BTCC 2018 in-season discussion

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

... Did you write the strongly worded letter

Ha, no, but outside of our safe place (TenTenths), there seems to be more annoyance on social media towards the BTCC than in recent years and it looks like spectator and viewer figures are down year on year.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Ha, no, but outside of our safe place (TenTenths), there seems to be more annoyance on social media towards the BTCC than in recent years and it looks like spectator and viewer figures are down year on year.

That's interesting to know, especially with the season having so many different race winners, I wonder what the reasons are for this?

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Ha, no, but outside of our safe place (TenTenths), there seems to be more annoyance on social media towards the BTCC than in recent years and it looks like spectator and viewer figures are down year on year.

Must say this has possibly been one of the dullest years for me watching. I can't put my finger on why tho

[Greem]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Ha, no, but outside of our safe place (TenTenths), there seems to be more annoyance on social media towards the BTCC than in recent years and it looks like spectator and viewer figures are down year on year.

Can't speak to the stats, but the whole annoyance/anger thing on social media platforms is perhaps more of an indicator that (a) the entirety of the UK is 'angry' at the moment, about things other than motorsport and (b) being annoyed on social media has become so normalised that some people seem utterly incapable of being anything else.

Sooner or later every lovely clear pool of happiness gets polluted, so maybe it's our turn...

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

That's interesting to know, especially with the season having so many different race winners, I wonder what the reasons are for this?

It's not a case of people aren't complaining despite having so many different race winners, they are complaining because there are so many different race winners.

ITV did a story early in the Silverstone coverage. Don't know if the story was a response to a groundswell of opinion or if this has started to come up because of that story.

The complaint is that it's become too much of a lottery. Success ballast has been a thing for 20 or so years, and I think most people accept that. It's become common place in a number of series now. However BTCC also has but random draw reverse grids and option tyres. Is someone winning this week because they are the best driver in the best car, or simply because they have no ballast, got lucky in the grid draw, and are on the preferred tyres?

Then of course, there's the tin-foil hat brigade, who believe that Alan Gow personally sabotages the car of any driver he doesn't like.

[Alfisti]

Exactly. I tried explaining it all to some American friends (big NASCAR and IndyCar fans) and they thought I was being a stoopid Brit and on the wind up.

It is an odd concept, I likened it to Golf handicaps a little, but of course no one straps a large weight to the winner of the last rounds clubs...

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Exactly. I tried explaining it all to some American friends (big NASCAR and IndyCar fans) and they thought I was being a stoopid Brit and on the wind up.

It is an odd concept, I likened it to Golf handicaps a little, but of course no one straps a large weight to the winner of the last rounds clubs...

not an odd concept at all. what do you think they have been doing with horse racing since 1855 (just looked it up )? it’s called a weight handicap so that the same horses don’t win every race and the results don’t become very predictable.

[Racer65]

Not a big fan of the different tyre compounds personally but it does get people talking and noticing the tyres which is what Dunlop want.

Always a lot of people saying it should be down to the best cars and teams without success ballast etc but we know from F1 that the general public hate the same teams/drivers winning over and over.

Can't please all the people all the time but social media gives a very big platform to what may well be tiny minorities.

[Sodemo]

Its a little odd though how they have gone about the "equalization". The intial genesis of the NGTC project was to provide an equal platform for teams to build their cars so that they couldn't engineer their way to success by massive spending. Then they go ahead and introduce performance balancing anyway in the form of weight handicaps and engine balancing. So in that respect, why bother with the NGTC mandatory subframes aspect because they balance the cars anyway.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Its a little odd though how they have gone about the "equalization". The intial genesis of the NGTC project was to provide an equal platform for teams to build their cars so that they couldn't engineer their way to success by massive spending. Then they go ahead and introduce performance balancing anyway in the form of weight handicaps and engine balancing. So in that respect, why bother with the NGTC mandatory subframes aspect because they balance the cars anyway.

but equalisation of power and performance was all part of the NGTC concept right from the get-go.

what i dont get is that btcc has about 30 cars of all different types that are qualifying within less than a second of each other and giving us some of the closest racing in the history of the btcc with the biggest grids for decades and some enthusiasts think thats a negative? others series would kill for such a thing.

