BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[Mike Harte]

Am I right in thinking that the F4 series on the BTCC package have run on at least one season with around 15 or even less cars? And isn't it one of the FIA affiliated championships?

[kipper]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

For those who know better than me. I heard something abut if the grid drops below X cars then the championship is no longer an FIA NGTC championship.
Anybody know if it's true, and if so what the number is?
Anybody know if FIA acceptance actually means anything? And if so. what?

There are only two types of championship that require FIA recognition. The first are things like World and European championships, which require the inclusion of FIA in the championship name (e.g. F1, European Trucks, European Rally Cross, etc). In these instance, there is a tendering process to the FIA for the rights to run the championship. National championships (e.g. British ones) don't require FIA recognition as a matter of course.

The second is those championships that have more than one round outside of their 'home' country. These basically means that the respective races are listed on the FIA's calendar. The main purpose of this is to ensure that the FIA are content with the regulations and that there is consistency between the championship's regulations and the FIA ones. The only UK championship that is listed on the FIA calendar is GB3 (which had two overseas rounds in '23 and will have three next year). Other examples include things such as GT World Challenge Europe, DTM, etc.

Although British F4 will race at Zandvoort next year, it doesn't need to be on the FIA calendar as there will only be one round outside of the UK. For similar reasons, several club championships have races abroad but don't need to be listed on the FIA calendar.

Therefore, the BTCC is not an FIA championship and, as all the rounds are in the UK, its not listed on the FIA calendar. Therefore, the FIA has no real interest in the entry levels.

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Am I right in thinking that the F4 series on the BTCC package have run on at least one season with around 15 or even less cars? And isn't it one of the FIA affiliated championships?

The Blue Book currently states that to retain championship status, there should be an average of 10 starters for each race. However, as has been pointed out, this is discretionary. Therefore, I don't think there is any chance that, if entry levels feel to these levels, the BTCC or F4 would lose their championship status.

When the F4 rule set was devised, the FIA established geographical areas and, in effect, stated that only one championship in each area would receive F1 superlicence points. This explains the 'certified by the FIA' bit in the British F4 championship's name as it is the series that awards such points. If the entries for a round fall below 12 cars, the number of superlicence points diminishes. However, this does not effect championship status.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Am I right in thinking that the F4 series on the BTCC package have run on at least one season with around 15 or even less cars? And isn't it one of the FIA affiliated championships?

Think it barely scraped double digits at one point five or so years ago.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

For those who know better than me. I heard something abut if the grid drops below X cars then the championship is no longer an FIA NGTC championship.

What even is an FIA NGTC championship?

I thought NGTC was solely a national thing. Maybe some dreamers thought it would spread but it was never likely to, although IIRC Sweden used a version of it for a brief period.

[antnee]

Originally Posted by peebee2

What even is an FIA NGTC championship?

I thought NGTC was solely a national thing. Maybe some dreamers thought it would spread but it was never likely to, although IIRC Sweden used a version of it for a brief period.

Its not a thing. NGTC is just the term for the current design/ruleset for BTCC cars.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by peebee2

I thought NGTC was solely a national thing. Maybe some dreamers thought it would spread but it was never likely to, although IIRC Sweden used a version of it for a brief period.

For a period, NGTC cars were also classified as TCN-1 by FIA and were eligible for competitions running to 262A of Appendix J. It seems that this was dropped circa 2019. (TCR was initially TCN-2 and eligible for 262B of Appendix J competitions).

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Think it barely scraped double digits at one point five or so years ago.

Yes, the period 2018-2020 was pretty poor - 2018 had a low of 12 and high of 14 cars, 2019 had a low of 12 and high of 15 cars, 2020 had a low of 11 and high of 15 cars. Mercifully numbers are much better now, potentially up to 24-26 cars in 2024.

[mphplastering]

If rhe grid size falls below 25 cars itv can pull the tv rights from what I've heard

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by mphplastering

If rhe grid size falls below 25 cars itv can pull the tv rights from what I've heard

Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Be a shame to lose it

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by mphplastering

If rhe grid size falls below 25 cars itv can pull the tv rights from what I've heard

Is that for BTCC?

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Is that for BTCC?

