FIA WTCR 2020 News & Rumours

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by Csaba

Just a general question: do the people who are at least generally interested in motorsport know about WTCR in the states? As there was a WTCC round in Sonoma a few years ago.

IMSA hold the rights to TCR in North America, They race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge although they restrict what cars are eligible so you can only race a Honda, Audi, Alfa Romeo, VW or a Hyundai.

TC America has a TCR class which race alongside a slower touring car spec i believe they wanted to have TCR race by themselves but cant due to IMSA holding the rights and the Canadian Touring Car Championship also has a TCR Class.

It would be good to see a proper TCR US championship be started in the US

[NaBUru38]

The only four-cylinder racecars that could have succeeded in North America was rallycross.

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Petoli

IMSA hold the rights to TCR in North America, They race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge although they restrict what cars are eligible so you can only race a Honda, Audi, Alfa Romeo, VW or a Hyundai.

TC America has a TCR class which race alongside a slower touring car spec i believe they wanted to have TCR race by themselves but cant due to IMSA holding the rights and the Canadian Touring Car Championship also has a TCR Class.

It would be good to see a proper TCR US championship be started in the US

Thank you guys for the answers. I know about those series, but I don't follow them on a regular basis. And I did not know that the rights of racing TCR in the USA are owned by them, or you can race just those models.

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Petoli

IMSA hold the rights to TCR in North America, They race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge although they restrict what cars are eligible so you can only race a Honda, Audi, Alfa Romeo, VW or a Hyundai.

But I think it is due to the fact, that you cannot buy the other cars in the US. For example is Seat or Cupra sold in the states?

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by Csaba

But I think it is due to the fact, that you cannot buy the other cars in the US. For example is Seat or Cupra sold in the states?

As far as i am aware no other Series that runs TCR has those restrictions you cant buy a SEAT/Cupra in Australia either, Yet one was raced last year.

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Petoli

As far as i am aware no other Series that runs TCR has those restrictions you cant buy a SEAT/Cupra in Australia either, Yet one was raced last year.

TCR Australia is a really well organised series in my opinion. And it is interesting, because many of the cars are basically bought by the series organisers and loaned to the teams. Which also guarantees the variety of the grid. As you have mentioned, a Cupra appeared in the final round, as well as a Peugeot, which run with factory or dealer support, and in 2020 there will be a team running PUG's full season if I heard correct infos.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Csaba

For example is Seat or Cupra sold in the states?

Neither. Also IMSA requires manufactureres to pay to enter the championship.

[tobyobi]

Originally Posted by Csaba

TCR Australia is a really well organised series in my opinion. And it is interesting, because many of the cars are basically bought by the series organisers and loaned to the teams. Which also guarantees the variety of the grid. As you have mentioned, a Cupra appeared in the final round, as well as a Peugeot, which run with factory or dealer support, and in 2020 there will be a team running PUG's full season if I heard correct infos.

There is at least one Peugeot lining up this year.

Being honest, Australia is a difficult market to crack - just as the failure of TCR UK. There is a huge dominant player in the market - Supercars - holding the attention of the audience, with the big name drivers. Without the promoter (ARG) buying a bunch of cars, it could have been an anaemic grid right off the bat, and instant switch off.

However the strategy of buying cars hasn't been entirely without fault, as it also means there are some absolute duds of TCR cars out here, the Subaru WRX being top of that list.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by tobyobi

However the strategy of buying cars hasn't been entirely without fault, as it also means there are some absolute duds of TCR cars out here, the Subaru WRX being top of that list.

There shouldn't be any "duds" as TCR is an artificially performance-balanced series. Any major disparities are the fault of the equilisation.

[tobyobi]

Originally Posted by thetool

There shouldn't be any "duds" as TCR is an artificially performance-balanced series. Any major disparities are the fault of the equilisation.

They're duds in terms of reliability. When they were running, the car could be up the front in the right hands, but it just kept breaking down. For example - the team running the WRX ended up pilfering a road car for driveshafts just to try and keep running during a race weekend as they had been through the entire stock of spares on hand.

A symptom of a lack of development by the racecar developer, rather than not reaching the performance goals.

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by tobyobi

They're duds in terms of reliability. When they were running, the car could be up the front in the right hands, but it just kept breaking down. For example - the team running the WRX ended up pilfering a road car for driveshafts just to try and keep running during a race weekend as they had been through the entire stock of spares on hand.

A symptom of a lack of development by the racecar developer, rather than not reaching the performance goals.

