Production Saloon class 2004?

**Snapper Baz** · 27 Aug 2003, 19:19 (Ref:701020)

Talking to a driver who was out in the Production class in the BTCC at Brands over the weekend (went to see Maria Brown testing a BTCC car today-Wednesday) I asked if he thought that the "Production Class" might be big enough to go for a seperate championship next year - (as has been mentioned in the mags) and he seemed to think they (BTCC) will not be running this class next year-just the full blown Touring Cars! So where are all these cars going to go (I can see Mr.Tucker rubbing his hands already!)then or will they be modified to run in the main class-anybody know anything?

james tucker · 28 Aug 2003, 08:26 (Ref:701502)

your a bit slow my hands are red hot...!!!!££££
sportingly
james

**Snapper Baz** · 28 Aug 2003, 19:02 (Ref:702107)

Had to laugh...the driver of this silver car driven during the BTCC races was giving it the big I am..."I was one of the fastest around Clearways due to the chassis" he said to the unknowing test drivers. Had they seen him spinning every few minutes, getting lapped god knows how many times etc, etc they probably walked away there and then!

Neil Adams · 29 Aug 2003, 08:35 (Ref:702428)

if it does happen its likely to be a small field of cars i would have thought, seems relatively easy to convert to etcc spec so thats what a lot of the production team managers are interested in doing.

Edenbridge Racing : allready have a etcc spec car ready for touring class, could run in production as well but current form is a one car team.

Gary Ayles Motorsport : wants to run a four car touring team with convertions on his two production alfas romeo 156's to etcc spec.

Team Varta : wants to run a four car touring team with convertions on two production 307's to etcc spec.

Presuming the ga, varta and edenbridge plans off and every team, and indepedent continues next year we're looking at 25 tourers, compared to this years 18.

This is without the possibility of audi, seat and renault.

Prediction : i think pyper will return in the team dynamics team alongside howell next year.

Snapper Baz, who was the driver of the silver car and what btcc car was it?

**Snapper Baz** · 1 Sep 2003, 21:07 (Ref:705103)

...Richard Marsh (Honda Accord)!

the_tsar · 1 Sep 2003, 21:10 (Ref:705105)

It was painful to watch Marsh at Brands

BootsOntheSide · 2 Sep 2003, 10:02 (Ref:705491)

The NSC (which originally featured Production type cars) was fine until, to paraphrase Iron Maiden, BTCC came, across the sea, and brought them pain and misery. They took their stars, they killed the teams, they took their game, for their own greed.

And now that Production has served its purpose (filling in those pathetic 10-Tourer grids of 2000 and 2001), they're happy to kill it off and leave the entrants with nowhere to go.

A new series could be successful, but there aren't all that many teams currently running Production-spec cars that would be intereseted. NSC and BTC-P have produced some thrilling racing and allowed guys like Gavin Pyper, Gareth Howell, Michael Bentwood, Luke Hines and Norman Simon to show their skills, so it'd be a sad loss for UK Motorsport.

SPARK Msport · 2 Sep 2003, 10:58 (Ref:705520)

Is there a production championship next year?!?!?
With these ETCC regs, its all getting abit confussing...

Neil Adams · 2 Sep 2003, 11:27 (Ref:705537)

No, there is no production class next year,
quote from barwell motorsports website

"With the Production Class being dropped, the new-look BTCC will thus feature a simpler 'one-class' format, with all cars competing against each other on an equal footing."

source page click on link below, then click 'btcc team' and scroll down

http://www.barwellmotorsport.co.uk/index2.htm

also announced on the above link is news that barwell motorsport will be running etc spec civic type-rs next year.

Could well be a huge field of cars next year!

**Craig** · 2 Sep 2003, 15:18 (Ref:705762)

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
The NSC (which originally featured Production type cars) was fine until, to paraphrase Iron Maiden, BTCC came, across the sea, and brought them pain and misery. They took their stars, they killed the teams, they took their game, for their own greed.

And now that Production has served its purpose (filling in those pathetic 10-Tourer grids of 2000 and 2001), they're happy to kill it off and leave the entrants with nowhere to go.

