BTCC 2012

So it's the 12th of January already, and we don't have a BTCC thread!? Let's just rectify that!

So what about the rumour that even though RML have commited to 2012 and are building NGTC Chevrolet Cruze hatchbacks, lead driver Jason Plato has signed up with rivals 888 to drive the new MG works entry? Supposedly it'll be announced today in Autosport, or this weekend at the ASI, but the latest news from an unamed source has the announcement delayed to next week amidst RMLs anger over the move. Regardless, the first 888 car went into build just two days ago, with James Nash already confirmed driving for the team.

The same source says Motorbase, who put their three S2000 Focus' up for sale at the end of last season, are constructing their own NGTC cars, likely the new Focus. Given that Arena/Team Aon have left the BTCC for the WTCC, this would make Motorbase the leading Ford team, so perhaps they will have a degree of manufacturer support? Note I said 'leading' Ford team, as it is assumed Team ES Racing has purchased the Motorbase Focus' given their coup of signing up Dave Newsham with the promise of running a car with 'race-winning pedigree.'

Meanwhile, another usually accurate source has Rob Collard in one of Rob Austin's Audis. Matt Hamilton's proposed return in an NGTC Skoda Octavia has hit the skids after the loss of a sponsor. Lea Wood may have landed himself a 2011 Honda Civic. Special Tuning will run 2 hybrid Leons, hopefully announcing drivers at ASI. Geoff Steel Racing will be back with their hybrid BMW 320, likely with Tony Gilham driving again.

Team Dynamics are ultra-busy! Not only are they churning out NGTC Civics for their Honda works effort with Neal and Shedden, and supplying Team Eurotech with a pair for Andy Jordan and Jeff Smith, but they'll be supplying Honda Sweden's STCC entry. One of the 2011 Civics will run in the first few meetings of the STCC until the NGTC Civic is completed.

Frank Wrathall's Dynojet will return with their Avensis which came on so strong in the second half of the year. They might even be the team running a second car for the 2011 GT Supercup winner, who's prize was a funded BTCC drive in 2012. Welch Motorsport have announced the build of a second Proton is underway. Thorney Motorsport will definitely have two Insignias ready for the first meeting.

BTC Racing, who vanished from the BTCC at the end of 2008, have tweeted that they are constructing an NGTC BMW, having already taken posession of the engine. AMD Miltek's Golf will return, driver announcement at ASI. WSR will be back, probably with their aging (2007!) BMWs packing NGTC engines. TGR Motorsport have purchased two turbo Vectras. Should see the Speedworks Avensis back after it was tested by James Thompson last month.

Sure I've missed something or somone out, but lets see what the Autosport show reveals this weekend!

Plato in an MG? Crazier things have happened...like MG making a racing return...

At least the Audi's won't be missed on the TV next season, seeing as their drivers have the biggest egos in the paddock.

So it is confirmed Aon are WTCCing this year?

Yup, Arena recently tested their new build WTCC car, so we'll not be seeing them or Chilton this year. Begs the question though, whats happening with their 2011 cars?

I liked Rob Austin, he is cool, but don't think he'll be driving this year. He only drove last year cos Pinkney quit.

Rob's ten times the driver Pinkney is. He only gets drives through rudget brought. He was rubbish in his own car and wasted a seat at Dynamics too. Won't be excited to see him back.
MG back in BTCC isn't a huge suprise to me, the fact it's with long term Vauxhall backers 888 is. I know the works support died out a couple of years ago but seeing as the VXR brand was built up and developed by the team you have to wonder.
I can see why RML might be peed off by the move (if true). Though Plato has worked with 888 in the past, and got his first title with them too. The only problem with that would be the #1 #2 driver situation with him and Nash.

Im sorry but MG have you seen the latest model no 1 will buy it is a pile of [Censored], marketing gimic used to spend money MG wont have same situation will happen in early 00 when MG went tits up thanks to management [Censored] ups

RML sad to go but where would you race? Le Mans or Croft?

WTCC is make or break, the FIA world engine is dead so will be interesting to see what happens with ford support.

