[BTCC] BTCC 2017 Rumours & Silly Season

[Sodemo]

Id love to see a "mainly black with red detailing" Honda for 2017.

[mark_l]

Who owns the car Alex Martin has been using in 2016, is it Alex or Team Parker?

The TBL is in the name of Team Parker Racing, and now that teams are not allowed to move licences now the series deadline has passed, the TBL cannot be sold.

If the car is owned by Alex Martin then it won't be able to be run by anyone else but Team Parker as all the other teams have their quota of TBL's.

If Team Parker own the car/or buy it from Alex, then it is just the huge matter of finding a driver with big enough pockets to pay for a season. I hope Team Parker are not left high and dry as they are a great team.

[Chester The Dog]

Originally Posted by mark_l

Who owns the car Alex Martin has been using in 2016, is it Alex or Team Parker?

The TBL is in the name of Team Parker Racing, and now that teams are not allowed to move licences now the series deadline has passed, the TBL cannot be sold.

If the car is owned by Alex Martin then it won't be able to be run by anyone else but Team Parker as all the other teams have their quota of TBL's.

If Team Parker own the car/or buy it from Alex, then it is just the huge matter of finding a driver with big enough pockets to pay for a season. I hope Team Parker are not left high and dry as they are a great team.

IIRC the car was originally going to be run by Motorbase before their half year sabbatical. Could the car be heading back there and Team Parker running something else with a new driver?

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by Chester The Dog

IIRC the car was originally going to be run by Motorbase before their half year sabbatical. Could the car be heading back there and Team Parker running something else with a new driver?

Would Team Parker be better buying the car from Martin, rather than trying to buy/build a car that they are not that well acquainted with.

[Chester The Dog]

Originally Posted by mark_l

Would Team Parker be better buying the car from Martin, rather than trying to buy/build a car that they are not that well acquainted with.

Very much so if they have the option. Team Parker are too professional to be left high and dry by Alex Martin moving on though.

[GregoryDG]

Rumours say Turkington to WSR and Collard to Motorbase... And Goff to BMR?

[porsche962fan]

if Turks to WSR we have a real title contender as he doesn't have to deal with a prima donna ....

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

if Turks to WSR we have a real title contender as he doesn't have to deal with a prima donna ....

To be honest if Turks or Priaulx been in a BMW in 2016 I think they'd of beaten Flash to the title. Would love to see Coin back 'home' at WSR.

Looks good for Jake Hill being on the grid too, he's at ASI so hoping there'll be an announcement involved!

[S griffin]

Of course Collard has driven for Motorbase before, but it's 10 seasons since he last drove a FWD tin top

[BLiTZ]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Of course Collard has driven for Motorbase before, but it's 10 seasons since he last drove a FWD tin top

Yeah, it would be a huge step backwards in terms of championship contention if he is unable to retain his BMW seat. Not only due to the RWD/FWD switch but also as the Ford lacks consistency. Sure it was quick at the end of 2015 but with true ballasts and a fair boost level we saw that it was in the upper middle pack in 2016. The chassis either works with a particular circuit or not (unlike the Civic and to some degree now the A Class, which seem to go well at most tracks).

[S griffin]

It was mainly down to Jackson he finished in 3rd place in the championship and AJ was consistent enough to take the indy title

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by Chester The Dog

Very much so if they have the option. Team Parker are too professional to be left high and dry by Alex Martin moving on though.

Martin said he'd sold the car and TBL, so as Parker we shown as having a TBL, I guess they'd bought that and the car together.

I think that Focus can still be competitive if they have the right driver, just finding the right driver with the right budget is the tricky part.

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

Martin said he'd sold the car and TBL, so as Parker we shown as having a TBL, I guess they'd bought that and the car together.

I think that Focus can still be competitive if they have the right driver, just finding the right driver with the right budget is the tricky part.

As I understand it, once the series entry deadline has passed then a TBL cannot be moved. The TBL is listed as belonging to Team Parker Racing, not Alex Martin or Dextra Racing, according to the TOCA press release.

I can only assume that Team Parker have bought the Focus, if they didn't own it in the first place.

