BTCC 2009: News, Rumours and stories..

the pre season is upon us, and there are some great rumours and news going about!

-Works BMW Team?
-Ford returning with privateer team?
-Volvo returning with Polestar built STCC C30's and Jason Plato?
-A return from Priaulx (Bart Mampey Racing)?
-Dave Pinkney tests for team Dynamics
-Ricardo van der Ende tests for WSR
-Jonothan Adam tests for Motorbase
-Works Honda team?
-Nissan?

for up to date touring car news, i recomend www.touringcartimes.com , a very good site created a few years back by some swedish folk

yeah i always go there for touring car news. in fact thats where i posted all my info from in the BTCC post i made lol. I hope ford, volvo, nissan and honda have work teams. Good old late 90s racing lol.

oooh supertouring...

1997, best season ever! lol

It really is hard to beleive that the BTCC was the pinnacle of touring car racing in the 90's, they just had to ruin it with the BTC-T formula in 2001. two more seasons of ST's with a switch to S2000 in 2003 would have been ideal

yeah i agree, the new championships compared to the old ones are rubbish. hopefully if they get more constructors interested then it might get back into its hey day

well, the FIA have proposed a smaller turbo engine formula for the WTCC in 2010 with bigger wheels, which means bigger brakes, which means that the cars should be closer to Supertourers than S2000, and Petrol Turbo engines would sound nice

Clyde Valley Racing (are they from Glasgow?) set to run two bio ethanol SEAT Leons - http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2932

The Bannana is back!

lol clyde valley, reminds me of garden centres lol

nicky wrote:the pre season is upon us, and there are some great rumours and news going about!

-Works BMW Team?
-Ford returning with privateer team?
-Volvo returning with Polestar built STCC C30's and Jason Plato?
-A return from Priaulx (Bart Mampey Racing)?
-Dave Pinkney tests for team Dynamics
-Ricardo van der Ende tests for WSR
-Jonothan Adam tests for Motorbase
-Works Honda team?
-Nissan?

Lets take this one by one then....
Works BMW? Maybe under BMW UK and using the 'dealer team' run by Mat Jacksons folks. Quite possible.

Volvo? Would be nice. Buuut... might the WTCC be a better choice? Didn't Volvo run in a race in 2008?

Plato... gotta have him!! If not in the BTCC then a WTCC drive might be on the cards. He's been pushing for tht for years!!

Return from Priaux? Well he isn't going to win the WTCC this year that's for sure! I don't see why his team would effectively 'relegate' themselves to national status no matter how good the series is. There would have to be some SERIOUS competition for them to warrant the move i.e the BTCC would have to look more competitive that the WTCC.

Dave Pinkney testing.... would be nice but think the team will favour youth over experience and in Shedden and Chilton they have a good team growing there.

Motorbase... weelll don't forget Harvey also tested their BMW. Could he be coming back. Now that I would pay to see!!!

Works teams from Honda and Nissan....car choice?? the s2000 Accord currently being developed in the WTCC by none other than Thompson. Nissan...... do they even race anything these days that isn't JGTC?

jenson...

Pinkney testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2927

Harvey testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2883

Volvo & Plato testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2928

I like the Team Dynamics civics, but they need to use the type r grill cos the clear one just looks silly imo

I personaly think that the Accord is a much better car, the JAS Accords are super quick in the STCC

yeah it would be cool to see accords over civics like in the wtcc and that

AZT Mad Monk wrote:jenson...

Pinkney testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2927

Harvey testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2883

Volvo & Plato testing: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2928

I knew about the first two anyway.....get Autosport every week and a member of a couple of good touring car sites
The Plato and Volvo thing I will admit passed me by but I put that down to little intenet access atm i.e none at home till Friday hehe.
Fingers crossed Plato stays... would be a shame to lose him.

Arena International Motorsport are entering the BTCC next season with and independant-entered Ford Focus ST
http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1224&PHPSESSID=5f56dcf01469c8b72d539f518ec5e33d

dam no pics of the focus shame...

Oh good, glad Tom's got a drive next year.... must ask him next time I see him what product he uses to keep that hair spikey even after helmet use.... I can NEVER do that
But a Focus back? Yay!! Nice to see a new car and Arena are a pretty good team and its good to have them back in the BTCC

Yup, really pretty happy at this news, despite not being Chilton's biggest fan, nor a Ford man. It's just good to see a new team with a new car on the grid.

Though Ford has said they have no interest in supporting the team (despite saying the car is capable of winning the championship). Of course if theFocus does win then I bet it wont be long before they're all over it for all its marketing potential lol.

As an aside couldnt help but laugh at Top Gear's inability to spell Shedden's name correctly on their bus racing feature. Apparently some scottish driver called Gordan Sheddon was at the wheel

Yeah, noticed that

Read that article in autosport today about Ford, quite interesting.

Plus, Tempus Sport have announced an entry with two 2008 spec S2000 Chevrolet Lacettis, with one of the drivers being Harry Vaulkhard. Robertshaw Racing ran two 2005-spec Lacettis last year for Vaulkhard and Allison, but they are owned by Harry Vaulhard's dad. They have been up for sale in autosport for the last fortnight. Robertshaw have said they won't be back in the BTCC unless Alan Taylor wants to re-enter in 2009.

So, announced so far are...

Tempus Motorsport - Chevrolet Lacetti - Harry Vaulkhard
Tempus Motorsport - Chevrolet Lacetti - ?
Arena Motorsport - Ford Focus ST - Tom Chilton
Arena Motorsport - Ford Focus ST - ?
VX Racing - Vauxhall ? - Fabrizio Giovanardi
VX Racing - Vauxhall ? - Matt Neal
Team Eurotech - Vauxhall Vectra - Andrew Jordan
Clyde Valley Racing - Seat Leon - Dan Eaves
Clyde Valley Racing - Seat Leon - Phiroze Bilimoria
Team KWR - MG ZS - Jason Hughes
Team KWR - MG ZS - ?

Those are the teams that have announced an entry for 2009, but it won't be confirmed till they are on the grid at Brands Hatch Indy.

Also, James Thompson in a Halfords Civic!? How awesome would that be!!! He's been out testing today at Donington. Think it's fair to say it might be him and Shedden for Halfords in 2009.

i like the sound of Thompson back in the BTCC

is there only goign to be 2 drivers per team next season then?

i hope jimmy comes back, its gonna be like the good old days lol, now all we need is menu, muller and rydell...sorted

Nah, any team can run any number of drivers. But seeing as only two can score points, and given the current global financial situation, they'll probably only run two per team.

Still, it's a way off yet, and many more teams to confirm plans - Motorbase, West Surrey Racing/RAC, the possible BMW entry, noises around Volvo, where Plato's gone, Mat Jackson, etc.

Anyway, off to make a Eurotech Vectra on a Sentra...

oooo sounds good, can't wait to see it

got anything on the market place at the moment ck?