A new series could be successful, but there aren't all that many teams currently running Production-spec cars that would be intereseted. NSC and BTC-P have produced some thrilling racing and allowed guys like Gavin Pyper, Gareth Howell, Michael Bentwood, Luke Hines and Norman Simon to show their skills, so it'd be a sad loss for UK Motorsport.

Amen to that!

Sadly though, in reality, I'd say it now looks extremely unlikely that the NSC will be revived in any way, shape or form. It worked extremely well back then but circumstances have simply moved on now - sadly I don't think it would work in this climate and with the number of strongly promoted series around at the present time.

SPARK Msport · 2 Sep 2003, 16:30 (Ref:705803)

so I could say this new SVC whatever its called with Jags, Hondas etc in it is the new production championship (well, the bodys used in the championship will be from production cars...etc)

Shame really, liked the production class as it is, made get TV a few years back...R.I.P Production class then :-(

redshoes · 2 Sep 2003, 17:03 (Ref:705825)

Quote:

Originally posted by SPARK Msport
so I could say this new SVC whatever its called with Jags, Hondas etc in it is the new production championship

You could say that, but then again you would be completely wrong.

spanner · 2 Sep 2003, 19:53 (Ref:706014)

How come teams are so readily able to afford changing to ETCC spec cars, which are supposedly comparable to the touring class cars? why didnt we see more tourers out before this?

**touringlegend** · 2 Sep 2003, 20:22 (Ref:706047)

Because ETCC cars are basically modified Production spec cars - whereas the BTC Tourer is a completely different beast.

SPARK Msport · 2 Sep 2003, 20:34 (Ref:706064)

I don't know if to be for this or not...having BTCC and ETCC cars racing against each other is like having the British GT championship race with the FIA GT championship. These cars I take it will be sort of the same speed? Or will they be split into class's? I know Rydell races an ETCC spec volvo, I wonder if he could get Volvo to re-enter the BTCC, he might come back too!

**touringlegend** · 2 Sep 2003, 20:53 (Ref:706087)

ETCC and BTCC spec cars will compete for the same championship as far as I know there won't be a split class next year.

I'll be intrigued to watch how they level out the cars next year.

BSTR · 3 Sep 2003, 05:37 (Ref:706389)

About converting to ETCC regulations:

It will not be too expensive to convert from super production car that has all the latest bits and pieces to super 2000 car. And to keep converting costs low the teams may continue using H-pattern gearbox for example and thus running 30 kilos lighter that those with sequental one.

Let's face it, there will not be that many series in the world running super production cars anymore in 2004. And that means that there will be no updated factory components for that homologation. We can already see that older SP cars cannot compete against civic type-r or peugeot 307.

I fully understand why people want to cherish Super Touring memories. What is the main reason why Production class should continue? A cheaper class for limited-budget drivers?!

**Snapper Baz** · 4 Sep 2003, 16:55 (Ref:708213)

I think cost wise it will never work-not now anyway. The costs when Simon Harrison etc were running in those Peugeots were sky high then, and it seemed obvious to be at the front you needed to throw money at it to get anywhere-it did produce some damn good racing though. I wonder if it would be possible to run a class for Production cars without any mods (except saftey etc)...perhaps similar to Road Saloon/Hothatch type regs'but for new cars only?

SPARK Msport · 5 Sep 2003, 09:25 (Ref:708915)

I think its down to: You dont want too many class's racing at the same time. I mean, you could have BTCC and ETCC cars racing against each other, then the Indys and Production - you could have 50+ cars!?!?!?!

I think they should stop these 3 car teams. Ever sense 2000 its been all about 3 car teams, some teams like Proton cant afford it and it looks a bit silly. So go back to 2 car WORKS teams. You can have 2 car semi-works teams, then a 4 manufacture limit on Indy (eg: Only 4 Astras allowed to race in Indy cup). I hate seeing soo many Astras, looks good for them, bad for everyone else, so they have to make it even. Let the ETCC and BTCC teams race against each other, just hope the ballast is used correctly.

I'd love to see the Production class be a support race. Just need the teams to have interest really. I wouldnt say this is the end for the Production class, im sure in the future someone will be able to get it back to what it used to be!

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