What will happen to this years BTCT cars?

[Sodemo]

Will the manufacturers sell on this years cars to private teams to run next year?

[Invader]

Please stop using your time machine during Bank Holidays.

[kmchow]

Sodemo wrote:

>Will the manufacturers sell on this years cars to private >teams to run next year?
>
They would be stupid not to. OTOH, would any privateer buy one??? Or would the manufacturers establish a Junior team like they did in back the DTM days? I heard the DTM guys were thinking about doing it this year? But most got sold to privateers? Wasn't Pug trying to find a Junior team or two? Or how about the Egg Bennet(???) Astras??

[redshoes]

Depends on how the rules go but as it stands now why wouldn't they want to sell them. BMP have promiced a 3-year stability of regs, although Richard West hinted in a recent interview that they might consider small changes depending on what the FIA do.

Assuming the regs don't change then with so many control parts there shouldn't be too much different in performance between a 2001 car and a 2002 car, unlike DTM where they've introduced a number of changes.

From a privateer team point of view a second hand BTCT car would make more sense than running a second hand SuperTourer a year or two ago.

[Danielsun]

There's that lower costs thingy again...

This series is looking very promising for the future!!

[RIKB]

When I had a chat with John B&Q on Monday he said he is hoping to get his hands on the Lexus for next year!

[touringlegend]

Well, if all goes to our wishes next year and say we have Vauxhall, Pug, MG, Volvo, Ford and maybe Lexus(said in The Times UK importer is interested) thats six works entrys with 3 cars each which is 18 works cars then hopefully near 8>10 private entrys were looking at 25something cars. Hmm. Nice, Nice.

[vauxhall]

2002 this is how i see it [class A]

works
Vauxhall
Vauxhall
Vauxhall
Vauxhall
Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot
Ford
Ford
Ford
Ford
MG rover
MG rover
Nissan
Nissan

[knowlesy59]

where do u get nissan from?!

[Danielsun]

1. FORD?!?!
2. NISSAN?!?!?!?!
3. What about Lexus?
4. What about Alfa Romeo?

Not to pick it to pieces, but there's some problems with that lot...

[redshoes]

Originally posted by RIKB
When I had a chat with John B&Q on Monday he said he is hoping to get his hands on the Lexus for next year!

With luck they might have found enough parts to finish the car by then.

Think vauxhall means Toyota (who own Lexus) rather than Nissan

[thompson_fan]

Vauxhall 4 cars
Peugeot 3 cars
Lexus 2 cars
Alfa Romeo 2 cars
Renault 2 cars (they said that they'd be back with the new Laguna)
Honda 3 cars (said they'd be back if new regs work well)

That gives ya 16 cars + the independents with this years cars. Then the Production class. We'd be looking at about 50 cars so the production series would need 2 separate races

[vauxhall]

dont know where i got nissan from, had a feelin yesterday they would be back but now that feelin has gone >>>>>


Vauxhall x4
Peugeot x4 [arron slight said he's intrested in doing all 2002)
ford x3
MG rover x2/3
Lexus [AKA] Toyota x 3 (if works supported)
Alfa Romeo x 3 (if works supoorted)

so thats 19-20 BTCT cars! woo

[runnyhunny]

I think that for 2002 we should have teams limited to a maximum of two cars.

I really don't like the fact that Peugeot run 3/4 cars, and Vauxhall (just about) run 4. Once the cars get into 'team sequence', they don't want to risk punting each other off, so don't bother passing, and you get a dull race.

Actually, I'm not sure about the relationship between the official Vauxhall team and Egg Sport. It's better than what Peugeot do, but I really don't think one of the Egg cars would be as aggressive to a works-Vauxhall as it would a Peugeot.

To summarise, I think Peugeot should setup a 'satellite' team for next year. Also, these 'satellite' teams should be able to race each other. Oh, and the rest of the Touring grid can be made from 2-car works teams, and/or 1/2-car privateer teams.