[Sodemo]

I'm just not a fan of the mandatory subframes or the flawed suspension design.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

not an odd concept at all. what do you think they have been doing with horse racing since 1855 (just looked it up )? it’s called a weight handicap so that the same horses don’t win every race and the results don’t become very predictable.

Sod it. Let's go full-Japan and do 94 kgs of ballast like in SuperGT.

[rdjones]

From reading this it looking there is no Rob Collard this weekend - https://www.wsr-racing.com/team-bmw-title-decider - Ricky Collard is in the car again.

[redshoes]

Remember those family commitments that meant Michael Caine had to stand down from BTCC duties?
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-brands-hatch/

They say Motorbase is like a family

[BillWiskins]

The #Shredded livery looks great, though.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Remember those family commitments that meant Michael Caine had to stand down from BTCC duties?
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-brands-hatch/

They say Motorbase is like a family

Yeah it was odd having a family commitment every remaining race weekend

Tony Gilham approved this one then? 😉

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Remember those family commitments that meant Michael Caine had to stand down from BTCC duties?
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-brands-hatch/

They say Motorbase is like a family

Dave Bartrum (Feb 2018) - 'All I wish to say is that loyalty and integrity are the main qualities that I look for, both in business and friendship'

Tony Gilham (Jan 2018) - 'We have been working with [Caine] and his partners to bring a season-long challenge together.'

[S griffin]

So any more confirmation on Ricky being in the BMW instead of Rob?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

So any more confirmation on Ricky being in the BMW instead of Rob?

https://www.wsr-racing.com/team-bmw-title-decider

'Colin will be partnered by BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard, who claimed a magnificent front-row start last time out at Silverstone and followed that up with a maiden podium finish and the Jack Sears Trophy for the event.

The driver from Eversley, Hampshire, continues to substitute for his father Rob, who has sat out the final four rounds of the season as he recovers from a concussion sustained at Snetterton.'

[S griffin]

Hopefully he can continue where he left off at Silverstone. Does make me wonder what the future of Rob will be

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I'm just not a fan of the mandatory subframes or the flawed suspension design.

But probably THE reason for the close racing.

[Alfisti]

I'm hoping Rob isn't done, I don't imagine for one minute he will retire unless he receives medical advice to do so. Fingers crossed we'll see him back bright eyed and bushy tailed next year.

[Matt K]

Don't get me wrong, it'd be sad to see Rob go and I've loads of respect for him and wish him all the best but in a way it's very interesting to see how Ricky goes in the BTCC and it'd be exciting to have him in BMW next year.

[3marinadrive]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Yeah it was odd having a family commitment every remaining race weekend

Tony Gilham approved this one then? 😉

He's a big boy not like Jake who is a little boy.....

Mr. Gilham was working with an experienced professional with Mr. Caine...all the other boys driving for him in 2018 were in a very different place....

Michael knows his shizzle....

He didn't have a contract unlike Jake......

Jake and Mike and Bobby...very different.

Mike is on board again for 2019 ...he now works full time for Team HARD...as in he sets up his own car etc....

Notice how Bobby's sponsors are now Team HARD's sponsors too...

Mr. Gilham is VERY clever.

He is probably the best salesman ever.

He knows how to make people believe in the dream.

Shame he doesn't know how to look after his team...

That would explain why at least 10 of his staff now work for AmD

RCIB left..

Lets see who leaves next?

If you treat people like sh*t tHEY will LEAVE!!!

[S griffin]

TG is not the worse team boss we have had in the BTCC, he has some nice ideas, it's just they don't seem to end well usually