Still looking forward to Tin Top action but seems more and more like a return to the dark days of the early 00's

Wow! Say it how it is Dunc!
Ollie Jackson (made his debut with 888) has just ben announced as one of the drivers for AMD Milltek.

I'm not so sure it's all bad.

The uptake on NGTC has been good, we'll have a rather large number of full NGTC cars from various manufacturers on the grid in the hands of a range of abilities. We'll have 4 Honda Civics, 2 Vauxhall Insignias, at least 2 Toyota Avensis, 2 Proton Gen-2s, 2 Audi A4s, possibly the Skoda Octavia if they get it back together, and whatever Motorbase (apparently Mat Jackson has said in an interview they will be going NGTC this year) and 888 are putting together. That's not including the hybrid S2000 cars, and we've still got a bigger grid than 2005 just with the NGTC cars.

And no-one said RML were leaving. They've apparently started the construction of the Cruze hatchback - which looks like this:

- and given there are markets opening up for NGTC Cruzes (some other Touring Car Championship has said it is looking at going NGTC, but I can't remember where), they could supply more than a few cars. They'll just ned tp find a new lead driver for the works effort - oh, and who's that without a drive for 2012? James Thompson? Interesting...

I might drop JT a message and see if I can pick anything up from him
I think BTCC is going from strength to strength, it'll never be as bad as 2000/01.
STR have also released a photo of their Leon in it's new Scorpion backed paint job. Looks nice.

I'd be careful with what you read on 10-Tenths Scot. Most of what is said on there is complete bollocks.

I know that, I am merely collating the rumours. The James Thompson one is my own surmising if the Plato/MG thing is true. Having read the original post on the forum it was posted on, there's just something ringing true about it all.

Can't wait for the new season to start in April, huge field of cars set for the season meant to be around 25-30 atleast with atleast 10-15 people who have a chance of winning races it's going to be a belter!

Jason Plato and Triple Eight, so forgiveness has a measurement, of 10 years.

Adam Morgan in the second of the Speedworks Toyota's. Looking forward to seeing the new 2012 front end racing on that Avensis!

http://www.touringcartimes.com/

In case anyone hasn't seen the 2012 Avensis...



Phwoooooar!

Never thought I would want a toyota until now.

Oh my god. That is the ricey-ist and ugliest racing car I have ever seen.

Still, it's 300+ hp of turbocharged two litre flame spitting race car, that's all that matters.

It's also to do with the TOCA control front sub-frame and rules regarding mandatory car width that cause the car to look the way it does.

It pops and bangs like hell too! Easily the best sounding car in the field last year.

Shaun Hollamby has stated at the show there will be no NA cars in 2012, with everyone going turbo. So far, taking into account confirmations, probables and the stronger rumours, it's looking like -

Matt Neal - Honda Racing - NGTC Honda Civic
Gordon Shedden - Honda Racing - NGTC Honda Civic
James Nash - Triple 8 - NGTC MG6?
Jason Plato? - Triple 8 - NGTC MG6?
Andrew Jordan - Pirtek Racing - NGTC Honda Civic
Jeff Smith - Pirtek Racing - NGTC Honda Civic
Tony Hughes - Speedworks - NGTC Toyota Avensis
Adam Morgan - Speedworks - NGTC Toyota Avensis
Frank Wrathall - Dynojet - NGTC Toyota Avensis
Rob Collard? - Rob Austin Racing - NGTC Audi A4
Chris Swanick? - Rob Austin Racing - NGTC Audi A4
Tom Boardman? - STR - S2000 SEAT Leon
Unconfirmed - STR - S2000 SEAT Leon
Unconfirmed - WSR - S2000 BMW 320?
Unconfirmed - WSR - S2000 BMW 320?
Chris James - Team ES Racing - S2000 Ford Focus?
Dave Newsham - Team ES Racing - S2000 Ford Focus?
Unconfirmed - Team ES Racing - S2000 Ford Focus?
Dan Welch - Welch Motorsport - NGTC Proton Gen-2
Unconfirmed - Welch Motorsport - NGTC Proton Gen-2
Mat Jackson? - Motorbase - NGTC Ford Focus?
Unconfirmed - Motorbase - NGTC Ford Focus?
Matt Hamilton - TH Motorsport - NGTC Skoda Octavia
Lea Wood - Central Group Racing - S2000 Honda Civic?
Tony Gilham? - Geoff Steel Racing - S2000 BMW 320
John Thorne? - Thorney Motorsport - NGTC Vauxhall Insignia
Unconfirmed - Thorney Motorsport - NGTC Vauxhall Insignia
Unconfirmed - Thorney Motorsport - NGTC Vauxhall Insignia
Unconfirmed - BTC Racing - NGTC BMW 320
Ash Shuttleworth - TGR Motorsport - S2000 Vauxhall Vectra
Rob Hedley - TGR Motorsport - S2000 Vauxhall Vectra
Andy Neate? - RML - NGTC Chevrolet Cruze?
Unconfirmed - RML - NGTC Chevrolet Cruze?

