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

[redshoes]

so... Schrodinger's cat in the second Audi?

[Greem]

Originally Posted by redshoes

so... Schrodinger's cat in the second Audi?

I'm uncertain.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by redshoes

so... Schrodinger's cat in the second Audi?

That's a bit high brow! 😂 Good point though.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by mj088

Fact is that Jake has been confirmed at AMD not TPC. does it really matter that in an alternative universe he may still have been at TPC and someone may or may not have made that prediction? or do we all have to start this measuring contest again?

Yes. 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

True - although I imagine a lot of deals can fall through even though everything seems in place.

I hadn't intended the 'words spoken' to be such a serious matter, more an indication of which inside knowledge was accurate and which was from less reliable sources.

All I was saying was that whether it was a prediction or inside knowledge, Jake was "going" to remain in the Audi. When I made my comment that TPC had two drivers in the Audis, one was Hill and the other Thompson. Whether contracts had actually been signed at the time is unknown. I daresay once it became known that the AMD seats were open, Jake had some renegotiating to do.

[el_cat]

Originally Posted by gregc

It wouldn't be a massive surprise to me to see H. Neal in the window of one of the BTC Civics this year*


*Bssed on a (lack of) comment from Matt in response to a question in a post race interview after the last TCT round that got me wondering, a bit of third hand inside info I heard mid last season, and me then doing 2+2=5.3...

I had had the exact same thought. Young Henry is obviously well-heeled, and irrespective of the kudos that goes with TCT there wouldn’t be much point going back considering he proved himself. Not sure if it was in connection with this seat, but I’m sure someone said a few pages ago it would be a Driver with NGTC experience without specifying BTCC. Which would fit the bill.

I have no basis to agree with you, other than it sounds like a plausible possibility

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Pickles

In other, less pedantic news, Smiley, Jelley and Proctor are all on the BTCC stand at ASI, so presumably announcements for each of them are imminent.

Hopefully! But then Shedden and Dan Welch (and probably others) have also appeared in years they weren't driving.

[Evantra]

https://twitter.com/teamhardracing/s...275860483?s=21

Looks like A) HARD are wanting to enter the Carrera Cup, and B) the old NGTC Avensis is up for sale.

[Johno.UK]

Tony has raced in the Carrera Cup before.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Evantra

https://twitter.com/teamhardracing/s...275860483?s=21

Looks like A) HARD are wanting to enter the Carrera Cup, and B) the old NGTC Avensis is up for sale.

Bloody hell is that Tony's workshop??

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by RS67

All I was saying was that whether it was a prediction or inside knowledge, Jake was "going" to remain in the Audi. When I made my comment that TPC had two drivers in the Audis, one was Hill and the other Thompson. Whether contracts had actually been signed at the time is unknown. I daresay once it became known that the AMD seats were open, Jake had some renegotiating to do.

At the time I made the prediction, everyone involved (Hill, Hollamby and Kirby) believed that Hill and Thompson would be driving the Audis.

I can't pretend to know every thought that goes through Shaun's mind, so maybe even at that time he was considering putting Jake in a Honda.

My feeling is that that just became a necessity at a later time once other drivers signed deals elsewhere. Either way, Dan has found a very good driver for the second car.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Evantra

https://twitter.com/teamhardracing/s...275860483?s=21

Looks like A) HARD are wanting to enter the Carrera Cup, and B) the old NGTC Avensis is up for sale.

Crees' name still in the window of one car.
But, when they announce their final driver the hashtag frenzy will really start......

Rookie(s), returning drivers, team switches and team continuity all still to be revealed.....

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Crees' name still in the window of one car.

It took them until the season finished to get the right font..!

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Bloody hell is that Tony's workshop??

At their current rate, I wouldn't be surprised this time next year 😂

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Evantra

https://twitter.com/teamhardracing/s...275860483?s=21

Looks like A) HARD are wanting to enter the Carrera Cup, and B) the old NGTC Avensis is up for sale.

https://www.racecarsdirect.com/Adver...ensis-race-car
It's the ex Mike Epps car that G-Cat Racing have recently rebuilt.

[JDMROB]

James Gornall in the TPC Audi

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Probably in the same way that Turkington described as happening in previous seasons:

"The success ballast, reverse grids and sometimes even engine boost tweaking ensure that nobody can run away with it. If you do well, you get pegged back."

