Pommy drivers

[Old Hairpin]

How come there are no full-time Brits racing in V8's? Is it hard to get into??? Budget, sponsors etc? I would have thought you would need a pomm to bash after all the beatings you take at rugby.... Only joking!

[racer69]

In the past any drivers with international aspirations have looked to the BTCC in the last few years, and in the early 90s, the DTM and before that the ETCC. Now with V8s being probably the most competitive Touring Car series, international interest is picking up. Matt Neal ran at Oran Park, was gonna run at Bathurst but Team Dynamics wouldn't let him because he was needed for the last few rounds of the ETCC, and Andy Priaulx (a star in the making, especially after his debut in the Astra) has been looking around.

It is a long way to come. I don't think sponsership plays that much part, it just depends on interest, and the interest is getting bigger.

[Old Hairpin]

I suppose the distance from UK is a big factor but I agree it does seem to be the best Touring Car Championship in the world now along with German one. My parents live in Perth although I am in england and i fancy going back to watch the V8's, never heard them before... Matt Neal would fit in well in V8's I reckon. I think it would be better for the series to have foreign drivers in it, but not too many!

[marcus]

Oh yeah **** Neal fits right in

we are the arse end of the earth remember and running V8's doesnt quite cut it overseas where the big money and most of the attention is.

But that may change in future but I think it will (and should) mainly stay Aussies and Kiwi's.

[Old Hairpin]

I cant see why anyone would see it as the ass end of the earth...
I can think of nothing better than racing V8's and living down-under in the glorious sun and sea and ... You wanna see the arse end of the earth? Come to the UK, Snetterton and Rockingham in the winter is truly the earths bottom. This place is too bloody cold and miserable. Hopefully things will change and Oz will be the mecca of tintop racing but i think the distance thing is the prob.

[kristof14]

a lot of drivers race in europe at the moment purely because most of the worlds best tracks and teams are in Europe and the UK (well at least the area around silverstone) is the central hub of the worlds motorsport. most F1 teams are based in the UK, the majority of components for CART and other such series are built in the UK but also alot of the major car manufacturers treat the UK like a 2nd home. if you want a drive with a top team the UK or Europe is the place to race. As for Andy Priaulx he'll be racing an Astra next year ;
)

[Old Hairpin]

its strange that the centre of Motorsport is this wild, windswept little island up here... the weather really does suck though, hopefully global warming will sort that out.... I do worry about the state of affairs in BTCC at the mo with influx of young paydrivers... It seems more than ever the dollar speaks higher than talent. There is a 17yo dude racing in TOCA next year in a vauxhall cus his pa paid 400 grand when we have drivers like Daniel Buxton, one of top young tintoppers, still not doing anything next year. I feel that isnt right. maybe i am too naive..

[kristof14]

yeah he'll be racing a Barwell Astra next year (thats 2 too many if you ask me ) but yeah his dady is good chums with Richard Branson so which ever team has this lad racing will have access to huuuuuuuuuuuge amounts of cash, however i cant see him lasting long before Barwell get fed up with him either being rammed off or him crashing all by himself.

[racer69]

Do Barwell actually expect to go any good, i mean the Egg Sport cars were clearly second rate, plus development on next years cars, plus the fact that the MG seemed to be getting very competitive towards the end of the season, with Hughes taking the pole and Reid the win at Brands.

As for the 17 year old, and we thought Tom Boardman was too young and inexperienced for the production class Peugeot.

[kristof14]

id always rated tom boardman he did well in the national saloon championship, this lads been racing for 3 weeks and hasnt raced in anything of major significance, a jump to the countrys top championship is farrr too big a step.

[racer69]

I can't really comment on Boardman, i'd never heard of him till this year. As for the teenager, well, you'd think that a team like Barwell would have used him in the Production class Honda at least to give him some experience for next year, i hope he likes the view from the back

quote by marcus:

"I think it will (and should) mainly stay Aussies and Kiwi's."

Why, the BTCC in the late 90s had 8 works teams, 16 drivers, of which only 3 were Brits, and in the DTM at the moment how many are actually German, apart from the makers, and the BTCC didn't have to go overseas to get international drivers and sponsers.