[BTCC] BTCC 2021

[bella]

it'll start as scheduled - remember we ran brands hatch in october under the same restrictions. particularly since the plans will have everyone in a vulnerable situation vaccinated and many will have immunity by the time the season starts.

the reason it was all cancelled and we were all properly grounded last march was because we were in a brand new situation and didn't have strategies in workplaces to mitigate the spread of the virus. we've got those now, including a solid testing structure. many of us have been under the new restrictions for a week or so anyway.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

August would be my uneducated stab in the dark.

Night race ?

[medius]

Originally Posted by bella

it'll start as scheduled - remember we ran brands hatch in october under the same restrictions. particularly since the plans will have everyone in a vulnerable situation vaccinated and many will have immunity by the time the season starts.

the reason it was all cancelled and we were all properly grounded last march was because we were in a brand new situation and didn't have strategies in workplaces to mitigate the spread of the virus. we've got those now, including a solid testing structure. many of us have been under the new restrictions for a week or so anyway.

I would suggest the PM may have jjust "Andy Neate'd" that idea to some degree.

[bella]

Originally Posted by medius

I would suggest the PM may have jjust "Andy Neate'd" that idea to some degree.

the guidelines still allow for work for the elite sports thing (and for those on the "pathway" which is an interesting concept for the rest of motorsport), so yes and no. it's covered under travelling for work as well.

[antnee]

Elite sports can continue. Only way the season start will be delayed is for commercial reasons - if Gow thinks hospitality could resume at a later point and it therefore secures more driver's budgets.

[Sodemo]

I suggested some pages back that they should consider delaying the season by a couple of months, at least then there would be some chance of spectators being able to attend, so start in June instead of April.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by bella

it'll start as scheduled - remember we ran brands hatch in october under the same restrictions. particularly since the plans will have everyone in a vulnerable situation vaccinated and many will have immunity by the time the season starts.

the reason it was all cancelled and we were all properly grounded last march was because we were in a brand new situation and didn't have strategies in workplaces to mitigate the spread of the virus. we've got those now, including a solid testing structure. many of us have been under the new restrictions for a week or so anyway.

In an ideal world yes, but listening to a virologist earlier, there is concern that the South African variant might not be covered by the current vaccine and although the current vaccine can be adapted that takes around 6 weeks and will then need to be tested for effectiveness. If that SA variant were to hit the UK and take hold, it could add to the vaccine period and this virus (like others) mutuates to 'survive' which we can see in the Kent strain that has hit us harder than the original strain.

Trying to predict any of this is like nailing jelly to a wall, what we do know though is that timescales can slip and extra weeks turn into months.

If I were TOCA, I would pre-empt this and look at the later starting, compact 2020 style calendar. I would move the season start right out of the Spring start to early Summer - move it two months ( as Sodemo suggests). Many more people will have been vaccinated by them and it should have trickled down into the middle aged.

I would do this now, so everyone else can re-jig their calendar accordingly.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

In an ideal world yes, but listening to a virologist earlier, there is concern that the South African variant might not be covered by the current vaccine and although the current vaccine can be adapted that takes around 6 weeks and will then need to be tested for effectiveness. If that SA variant were to hit the UK and take hold, it could add to the vaccine period and this virus (like others) mutuates to 'survive' which we can see in the Kent strain that has hit us harder than the original strain.

Trying to predict any of this is like nailing jelly to a wall, what we do know though is that timescales can slip and extra weeks turn into months.

If I were TOCA, I would pre-empt this and look at the later starting, compact 2020 style calendar. I would move the season start right out of the Spring start to early Summer - move it two months ( as Sodemo suggests). Many more people will have been vaccinated by them and it should have trickled down into the middle aged.

I would do this now, so everyone else can re-jig their calendar accordingly.

No need to worry, according to some on here sorting out a vaccine is a couple of days work....

[medius]

Spot on moneyseeker, I also think this season will be stunted as per 2020. Delayed started, condensed calendar and no spectators in till summer at the earliest and those will be limited capacity. Nothing to be gained by delaying the inevitable decisions to be made.

Plan for the worst but hope for the best.

[Spanner monkey]

They should keep the season as planned atm. People just need to still realise Hands Face Space is said for a reason! Most of these teams don't just pop up for 6 months. They employ people all year round. If last season was completed without major complications once it started then the organisers should be happy for this season to start on time.

[S griffin]

The lockdown is only till the middle of February, the season doesn’t start to spring. So we will see where we are come February

[CarfanLUFC]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The lockdown is only till the middle of February, the season doesn’t start to spring. So we will see where we are come February

Totally agree plus this time things are a lot different with having the vaccine roll out.

There is light at the end of tunnel now.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The lockdown is only till the middle of February, the season doesn’t start to spring. So we will see where we are come February

I've heard a few people refer to the lockdown confirmed as ending in February - and wonder where this information has come from?

From what I have read, schools in England will remain closed until at least half-term, which is 15-19 February for most.

The review of the lockdown is scheduled for 15th Feburary, not the end of lockdown itself. I have seen the following on gov.uk yesterday - 'The restrictions will come into effect tomorrow, and are expected to last until the middle of February if the situation in hospitals improve. '

The most important word there is 'if'.....

(not wanting to be doom and gloom - just managing expectations)

[S griffin]

Did I say it would definitely be ending then? No. I just said atm that’s when it will run to at least

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The lockdown is only till the middle of February, the season doesn’t start to spring. So we will see where we are come February

Gove is saying some restrictions may be eased in March at the earliest and even this is based on vaccinating 13M people in 7 weeks...

