04 news

[Top Gear]

Just abit sick of the lack of new teams entering in 04 does anyone know whats happening

[redshoes]

Give them chance, we've barely got over this season yet.

All these sponsorship deals take time. It's rare for any indie team to have everything in place much before Xmas.

[slicktsax]

yep patience is a virtue lol yeah u should hear lots more news about teams and cars around november/december.

[kestrel]

Looks like James and 'The A**e' are to stay at Vauxhall.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

If Vauxhall stay in the BTCC.

Now thats something, Vauxhall, Honda and MG all rummored that anyone of them may not come back. Now thats progress!

[ATF]

Originally posted by Sim_Da_BTCC_Man Now thats something, Vauxhall, Honda and MG all rummored that anyone of them may not come back. Now thats progress!

Just think - Proton would walk away with the manufacturers championship!

[touringlegend]

Sim, I think you said the same last year...

Who tell's you half of these rumours anyway ?

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Blair I like your style ,

Anyway lets do the maths
Neal tests a 307 and Steve Neal buys the two type-r's which is then followed by a report in a local newspaper saying Honda are ditching the BTCC - add that one up

Vauxhall are bringing out a new Astra. It would be a PR disaster to continue with this car. Vauxhall have a choice, start work on an ETCC vectra for entry, or ditch the BTCC for a while. Muller and Thommo have been off to the ETCC, possibly getting to grips with an ETCC spec car, for the vectra - but who knows!

And MG - well its always been specualtion that MG could up and leave due to lack of funding and results.

mainly all things that have been in Autosport and other publications over time.

[speedy king]

Originally posted by Sim_Da_BTCC_Man
Blair I like your style ,

Anyway lets do the maths
Neal tests a 307 and Steve Neal buys the two type-r's which is then followed by a report in a local newspaper saying Honda are ditching the BTCC - add that one up

Vauxhall are bringing out a new Astra. It would be a PR disaster to continue with this car. Vauxhall have a choice, start work on an ETCC vectra for entry, or ditch the BTCC for a while. Muller and Thommo have been off to the ETCC, possibly getting to grips with an ETCC spec car, for the vectra - but who knows!

And MG - well its always been specualtion that MG could up and leave due to lack of funding and results.

mainly all things that have been in Autosport and other publications over time.

And lets put this in to non-drama queen terms.

Neal tests the 307, big deal, drivers are allowed to test cars and i'm sure Neal wants to have them competitive along with all of us.

Steve Neal buys the two Civic Type R's, so what? GA brought two of last years Astras, was there some big up cry of Vauxhall leaving? No

Local report in newspaper of Honda ditchign the BTCC, local pub talk over heard, no word from Honda or TOCA on the matter, if this was true then there would have been a press release by now.

Vauxhall have said they are building a Vectra to test against the Astra by the end of this year. That can't be done over night and with some spare cash! And Thompson has gone over to the ETCC to help a good friend of his win the title, and him and Yvan are both professional racing drivers so if they are offered a drive like that for Free or paid then of course they are going to take it up!

[redshoes]

In the words of the sadly departed Kirsty MacColl "there's a guy works done the chip shop swears he's Elvis".

Would you like to add Priaulx going to Bathurst, Cleland talking to Gow at Oulton, and a one armed man seen standing on the grassy knoll

[Jamie P-E]

The 307 test that Matt Neal did was a One-Off and he has no intention at this stage of joining VLR. If Honda don't return, which I don't belive, Matt should end up back at team dynamics.

[touringlegend]

You also have to take into account that both James Thompson and Yvan Muller have stated that Vauxhall have offers on the table for both of them next season.

Why are you so damn pessimistic at this time of year Sim??

[kmchow]

It all depends if you're a pessimist or optimist. The optimist would believe that Honda is selling the old Type R-s b/c they are moving to the Accords for '04. Ditto for Vauxhall selling their Astras as they would be moving possibly to a S2000 Vectra?

[BootsOntheSide]

Or are they just selling the 2003 cars because they will be building 2004 cars, just as they have done for the past 2 years?

Seriously though, it would be interesting to see brand new cars from the top constructors, running alongside last year's cars (which may be on a semi-works basis, as well as some in the hands of Privateers?). ETCC-spec cars are much mroe likely than BTCC ones, as they have more international potential.

I think MG are the most likely not to compete next year on a works basis, although I expect to see them on the grid.

Drivers? I think Thompson and Muller will be back for Vauxhall, and are just doing the ETCC races as preparation for the Vectra, or simply for fun. Leslie and Bennett may well be gone, but I hope Hines, Collard and Pyper get works deals.

[Neil Adams]

i'm find up with no confirmations as well, like a blooming secret service act. If they want to be competitive next year they must have plans a foot allready, just tell us!

Anyway theres nothing to worry about grid wise for next year i make it that there are at least 17 tourers allready confirmed - the same as we had this year without the works mgs, hondas and vauxhalls

The confirmed list
BTCC REG CARS CONFIRMED
(2) Proton - Impian
(2) Team Dynamics - Honda Civic Type R
(2) GA Motorsport – Vauxhall Astra
(1 or 2) Griffin – 406 Coupe

ETCC REG CARS CONFIRMED
(2) GA Motorsport – Alfa Romeo 156
(2 or 3) Edenbridge – BMW 320I
(2) Barwell Motorsport – Honda Civic Type R

ALSO Team Varta Confirmed but what REGS?
(4) 2 x btcc and 2 x etcc / or 4 x etcc ??

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Originally posted by touringlegend
Why are you so damn pessimistic at this time of year Sim??

Because life sucks, but we can discuss that later

[Craig]

Get used to it folks. Money is tight these days - for everyone - manufacturers as well as independants. Don't expect much in the way of firm commitment this side of Christmas.

[Craig]

And then there's a new post on the forum entitled, 'Vauxhall commit for 2004!'

Oh well... haha

[touringlegend]

Glad Vauxhall are back for 2004..they're like a cornerstone of the BTCC, without them I imagine the BTCC would be far weaker.

[king_rico]

Originally posted by kestrel
Looks like James and 'The A**e' are to stay at Vauxhall.

Havnt you got this the wrong way round. "Yvan and the A**e" is surely what you meant. Arrogance doesnt even come into it when desrcibing a certain vx driver whoe happened to come runner up this year.

[Phoenix1]

Originally posted by btcc-thunder

The confirmed list
BTCC REG CARS CONFIRMED
(2) Proton - Impian
(2) Team Dynamics - Honda Civic Type R
(2) GA Motorsport – Vauxhall Astra
(1 or 2) Griffin – 406 Coupe

ETCC REG CARS CONFIRMED
(2) GA Motorsport – Alfa Romeo 156
(2 or 3) Edenbridge – BMW 320I
(2) Barwell Motorsport – Honda Civic Type R

ALSO Team Varta Confirmed but what REGS?
(4) 2 x btcc and 2 x etcc / or 4 x etcc ??

Well that's 17 cars already. Only 1 down on last year not including the production cars. Add into the miz Works honda, syncho motorsports, Mg ex or works, collard, etc... it should be a good grid. Once cars start to line up early for a championship sponsors have far more confidence.

[kmchow]

But how many of these independents are backed by sponsors who are in it b/c there are factory cars involved. If the series loses one, more or all of it's works teams, I doubt the privateers sponsors are going to continue backing even indepedent efforts.

[racer69]

Would GA Motorsport really prepare a pair of Astra'a and a pair of Alfa's?

[redshoes]

Gary Ayles has already said they will - Breeze, Wallace, Charlie Butler-Henderson and A N Other

[speedy king]

GA can do that