BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[TinTopGrumpy]

Creesy teasing "massive" news again - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EHVCtNU9c/

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by sceptic

You're comparing best BTCC team's cost with cheapest TCR.

Also, the BTCC season has 30 races over ten weekends, while TCR has 14 over seven. So staff costs will be 50% higher, you'll use more than twice as many tyres, brake pads/disks, other lifeable parts, more opportunities to pick up damage, etc.

TCR is 20 races over seven weekends - three races at each round apart from Oulton (two.)

I think the big giveaway is things like Boardley as champion is running from a car trailer and van, there's about three lorries in the paddock overall, some teams literally have three or four people working on the cars. A couple of fairly pro teams (Marshall, Hutchison) versus club racers with cars that are not cheap to buy, run, repair.

Much as I enjoy TCR UK, it is just a high end club series, which is reflected in a paddock full of road cars, engineering debriefs taking place on a single laptop on a picnic table beside a car and sandwiches served from a tupperware box.

But it does make me think one thing, the ideal is somewhere in the middle. If you can run a TCR car with so few people, do BTCC cars need so many folk working on them? Yes, I know, when I've previously posted that question the replies have mentioned many people effectivley working unpaid, but if you're paying for uniform, 20 nights in a hotel over a season and food it adds up, along with a host of other things.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

TCR is 20 races over seven weekends - three races at each round apart from Oulton (two.)

I think the big giveaway is things like Boardley as champion is running from a car trailer and van, there's about three lorries in the paddock overall, some teams literally have three or four people working on the cars. A couple of fairly pro teams (Marshall, Hutchison) versus club racers with cars that are not cheap to buy, run, repair.

Much as I enjoy TCR UK, it is just a high end club series, which is reflected in a paddock full of road cars, engineering debriefs taking place on a single laptop on a picnic table beside a car and sandwiches served from a tupperware box.

But it does make me think one thing, the ideal is somewhere in the middle. If you can run a TCR car with so few people, do BTCC cars need so many folk working on them? Yes, I know, when I've previously posted that question the replies have mentioned many people effectivley working unpaid, but if you're paying for uniform, 20 nights in a hotel over a season and food it adds up, along with a host of other things.

And from what I saw on the grid walk at Knockhill last year, shabby looking cars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed what I saw, but close up it looked quite different to what we are used to in the btcc.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

So a BTCC season in a top team costs five times what it costs in TCR? Wow, that’s crazy. What is it about the BTCC cars that requires so much prep and cost?

Assuming all of the numbers mentioned are correct.....

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

Creesy teasing "massive" news again - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EHVCtNU9c/

Can't see this being BTCC related , possibly the Lynk and Co in TCRUK?

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

Can't see this being BTCC related , possibly the Lynk and Co in TCRUK?

The picture is a 2023 BTCC guide, so not sure it’s TCR! Hoping he hasn’t snatched the WSR from Bobby T.

[coffinpilot]

If I was a betting man I'd put money on Porsche Sprint. (Or possibly commentary because of the microphone??!!)

[Squiggs]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

(Or possibly commentary because of the microphone??!!)

Maybe a roving reporter in Paul O'Neil's former style?...

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Squiggs

Maybe a roving reporter in Paul O'Neil's former style?...

This would make sense actually. I'm assuming all of last year's ITV lineup are back?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

This would make sense actually. I'm assuming all of last year's ITV lineup are back?

I think Paul O’Neill posted that he believed this will the be final year of all their contracts. Sounded like Steve Rider will retire after this season?

[Daverb]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

It’s like comparing the wage bill of the team who wins the champions league with the wage bill of the team who gets relegated from the Championship.

Yes, to the untrained eye it’s just 22 folk running about a pitch kicking a ball about. And yes, you might even see the odd moment of brilliance in the championship that wouldn’t look out of place in the champions league. But….. ultimately…..Totally incomparable.

BTCC is arguably MORE than five times more lucrative than TCR in terms of exposure / coverage and all that goes with it.

Totally incomparable??

Watch TCR from Brands and tell me they are totally incomparable.

The racing was excellent especially R3. The commentary and tv are great don’t get me wrong but if DA and Tim were commentating on that race it would be identical to a BTCC race.

Amazing support package too with the Fiestas, Audis etc….

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by Daverb

Totally incomparable??

Watch TCR from Brands and tell me they are totally incomparable.

The racing was excellent especially R3. The commentary and tv are great don’t get me wrong but if DA and Tim were commentating on that race it would be identical to a BTCC race.

Amazing support package too with the Fiestas, Audis etc….

