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So the racing at Thruxton is nearly upon us, what have the manufacturer teams been saying via Facebook (links):
Halfords Yuasa Racing have been reminding us of their historical performance at the track - 'Honda returns to happy hunting ground as ultra-fast Thruxton beckons. Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal both multiple Thruxton winners. Civic Type R has historically been car to beat on ‘home’ turf'
Adrian Flux Subaru driver Sutton has been cautious in his optimism - 'It is no secret that the car perhaps isn’t where it should be but we are all working hard to make it as good as it can be and get the results out of it. Thruxton is going to be a tough track for us, it doesn’t traditionally suit rear-wheel-drive cars as much as front-wheel-drive.'
Team BMW Pirtek Racing feel they will be the best RWD runner, with Jordan predicting he will go well - 'One of the big strengths of the BMW is that it is good on its tyres, which is something that is particularly important over a race distance at Thruxton. My aim is to maintain the strong record I have shown there in the past and challenge for podium finishes, and obviously to try and secure a victory for a second successive season.'
PMR Vauxhall have been pushing a livery competition - 'Need you to vote again please [...] for us to win 2017 Official BTCC best livery.'
888 MG racing have reminded us that they have a Q&A session and that with an MG GS you can fit '6 suitcases, 1 wife, 2 friends, 1 dog and a road trip to the coast'
Can we infer anything from the focus of teams in their media from Facebook alone?
Honda and BMW seem to be entirely focussed on their race performance. It seems that they are basing any publicity on results on track. A true case of going racing to promote the brand, and having focus on the actual sporting element.
MG and Vauxhall/PMR seem to be entirely focussed on brand awareness, with the racing being a support medium to their overall marketing strategy.
Subaru/Adrian Flux seem to be stuck in nowhere land with their promotional side. They are doing little to promote their brand, and also little to promote their racing prowess. It comes across (IMO) as seeking to position themselves as the team who are being forced to underperform, and not concentrating on getting results for either their marketing or performance arcs.
I know for all of the teams, there will be so much more going on behind the scenes that is not placed in the public realm. But today's BTCC is more than just a racing championship. Marketing, promotion, entertainment, partnerships, public activities and crowd interaction are all part of what makes a successful NGTC-era BTCC team alongside the racing. From a manufacturer backed entry, I would personally expect all of these areas (and more) to be part of a team's focus for their own long term benefit.
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