That's around 33 proposed/confirmed/estimated entries, and I think the limit is 32 for the grid. Team ES Racing and Thorney will probably only run two cars though, and I think there's a few in there that are wishful thinking on the part of the entrants.

Matt, do you have a link to the STR Leon?

nickyf1 wrote:Still, it's 300+ hp of turbocharged two litre flame spitting race car, that's all that matters.

It's also to do with the TOCA control front sub-frame and rules regarding mandatory car width that cause the car to look the way it does.

It pops and bangs like hell too! Easily the best sounding car in the field last year.

Out of curiosity, what's the point of those tech regs?

During the BTCC's heyday of the 90s, when the supertouring regs were supported by most of the manufacturers, the cost of running a team of two cars were astronomical. The BTCC started to wane at the end of the 90s and early 2000s, as manufacturers left the series and it was coming down to independant teams to fill the grid.

Up until last year, the BTCC ran to the FIA's S2000 regs that the WTCC and most other series used. This meant that pre-existing cars were easily obtainable for independants to purchase and run, but still quite expensive. TOCA, who run the BTCC, introduced the NGTC regs to cut the costs to produce a faster, cheaper, beefier race car.

By mandating that a standard front and rear subframe be used, as well as a number of TOCA-controlled components, the cost to produce an NGTC car is around £100-150k minus the engine, significantly less than the development costs of an equivalent S2000 chassis. A standard size was mandated so that the series wasn't cluttered with cars that weren't really touring cars, like the 3-door hatches and coupes of the early noughties. By mandating a width and length, teams would have to use 4 or 5 door cars.

Engines went from the naturally aspirated 2 litre 300bhp S2000 engine to the new 2.0 turbo NGTC engine, which can produce up to 350bhp (although is currently restricted to 300 until the series goes fully NGTC next season). Engine costs were also cut by this move, with TOCA providing a standard endine for lease, or allowing teams to develop their own. Most who have gone NGTC have developed their own as the TOCA engine, although cheap, was somewhat unreliable and under-powered when first introduced, although this has improved somewhat now.

In other news, Ollie Jackson has confirmed on Pistonheads that there is some ground-breaking news about to shake the BTCC paddock within the next few weeks. The more I read, the more I believe the Plato/888 rumour. Some of the 'names' who have been bang on with predictions in the past off-seasons have backed it up. And apparently Andy Neate has signed to RML for 2012.

STR pic here
http://yfrog.com/es5suyrj

narboza22 wrote:

nickyf1 wrote:Still, it's 300+ hp of turbocharged two litre flame spitting race car, that's all that matters.

It's also to do with the TOCA control front sub-frame and rules regarding mandatory car width that cause the car to look the way it does.

It pops and bangs like hell too! Easily the best sounding car in the field last year.

Out of curiosity, what's the point of those tech regs?

It's to encourage teams to field big saloon cars rather than smaller hatchbacks. It's the reason the Welch Proton Gen-2 has massive wheel arches.. I'm not a big fan of that part of the rule book.

That's too bad. The Cruze is actually a good looking car, but I can't stand the rest of them.

Chris James has tweeted that ES Racing collect their new cars within the next 5 days, and that their name begins with a letter in the second half of the alphabet. That rules out the Focus then. Perhaps he has found the funding for a pair of NGTC Toyotas? Or has bought a pair of Vectras?

Maybe Volvo