BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[coffinpilot]

Didn't WSR offer Dale Jr a test a while back on socials after he was posting abut loving TOCA on the PS1 back in the 90s?
Isn't he being booted out of the NASCAR booth as a commentator?
He's a RWD specialist and would have no problem raising the BTCC budget just for fun.
Someone make this a reality please!!!

[InYourMirrors45]

Originally Posted by Protonman

I wouldn’t say I was among the doom mongers but I now wonder if they may downsize . Moffat was probably among those previously interested . I can recall his father saying he was speaking to a number of teams before signing at speed works . If so that’s all the four possibles now spoken for . Huff still possible but more likely at speed works . Thompson Crees Proctor and Edwards maybe but none of them seem a good fit to me . Probably any of these to take the last PMR seat or if those mystery Cupra deals become true . WSR are usually well settled by now and have usually the pick of the bunch so I don’t see pay drivers and unknown rookies appealing either .

What’s Seb Priaulx doing these days? Last I saw I was racing in America somewhere.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

What’s Seb Priaulx doing these days? Last I saw I was racing in America somewhere.

Full-time professional in IMSA in the GTD Pro class, sharing AO Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 R with Laurin Heinrich

[TyH]

Hi everyone, First post here.

I know for a fact that WSR and PMR still haven't got anything in place, they're still negotiating with a few drivers.

I find it odd that a team like WSR have left it this late to still have nothing concrete in place, especially knowing Jelley was in his last year of contract, it's not as if him leaving was a massive surprise.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by TyH

Hi everyone, First post here.

I know for a fact that WSR and PMR still haven't got anything in place, they're still negotiating with a few drivers.

I find it odd that a team like WSR have left it this late to still have nothing concrete in place, especially knowing Jelley was in his last year of contract, it's not as if him leaving was a massive surprise.

Welcome

I think WSR may have been caught out slightly by others ‘choosing other options’.

PMR I believe are waiting on drivers to secure funding.

[S griffin]

I half expect WSR to already have something lined up, but it’s weird that they haven’t announced anything yet

[Evantra]

So a quick rundown of the 2023 drivers without confirmed plans - Gamble, Thompson, Edwards, DeLeon?, Crees, Gornall? (last round only).

Assuming Turkington and Morgan are pencilled in at WSR, and Hamilton counted himself out.

Seems from that list, if it’s not Gamble and WSR then it’ll be a new or returning face.

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Evantra

So a quick rundown of the 2023 drivers without confirmed plans - Gamble, Thompson, Edwards, DeLeon?, Crees, Gornall? (last round only).

Assuming Turkington and Morgan are pencilled in at WSR, and Hamilton counted himself out.

Seems from that list, if it’s not Gamble and WSR then it’ll be a new or returning face.

I could see DeLeon being a contender for PMR or this mystery Leon shells project. Would be a shame if Bobby T doesn't make the grid but I just don't know how he pulls it off financially.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

I could see DeLeon being a contender for PMR or this mystery Leon shells project. Would be a shame if Bobby T doesn't make the grid but I just don't know how he pulls it off financially.

Good shout on DeLeon. I can see it too. And yes, it would be a shame if Bobby T is left on the sidelines

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by Evantra

So a quick rundown of the 2023 drivers without confirmed plans - Gamble, Thompson, Edwards, DeLeon?, Crees, Gornall? (last round only).

Assuming Turkington and Morgan are pencilled in at WSR, and Hamilton counted himself out.

Seems from that list, if it’s not Gamble and WSR then it’ll be a new or returning face.

I think you are right. I think DeLeon is doing GT4’s abroad if I remember rightly, though I might have confused his plans with Pattersons!?!

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Steel Wheels

I think you are right. I think DeLeon is doing GT4’s abroad if I remember rightly, though I might have confused his plans with Pattersons!?!

Patterson is racing a Lotus Emira GT4 over in Europe yes. Haven't seen anything about DeLeon's plans.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I half expect WSR to already have something lined up, but it’s weird that they haven’t announced anything yet

Mansell?

[Ant25]

It’s just to quiet.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by TyH

I know for a fact that WSR and PMR still haven't got anything in place, they're still negotiating with a few drivers.

I find it odd that a team like WSR have left it this late to still have nothing concrete in place, especially knowing Jelley was in his last year of contract, it's not as if him leaving was a massive surprise.

I'm surprised you don't know for a fact that Jelley, was in the final year of contract (2023), but the contract was renewable. You must know for a fact that he did actually decide to drive for WSR in 2024, but then changed his mind/pulled out, leaving his seat available.

Thus, late-on in the scheme of things, WSR had to start seeking another driver.

