BTCC

[camelspyyder]

Have there been any rule changes? 

 

Specifically to peg back the BMWs?

 

If not I expect Tordoff's going to win a few races & Priaulx could do well over the whole season.

 

However Jordan in the 888/MG is probably my favourite for the title.

Edited 3 March, 2015 by camelspyyder

[camelspyyder]

Honda finally announce BTCC plan. Civic Hatchback with Flash and Matt driving as expected.

 

New Type-R is it?

[JohnMcL7]

Honda finally announce BTCC plan. Civic Hatchback with Flash and Matt driving as expected.

 

New Type-R is it?

 

I'd assume so, they recently published a video of a prototype Type-R doing a pretty scorching lap of the Nurburgring:

 

[camelspyyder]

JohnMcL7, on 09 Mar 2015 - 21:40, said:

I'd assume so, they recently published a video of a prototype Type-R doing a pretty scorching lap of the Nurburgring:

 

 

Thats seriously quick. FWD production car record is 7:54.

 

Some time back Honda hoped this car would be first FWD under 8 minutes - SEAT & Renault moved the goalposts last year.

Edited 10 March, 2015 by camelspyyder

[camelspyyder]

Motorbase confirm no funding - for at least 1st half of 2015.

 

Honda Type-R seen testing.

[camelspyyder]

 

2015 BTCC LINE-UP

MG
Andrew Jordan, Jack Goff

Honda
Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden

 

Infiniti
Richard Hawken, Derek Palmer Jr

WSR BMW
Andy Priaulx, Sam Tordoff, Rob Collard

 

Team Parker Ford
Alex Martin

Team BMR VW
Colin Turkington, Jason Plato, Aron Smith, Warren Scott

 

Ciceley Racing Mercedes
Adam Morgan

Eurotech Honda
Jeff Smith, Martin Depper

 

Rob Austin Racing Audi
Rob Austin, Hunter Abbott

Aiden Moffat Racing Mercedes
Aiden Moffat

 

AmD Ford
Mike Bushell

AmD Audi (partial campaign from Croft)
Nicolas Hamilton

 

Welch Motorsport Proton
Andy Wilmot, Dan Welch

Speedworks Motorsport Toyota
Tom Ingram, Simon Belcher (Handy Motorsport)

 

Team Hard Toyota
Kieran Gallagher

Power Maxed Chevrolet
Dave Newsham, Josh Cook

 

Houseman Racing
Stewart Lines

Motorbase Ford (from Snetterton)
Mat Jackson, James Cole

[camelspyyder]

Pre season BTCC test at Donington.

 

1st            Plato

2nd          Turkington

3rd & 4th  Mercedes

5th & 6th  MG

7th etc     whatever...

 

 

 

 

and I take it all back and apologise to Martin Depper in the fastest Honda of the 4.

Edited 25 March, 2015 by camelspyyder

[retroboost83]

absolutely love the btcc race series and the supporting races that join with it, me and the wife have got our tickets for the 2nd race meeting at donington park and fingers crossed will be off to oulton park as well.

 

going to be very interesting with plato and turkington on the same team this year

[Paul007]

Today's press output - 

Change of machinery for BTCC’s list of champions while Andy Priaulx and Nic Hamilton among those joining the fray

An unprecedented 32-car entry has been confirmed for the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship during yesterday's (24 March) Season Launch event at Donington Park.
 
After a hugely entertaining and record breaking 2014 season, which saw Colin Turkington and West Surrey Racing crowned worthy champions, 2015 looks set to build further on the continued success of Britain’s premier motor sport series.
 
This year marks the second all-NGTC (Next Generation Touring Car) specification season and the fifth campaign since the regulations were first introduced. Such has been the success of the technical rules that they have been endorsed by the sport’s international governing body, the FIA, for use in touring car racing across the globe.
 
The diversity of cars also continues to grow in the BTCC, with premium car manufacturer Infiniti joining the championship and becoming the 12^th marque to be represented in the NGTC era.
 
This year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will again comprise of 30 races across ten events at nine venues around the UK, with the season commencing at Brands Hatch on 4/5 April and concluding on the legendary Grand Prix circuit at the same venue on 9/10 October.
 
