ETC Cup - Salzburgring, 18/19 October 2008

[JMeissner]

The European Touring Car Cup will be held at Salzburgring in Austria as TouringCarTimes reported already in December last year.

New for this year is that driver taking part in three different qualifying events will be eligible to take part in the race. Previously only drivers that had taken part in 50% of their own national championships were allowed.

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2477

Thoughts?

[redshoes]

I thought at first it meant that only drivers taking part in one of three qualifying races. Seems you must do either 50% national series OR qualifying races. It doesn't make it clear but I assume you only need to do one of the qualifying races.

If it brings in a few more entries then it's not a bad idea.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Seems you must do either 50% national series OR qualifying races.

OR if you are assigned by your national ASN.

I almost get the feeling they invented a way to sidestep potential national bureaucracy and let drivers direct qualify on merits directly. Maybe there has been drivers wanting to participate that has been blocked by their own national organizations for whatever reason.

[JMeissner]

Drivers only have to do one of the qualifying races to be able to take part in the ETC Cup.

"The qualifying races are for national drivers who don't take part in the whole championship or drivers from countries in which there is not a Touring Car Championship," said Ravaioli to TouringCarTimes.com.

[werner]

The article is a bit inconsequent, but I think it means that everybody that was allowed last year, is allowed to, and to add more competitors they did the qualifying-thing.

My ideal:
-organizers pays the top 'n' finischers of the national championships to enter the race, with 'n' adjusted to the results of the previous year of competitors from that country.
-The organizers try to get the race on TV on the same channel as the national championships are broadcasted.

I really think the chances of this really happening is when national championship-organizers themselves organize this race together.

[redshoes]

Nice idea werner, except that the organisers don't have the money to pay people to race.

TV coverage on that level would be a nightmare to organise as there would need to be agreements with a dozen different broadcasters. Sadly there's not enough interest in the event to warrant all that work.

[werner]

It may be a bit of work, but it can't be to hard when it is done by an organization that is made up of the organizations of the national championships, i.e. those tv-stations would be around the table with the same people with whom they negotiated the national championships. I think that for instance ITV in England is about equally happy with a BTCC-race and an ETCC-race, with the stars of the BTCC competing in it, fighting it out with the Danes and the Swedes. And the worksteams of the BTCC probably are happy to race only if it is broadcasted on Britisch tv. But when it is, they probably don't care if it is for the BTCC, or the ETCC. When it is only broadcasted on Eurosport, wich has only a limited reach (so I've heard some day) they don't want to race, it would give them to little exposure.
-national broadcasters are nescesary for the topteams of the national championships to race.
-Contact can easily be made with an organization made up of national ASN's/organizers.
-When the national organizers also organize the ETCC, they will motivate and support their champion and other good teams to compete in the ETCC.

[FIRE]

Michel Nykjær to defend ETC Cup title:
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2576

[snowen250]

Will there be any BTCC people taking part?
Shedden or Turkington would be good, definately would be running at the front i reckon
Simon

[Aslak Vind]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Michel Nykjær to defend ETC Cup title:
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2576

Good news!

However Michel has had a tough time to get used to his new E90. After he was forced to stop campaigning his ligthning quick Leon. It has been all uphill for Michel, who has fought hard to get to grips with the BMW.

Curiously the GR Asia Leon in which he won the ETC last year, is now racing beside him in the DTC, at the hands of fellow Dane Kim Lund. I feel it was sad to see a new ETC champion being robbed of support from the importer. But I guess that it was an exevcutive decision, after winning the DTC the same year.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Any words from the STCC teams?

[Jon411]

Originally Posted by snowen250

Will there be any BTCC people taking part?
Shedden or Turkington would be good, definately would be running at the front i reckon
Simon

There was something in Autosport few weeks back. WSR said they were looking at entering 1 car into the ETC Cup and 2 cars for the Macau WTCC round but it depended on sponsorship and freight logistics.

[Aslak Vind]

Reigning ETC Cup champion, Dane Michael Nykjær, has confirmed that he will defend his title in a ..wait for it.. DTC Chevrolet Lacetti from Chevrolet Motorsport Denmark. It is his hope, that RML will support him with engineers and data, as it is their old sportscar testrack.

[Aslak Vind]

Michel Nykjær is his name, I could kick myself..

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Aslak Vind

Reigning ETC Cup champion, Dane Michael Nykjær, has confirmed that he will defend his title in a ..wait for it.. DTC Chevrolet Lacetti from Chevrolet Motorsport Denmark. It is his hope, that RML will support him with engineers and data, as it is their old sportscar testrack.

Is he not happy with his switch to RWD or BMW?

[Aslak Vind]

No, he will be leaving Poulsen Motorsport after this season. He seems to have been happy enough with the team, but the E90 was not for him.

However he did manage to win a heat in the latest DTC round Padborg Super Prix. But rumours have it, that he is on the look out for a Seat for next year. And start up for himself again, as he did last year when he won both the ETC Cup and the DTC.

[Valker]

Rumoured entries from Finnish TCC are:

Golden Motors (RUS) (Artman (EST)) Honda Accord
Aleksandr Lvov (RUS)
Andrei Smetsky (RUS)

JH Motorsport (LAT) Honda Civic
Jānis Horeliks (LAT)

GTM Motorsport (FIN) BMW 320si
Mikko Eskelinen (FIN)

Xtreme Race (FIN) BMW 320si
Urmas Kitsing (EST)

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

Any words from the STCC teams?

BMW are usually busy with supporting WTCC drivers but Honda is usually there. If both Honda drivers go this year I think they have a pretty strong chance to take home both the driver and nations title. But I havn't heard anything yet.

[cos]

WSR are considering entering their 3 BMWs according to Autosport today.

[stedevil]

That would be great. It's about time the ETCC see some serious entry from the BTCC. Will definitely rise the status of the event the more truly professional teams that show up.

[Aslak Vind]

The nature of the track, does not encourage the cars with weaker engine toppower. Which is a shame, as it could give the ETC field even bigger variety!

[Jon411]

Its great to have a British team capable of running at the front looking to enter. If WSR do go then Turkington is a certain for one of the cars I take it, but I am trying to think of who could be in the running for the other 2. I would have thought Jelley could come up with the funds for a drive, but even then that still leaves one seat free to a new comer to the team

[Pettersson]

Originally Posted by Jon411

Its great to have a British team capable of running at the front looking to enter. If WSR do go then Turkington is a certain for one of the cars I take it, but I am trying to think of who could be in the running for the other 2. I would have thought Jelley could come up with the funds for a drive, but even then that still leaves one seat free to a new comer to the team

Duncan Huisman perhaps? Remember the Aviva-coloured WSR-BMW he drove at Macau with Turkington.

[Jon411]

Huisman was the first name that came to my mind. The other thought I had was Mat Jackson.

I know that may sound weird considering he drives for a rival team in BTCC - but he'd be a front-runner and also he has RBM who unofficially ran his car in BTCC behind him - so they could provide technical support for WSR and set up help with the tyres etc.

We have RML helping Chevrolet Denmark, ollard did the 2005? races for SEAT Sport UK and we had The ROAL BMW team supporting someone last year - so why not RBM - stranger things have happened.

[Ed Peters]

Originally Posted by stedevil

That would be great. It's about time the ETCC see some serious entry from the BTCC. Will definitely rise the status of the event the more truly professional teams that show up.

The likeyhood of other BTCC teams turning up will be pretty remote!

The only other team I expect to be there although they have not officially confirmed yet is GR Asia.

As they have won the ETC Cup for the past two seasons, I can't see them staying away!