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

[RS67]

Originally Posted by EastonNeston

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53610375


It's obvious that the actions of MSV have contributed to this decision, that affects all the pilot events over a number of sports.

You do write some ********. It has nothing to do with MSV.
There have been localised spikes in covid cases. As a result emergency localised lockdown measures have been put in place overnight. As a result it wouldn't be ideal to allow events that encourage people to be in close proximity even if they could socially distance.

I am wondering if a symptom of covid is the lack of rational or logical thought. There seems to be a growing number of people that have developed the ailment, unless it's always been there.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

And now I can't go swimming Tuesday as planned. 4 months and counting not being able to swim... Its hugely frustrating, as people who go to the gym can work out at home, joggers can jog in a park, what are swimmers supposed to do, swim in a canal?

Lay face down on a narrow short bench. Wear wrist and ankle weights or rig up some resistance bands to pull on. You will get a much better score workout. Get someone to spray water on you as you "swim".

I was unable to workout at home when the gyms shut, lack of space and suitable equipment. 3 months later I was able to return to the gym this week. Strength seemingly almost gone, lost 1.5 stone and now ache all over. Hopefully it won't take long for the muscle memory to kick back in.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Pickles

https://www.facebook.com/63107058034...8096391980307/

Just looked to me like they're departing from Ciceley together, and possibly not on great terms

Rowbottom's statement:

https://danielrowbottom.com/

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

And now I can't go swimming Tuesday as planned. 4 months and counting not being able to swim... Its hugely frustrating, as people who go to the gym can work out at home, joggers can jog in a park, what are swimmers supposed to do, swim in a canal?

Plenty of open-water swimming places are open, and have been for weeks now.
If you don't want a structured session, have a Google of nices lakes in your area and get down to one - I've really been enjoying some free lake swimming this summer

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

AJ was recently quoted as saying that along with JRT's commitments with historical racing this year, a BTCC campaign would have meant 2 weekends off. In light of the recent time he has been able to spend with his family during lockdown, he has had time to consider his priorities. If 2021 can see the racing season back to the normal time frame, then he will have plenty of time to find a happier balance of his time spent with family and racing.

That theory has been blown out of the water with AJ's confirmation that he plans to race 14 weekends in a row.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I am trying (but currently failing) not to get drawn back into this discussion. The classification of The BTCC as an Elite Sport has been made by the Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, so I don't think that can be referred to as 'so called' I'd say it is a bit more official than that. I don't know when that classification was announced, but as others have said above, MSV have a healthy quantity of cash sitting in their banks as a result of BTCC ticket sales for Donington alone and (I'm going to make an assumption now) I feel that may have been influencing their desire to ignore MSUK's guidance and to try and allow spectators into Donington.
Spectators who cannot now go to the circuit can at least watch the action on TV which I know isn't quite the same, but it's a reasonable replacement. My work colleague who has just been forced to cancel his family holiday to Spain next week because of the Covid Quarantine enforcements doesn't have such a suitable and easy replacement!

Has your friend not heard of Devon , Cornwall, The Gower, The Lakes, ?..

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Has your friend not heard of Devon , Cornwall, The Gower, The Lakes, ?..

Oh yes he has, just like the people on here bemoaning the fact that they can't get into Donington & watch this weekend will have heard of the other circuits & race meetings but wanted to see the BTCC. The point I was making is that they can still watch the BTCC racing on television.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

That theory has been blown out of the water with AJ's confirmation that he plans to race 14 weekends in a row.

Doesn't mean it would be as time consuming.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

That theory has been blown out of the water with AJ's confirmation that he plans to race 14 weekends in a row.

Stuff changed. Money of course was a very significant factor in stepping down at WSR. A top line BTCC ride is a very expensive hobby; way more expensive than what he's planning on running in.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Stuff changed. Money of course was a very significant factor in stepping down at WSR. A top line BTCC ride is a very expensive hobby; way more expensive than what he's planning on running in.

That's what I mean. It was obvious that money was the reason for his withdrawal. Yet some have tried to portray it as being a decision based on spending more time with his family.

Running your own team and cars, as well as driving them for 14 consecutive weekends, is a lot more time-consuming than concentrating on driving alone.

Compare and contrast JP's activities this weekend with AJ's, then it's clear.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

That's what I mean. It was obvious that money was the reason for his withdrawal. Yet some have tried to portray it as being a decision based on spending more time with his family.

Running your own team and cars, as well as driving them for 14 consecutive weekends, is a lot more time-consuming than concentrating on driving alone.

Compare and contrast JP's activities this weekend with AJ's, then it's clear.

No-one tried to portray it as the reason why, other than AJ himself, it was his excuse.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I am trying (but currently failing) not to get drawn back into this discussion. The classification of The BTCC as an Elite Sport has been made by the Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, so I don't think that can be referred to as 'so called' I'd say it is a bit more official than that. I don't know when that classification was announced, but as others have said above, MSV have a healthy quantity of cash sitting in their banks as a result of BTCC ticket sales for Donington alone and (I'm going to make an assumption now) I feel that may have been influencing their desire to ignore MSUK's guidance and to try and allow spectators into Donington.
Spectators who cannot now go to the circuit can at least watch the action on TV which I know isn't quite the same, but it's a reasonable replacement. My work colleague who has just been forced to cancel his family holiday to Spain next week because of the Covid Quarantine enforcements doesn't have such a suitable and easy replacement!

