[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Or it means they have a hole in the middle #polo

Well they have been taking weight out of the cars so maybe they’ve gone to the extreme 😂

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by antnee

This is the post - https://www.facebook.com/wixracinguk...type=3&theater


I think the black finisher looks like the rear glass of a MG

http://cdn1.autoexpress.co.uk/sites/...?itok=26kJn_sl

Buttttttt, the latest from AMD shows the MGs are still bare shells

It’s definitely a Mercedes.

You’re looking at a shot over the roof from the near side rear corner of the car, the black strip you see is obvious if you look at Morgan’s car from last year.

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

ive seen nothing about a 3rd Astra, and where is the TBL coming from for either of these?

https://www.facebook.com/ReflexAutoD...47010628737847

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

https://www.facebook.com/ReflexAutoD...47010628737847

How do we know that's a new car and not just a refresh?

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

https://www.facebook.com/ReflexAutoD...47010628737847

where does that say its a 3rd car? the Astra was new last year and i seem to remember didnt have a huge amount of testing, it would make perfect sense to completely strip it at the end of the season to check, rebuild and improve

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

where does that say its a 3rd car?

https://www.facebook.com/powermaxedr...25397564253957

The original post didn't but Power Maxed themselves shared the post and referred to it as "Chassis #3"

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by CD34

It's probably gone to ciceley for Oliphants drive

Ah yes, good point.

[MagicBoy]

Originally Posted by RS67

E-Spares sponsorship was also on the Focus in 2016. Deppers business connection to E-Spares would be of no consequence to if Jackson had been trying for the Dynamics seat, if they were a Team sponsor, so there wasn't much point in mentioning Deppers affiliation to E-Spares.

Were you dropped on your head as a child? You're flogging a dead horse and trying to create an argument where one doesn't exist!

[FIRE]

MJ

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by FIRE

MJ

???

[RS67]

Originally Posted by MagicBoy

Were you dropped on your head as a child? You're flogging a dead horse and trying to create an argument where one doesn't exist!

If you actually go back and read through the posts, you will see that I never created an argument at all, someone else did.
How's your head?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Ok so my final prediction for these 5 seats:

BMR - Cole
Parker - Jelley
Motorbase - Depper
MG1 - AWE
MG2 - Lee Mowle

that will be it and we can all calm down!

I wouldn't be surprised if the Motorbase seat doesn't get filled - and the replacement for Jackson is to actually lease the TBL elsewhere.

If you recall - back when they announced Jackson as being in the team - their official statement was:

'Mat Jackson completes Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher line-up for 2018 campaign [...]
Buoyed by a switch to the new Ford Focus RS machinery for the season ahead, the Kent-based outfit is targeting championship title success with a rejuvenated two-car effort and formidable new driver line-up.'

Then when they announced Tordoff's signing, they didn't say it was a three-car effort - just that he was piloting one of their three cars. So the third might be used as a spare.

And finally, in the Jackson departure release - they only mention a replacement for Jackson during testing, not to race in the championship.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

If you recall - back when they announced Jackson as being in the team - their official statement was:

'Mat Jackson completes Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher line-up for 2018 campaign [...]
Buoyed by a switch to the new Ford Focus RS machinery for the season ahead, the Kent-based outfit is targeting championship title success with a rejuvenated two-car effort and formidable new driver line-up.'

Then when they announced Tordoff's signing, they didn't say it was a three-car effort - just that he was piloting one of their three cars.

There will be two teams, both being run by Motorbase. Team Shredded Wheat is a two car team. Tordoff will be in Motorbase's third car but as a separate team. It's no different from WSR running three cars - 2 as Team BMW and 1 as Team Pirtek.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Matt K

???

Mat Jackson lost his drive?

[AdrianM]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Mat Jackson lost his drive?

Bit late to the party!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

There will be two teams, both being run by Motorbase. Team Shredded Wheat is a two car team. Tordoff will be in Motorbase's third car but as a separate team. It's no different from WSR running three cars - 2 as Team BMW and 1 as Team Pirtek.

Probably the case, it's just their wording that may be deliberately vague.

Jackson - 'the Kent-based outfit is targeting championship title success with a rejuvenated two-car effort'

Tordoff - 'Sam Tordoff's return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as part of the Kent-based outfit's 2018 title assault'

If the 'Kent-based outfit' is Motorbase, then they have only confirmed a two-car entry. The Tordoff release only refers to one team, which has three cars.

I understand there is a difference between the team, and the banner with which a team runs under. But is it confirmed that their will be three cars racing out of the Motorbase stable this season?

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

But is it confirmed that their will be three cars racing out of the Motorbase stable this season?

Yes.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Mat Jackson lost his drive?

Actually it was big news quite some time ago and you seem a bit late. So at first I thought some new information has been revealed or something

[VIVA GT]

If Motorbase replace Mat Jackson with one of their drivers from last yearI hope it's Rory Butcher. He did a fair job last year without much preparation, plus it keeps the Knockhill connection in The BTCC.
Martin Depper seems a very nice guy, plus he obviously brought some money into the team but he couldn't really be accused of worrying the cars at the front...

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

If Motorbase replace Mat Jackson with one of their drivers from last yearI hope it's Rory Butcher. He did a fair job last year without much preparation, plus it keeps the Knockhill connection in The BTCC.
Martin Depper seems a very nice guy, plus he obviously brought some money into the team but he couldn't really be accused of worrying the cars at the front...

agreed, would rather Mr Depper put his espares money towards getting Jackson into one of the remaining seats if he wanted proper brand exposure.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

Yes.

Where was this confirmation of a three car entry made? I can't see it in Motorbase's own official releases, but may have missed it somewhere else.

Thanks.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Where was this confirmation of a three car entry made? I can't see it in Motorbase's own official releases, but may have missed it somewhere else.

Thanks.

from BTCC.NET after Mat's departure:
“I’m still very excited about the season ahead,” concluded the team boss. “We have a fantastic line-up with WTCC Independents’ champion Tom Chilton and returning BTCC star Sam Tordoff piloting our new Focus RS. Our pre-season testing programme starts very soon and we will announce Mat’s replacement in due course.”

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

from BTCC.NET after Mat's departure:
“I’m still very excited about the season ahead,” concluded the team boss. “We have a fantastic line-up with WTCC Independents’ champion Tom Chilton and returning BTCC star Sam Tordoff piloting our new Focus RS. Our pre-season testing programme starts very soon and we will announce Mat’s replacement in due course.”

Which confirms that there is a replacement planned for Mat during testing (perhaps Tordoff or Chilton can't make the testing). But doesn't explicitly state that they will have a 3-car entry into the championship.

I'm not saying that they won't be running three cars, but their initial plans were for a 2-car entry and nothing has confirmed a change in this plan.

[Matt K]

But wait, Shredded Wheat will put sponsorship on two cars so it means that Motorbase will field three cars.

[mark_l]

Who has said Chilton or Tordoff won’t be able to make testing? Tordoff is being run as Team GardX, with Motorbase providing the team personnel and equipment.

The same happened last year with Ciceley racing and Laser Tools Racing.

Apart from the name of the entry list it is a 3 car Motorbase team.