[BTCC] BTCC 2020 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[thetool]

Opening round is now the same weekend as the second British GP.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by thetool

Opening round is now the same weekend as the second British GP.

At the moment, both BGP and BTCC are working to dates that are subject to change. I'm sure the organisers of BTCC are aware of the clash, and both series are probably expecting that things may be adjusted further in the upcoming weeks.

As long as there are enough support staff required to host the events, I think we have to accept that there will be 'clashes' if multiple series are all attempting to get as much of a full season as they can.

[billy bleach]

NASCAR rules for first Ghost race

Each person who was allowed to enter the track had to read a 30-page instruction manual.

*Everybody had their temperature tested at the gate before getting into the circuit.

*There were limits on how many crew members were allowed in – 14 per car.

*The team transporters were parked spaced apart.

*The drivers were allowed no contact with the crews from arriving at the track until getting in the car.

*Everybody had to wear a mask, even the drivers when out of the car.

*The people were all social distancing.

*Only one crew member was allowed to be there to help the driver do up the seatbelts.

The TV commentary was done from the studio, with the three announcers in separate rooms.

*There was just one pit lane TV commentator at the track, with a cameraman, and they always stayed 2 meters away from the drivers.

*Only four people from the media were allowed to attend the event, and they were in a separate building away from the paddock.

[Alfisti]

Seemed to go well. The seats in the stands being brightly coloured partially disguised them being empty.

The winner, Kevin Harvick, was not wearing a mask for the post race interview; I think both the camera man and interviewer were all spaced a good way apart.

[thetool]

NASCAR has seven million live viewers on TV. Best estimate I can find for the BTCC on ITV4 is around 350,000.

Look at a NASCAR field and you'll see huge, non-automotive, brands such as FEDEX, Mars, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Miller, etc splashed all over the cars.

Whilst a few non-automotive brands are involved in the BTCC, like Ginsters, and recently Airwaves and Shredded Wheat, it's not really comparable.

NASCAR is about getting your brand infront an audience. BTCC is mostly networking within the industry. It's a huge difference.

[Alfisti]

Yup. Chalk and cheese.

The other point I meant to make was that only one race is being run on a day - so no support races. Only the guys involved in that one race. Apply distancing like this in BTCC and you've killed it - no supports so who would "hang around" to watch three Mickey Mouse length races spread over 6 hours? Nobody I reckon. TV audience wouldn't stay with it and the poor marshalls would die of boredom.

[VIVA GT]

I take your point (and therefore do sympathise) about the marshals, but maybe the organisers could arrange something to keep them entertained (and awake) between the BTCC races? As far as the TV coverage goes, ITV4 could just show each race live with 'normal' programmes in-between, fill the gaps in with archive footage from previous races or even have a much shorter programme, recording the first two races & culminating with the last one live?
I know it's not ideal and as we are seeing in all walks of life at the moment, no-one really knows how things are going to work, and 'guidance' changes on an almost daily basis. Unfortunately we have to accept that it can't just go immediately back to what we used to have, but was have to accept that something is better than nothing (at least to start with) and then, as more lessons are learned maybe things can be slowly changed into a situation that we all think is better?

[S griffin]

Marshals are what make the races happen. We’ll have to see if any support races go ahead. Maybe we will see a reduced programme.

We must be grateful to ITV4 for showing us the races. Hopefully they still will somehow.

We will get racing back. I am quite sure of that

[S griffin]

The organisers will do everything to make sure the marshals are protected. They won’t let them be neglected. Even if it means a reduced programme.

Can’t wait for the TV coverage. We will see it again sometime. There will be steps and we will see racing back. Gow I’m sure has a lot in his head to make it work

[medius]

Andy Neate taking about jetting on on his hols to be back in time to self quarantine for 14 days ready for round one.

Not satire.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by medius

Andy Neate taking about jetting on on his hols to be back in time to self quarantine for 14 days ready for round one.

Not satire.

If it's permitted, legal and meets all the guidelines at the time, why's it an issue?

[Adam43]

Technically nothing. I think the point the poster might be making is it rubs it in a bit to people who don’t have such an opportunity and are stuck at home.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Technically nothing. I think the point the poster might be making is it rubs it in a bit to people who don’t have such an opportunity and are stuck at home.

If that is the case, then when all the drivers hit the track, that will also be rubbing it in, because they will also be doing something that others can't, because they are stuck at home.

[Adam43]

You’re right. I wasn’t saying it was wrong, just saying I could see what the poster was getting at.

Certainly doesn’t excuse wishing harm on someone as a following removed post suggested.