Good call by the government to ban spectators.....watching British GT on YouTube and social distancing has gone out of the window....god knows what BTCC would be like...

People are dumb....they can’t help themselves

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

No-one tried to portray it as the reason why, other than AJ himself, it was his excuse.

Where did he say that?

His column stated that it was a commercial/financial decision.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Where did he say that?

His column stated that it was a commercial/financial decision.

No idea, it was weeks ago.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Good call by the government to ban spectators.....watching British GT on YouTube and social distancing has gone out of the window....god knows what BTCC would be like...

People are dumb....they can’t help themselves

Just watched the start of GT. Spectators looked to be well spaced out. Only problems I could see was the organisers allowed a grid walk, no facemasks for pit crews or the interviewers and drivers. With a crowd of just 5k, no gridwalk, I don't see TOCA / Donington as having much of a problem.

[bella]

Originally Posted by RS67

Just watched the start of GT. Spectators looked to be well spaced out. Only problems I could see was the organisers allowed a grid walk, no facemasks for pit crews or the interviewers and drivers. With a crowd of just 5k, no gridwalk, I don't see TOCA / Donington as having much of a problem.

gt didn’t allow a pitwalk. each car was allowed 6 people on the grid, including the person holding the grid board. pit crews aren’t required to wear face masks if their breathing holes are covered by a balaclava. you only have to wear a face mask if you can’t be socially distant, but those used to the european rules where it’s masks at all times tend to do that.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

Just watched the start of GT. Spectators looked to be well spaced out.

Round most of the track, spectators did seem to be spaced. The exception appeared to be inside of Dentons. The crowd was definitely bunched up against the fence for parts of the race. It only takes one part of the crowd to bunch up, and they spoil it for all.
My suspicion is that you would see the same at BTCC, or any other event regardless of crowd size.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by bella

gt didn’t allow a pitwalk. each car was allowed 6 people on the grid, including the person holding the grid board. pit crews aren’t required to wear face masks if their breathing holes are covered by a balaclava. you only have to wear a face mask if you can’t be socially distant, but those used to the european rules where it’s masks at all times tend to do that.

Just went back to watch the start of the British GT again, and it was the the 2019 gridwalk that I had watched first time.
Watched todays, no gridwalk, you are right restricted team numbers on the grid and Kelvin Fletcher was wearing a mask, even when alone doing his piece to camera.
As for spectators, still very few people there as I had seen earlier, most people had chosen to watch from the start/finish but other than standing in what appeared to be family groups, they were all spaced out and had plenty of room.

[Daverb]

I better cancel the room I had booked for Oulton Park


Really cant see Knockhill having spectators as Sturgeon is copying everything down South does but with a delay so if Brands/Oulton is no spectators then Knockhill won't be too.

[bella]

i'm not sure about the sunday spectator numbers, but the saturday figure was around 1600.

one issue that appeared was that the paddock gate was staffed by msv, who went home at a fairly early hour in the evening (quite right too) allowing those who were camping to walk around free range in the paddock whilst many if not most teams were still working. seemed to defeat the object...

if they were going to allow spectators in for the larger events that's something they'd need to look at.

[redshoes]

Talking of spectator numbers, we never found out what MSV had intended as being the limit for Donington. During the TV coverage intro, where they talked about the meeting being behind closed doors, Tim Harvey mentioned the figure of 5000, but that seemed a bit low to me.

I've never really paid much attention to the queues to get in so don't have a feel for how many would normally buy tickets in advance and how many would buy on the gate. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the majority would buy in advance.

The original Donington date was cancelled a couple of weeks before it was due to take place, so I would assume a good number of tickets had already been sold (or do people normally leave it until the last minute to buy?). With most of those sales carried forward, and with a few weeks of additional sales for the new date, surely they would have hit the 5000 limit long before the Elite sport judgement came in?

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Talking of spectator numbers, we never found out what MSV had intended as being the limit for Donington. During the TV coverage intro, where they talked about the meeting being behind closed doors, Tim Harvey mentioned the figure of 5000, but that seemed a bit low to me.

I've never really paid much attention to the queues to get in so don't have a feel for how many would normally buy tickets in advance and how many would buy on the gate. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the majority would buy in advance.

The original Donington date was cancelled a couple of weeks before it was due to take place, so I would assume a good number of tickets had already been sold (or do people normally leave it until the last minute to buy?). With most of those sales carried forward, and with a few weeks of additional sales for the new date, surely they would have hit the 5000 limit long before the Elite sport judgement came in?

I'm told they had sold >11,000 at the point the DCMS told them to stop.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by sceptic

I'm told they had sold >11,000 at the point the DCMS told them to stop.

That's about I was expecting

[porsche962fan]

do we really need to talk so much about spectators ?


it's like the freaking talking about what dresses the actress wear at Oscar awards rather than the movies themselves...

[thetool]

For most people on here it's probably the most important part of the BTCC.