World Touring Cars not us

[redshoes]

Originally posted by TSR
Poor Australia misses out again because we run the v8supertaxi series

Are you surprised. Look what happened why we tried sending you SuperTouring

Seriously though, Mark is right. Outside of the current ETCC calendar the only additions are Istanbul, Macau, and Buenos Aires. Many of the teams and drivers have been going to the Macau GP for the last few years anyhow. That leaves you with Europe, an official trip to Macau and one other round - hardly a proper "World" championship. How that develops in future years remains to be seen.

[Woolley]

Another set of thoughts from this side of the world. I've sen ETCC, I've seen BTCC. Unfortunately I've only seen V8s on Tv, but hope to change that next year. Don't be so disparaging about what you've got. V8s look mightily spectacular, and there's plenty of them, doesn't matter that there's only two manufacturers when there's lots of evenly matched teams.

ETCC are not spectacular - too refined and under-powered. BTCC is better, but that seems to largely down to the race format producing good racing.

They're all valid series, but those of us with a soul hanker after something with lots of grunt, and European series ain't got it anymore.

[Falcadore]

Woolley: My comments were not meant to be disparaging, or rather disparaging towards the category, which I love, but merely disparaging towards claims made by those within the category.

Just a touch of perspective I feel.

[D.R.T.]

Originally posted by Woolley
V8s look mightily spectacular, and there's plenty of them, .
They're all valid series, but those of us with a soul hanker after something with lots of grunt, and European series ain't got it anymore.

Spectacular, well woolley wait untill theres 32 of them, all practically the same, doing the same thing week after week, after week after year. Also more to the point, they a pretty boring.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Woolley
Another set of thoughts from this side of the world. I've sen ETCC, I've seen BTCC. Unfortunately I've only seen V8s on Tv, but hope to change that next year.

Don't come over in summer mate - you will roast!!
(give us some warning so that we can see you right!! )

[alfasud]

Originally posted by Falcadore
Since when has the Monaro been considered a touring car?

In Britain its condiered a sports car, and races as such. Apples and oranges.

I think that series in Britain that the Monaro races in, has also allowed a VW Golf to race - after all, it has 2 doors. I would say the Monaro is a 2 door touring car.... just like the original Monaro. But in the end, it's for the race/series organiser to say what they allow to race.

Why Super 2000 for a world championship?

1. Because the Super 2000 technical rules are used on more than one continent - the ETCC and the Asian Touring Car Series:
http://www.eurostc.com/2k4/default.a...ews.asp&id=793

2. Because the cars are world cars... for example, you can expect to see a Honda or BMW 3 series on the streets of London, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles or Sydney. Can the same be said for a Falcon or a Chevrolet Monte Carlo (NASCAR)?

[gomick]

i like the idea (and have followed the etcc for the last cuppla years) - another good/successful touring car championship is good for motorsport.... think there is only 2 races outside europe in 05

our aussie v8 will still rock at winton

as for you falcadore - luvin mate ..... black ta akermanis ta voss ta brown ta LYNCH

[kmchow]

Last I heard, the ETCC and WTCC would run parallel? If more countries/organizers would come on board, perhaps we could return to the golden age of touring cars. 95-97 for Supertouring!!! I think in 96, there was something like 14 ST championships globally-large (30 cars) and small (5 cars)!

[Just Do It!]

What everyone forgets is that Adrian (??) Gamble's World Touring Car Series was effectively bought out and closed down by Bernie Ecclestone.

Bernie paid great coin for an infant that was looking set to unseat his F1 gig.

That the World Touring Car Series was set up by a Kiwi is probably irrelevant and unshown in any historical data anywhere, but Bernie nailed it for no reason other than it was a threat. He will do the same again and the series organisers' will walk away handsomely.

What would kill a world series is a lack of parity if Bernie doesn't kill it.

[rdmdog]

Sounds like they should use a format of production based homologated cars, and specialty items to improve reliability, then the strengths of each individual car will have the opportunity to come to the fore.

Sounds a bit like Group A! My own thoughts, the WTCC crumble killed the Group A spectacle!

[the man]

It does sound like Group A rdmdog. If so would Tony Cochrane see this as an opportunity to take v8 taxi's in a different direction so he could get his overseas rounds?

[rdmdog]

Probably not.

[Mark Webber]

yeah that would require Vision

[racer69]

Originally posted by Just Do It!
What everyone forgets is that Adrian (??) Gamble's World Touring Car Series was effectively bought out and closed down by Bernie Ecclestone.

Bernie paid great coin for an infant that was looking set to unseat his F1 gig.

That the World Touring Car Series was set up by a Kiwi is probably irrelevant and unshown in any historical data anywhere, but Bernie nailed it for no reason other than it was a threat. He will do the same again and the series organisers' will walk away handsomely.

What would kill a world series is a lack of parity if Bernie doesn't kill it.

From memory Bernie never spent a cent. As far as i know when Strathmore went to the FIA for a final ratification of the championship the FIA (being god's gift to motorsport and all) just replaced Strathmore with Bernie as one of thier demands, and left Strathmore to organise and promote the four flyaway races at Bathurst, Calder, Wellignton and Mt Fuji.

Now how many WTCC races did Bernie Ecclestone (or Jean-Marie Balestre, or hell anyone from FISA) attend in 1987....

[Falcadore]

Far as I know, none. But Bernie's authority over the WTCC didn't commence until October 1, the day after Bathurst.

When the BMWs arrived in Australia with CAMS illegal advertising on the roof BMW got Bernie involved in the dispute on the behalf of the Euro teams, but he was ignored by all and sundry as he wasn't yet in charge. FIA in the end ratified CAMS authority extended to signage and an apopleptic BMW was forced to explain to Warstiener that they were breaking contract by peeling their logos from the rooves of the M3s.

[racer69]

The other European teams (Texaco Eggenberger and the Maserati) also objected to being required to run with James Hardie 1000 stickers on the cars. They were in the end forced to run with them on (as that was stated on the entry forms), but the Euro's then pointed out a rule about the size and style of numbers on some of the Australian cars, who were forced to change their number styles to 'black on white background'......