ITV will continue to broadcast each and every race live and in high definition on ITV4, with further highlights shown on ITV. The weekend crowds regularly reach between 30,000-40,000 at each venue.
 
All change at the top
It has been a whirlwind winter for the BTCC with major news stories and driver announcements breaking throughout the off-season.
 
The series, which is renowned for its competitiveness and unpredictability, looks set to be cranked up a further notch in 2015 as all of its competing previous champions have changed machinery for the season ahead.
 
Reigning supremo Colin Turkington arguably produced the biggest surprise after it was announced he would be joining Team BMR. The online reveal for the fledgling and ambitious team reached fever pitch, however, when it was also confirmed that fellow double Champion Jason Plato would be joining Turkington as team-mate.
 
It will be the first time that Plato and Turkington have raced for the same outfit together and unsurprisingly the first time in the recent history of the series that the previous year’s top two drivers have joined forces at a new team. Aron Smith and Team Boss Warren Scott complete the squad’s four-strong VW entry.
 
With Plato and Turkington creating room at Triple Eight Racing and WSR respectively, both leading teams moved quickly to fill the void with headline announcements of their own. In fact before the sensational deals had even been inked at Team BMR, it was the manufacturer-backed MG squad at Triple Eight Racing who’d pulled off the biggest capture of the pre-season so far.
 
Former Champion Andrew Jordan confirmed his departure from both the Honda family and of course his own family-run Eurotech team to take up the reins as lead driver for MG. The 25-year-old has wasted little time in getting up to speed in the often pace-setting MG6, having completed an extensive pre-season test programme. Jack Goff, concluding an all-new line-up for the reigning manufacturer champions, will partner Jordan at Triple Eight Racing.
 
WSR soon announced their own top class signing with triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx joining Rob Collard and young gun Sam Tordoff at the 2014 quadruple winners. Furthermore the Surrey-based squad has been promoted to compete for Constructor honours within the Manufacturer/Constructor championship this season, and as such will be targeting that rather than defending its Independents’ title.
 
Honda Yuasa Racing is the only front-running team to possess continuity in its driving ranks with both Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden staying with the team for a sixth successive season. The variables in predicting this year’s title chase just keep on coming, however, as the squad switch from the Civic Tourer – last year’s race-winning estate model – to the all-new and much anticipated Civic Type R.
 
Build of the BTCC Type R – officially unveiled at yesterday's Season Launch – has only been completed in the last week and has undergone limited testing to date. What is known, however, is that Team Dynamics know how to build championship-winning cars, having done so several times previously. The car itself is also one of the most eagerly awaited in years as the legendary Japanese model hits the track before even reaching the road, with the production model not expected to arrive in UK showrooms until later in the year.
 
Chasing Pack
Honda isn’t the only manufacturer building an all-new car for the 2015 BTCC season as prestige Japanese marque Infiniti joins Britain’s biggest motor sport series for the first time with its Q50 model.
 
Infiniti Support our Paras Racing also brings two fresh faces into the driver line-up with Richard Hawken and Derek Palmer being handed duties behind the wheel. The squad joins Honda and MG as official manufacturer-backed entries, whilst the previously noted BMW’s of WSR will also challenge for Constructor honours within the Manufacturer/Constructor Championship.
 
A host of other independent teams entering cars from Audi (AmD Tuning.com, Exocet AlcoSense), Chevrolet (Power Maxed Racing), Ford (AmD Tuning.com, Dextra Racing, Motorbase Performance), Honda (Eurotech Racing), Mercedes (Laser Tools Racing, WIX Racing), Proton (Welch Motorsport), Toyota (Handy Motorsport, Houseman Racing, Speedworks Motorsport, Team HARD) and Volkswagen (Team BMR) complete the entry list.
 
The noted chasing pack also includes a number of ultra-quick racers who’ll be hoping to mount a serious championship assault, including 2014 race winners Adam Morgan (WIX Racing) and Rob Austin (Exocet AlcoSense).
 
Another standout name among the new entries is that of Nicolas Hamilton, whose part-season drive was also announced today. The brother of current Formula One World Champion Lewis, will become the first disabled competitor to participate in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The 22-year-old, who lives with the neurological condition Cerebral Palsy, will enter five race weekends of the 2015 BTCC season, competing in an Audi S3 saloon with AmD Tuning.com, with a view to hopefully contesting the complete season in 2016.
 
