2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring car Championship

Right, to kick us off, the Volvo rumour has returned, and the Cruze is just a rumour at the moment, but expect to see atleast ONE Cruze next year

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4079

With SEAT seperating from ORECA, Yvan Muller has no drive for 2010. Word has it he will be joining Chevvy/RML to partner Fabrizio Giovanardi and most likely Rob Huff.

With no Vauxhall team, it is possible we may see Chevrolet officially back the RML entry in the BTCC following the success of Racing Silverline and the Lacetti this year. The real car may be junk, but the race car is testament to the ability of RML to make a competitive car. Alain Menu is supposedly looking to return to the UK full-time (IIRC) as his son is entered in some single-seater series (Formula Ford?). So it is possible a Chevvy backed BTCC team would see Menu return to the BTCC.

Steve Neal has said within the next week or so, Honda will make a decision on whether to finance a manufacturer entry run by Dynamics. He will also bring Matt back into the fold, but has talked about the possibility of running two teams - a Honda works team, and a Team Dynamics one.

We know the script with Volvo given the early 2009 season rumours, but with a successful team with manufacturer experience now available - 888 - could we perhaps see a team-up there? Of course, another long-standing rumour is that 888 are courting a Kia-backed entry, so who knows? Volvo have also been linked with John Cleland, who has long been a Volvo dealer.

The only definite is that 888 are selling their Vectras. I believe there are only three chassis, but perhaps someone could correct me. Possibilities for this car are the Jordans buying them for another crack at the BTCC. Also, we may see Thorney Motorsport pick them up given their long association with Vauxhalls and their desire to move up from the Dunlop SportMaxx series.
So lets imagine how 2010 might look.

Chevrolet (M) - Cruze - Alain Menu, Mat Jackson
Volvo (M) - C30 - Jason Plato, Jonathan Adam
Honda (M) - Accord- Matt Neal, James Thompson
Kia (M) - Cee'd - Nathan Freke, ?
Team RAC (I) - 320Si - Colin Turkington, Stephen Jelley
Airwaves BMW (I) - 320Si - Rob Collard, Steven Kane
Thorney Motorsport (I) - Vectra - Phil Glew, ?
Team Aon (I) - Focus - Tom Chilton, Tom Onslow-Cole
Club SEAT (I) - Leon - Gordon Shedden
Team sunshine.co.uk (I) - Integra - Paul O'Neill, Martyn Bell
Team Dynamics (I) - Civic - Dave Pinkney, Johnny Herbert
bamboo engineering (I) - Lacetti - Harry Vaulkhard, James Nash
TH Motorsport (I) - Integra - John George - Civic - Matt Hamilton

Of course, this is just wishful thinking based on current rumours, but how awesome would that line up be!?

Hahaha, that would be an amazing line up, best case scenario that would be.

But:

1)Steve Neal says alot of things.

2)Volvo say they are still focused on the STCC as a munfacturer (however the John Cleland rumour gives that some credibility atleast)

3)If new manufactuers were to enter, they would be better off developing an NGTC car, and perhaps using it in the second half of 2010 if Mr. Gow aproves? Chevrolet is the most likely to come as they have the Cruze, same with Volvo (dispite the STCC factor) as they both currently have cars to use. Honda have the N-Tech Accord, but i'm not sure they would like to use that, its a bit old now, around the same age as a Dynamics Chassis 4 and 5 Integra surely?

I think if Honda get involved they will provide all the material Dynamics need to construct the cars, including two or three new Accords. They did the same in 2007 when they provided Dynamics with two Civics, and the team turned them into race cars very quickly, so much so Neal took a win the opening meeting in one that hadn't even run before that weekend. So it wouldn't be the first time Dynamics put a car together in double-quick time, and they could construct to NGTC rules.

I think Volvo would use the C30 for the first year as they have them available and homologated. Then, depending on how they do, they could get the new S60 ready and NGTC developed for 2011. If the Cruze is succesful as the Lacetti, what's to stop RML upgrading/developing an NGTC version for 2011?

