BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

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

All I could think of was the Man With the Golden Gun.

Turns out I may have not been that far out, he's the grandson of the inspiration for the character.
https://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=5256
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-lives-on.html

[BtccLee]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Former Britcar champion.

And very competent Castle Combe Saloons racer.

[JDMROB]

Interesting.

Dave Scaramanga raced in Britcar alongside a certain Will Powell for his Motus One team.

[coffinpilot]

How many of the HARD cars does Boardley own?
I know he raced chassis #82 at Brands Hatch last year, but I seem to remember something about him not owning that one.
Just with the two TBLs and x car/cars under his name they couldn't be sold (or raffled....) by HARD, or repossesed.
Ready made team?

[Ant25]

Huff looking for a return for 2024 season who will he go with?

[tocatrucky]

Originally Posted by Ant25

Huff looking for a return for 2024 season who will he go with?

Whoever will pay him. His days of bringing a cheque to a team ended a looooong time ago.

[Ant25]

Originally Posted by tocatrucky

Whoever will pay him. His days of bringing a cheque to a team ended a looooong time ago.

Be 4 teams then unless a new manufacturers come in next season

[Matt K]

Sounds exciting that Huffy is thinking of the BTCC comeback and would love to see that happen but let's be honest, the chances seem very slim. Even if there are teams who could pay him (are there any though?) then I guess they'd rather invest in someone who can stay with them for a long time and fight for title. Can't see Huff doing either, BTCC would be sort of a pre-retirement journey for him. Nothing wrong with that but I simply wouldn't expect him to be on par with the best drivers in the field. That may sound surprising given he's a world champion and hasn't fared badly in recent years but NGTC cars are different to TCR cars, competition relatively strong plus the BTCC drivers have spent years racing around the UK circuits. Huff would have lots of catch up to do. Still I'd be happy to see him full-time in 2024.

[Matt_123]

Originally Posted by Ant25

Huff looking for a return for 2024 season who will he go with?

I have 2 possibilities - based off me thinking for exactly 30 seconds

A. He goes to PMR to replace Watson or ATS - who i think have been good enough to move higher up the grid

B. Motorbase have said that they want to help a privateer - so, maybe - and again this could be waffle - Motorbase help bring back Dynamics - and they announce Rob Huff as their big main signing to help bring in some sponsors.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Matt_123

I have 2 possibilities - based off me thinking for exactly 30 seconds

A. He goes to PMR to replace Watson or ATS - who i think have been good enough to move higher up the grid

B. Motorbase have said that they want to help a privateer - so, maybe - and again this could be waffle - Motorbase help bring back Dynamics - and they announce Rob Huff as their big main signing to help bring in some sponsors.

But who would be paying the budget?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by peebee2

But who would be paying the budget?

sponsors

[redshoes]

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'

Continuing the merry-go-round, 24 hours later and Bath Taxis have been removed and ownership now back with Tony and Samantha Gilham.

[InYourMirrors45]

No reason why Huff can’t engineer a full time return. If I was him I’d be sniffing around the NAPA garages.

Pretty sure Sutton and Cammish are contracted for next year, Osbourne obviously won’t be going anywhere. Not so sure on Rowbo though. Potentially an opportunity for him there perhaps.

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

No reason why Huff can’t engineer a full time return. If I was him I’d be sniffing around the NAPA garages.

Pretty sure Sutton and Cammish are contracted for next year, Osbourne obviously won’t be going anywhere. Not so sure on Rowbo though. Potentially an opportunity for him there perhaps.

Can't see Rowbo going anywhere all the time CataClean are still a sponsor.

[crmalcolm]

So I may have been flippant with my earlier sponsors comment - but the reality is that sponsor money is the only real way that Huff will get a drive in the BTCC next season.

The lack of real manufacturer backing means that teams do not have the budget for paying a driver's salary - so the reliance is on sponsors to find the money.
Huff himself has admitted previously that his own sponsors are not of the scale to fund his entire drive.

Which means, he needs a team with a large enough sponsor backing to fund his seat, if we are going to see him in a BTCC car for 2024. There may be one or two teams in 2023 that would be able to generate enough in funds, and hence the need to put himself in the paddock now to have a chance of securing one of those drives. It needs to happen now, so that the team(s) can generate the backing in the next couple of months.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

No reason why Huff can’t engineer a full time return. If I was him I’d be sniffing around the NAPA garages.

Pretty sure Sutton and Cammish are contracted for next year, Osbourne obviously won’t be going anywhere. Not so sure on Rowbo though. Potentially an opportunity for him there perhaps.

One Pole and one win not a bad result in a team with the Goat where would he go?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Matt_123

A. He goes to PMR to replace Watson or ATS - who i think have been good enough to move higher up the grid

I mean, he signed with Hard so maybe I’m wrong, but unless PMR have a new car waiting in the wings I get the feeling Huff would only want to come back in a championship-contending team.

[InYourMirrors45]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

One Pole and one win not a bad result in a team with the Goat where would he go?

Not saying he’s going anywhere. Just that out of the 4 current NAPA drivers he’s the only one not confirmed to by contracted for 2024.

[Matt_123]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

Not saying he’s going anywhere. Just that out of the 4 current NAPA drivers he’s the only one not confirmed to by contracted for 2024.

I think he'll be fine, he's been good enough this year to warrant it, and he brings the Cataclean money

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

Not saying he’s going anywhere. Just that out of the 4 current NAPA drivers he’s the only one not confirmed to by contracted for 2024.

Not confirmed? Is that a fact? Or speculation?

[Evantra]

Multi-year deal for Bristol Street Motors to continue with Excerl8, great to see.

https://bit.ly/3PLK3xz

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Multi-year deal for Bristol Street Motors to continue with Excerl8, great to see.

https://bit.ly/3PLK3xz

Proper link: https://www.btcc.net/2023/09/21/exce...hip-extension/

[InYourMirrors45]

Word on the streets is that a “current top line” BTCC driver is contemplating retiring at the end of the season to focus on his sons racing career. Can only assume this to be Turkington. Unless Ash is starting his little one off ridiculously early…

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

Word on the streets is that a “current top line” BTCC driver is contemplating retiring at the end of the season to focus on his sons racing career. Can only assume this to be Turkington.

Wouldn’t surprise me - if there’s still 4 seats across BMW next year, I’m assuming they’re going to want a big name driver to fill that seat then. Counting Hill as part of MB, I don’t think Morgan or Jelley is the #1 driver they want / need.

[psq43]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

Word on the streets is that a “current top line” BTCC driver is contemplating retiring at the end of the season to focus on his sons racing career. Can only assume this to be Turkington. Unless Ash is starting his little one off ridiculously early…

Are none of the Chilton boys into racing?