[ExplodeTheApex]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Of course Collard has driven for Motorbase before, but it's 10 seasons since he last drove a FWD tin top

I think it would be a bit of a case of trying to teach an old dog (nearly) new tricks this late on in Collard's career.

Also I beg to differ with suggestions that the Focus is a circuit dependent car more so than any other, the only circuit it seems to particularly struggle at is perhaps Oulton Park.

[BLiTZ]

Originally Posted by ExplodeTheApex

I think it would be a bit of a case of trying to teach an old dog (nearly) new tricks this late on in Collard's career.

Also I beg to differ with suggestions that the Focus is a circuit dependent car more so than any other, the only circuit it seems to particularly struggle at is perhaps Oulton Park.

They seemed down at Rockingham too, but that just could be my imagination. I just felt last year we saw more of the Hondas, BMWs, Subarus and MGs at the top (even then the MGs struggled towards the end of the year).

The Ford has only ever been at the sharp end repeatedly on reverse grids or when it was first launched (with no equalisation) or after the sabbatical (with helping hand from Toca if rumours are true). In both it's full seasons it's never had the straight line speed to keep it on the top step.

Like you say, it's the consistency of the drivers that's racked up the points, I felt last year both Andrew and Mat worked hard to finish where they did in the championship tables.

Hopefully the extra cash from a title sponsor should help get a bit of development going too!

[luckn002]

Tony Gilham's latest tweet:

Looking forward to next week & @Autosport_Show Meetings for @DunlopBTCC & @BritishGT #someoneold #someonenew #someoneborrowed #someone22

Could be for British GT, but this seems to hint that their driver will be running number 22.

So, my guess would be Paul Rivett as HARD's third driver? Either him or Jenson Button!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by luckn002

Tony Gilham's latest tweet:

Looking forward to next week & @Autosport_Show Meetings for @DunlopBTCC & @BritishGT #someoneold #someonenew #someoneborrowed #someone22

Could be for British GT, but this seems to hint that their driver will be running number 22.

So, my guess would be Paul Rivett as HARD's third driver? Either him or Jenson Button!

Or someone who is 22yrs old?

Old - Epps,
New - Burns,
Borrowed - ???
22 - ???

My guess is Michael Caine (borrowed), and the team numbers will be
12 - Epps,
22 - Burns,
32 - Caine

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by GregoryDG

Rumours say Collard to Motorbase...

Strange. But DUO is a backer of both Jackson and Collard, so perhaps makes economical sense for them to be in the same team?

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Or someone who is 22yrs old?

Old - Epps,
New - Burns,
Borrowed - ???
22 - ???

My guess is Michael Caine (borrowed), and the team numbers will be
12 - Epps,
22 - Burns,
32 - Caine

Borrowed : Aron Taylor-Smith. Bmr driver under contract remember.

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Not sure why black would suggest something other than Halfords/Yuasa.

It didn't to me, but others posters a while back did. No worries.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by mark_l

As I understand it, once the series entry deadline has passed then a TBL cannot be moved. The TBL is listed as belonging to Team Parker Racing, not Alex Martin or Dextra Racing, according to the TOCA press release.

I can only assume that Team Parker have bought the Focus, if they didn't own it in the first place.

Yeah, seems Team Parker obviously purchased the TBL off Martin as they were named on the TOCA list published, it would make sense that they bought the car too. Martin was quoted saying he'd sold both the car & TBL.

[auroan]

If Kia don't enter the BTCC with this;

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/detr...-sports-saloon

They'll never enter the BTCC. This seems an ideal car !

[luckn002]

Originally Posted by auroan

If Kia don't enter the BTCC with this;

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/detr...-sports-saloon

They'll never enter the BTCC. This seems an ideal car !

Thought the exact same when I saw it... Its about time those 888 MG's were replaced! One can hope...

[pagey318]

Originally Posted by auroan

If Kia don't enter the BTCC with this;

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/detr...-sports-saloon

They'll never enter the BTCC. This seems an ideal car !

I reckon it would be too long. Longer wheelbase than all cars in its class so could even compete with Merc E types. Not to mention no mention of it coming to the UK. Shame really.

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by auroan

If Kia don't enter the BTCC with this;

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/detr...-sports-saloon

They'll never enter the BTCC. This seems an ideal car !

The car will likely enter Supercars in Australia 2018.