Correct, if Gow doesn't get 25 entries minimum next year then ITV can pull the plug for 2025.

[tocatrucky]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Correct, if Gow doesn't get 25 entries minimum next year then ITV can pull the plug for 2025.

And if it looks likely that'll happen TOCA will ''assist'' new entries to join the grid to keep the numbers up in the form of drivers joining existing teams.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by tocatrucky

And if it looks likely that'll happen TOCA will ''assist'' new entries to join the grid to keep the numbers up in the form of drivers joining existing teams.

Wow that sounds like big money

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Correct, if Gow doesn't get 25 entries minimum next year then ITV can pull the plug for 2025.

and what is your source for that complete bs

[CarfanLUFC]

Slightly OT but on the subject of car counts wasn't there a British F3000 series in the mid 90's that actually raced with just 3-4 entries? Imagine being there

[kipper]

Originally Posted by CarfanLUFC

Slightly OT but on the subject of car counts wasn't there a British F3000 series in the mid 90's that actually raced with just 3-4 entries? Imagine being there

The opening round of the '97 British F3000 championship attracted three entries. It wasn't the most entertaining of races, even allowing for a safety car period to recover some mythical debris from the track. The championship was canned shortly afterwards.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

and what is your source for that complete bs

If it's BS it doesn't matter who told me, does it?

[Daverb]

Seems like death by a thousand cuts for the BTCC.

Hybrid cost/complexity/unreliability, Team Dynamics, Ginetta, Team Hard, TCR UK, Gows stubbornness, cost of drives, difficulty getting sponsorship, expensive ticket prices.

Will be interesting to see the announcements over the next couple of months.

[Sodemo]

I seem to recall a Formula BMW race that had about 6 entries, can’t recall if that was on the BTCC bill or another but it was a Donington Park round.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Daverb

TCR UK

Exactly zero entries confirmed for next year so far and rumours both the BTCC drivers that won it want to return here, don’t think BTCC needs to worry about TCR UK for now!

[Alfaholic]

Originally Posted by CarfanLUFC

Slightly OT but on the subject of car counts wasn't there a British F3000 series in the mid 90's that actually raced with just 3-4 entries? Imagine being there

Four fifths of the field at Snetterton


Edit - This must have been from 1990 from what I can see on Wikipedia - top two are Paolo Della Piane & Tony Worswick, bottom two are Pedro Chaves & Rickard Rydell (to provide a BTCC link). The missing one is Richard Dean.

[flatapex]

If entries are down they play their trump card

Tcr regs.

Ngtc was supposed to reduce costs and did initially, now it’s the same problem repeated. Once ngtc is deemed too expensive then tcr regs come in, that issue goes

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by Daverb

Seems like death by a thousand cuts for the BTCC.

Hybrid cost/complexity/unreliability, Team Dynamics, Ginetta, Team Hard, TCR UK, Gows stubbornness, cost of drives, difficulty getting sponsorship, expensive ticket prices.

Will be interesting to see the announcements over the next couple of months.

I really don’t think any of those are new issues. Long serving teams have left before, some more than once, support series have been and gone, people have been saying tickets are expensive for years, for literally everything, even outside of motorsport. Sponsorship is always hard…

I honestly think this is a consequence of being able to talk about it 365 days a year. In the past it would have been a weekly or monthly news story in a magazine or in some cases, the first meeting of a new season would be the first time anyone know of an absence.

It won’t be dead for a long time and if it is you can quote me and I’ll eat my Goodyear hat.

[rdjones]

2024 BTCC TBL Holders are confirmed:-


Alliance Racing 4
Excelr8 Motorsport 4
West Surrey Racing 4
Speedworks Motorsport 4
One Motorsport 3
Power Maxed Racing 3
Restart Racing 2
Aiden Moffat Racing 2
CBM Racing 1


https://www.btcc.net/2023/12/15/2024...ers-confirmed/

OK as expected no Team Hard, Bert Taylor seems to have picked a couple up and Speedworks have picked up an extra one. I am not sure who CBM Racing are.

[samchevron]

Restart Racing...

As in the same Restart Racing that were racing in TCR UK for the last two years and announced a TCR Europe move for 2024?

Interesting...