[bella]

i think it’s not “he’s doing something i can’t”, it’s “that’s a bit irresponsible”. the uk is polarised between “woo let’s all go to the beach” and “june is too early to send some kids back to school it should be 2025”. unless you follow the rules to the letter you can’t win.

[Adam43]

You’ve expressed that better than I did.

I haven’t seen what was originally said, but it might also be in how it came across.

A no win discussion really. It’ll be like Jeremy Vine with people just repeating extremes.

[Mike Harte]

Surely this is all academic as, as far as I am aware, the UK has yet to lift the foreign travel restrictions banning all but essential travel. Holidays have yet to be classified as essential!

[Daverb]

Countries are allowing from other countries that have had low infection too so not us lol

Ok we need to go by the rules but its a bit ridiculous now. We can all go back to work and be close to colleagues but we cant go to Donnington and social distance to watch the BTCC? Nonsense

[Alfisti]

The entire bloody thing is a load of nonsense.

I can "accidentally" meet my entire family or any friends in the queue to get into Tesco. All pretence at distancing goes out the window a few aisles in.

Since Boris's relaxation the other week I could totally legally drive from Cumbria to Cornwall to go and a cycle aling a Cornish coastal path. In effect, this completely removed the Police's ability to stop traffic - undue harassment unless they can prove reasonable suspicion of a traffic or other criminal act.

It's a farce. And Cummings is public enemy for what exactly? The great British public are by and large a bunch of hypocritical ******s. Equally as much as the Government, snide Starmer and the bullshit media.

If Premier League football does start that means 22 men will be in very close physical contact before going home to their loved ones. And they'll then each meet 11 different men in a weeks time. Rinse and repeat. Yet schoolboys can't have a kick about in the park together.

I feel better for my rant.

I feel much better still when we can get back to moaning about proper things - proper things like JP and Matt not playing fair etc.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The entire bloody thing is a load of nonsense.

I can "accidentally" meet my entire family or any friends in the queue to get into Tesco. All pretence at distancing goes out the window a few aisles in.

Since Boris's relaxation the other week I could totally legally drive from Cumbria to Cornwall to go and a cycle aling a Cornish coastal path. In effect, this completely removed the Police's ability to stop traffic - undue harassment unless they can prove reasonable suspicion of a traffic or other criminal act.

It's a farce. And Cummings is public enemy for what exactly? The great British public are by and large a bunch of hypocritical ******s. Equally as much as the Government, snide Starmer and the bullshit media.

If Premier League football does start that means 22 men will be in very close physical contact before going home to their loved ones. And they'll then each meet 11 different men in a weeks time. Rinse and repeat. Yet schoolboys can't have a kick about in the park together.

I feel better for my rant.

I feel much better still when we can get back to moaning about proper things - proper things like JP and Matt not playing fair etc.

+1

Okay, with all these rules and restrictions being more and more incoherent, I just hope BTCC is really coming back in August- even if behind closed doors.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The entire bloody thing is a load of nonsense...

It's a farce. And Cummings is public enemy for what exactly? The great British public are by and large a bunch of hypocritical ******s. Equally as much as the Government, snide Starmer and the bullshit media.

Spot on.

If we took everyone in the country who has 100% followed all the requirements absolutely, we could probably fit them in Dominic Cummings’ car for a trip to Barnard Castle.

[VIVA GT]

I think that everyone (well, race organisers) is waiting for someone else to start things off so that they can then see how it goes. There are still so many un-knowns about this. I think that (unfortunately) a softly-softly approach will be the best way to go with at least the first BTCC meeting being run without the added complication of spectators. Then, after having that experience they will know better what has to be fine-tuned to make the next meeting work better, and if they can handle a few spectators too. Hopefully the meeting can still be televised so at least we can see the action, but I think it will be a while before we can expect full crowds & full hospitality.

[S griffin]

Obviously some series will have priority over others. The BTCC will no doubt be one of those. It will be doing everything to prepare for the first meeting of the season. It's a shame there will be no spectators to begin with, but that should change as time goes on. At least we have it on the TV. This is just a temporary situation. I expect crowds to get bigger as time goes on, but then I could be wrong

[Daverb]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It's a shame there will be no spectators to begin with,

Who said this?

This should absolutely NOT be the case.

[bella]

mmm, i think if anything the past few weeks with a slightly relaxed lockdown have shown how the british public absolutely cannot be trusted to act in each others interests. i live in a bit of a tourist trap and the sheer number of people who thought it was ok to drive to our town and walk down some pretty narrow paths rendering them inaccessible for the locals is mindblowing.

i'm happy to keep the great british public the hell out of my workplace until next season when hopefully there will be a vaccine or the virus will be largely gone. the lot of you can watch it from your sofas. we're entitled to work in a safe environment and that clearly can't be done with spectators.