Nicolas will begin his 2015 guest entry programme at Croft in June, before continuing his season at Snetterton, Rockingham, Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
 
Motorbase Performance is also scheduled to contest a part-season – from Snetterton onwards – whilst the remaining 29 entries will complete the full BTCC campaign.
 
One of the most varied grids of any major motor sport championship in the world, the BTCC will boast some 12 models from 11 different marques in 2015.
 
Rules of Engagement
Whilst the stability of the NGTC regulations and 2014’s introduction of TBLs (TOCA BTCC licences) – required for teams in order to guarantee participation ­– are critical to the overall success of the BTCC, the championship is always keen to make improvements to the regulations where possible. For 2015 some of these are;
 

• The amount of success ballast has considerably increased from the previous level of a maximum 45kg’s.
   
• Rear-wheel drive (RWD) cars will carry their success ballast as far forward in the cabin as possible, in order to better equalise the front to rear weight balance between both drivetrain formats.
   
• Cosworth and Xtrac have independently analysed the start-line performances and in-gear acceleration of front and rear-wheel drive cars to equalise them through engine management programming.
   
• All engines have now been re-tested and re-validated by both TOCA and an independent specialist company, which has resulted in a boost level being set for each car/engine type for the entire season. These may be reviewed once per season and the race-by-race adjustments have now been dropped.
   
• Each car must still use the Dunlop Sport Maxx ‘Soft Tyre’ for one race per nine events* but each car must use them three times in race 1, three times in race 2 and three times in race 3 during the course of the season (*Thruxton event does not apply as the soft tyre is not used at the venue).
   
• The grid for race 2 at each event will be set in the order of the fastest lap times achieved in race 1. If during race 1 a driver changes one or more tyres of the same type then any quicker lap time (if achieved) after that tyre change will be discounted. Cars also have to finish race 1 in order for their fastest lap to count towards the race 2 grid position.
   
• The Jack Sears Trophy will be awarded to the top ‘Rookie Driver’.

 
Perfect Partners
Stability and longevity among its partners and sponsors remains a key asset to the BTCC with all of its major ongoing commercial partners cemented for multi-year deals.
 
Dunlop extended its title sponsorship and tyre supply term in 2014 and ITV will continue to broadcast exclusive live coverage of every event until at least the end of the 2016 season.
 
ITV will screen around seven hours of live free-to-air coverage from every race day on both its ITV4 and ITV4 HD channels as well as its popular website. Adding to the coverage are 60-minute edited race highlights repeated three times after each event on ITV and ITV4 as well as their respective HD channels and ‘simulcast’ on itv.com. In total more than 230 hours of the BTCC will be broadcast across the ITV network this season.
 
Organisers have also worked tirelessly to improve the overseas TV coverage of the series as the global popularity of the BTCC continues to grow.
 
The off-season has seen the series clinch its largest ever television deal in North America, after agreeing a multi-year contract with broadcast giant CBS Sports Network (CBSSN). This latest agreement means that the BTCC will be available to more than 500 million homes worldwide in 2015, across five continents, with further significant international broadcast arrangements soon to be announced.
 
The Haymarket Consumer Media group joined the BTCC’s family of partners last season and will continue to provide extensive and in-depth BTCC content across all of its major publications, with Autocar, WhatCar? and PistonHeads.com.
 
Intercontinental Hotels Group will be using its backing of the BTCC to promote the popular IHG Rewards Club from the 2015 season onwards.
 
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: “The BTCC is renowned for its extreme competitiveness and the levels of unpredictability seem set to reach new standards in 2015. There have been several key and very interesting moves in the driver market over the winter, which ensures we’re in for yet another unmissable campaign. Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to predicting an eventual champion but what is for sure is that we’re in for another titanic battle – I, just like our millions of fans, can’t wait to get started.
 
“The levels of success do not come easily of course and it is testament to the tireless work from everyone involved in the series that we’re able to again announce such a great grid for 2015.
 
“Our impressive entry list continues to demonstrate the stability of our regulations whilst the new tweaks made to our format also show we’re always committed to moving forever forwards. Improving the show for our fans and competitors alike is paramount to everything we do here in the BTCC and we believe these evolutions will prove successful.
 
