BTCC 2011

Sorry for hijacking the OP, but the best place for this stuff is at the beginning - Scot

Update as of 9/3/11, confirmed entries

Honda Racing/Team Dynamics
Honda Civic - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
Matt Neal
Gordon Shedden

Team Aon/Arena International
Ford Focus - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
TBA - most likely Tom Chilton
TBA - most likely Andy Neate

Arena running an S2000 chassis new global Focus touring car which will have a Mountune developed NGTC turbo petrol engine. Andy Neate has driven the 2010 Focus during testing after having been long associated with the seat.

YourRacingCar.com/AmD Milltek
Volkswagen Golf - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
Shaun Hollamby

Pirtek Racing/Team Eurotech
Vauxhall Vectra - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
Jeff Smith
Andrew Jordan

Airwaves Racing
Ford Focus - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
Mat Jackson
Liam Griffin
TBA - possibly Tom Onslow-Cole

Dave Bartrum on record saying that there is scope to run three cars in the 2011 season, and that either Bridgman or Collins are a possibility for the 3rd seat. Tom Onslow-Cole spotted at Brands testing with the team after speculation he would be the third driver.

Special Tuning Racing
SEAT Leon - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
Tom Boardman
TBA
TBA
TBA

STR have acquired 4 SEAT Leons for 2011, and are rumoured to be looking to run one in WTCC and three in BTCC. Maybe a return for Phil Glew here after his 2010 Silverstone outing with the team?Likely to run just two cars from season start. Ben Winrow, former Clio and Abarths champion, tested the car but it would appear funding isn't there for him.

Speedworks
Toyota Avensis - NGTC
Tony Hughes

Originally planned as a 2-car outfit with Dave Newsham in the 2nd car, funding and car build issues have limited the team to 1 car in 2011

Dynojet
Toyota Avensis - NGTC
Frank Wrathall

Toyota UK developing an NGTC engine for this effort

Rob Austin Racing
Audi A4 - NGTC
TBA
TBA

WSR
BMW 320Si - S2000
Rob Collard
Nick Foster
TBA

Confirmed for 2011 with new sponsors and an upgraded BMW 320Si. 3rd car a possibility.

888
Vauxhall Vectra - NGTC Engine/S2000 Chassis
James Nash
Tony Gilham

Speculation rife that 888 have built or are building full NGTC-spec Insiginias, but sources vary on the car being used in 2011, with the NGTC-engined Vectra the most likely candidate.

Welch Motorsport
Proton Gen-2 - NGTC
Dan Welch

Not expected to be on the grid until the latter half of the season.

bamboo engineering
Chevrolet Lacetti - S2000
TBA - likely Harry Vaulkhard
TBA

ES Racing
Chevrolet Lacetti - S2000
Chris James

Lea Wood Engineering
Honda Integra - BTC
Lea Wood

Silverline Chevrolet/RML
Chevrolet Cruze
Jason Plato
Alex MacDowall

Plato returns to defend title and break records, with an ever-improving MacDowall in tow.

Geoff Steel Racing
BMW 320Si - S2000/Engine TBA
TBA
TBA

Team announced intention to enter with two BMW 320Si's acquired from Motorbase. Team looking at possibility of running using the TOCA NGTC engine.

sunshine.co.uk/Techspeed
Chevrolet Cruze - S2000
TBA - Most likely Paul O'Neill
TBA - Most likely John George

Unconfirmed at this time, but the team are testing the cars and drivers at Brands, so an announcement must be due soon.

nickyf1's original OP

So, thats one more chapter of BTCC history outta the way! Super 2000 ends its reign as the BTCC formula. Its successor, the NGTC formula, will begin to slide into place for 2011. The two litre turbo formula promises larger saloon type cars, bigger wheels, more power and ultimately, more show. 2011 will however be more of a transitional year. Most of the teams will be running Super 2000's anyway. For now atleast, we know that Honda will be upping their support to Team Dynamics (a 70% Honda effort to be precise) and helping Dynamics develop an all new Honda NGTC powerplant to shove into the current S2000 Civic.

And that is literally all we know for sure at the moment. Been snooping around the BTCC.net forums though..

Alan Gow is confident that there will be a ''more of these cars on the grid next year'' than he expected, in refernece to full NGTC cars.

Anyway... time for speculation, go!

They were saying on the TV that one of the Ginetta G50 guys would probably be coming up to BTCC next season (The G50 cup Champion.... cant remember his name lol)

Also remember this is the end of the road for BTC Spec cars like the Legendary Honda Integra. So Paul O'neil and some other privateers will be needing a new ride.

Also from what ive heard David Pinkney are seriously considering an NGTC car for next year rather than their current NGTC Powered S2000 Vectra.

That enough rumours and vagueness for ya......? lol

I'd imagine TOCA will be selling that Avensis off to someone. Wouldn't mind seeing Paul O'neil in the Toyota

You all should have listened to midweek motorsport last night, and last week epoisde, fantastic interview with Irish club racer Barrry Rabbit, lots of speculation and talk about BTCC and other stock series

PS if you do listen; Listen to the section on BBC Motorsport coverage

Things we know....

Frank Wrathal is loking to drive in BTCC next year.
Hnda has upped it's support for Team Dynamics and will be retaining the same driver line up.
JP will be returning t defend his title next year.
Arena might resort to using an NGTC engine after all the hassle with other teams over their engines this year.
Rumours abound about other manufacturers entering the series next year. Volvo? Renault?

I know Alan Gow was going on in the TV coverage that they expect to sell loads of these NGTC cars and to have more of them on the grid. The way he was talking it sounded like it was that specific car, i.e. the Toyota. Will we see a grid full of the same car next season or will there be a base car and they can change the body shell?

Matt wrote:
Rumours abound about other manufacturers entering the series next year. Volvo? Renault?

I think this year we can properly rule Volvo out, they no likey NGTC and have jumped over the the WTCC. Last year there were rumours of Nissan... And as we know, Renault and Nissan share alot of things with each other.

Tripple Eight and WSR are well equiped to build an NGTC car for next year, but they both have good S2000 cars that still have life in them. Not much point in building totally new cars.

One thing the BTCC really needs is an improved ''show'' to bring it back to a series of international standard. For example, better production on the TV. We have the commentary which is great, AND we have HOURS of live footage, but its missing the slickness of other international series. Those intro videos are just bloody terrible.

We also need a few weekends a year where we have a feature race with pit stops. The race at Brands at the end of the year could have to sprint races in the afternoon, then a feature race into the night or something!

Great example of what a BTCC broadcast used to be like, plus a look at the night race. It had lasers! Friggen lasers! And JB!