Yes. If you remember, Top Run was trying to run the Subaru for 3 years before selling it in Australia. We knew that the car had major issues too, but many of us thought, that they don't have the budget to do a full season anywhere. Comini did a TCR Italy round in late 2017 if I'm not wrong, and the car did well on that weekend, being on the podium. But then at the beginning of the 2018 season, they abandoned the whole project after just a single round. (Yes, I know that he was planning a WTCR season in a Megane, which did not materialise in the end, and the Subaru was just a last minute decision).

[Sodemo]

Its a shame Peugeot are unlikely to make a TCR racer out of their 508, probably their best looking saloon in decades.

[Rubio]

Seems that Catsburg is set to continue in 2020:
https://www.fiawtcr.com/split-role-n...acer-catsburg/

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by Rubio

Seems that Catsburg is set to continue in 2020:
https://www.fiawtcr.com/split-role-n...acer-catsburg/

Very disappointing. He did not perform well last season. Not for a factory driver.

[Alessio]

Originally Posted by Csaba

Comini did a TCR Italy round in late 2017 if I'm not wrong, and the car did well on that weekend, being on the podium.

He managed 2nd on the road in Monza (demoted to 3rd with a penalty) and 4th in Imola, but retired with suspension damage after clattering kerbs in the other races on both weekends. The car clearly had pace but was about as fragile as a pane of glass.

For Catsburg, 2019 wasn't brilliant but he was far from terrible and was usually somewhere in the points, he might come good given he has a year less behind the wheel of a TCR car than most of the 'factory' drivers.

[FIRE]

Abouth the Subaru. With respect but, I think everybody here in the TCR topics would advise NOT to buy that car. The Aussies did not do their homework.

[Umai Naa]

They bought the Subarus for the sake of variety, and that they had a factory driver lined up for a seat.

[Csaba]

Well, Catsburg says that he wants to continue in WTCR too, besides his Corvette and BMW programmes, and it seems like he will stay at Hyundai.

https://www.fiawtcr.com/split-role-n...6qKCv6gBGxj9Mc

And PWR extended their contract with Seat/Cupra in STCC, so this could mean a WTCR program for them with new Cupras.

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2020...P2cqp9e8H3yZa0

[GusGasfuss]

Originally Posted by Alessio

He managed 2nd on the road in Monza (demoted to 3rd with a penalty) and 4th in Imola, but retired with suspension damage after clattering kerbs in the other races on both weekends. The car clearly had pace but was about as fragile as a pane of glass.

For Catsburg, 2019 wasn't brilliant but he was far from terrible and was usually somewhere in the points, he might come good given he has a year less behind the wheel of a TCR car than most of the 'factory' drivers.

In the end, Catsburg had to help the team in the second half of season, which doesn't help your own results.

[Juntos]

January is about to finish and only 4 drivers were confirmed for the new season. It doesn't sounds brilliant for a FIA World Cup. We're going to go through tough times - that's life.

[Rubio]

Interestingly enough (and for some reason not communicated by anybody), sporting rules for 2020 allow teams to run a 3rd car for a rookie driver. THis rookie driver will not be eligible to score for the Teams' title though
And there is no limit per manufacturer (a shame really, because I feel there is a risk that half of the field will run Hyundais)

Article 13.8. Except for the race-by-race entries, a competitor must enter
two (2) cars. A competitor may enter one (1) additional car for a "rookie" driver as per Article 6.2.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Rubio

And there is no limit per manufacturer (a shame really, because I feel there is a risk that half of the field will run Hyundais)

Yep but this is of course a result of the departure of Audi and VW.

[Csaba]

Originally Posted by Juntos

January is about to finish and only 4 drivers were confirmed for the new season. It doesn't sounds brilliant for a FIA World Cup. We're going to go through tough times - that's life.

But you know that this was the case in last year too, and in the WTCC era a few times. Announcements coming really late, in February and March as drivers secure contracts and budgets really late. There is nothing announced in TCR Europe too. And many announcements are sponsor/event dependent. Like Coronel having a contract for months now, but is waiting (in my opinion) for the team to officially announce their plans.

[Lanti]

Originally Posted by Juntos

January is about to finish and only 4 drivers were confirmed for the new season. It doesn't sounds brilliant for a FIA World Cup. We're going to go through tough times - that's life.

The lack of announcement does not mean that there are no deals done behind the curtain. They announce it when it is the best for the sponsors, etc.

[Bcarr6]

Typical Juntos, having a meltdown about grid sizes... Funny how they often end up about right when it actually gets to the first race.

Might not be worth judging months in advance..