Michael H
5 Jul 2001, 13:16
Where is Patrick Watts and the second 98 Peugeot that never raced? What happend to the two Volvos? The two Audis? Paul Morris' second BMW? What about the plans of Wall and Bastiaans to race a Primera?
If we got all these drivers back in their competitive cars, we would have a decent series, plus a few cars sitting idle in Asia thrown in as well.
Then TOCA can change the following season to ETC 2002 rules.
Crash Test
5 Jul 2001, 13:50
Money has been the deciding factor...the money wasn't there in the past, and the factory backing wasn't there in the past, and the factory support is no longer there OS....so none of that is going to happen.
i disagree, Volvo Australia only pulled out because because TWR pulled out of the BTCC, and BMW only pulled out because BMW wasn't supporting Tourers anymore. With Volvo returning to the ETC, and the cars being able to be built in Australia, which was one of the problems with ST, it could allow manufacturers to build their own cars, and if it was popular maybe bring back bathurst, and channel 7 to motorsport, cos' i miss there faultless coverage.
Crash Test
7 Jul 2001, 11:03
But why did TWR pull out of the BTCC? In part (a major one at that) money, and why couldn't volvo develope their car locally- money.
Wasn't Volvo's leaving the BTCC more to do with Ford's buy out of Volvo and not to do with money.
Crash Test
7 Jul 2001, 12:39
And what happened to Ford and the other makes that left the series?
Ford bought out Volvo but had committed until 2000, while Volvo's contracts ran to 99, so they just didn't renew any of Volvo's contracts and Ford ran its contracts out. Now they have decided that each make they own will not compete against eachother and will have their own market, therefore Jag is in F1, Ford is in Rallying, Aston Martin for Sportscars and Volvo for Touring Cars, hence Volvo building a car for next years ETC, which is being built by Prodrive, who ran Fords BTCC effort in 99 & 00.
Renault pulled out because the Laguna had come to the end of its development and they couldn't justify building a new car for 1 year of racing, ( Gow's ST replacement, before he was outed from running BTCC, was meant to be introduced this year, with 5 makes backing it ).
Nissan pulled out because they only ever planned for a 3 year stint, and the costs had risen.
