coopers back for 3.

http://bit.ly/3RhzVOl

[SV8Predator]

One Motorsport can confirm it has mutually parted ways with Team Principal Danny Buxton, ending his involvement with team.


https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/toyota-btcc-squad-recruits-former-mclaren-gt-boss/10519971/

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

MINI JCWs return for 7 events next year with the Coopers back for 3.

http://bit.ly/3RhzVOl

Only change from this season is that they've switched the series at Croft and Silverstone. Sensible after the vast number of accidents the Coopers have had at Croft.

Now we're just waiting for Porsche to finalise their 2024 calendar. Once that's done we'll know the meetings that will likely have guest series and the gaps can be filled in.

[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Trust me, they burned. How the fire started is unlikely ever to be known; if they get that ship safely into a port without it sinking that will be quite an achievement.

Looks like it wasn't an EV that caused the fire


https://thedriven.io/2023/08/14/sorr...electric-cars/

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

Looks like it wasn't an EV that caused the fire


https://thedriven.io/2023/08/14/sorr...electric-cars/

So how do they account the video on YouTube of one of the cars rebursting into flames whilst being craned off the ship and being dumped in a large skip full of water on the warfe. Also pictures of bury my burnt out cars on one deck suggest a high number of ev cars were caught in the fire - coincidence? Seems an odd story to me

[Teletubby]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

So how do they account the video on YouTube of one of the cars rebursting into flames whilst being craned off the ship and being dumped in a large skip full of water on the warfe. Also pictures of bury my burnt out cars on one deck suggest a high number of ev cars were caught in the fire - coincidence? Seems an odd story to me

That could be the result of damage during recovery or any number of other factors. I'm not 100% sure that the actual root cause will be found to be honest.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Teletubby

That could be the result of damage during recovery or any number of other factors. I'm not 100% sure that the actual root cause will be found to be honest.

I could be because it was hit by lightning but it wasn't..... was it just coincidence a 40 foot skip full of water has handy just in case.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

I could be because it was hit by lightning but it wasn't..... was it just coincidence a 40 foot skip full of water has handy just in case.

If the roof of a building is alight or catches fire does not necessarily mean that the fire started in that location; it could well have travelled to that point earlier.

The same applies on that ship; the salvage operators, and I assume with guidance from fire experts, stated that the seat of the fire, where it started, was on a lower deck that had no electric cars on.

Again I assume that they know what they are talking about.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

was it just coincidence a 40 foot skip full of water has handy just in case.

Nope. It's standard equipment in the Netherlands now (has been since 2019 or thereabouts), so given the risk of re-ignition while taking the cars off the ship it makes sense to have a specialist piece of firefighting kit available.

These salvage crews do know what they're doing.

[PeterY]

Team Hard seem to have a few transport and hospitality vehicles up for sale, trying to raise some capital to finish the year and for next year?

[Ant25]

Originally Posted by PeterY

Team Hard seem to have a few transport and hospitality vehicles up for sale, trying to raise some capital to finish the year and for next year?

I think they’ll go down to a 3 or 4 car team next season!

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by PeterY

Team Hard seem to have a few transport and hospitality vehicles up for sale, trying to raise some capital to finish the year and for next year?

I'd initially dismissed that as just clearing out a few bits of surplus equipment rather than trying to raise funds, but now I'm not so sure. According to
Companies House, both Tony and Samantha Gilham are no longer "person with significant control", and now the sole owner appears to be 'Bath Taxis Limited'

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I'd initially dismissed that as just clearing out a few bits of surplus equipment rather than trying to raise funds, but now I'm not so sure. According to
Companies House, both Tony and Samantha Gilham are no longer "person with significant control", and now the sole owner appears to be 'Bath Taxis Limited'

Bath Taxis Limited Racing has a nice ring to it.

[Mike Harte]

Does the name of David Scaramanga mean anything to anyone here; he holds over 75% control of Bath Taxis? And Amanda Ridings is the sole officer of the company.


And it does seem as though Hard has been borrowing significant sums on at least 3 occasions this year.

[thetool]

Presumably the new ownership is whomever Tony Gilham owed the most money to this time. They took out a loan of £270k leveraged against their BTCC equipment a few months ago. It's like a person taking out a loan secured against their house.

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Does the name of David Scaramanga mean anything to anyone here;

Former Britcar champion.