I think 2010 will be a toe-in-the-water year for any prospective manufacturer entries.

Alain Menu is looked to be staying in the WTCC, as he's signed for 2010 along with Robb Huff. They are also looking to sign Giovanardi and Muller as they want to expand to 4 cars.

@CK (edit lol) Completely agree, these new NGTC rules should attract manufacturers to the BTCC. BTC-T was actualy quite succesful in this, with WSR running the main MG team and Team Atomic Kitten, Vauxhall running VXR and Egg Sport, the Arena run Honda's and the Petronas Protons. Unfortunately the ETCC's S2000 worked better in the long run, so the BTCC is relying on the proposed S1600 Turbo rules to pretty much fail if it wants Honda and Chevrolet and mabey even SEAT with the Exeo to join as manufacturer teams. I do beleive that next season it will be all privateers for most of the season, 2011 will see an influx of two or three works squads. The BTCC needs to keep the privateers happy though, because they are gonna be there to pick up the pieces if it all goes wrong, and they simply were not there by the time of the 2001 season.

I thought touring cars had to be 4 door shells in accordance with S2000 rules? (thats why dynamics ditched the tegra)

Would they be overlooking this to court Volvo in a return?

i'm sure the specs are different between the two series.

but realtime uses a TSX (euro accord) for the SWC over here in the states




delicious RPF1's

Slider S15 wrote:I thought touring cars had to be 4 door shells in accordance with S2000 rules? (thats why dynamics ditched the tegra)

Would they be overlooking this to court Volvo in a return?

There's a standing agreement between the STCC and the BTCC that any cars homologated for one series qualifies for the other. So the Volvo, homologated to S2000 in the STCC, automatically gets a bye for the BTCC.

Yep, you also got the Scirroco in the STCC too.

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4089

888 doubtful for BTCC 2010?

Mabey a seperate thread for this event, but Bamboo Engineering have been entered in the anual ETC Cup which will be held at Braga (sp?) in Portugal this year. That Lacetti should be great on those Yokohama's, hopefully RML will give them a little bit more support, but can't wait to see how they do against some other teams from europe! I wish more BTCC teams would do it.

It has been reported in Motorsport News and Autosport that Andy Neate will be making a comeback with Team RAC after testing one of the teams BMWs.

Obviously after his horrific crash in 2008 at the Silverstone Britcar event, and his subsequent withdrawal from motorsport due to his injuries, this is good news that he feels he is now fit enough to be able to drive in a competitive, front-running car. Good luck to him.

Also, his website has been altered...

http://www.andyneate.co.uk/

Signs and portents of 2010...?

Dunlop is back as title sponsor!

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4237

Rofl, new numberplates!

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4251

ANDREW JORDAN TO DRIVE A TURBO VECTRA NEXT YEAR!

Looks awsome! Like Marcos Ambroses old Ford.

Lets not forget Andy Neate's recent test in the WSR BMW. So we could see him in a car next season. I do think the Pirtek Vectra looks damn good. Its a shame we aren't going to see an Insignia on the track mind

There is always 2011, I can't wait to see all the new NGTC cars in action. If Vauxhall do come back within the next 5 years, expect to see an Insignia, or the new Cavalier.

y dont we start the real 2010 driver line ups like the f1 thread now thats one driver confirmed?

Vauxhall Insignia confirmed by Thorney Motorsports themselves on Ten Tenths!

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2592925&postcount=357

Awesome, I always hoped to see the Insignia on the track. Its more of a battering ram than the Vectra

Thats great news!!! But means we almost certainly wont see Thorney in the series until late on which is'nt very good.

Now all we need is a Mondeo....

Two new liveries unveiled at this years ASI in Buuuuhhmmmiing'aamm!

Andrew Jordan Vectra.. Or is it Marcos Ambrose... Im confused.. Looks axcellent though!
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4320

And WSR's 2010 Alvara Racing Livery.
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=4319