[racingdick]

NEW REGULATIONS OPEN DOOR FOR ETCC MANUFACTURERS

New rules to the Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship will open the door for at least another six car manufacturers to race in the series in 2004, the BTCC’s Administrator Alan Gow announced today (Sunday) – a move which will return the series to its golden era of the mid-1990s.

BMW, Alfa Romeo, Volvo and Audi – stars of the BTCC throughout the 1990s – plus SEAT and Skoda have built cars to European Touring Car specification and all will be eligible for next year’s British championship, in addition to other manufacturers planning a return to touring car racing.

The BTCC is currently contested by four official manufacturer teams, Honda, MG, Proton and Vauxhall, plus privately-run teams representing Alfa, BMW and Peugeot.

“The first day I was appointed as Administrator I was in contact with many manufacturers and the reaction has been extremely positive,” commented Gow. “I will be holding further talks with them in the near future. The current BTCC teams and manufacturers have also welcomed this news with open arms. It is an enormously positive step forward for the BTCC.”

Gow added: “All the cars, whether they be already here in the BTCC or coming from the ETCC, will compete on an equal basis, with the technical regulations for each type of car remaining unchanged. Any performance differential we will level out through simple adjustments to the sporting regulations.

“This will create an arena in which the BTCC can return to its heady days of the 1990s when we had up to nine manufacturers competing against each other with over 25 Touring cars on the grid.

“I also intend to make some more very positive announcements regarding the future of the BTCC in the coming weeks.”

Gow insists that he will keep in place the effective cost-cutting rules that the BTCC currently runs to and attract back the 40,000-plus crowds seen in the 1990s.

He said: “It is important to stress that the limited testing and current cost-cutting regulations will remain in place. We have four manufacturers in the BTCC but what we are doing now is opening it up to attract another five or six. It is something I firmly believe everyone involved, competitors and spectators, want to see again.