Which is why if I were TOCA, I would not be waiting until the end of February, I would assume that timescales will slip (government timescales always do) and act accordingly.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Gove is saying some restrictions may be eased in March at the earliest and even this is based on vaccinating 13M people in 7 weeks...

Which is why if I were TOCA, I would not be waiting until the end of February, I would assume that timescales will slip (government timescales always do) and act accordingly.

Why?

There are NO restrictions on working - only on social mixing.

[medius]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Why?

There are NO restrictions on working - only on social mixing.

Marshals are the key.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

They should keep the season as planned atm. People just need to still realise Hands Face Space is said for a reason! Most of these teams don't just pop up for 6 months. They employ people all year round. If last season was completed without major complications once it started then the organisers should be happy for this season to start on time.

i agree with you about it starting as normal, but the rest of your post is not necessarily true. not sure about btcc but in general the number one is usually full time, the number twos weekend and many engineers are event only, likewise most truckies outside gt.

we all took a significant financial hit last year. another extra long off season and i think the sport is going to be at an even bigger risk than normal of losing skilled, experienced people at all levels to steady jobs where you're home every night.

last year was hard, the sport is hard to work in anyway, but last year was particularly mentally exhausting for a lot of people. everyone i know was ready to commit grisly murder at least 2 months earlier than usual in a season that took 3 months off in the middle

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by medius

Marshals are the key.

Possibly a good point, but they could just pay them, like on test days. Wouldn’t be a big cost overall. Would that work?

[Greem]

Originally Posted by medius

Marshals are the key.

We adopted a whole raft of changes to what was previously "normal" last year. Electronic sign-on in the week preceding the event, no guest tickets, vastly reduced (in BTCC terms) numbers per post, mandatory face coverings trackside/in the pit lane, no paddock access, no pit garage access, no entry to race admin/control buildings unless previously agreed, approaching stranded/broken/crashed cars from the front, thumbs up to the driver, reporting response to race control... the list goes on.

It was basically "keep apart from each other, keep apart from the drivers, only get close in absolutely dire circumstances but wear a face covering and gloves, use hand sanitiser regularly" etc etc. It was a bit weird, it wasn't the sociable hobby we're all used to and it felt a bit flat at points.

But: Across the UK we managed to get seasons completed for pretty much every championship and trophy series, plus a load of club events, to my knowledge not a single person contracted COVID at an event.

I guess we'll just repeat what we did this year, not being complacent.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Greem

We adopted a whole raft of changes to what was previously "normal" last year. Electronic sign-on in the week preceding the event, no guest tickets, vastly reduced (in BTCC terms) numbers per post, mandatory face coverings trackside/in the pit lane, no paddock access, no pit garage access, no entry to race admin/control buildings unless previously agreed, approaching stranded/broken/crashed cars from the front, thumbs up to the driver, reporting response to race control... the list goes on.

It was basically "keep apart from each other, keep apart from the drivers, only get close in absolutely dire circumstances but wear a face covering and gloves, use hand sanitiser regularly" etc etc. It was a bit weird, it wasn't the sociable hobby we're all used to and it felt a bit flat at points.

But: Across the UK we managed to get seasons completed for pretty much every championship and trophy series, plus a load of club events, to my knowledge not a single person contracted COVID at an event.

I guess we'll just repeat what we did this year, not being complacent.

All great but the current restrictions only don’t apply to working, and marshalling isn’t that so the point is that under the new laws you couldn’t leave home to do it.

Unless it was accepted as “work” which maybe could bring in all sorts of issues, although I’m not sure.

[S griffin]

The last BTCC race of 2020 took place under the November lockdown

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by peebee2

All great but the current restrictions only don’t apply to working, and marshalling isn’t that so the point is that under the new laws you couldn’t leave home to do it.

Unless it was accepted as “work” which maybe could bring in all sorts of issues, although I’m not sure.

I read the Government explanation about whet we can & cannot do during this new lockdown, here is what I think is the important bit that makes me believe that you would be allowed to leave home to do it as a volunteer:
"You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a ‘reasonable excuse’, and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice).

You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.

A ‘reasonable excuse’ includes:

Work - you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home, including but not limited to people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance
Volunteering - you can also leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services."
The full article is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national...can-leave-home

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by peebee2

All great but the current restrictions only don’t apply to working, and marshalling isn’t that so the point is that under the new laws you couldn’t leave home to do it.

Unless it was accepted as “work” which maybe could bring in all sorts of issues, although I’m not sure.

From gov.uk:

'Where and when you can meet in larger groups
There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes:

for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, where it is unreasonable to do so from home.'

And given that Elite Sport is permitted to continue, the guidance on facilitating Elite Sport is relevant, which defines an Elite Sport user group as:
'The essential groups in attendance during the Competition. These may include, but are not limited to, the Competition Delivery Partners, teams/athletes, team support staff, competition officials, volunteers and staff, contractors/suppliers, anti-doping officers, medical providers and media and broadcast.'

and that 'All User Groups must be appraised of risk and mitigation plans and given the opportunity to actively ‘opt in’ to RTDC'

[Greem]

All of the above are indeed correct; some circuits and/or clubs also provided documentary evidence in the form of printed materials with phone contact details just in case we were stopped en route to a venue.

Personally, I stayed fairly local. I didn't believe the journey any further than Donington (which is 15 minutes, usually) was justifiable for me given my own personal circumstances.