[Sodemo]

Hey the more cars the merrier!
Ok so 4 Vauxhalls up front isn't good, but they'll be split up amongst the field when the others catch up!

I agree partly though about what u said regarding 4 cars being too much, i think 3 is a nice number.

this year:
Vauxhall 4
Peugeot 4
alfa 2
lexus 2
MG 2

=14

next year 20?

[runnyhunny]

I still think 3 is too many.

Think about last year... once the cars got into 'formation' - i.e. 3 Fords, 3 Hondas and 3 Vauxhalls. It only got interesting when Matt Neal started mixing it with them... :-)

If a manufacturer wants to run > 2 cars, then they should setup (an) extra team(s) - just like Vauxhall have, but with absolutely no team orders or wotnot.

Hopefully, next year, we'll have one or two more manufacturers and lots of privateer teams.

[Craig]

Team orders always have, and always will, be an unfortunate part of motorsport. If a team chooses to use them in the manner that Vauxhall did at Thruxton last season, it is entirely their choice. Whatever the regulators say, they will never be able to stop them.

So, if team orders cannot be outlawed, that means there would have been a grand total of 5 cars on the grid last Monday under your plan. And people were complaining about there only being 8...!

Once the thing takes off and we have full grids, i'm in doubt whatsoever that the works teams will reduce their entry. Until that time though, they are doing the series a real favour...

[hunttheshunt]

I think this debte is a good one. My view is that an official works manufacturer entry (with costs being much lower now) should be limited to 3 cars. Like Pug this year. However, next year and beyond that when privateers buy previous years cars the manufacturer will no longer require 3 cars and will probably only go for two.

As for 2001's machinery, i think a lot will be sold on to current BTCP teams (e.g. CAM and HTML) and they will be competitive.

And as for 2002, i can see their being;

3 Works Vauxhall's.
3 Works Pug's.
2 Works MG's.
2 Works Volvo's. (Ford).
2 Lexus' (Toyota)
2 Honda's (at least-Barwell).
4 Alfa's (GA Janspeed/JSM)

+ potentially Renault's and something from the VW group. BTCT grids will be full next year!

[runnyhunny]

hunttheshunt - agreed!

Craig,

I don't care if Vauxhall want to use team orders with their own TWO cars, but I REALLY wouldn't want to see all FOUR of the Astras working 'together' like that.

I'm not suggesting that Peugeot drop their 3rd and 4th cars... but I'd rather see a 'satellite' team set up for 2 of 'em (like Vauxhall have done).

Of course, as you say, by next year, this thread will hopefully be irrelevant!

[John Batchelor]

Team orders will always be a part of the B&Q team.....they are:
1) Enjoy
2) Enjoy
3) If in doubt see orders 1 and 2.
Anybody remember the Hesketh team in F1?

[Craig]

Originally posted by runnyhunny
I don't care if Vauxhall want to use team orders with their own TWO cars, but I REALLY wouldn't want to see all FOUR of the Astras working 'together' like that.

I'm not suggesting that Peugeot drop their 3rd and 4th cars... but I'd rather see a 'satellite' team set up for 2 of 'em (like Vauxhall have done).

Does anyone remember the Matt Neal car being ordered aside for the works Nissans ? As I say, things will always decided off track - it's a part of the sport sadly. Whether that be between two cars of the same team, or between different teams working together..

[Sodemo]

Do i remember the Hesketh F1 team?, No who were they? what did they do?

[runnyhunny]

craig,

As for Matt Neal and Nissan, well... that's just the kind of thing I wouldn't want to see. Remember, though, that Dynamics did have a bit of a special link with Nissan.

I would like to see TRUELY independant teams, where they don't have to worry about things like that.

[hunttheshunt]

The Hesketh F1 team gave my namesake his first F1 victory, and vice-versa! (James Hunt, btw). Lord Hesketh is a legend-he did F1 for the fun of it.