[TyH]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

I'm surprised you don't know for a fact that Jelley, was in the final year of contract (2023), but the contract was renewable. You must know for a fact that he did actually decide to drive for WSR in 2024, but then changed his mind/pulled out, leaving his seat available.

Thus, late-on in the scheme of things, WSR had to start seeking another driver.

I didn’t claim to know everything lad. Sorry for my input LOOOOL

[TyH]

Originally Posted by Protonman

I wouldn’t say I was among the doom mongers but I now wonder if they may downsize . Moffat was probably among those previously interested . I can recall his father saying he was speaking to a number of teams before signing at speed works . If so that’s all the four possibles now spoken for . Huff still possible but more likely at speed works . Thompson Crees Proctor and Edwards maybe but none of them seem a good fit to me . Probably any of these to take the last PMR seat or if those mystery Cupra deals become true . WSR are usually well settled by now and have usually the pick of the bunch so I don’t see pay drivers and unknown rookies appealing either .

I feel Proctor is probably the best fit out of those names, but you’re absolutely right, none of them stand out or scream WSR driver to me

[MarcusH26]

WSR feels like such an odd situation , it's obviously an expensive seat and rightly so given their history in the championship and it's a front running car. But to be sitting here at the start of March with one of their seats available and most of the linked names off the board because they went elsewhere feels really odd.

PMR I'm not even going to bother trying to predict because it could any number of current drivers or another Mikey Doble type from a lower series who turns out to be a gem.

[TyH]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

WSR feels like such an odd situation , it's obviously an expensive seat and rightly so given their history in the championship and it's a front running car. But to be sitting here at the start of March with one of their seats available and most of the linked names off the board because they went elsewhere feels really odd.

PMR I'm not even going to bother trying to predict because it could any number of current drivers or another Mikey Doble type from a lower series who turns out to be a gem.

Yeah PMR played an absolute worldie with Doble and Watson alike last season, albeit Watson had more higher level experience

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

I'm surprised you don't know for a fact that Jelley, was in the final year of contract (2023), but the contract was renewable. You must know for a fact that he did actually decide to drive for WSR in 2024, but then changed his mind/pulled out, leaving his seat available.

Thus, late-on in the scheme of things, WSR had to start seeking another driver.

You need to chill out old lad all you do is post negative stuff to people’s comments

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by SV8Predator

I'm surprised you don't know for a fact that Jelley, was in the final year of contract (2023), but the contract was renewable. You must know for a fact that he did actually decide to drive for WSR in 2024, but then changed his mind/pulled out, leaving his seat available.

Thus, late-on in the scheme of things, WSR had to start seeking another driver.

Speculation presented as fact?

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

Welcome

I think WSR may have been caught out slightly by others ‘choosing other options’.

Very much.
They had four drivers on their shortlist and were very much banking on Collard being the one to take the seat, to the extent that they probably neglected negotiations with the other three. And two of those other three took up another offer that they could be certain of.

So when Collard did the GT deal, WSR were left stuck. And presumably it tips the negotiating scales in favour of Gamble now, who can try and drive a harder bargain.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Very much.
They had four drivers on their shortlist and were very much banking on Collard being the one to take the seat, to the extent that they probably neglected negotiations with the other three. And two of those other three took up another offer that they could be certain of.

So when Collard did the GT deal, WSR were left stuck. And presumably it tips the negotiating scales in favour of Gamble now, who can try and drive a harder bargain.

You surmise, I assume. Unless, of course, you received that information directly from Dick Bennett.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Very much.
They had four drivers on their shortlist and were very much banking on Collard being the one to take the seat, to the extent that they probably neglected negotiations with the other three. And two of those other three took up another offer that they could be certain of.

So when Collard did the GT deal, WSR were left stuck. And presumably it tips the negotiating scales in favour of Gamble now, who can try and drive a harder bargain.

That could be the most plausible explanation

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

You surmise, I assume. Unless, of course, you received that information directly from Dick Bennett.

Look at their posting history. I think it gives every indication that this poster is pretty credible.

[coffinpilot]

There is one other possibility. Deals (some, or all) might be signed, but with there being a gap to testing kicking off the BTCC team might have asked for announcements to delayed and spread out.
I mean it's March 2nd, we're a month away from official testing (I know some teams will start creeping out of the garage soon) which leaves a bit of a big gap to fill. In other years when there was a bigger grid you could drip releases every few days, but with three drives (or more if a.n.other joins the grid) the championship wouldn't want all three announced tomorrow. I get the feeling with the new PR team they're trying to coordinate to stay in the news.
The worst thing they can have now is a few weeks where everything is known and nobody has anything to gossip about!