Got to say, I've found the TCR support to be much more entertaining than the BTCC support over the last two years. The Civics and Fiestas can get a bit crazy - along the lines of Ginetta Jr, the TT races were entertaining.

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Evantra

I think Paul O’Neill posted that he believed this will the be final year of all their contracts. Sounded like Steve Rider will retire after this season?

Yeah it was only Steve I wasn't 100% sure on if he was doing this season and then retiring or if he had retired.

[TyH]

https://x.com/thmotorsport_/status/1...XGXss2flMGbOqA

The only photo I’ve see. of a fairly up and running Unlimited car at Donington to those who are interested

[mick bennett]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

Yeah it was only Steve I wasn't 100% sure on if he was doing this season and then retiring or if he had retired.

Steve Rider has had a Prostrate Cancer operation earlier this year/end of last year.


Hopefully he has recovered and is well enough for thsi years season.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by Daverb

Totally incomparable??

Watch TCR from Brands and tell me they are totally incomparable.

The racing was excellent especially R3. The commentary and tv are great don’t get me wrong but if DA and Tim were commentating on that race it would be identical to a BTCC race.

Amazing support package too with the Fiestas, Audis etc….

I’m not saying there’s not good racing to be had.

But as per my example, there’s also good football played in the championship…. That doesn’t make it comparable to the champions league.

I can’t help but feel you’ve not really grasped what I was saying - but it should be pretty obvious just from walking around the paddock of both series that they are GROSSLY different.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

I think Paul O’Neill posted that he believed this will the be final year of all their contracts. Sounded like Steve Rider will retire after this season?

Yes that was my understanding/recollection as well. In an interview Steve Rider did with the Daily Mail he said "I have another year left with ITV [referring to 2024] and that will probably be it." If it is his last season, and with other contracts supposedly up for renewal, I wonder if we may see a couple of rounds where ITV experiment with format/presenting lineups in preparation for the future (i.e., Paul O'Neill or Louise Goodman doing more of the presenting work).

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by TyH

https://x.com/thmotorsport_/status/1...XGXss2flMGbOqA

The only photo I’ve see. of a fairly up and running Unlimited car at Donington to those who are interested

It's from the newly refreshed BTCC website
https://btcc.net/driver/daryl-deleon/

[thetool]

Originally Posted by redshoes

It's from the newly refreshed BTCC website
https://btcc.net/driver/daryl-deleon/

They've actually finally updated the look of it for about the first time in a decade. Just needs more content now. I can't remember when exactly they stopped doing it, but the loss of the pre-season interviews from media day is one of the major things I've noticed is no longer done. (Before or after site refresh).

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

Creesy teasing "massive" news again - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EHVCtNU9c/

Looks like he’ll be a roving reporter or something like that! Remember when Pitch BTCC had Shaun Hollamby doing that sort of thing a few years back.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by thetool

They've actually finally updated the look of it for about the first time in a decade. Just needs more content now. I can't remember when exactly they stopped doing it, but the loss of the pre-season interviews from media day is one of the major things I've noticed is no longer done. (Before or after site refresh).

It's all hosted on podcast platforms now.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by mick bennett

Hopefully he has recovered and is well enough for thsi years season.

He certainly is and recently hosted the announcement of the new Laser Tools Racing liveries at their HQ in Southam:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si81OPRBYNk

[AJD]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

I’m not saying there’s not good racing to be had.

But as per my example, there’s also good football played in the championship…. That doesn’t make it comparable to the champions league.

I can’t help but feel you’ve not really grasped what I was saying - but it should be pretty obvious just from walking around the paddock of both series that they are GROSSLY different.

Everything you've said is completely spot on. It's hard to draw analogies from other sports.

If you could put the top 10 from each series in their cars with their season budget and make them race together over 30 races you would see where the differences lie.

The extra cost isn't in entertainment or excitement but in performance and reliability over the course of a season.

[coffinpilot]

Noticed that Bobby Sharpless has been pushing some rebranded Team HARD socials under the Un-Limited banner tonight.

First time I've seen the man online, actually looks like a mini Tony Gilham!

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by AJD

Everything you've said is completely spot on. It's hard to draw analogies from other sports.

If you could put the top 10 from each series in their cars with their season budget and make them race together over 30 races you would see where the differences lie.

The extra cost isn't in entertainment or excitement but in performance and reliability over the course of a season.

Yup - which is also reflected in the number of folk in TCR not completing a full season.

Driver dropouts mid season being something which, Team Hard and their driver merry go round aside, is pretty unusual in BTCC.