“The longevity and loyalty of our major partnerships, including Dunlop, ITV, Intercontinental Hotels Group and more, continue to far exceed industry standards and their support is hugely valued.
 
“The trackside and TV audiences continue to reach new highs proving exactly why the BTCC is Britain’s only show in town – here’s to another hugely competitive and successful season ahead.”

[camelspyyder]

Plato, 5 weeks ago, on signing for Team BMR:

 

"My plan is to go out and win at event one," he told AUTOSPORT.

"We want to be popping it on pole and winning, anything less will be a disappointment."

 

Fastest in testing isn't a bad start.

[RoadWarrior]

It's all go!

Teams have arrived at Brands for the weekend. I'll be there on Sat & Sun

[camelspyyder]

Cant wait.

 

Only 1 Infiniti and Dan Welch has a broken foot - should still be 27 cars out - thats busy on the short circuit!

 

Only real issue for me here is having to get up at 3:30 AM Sunday to watch the live ITV4 stream.

 

Is Qually on live like it was occasionally last year?

Edited 3 April, 2015 by camelspyyder

[Paul007]

Not heard definitively. It's on from 10.30 am on ITV4 and later on ITV4+1 if you have Sky.

[camelspyyder]

Pigeons - Cat- Pigeons

 

Priaulx on pole in WSR Beemer.

 

Didn't see that coming I must say.

[retroboost83]

really looking forward to this some very surprising results in qualifying yesterday, going to be a very interesting season

 

for anyone interested here is the top 10 and timetable 

 

 

[MartynVRS]

Pigeons - Cat- Pigeons

 

Priaulx on pole in WSR Beemer.

 

Didn't see that coming I must say.

I sort of did and unfortunately the commentators are already gushing over him, in awe that he's a World Champion you know and won all sorts of stuff and he's done more than anyone in the series, etc. Essentially the big fish in a small pond, however quali is one thing. Come the races I can see him not being used to the roughness of BTCC. The car he's in was arguably one of the best of last year so hardly surprising.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Here we go! First race...

[Paul007]

Not made a good tyre choice then....

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

What was that about Rob Austin? Picked his own number on purpose?

[Dark_Hero]

What was that about Rob Austin? Picked his own number on purpose?

Apparently had a peak at the numbers. Didn't think you could being opaque at eye level.

Still on pole though

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Just watched again, he saw over the top, spotted his own number (pure luck I assume that his number was visible) grabbed it and just wiggled it about. I wonder if he owned up or got caught

[camelspyyder]

Great drive from Collard to win race 1. Plato puncture unlucky in race 2, but he had an easy 4 second lead with 57kg ballast on and will be pleased with the speed in the car.  The other teams will probably be protesting the VW to slow it down as soon as they can. Usual rough house tactics from Flash to take the race 2 win- I lost count of the times he hit Priaulx, shame his engine broke in race 3 - not!.  Matt Neal surprisingly kept it clean to take the last race.

 

That was well exciting, new rules have mixed it up a lot in Race 2 and 3.  Championship leader will now have to qualify with 75kg on, thats gonna hurt.

Edited 5 April, 2015 by camelspyyder

[RoadWarrior]

Great 2 days... but completely knackered!

 

 

 

[kentphil1]

Great drive from Collard to win race 1. Plato puncture unlucky in race 2, but he had an easy 4 second lead with 57kg ballast on and will be pleased with the speed in the car.  The other teams will probably be protesting the VW to slow it down as soon as they can. Usual rough house tactics from Flash to take the race 2 win- I lost count of the times he hit Priaulx, shame his engine broke in race 3 - not!.  Matt Neal surprisingly kept it clean to take the last race.

 

That was well exciting, new rules have mixed it up a lot in Race 2 and 3.  Championship leader will now have to qualify with 75kg on, thats gonna hurt.

Under this years rules, parity adjustments will only be made twice in the season rather than the race by race basis of last years. So provided the stewards are satisfied that no overboost infringement has taken place, then they are stuck with it till late June I'm afraid.

[retroboost83]

really enjoyed yesterdays racing especially race 2, i must admit i only caught bits of race 3 as we had a few friends pop around think its going to be a really interesting season cant wait for donington on the 19th me and the wife will be there