Is Plato right when he says:
"The [Super Touring] cars were so pure, so finely honed as racing cars that they were wonderful to drive. But the problem was while the drivers loved them, and the engineers loved having so much resource to throw at them, it didn’t always make for the best racing. What we have today is much more entertaining for the fans. If you’re one-tenth of a second off, it can cost you 10 grid positions. If you find that tenth, or the guys ahead are held back by success ballast, you’ll be blasting back past them"

Or is he right when he says:
"It doesn’t sit comfortably with me that there are 17 drivers and teams out there good enough to win races. I just don’t buy it and I don’t like the idea of someone being crowned champion [in 2018] with just one win."

Both views I understand and can agree with. Although coming from the same driver, I imagine the second quote was directly after a disappointing session/ meeting.

Highs and lows, it's life.

I like to watch pure racing. Such as NASCAR offers currently. I also like watching tinkered with BTCC. To be honest I become more ****ed with BTCC when it's obvious tinkering has occurred - TOCA would go up in my estimation if they publicly stated a performance restriction had been applied to cars X,Y and Z to balance performance following whatever reason. A detailed technical description isn't needed, just a simple "Team BMW wiped the floor with every other mother at Donington so we've made them carry a sack of coal in the back."

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Has the door to that empty room been left ajar again?

Sadly it seems so.

Mr Malcolm with respect please desist from making posts that say Poster X said Y and it's wrong.

We're all motor racing fans, we enjoy BTCC (otherwise we've got lost in an internet worm hole) and it doesn't achieve anything.

Jake Hill WAS going to continue in the Audi, but the Civic and necessary funding became available so plan changed.

Michael Crees WAS (and still could) pilot a Team HARD CC but funding that was hoped/ expected/ promised has not (in so far as I know) materialised. So my post that I expected the first HARD announcement to be Michael was wrong; it would have been correct but circumstance did not pan out.

Either take posts in good faith or "ignore" particular posters if you're not interested in their missives.

Peace.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by JDMROB

James Gornall in the TPC Audi

Confirmed or a guess?

[JDMROB]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Confirmed or a guess?

Only a guess although I'd be suprised if it isnt

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by JDMROB

Only a guess although I'd be suprised if it isnt

Haha, that was my guess too. Announcement is 2:30 tomorrow, someone in the comments seems to have found some pretty good evidence for it being James,

https://twitter.com/tpcracingbtcc/st...641844224?s=21

[psq43]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Haha, that was my guess too. Announcement is 2:30 tomorrow, someone in the comments seems to have found some pretty good evidence for it being James,

https://twitter.com/tpcracingbtcc/st...641844224?s=21

A brief shot of googling 'James Gornall Helmet' and you get a great image with the words 'Cara Coat' or whatever on the bottom of his visor, as in the teaser image.

[JDMROB]

Will be interesting to see how he gets on. Very quick racer. But so is Ant Whorton Eales and he could never really get the Audi to work.

[porsche962fan]

might as well add him , this means TPC is all settled



Toyota Corolla - Speedworks - Tom Ingram

Honda Civic - Team Dynamics - Matt Neal
Honda Civic - Team Dynamics - Dan Cammish

Infiniti Q50 - Laser Tools - Aiden Moffat
Infiniti Q50 - Laser Tools - Ash Sutton

VW CC - HARD - Jack Goff
VW CC - HARD - Mike Bushell
VW CC - HARD - ??????

BMW 125 - HARD - Carl Boardley

BMW 125 - Team Parker - Stephen Jelley ??

BMW 3 - WSR - Colin Turkington
BMW 3 - WSR - Tom Oliphant
BMW 3 - WSR - Andrew Jordan

Mercedes - Ciceley - Adam Morgan
Mercedes - Ciceley - Daniel Rowbottom

Vauxhall Astra - PMR - Jason Plato
Vauxhall Astra - PMR - ????

Hyundai I30 - Excelr8 Motorsport - ???????
Hyundai I30 - Excelr8 Motorsport - ???????

Honda Civic - AMD - Jake Hill
Honda Civic - AMD - ?????

Honda Civic - BTC Racing - Josh Cook
Honda Civic - BTC Racing - Tom Chilton ?????
Honda Civic - BTC Racing - ????????

Honda Civic - Simpson Racing - Matt Simpson ??

Ford Focus - Motorbase - Rory Butcher ??????
Ford Focus - Motorbase - ????
Ford Focus - Motorbase - ????

Audi S3 - TPC - Bobby Thompson
Audi S3 - TPC - James Gornall

[porsche962fan]

IMO the most anticipated seats left to be confirmed are BTC Racing and the 2nd Honda of AMD