[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Surely it's irrelevant what label is put on teams in the grand scheme of things. For decades teams have participated in all forms of saloon racing, and many of them have had varying degrees of support from manufacturers. Going back 50 years, teams like Willment and Broadspeed were viewed as being "works" teams because they had some sort of relationship with Ford and BMC, and in fact the Willment trucks used to have 'Racing with Ford' emblazoned on them, even though they were not a Ford team at that time.

On the other side of the coin, in the sixties and early seventies, there was at least one Anglia and an Escort that was prepared at Boreham, and was engineered at the circuits by Ford employees, but it was not an official Ford Team (and Ford was not being paid for their support) although they were entered sometimes by Ford dealers (principally Dagenham Motors) although there really wasn't any direct connection.

In the end, it doesn't matter a jot as long as the cars make it on the grid, and they don't embarrass themselves or others.

Exactly Mike, (sort of what I was trying to say...)