[BTCC] BTCC 2021

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by S griffin

If that’s the case, you have to ask what the point was on expanding to two cars with factory backing?

And it's a good question which I have no answer to as Speedworks still looks like a single-car team. So yes, what's the point?

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by S griffin

If that’s the case, you have to ask what the point was on expanding to two cars with factory backing?

They maybe be running under a factory moniker but how much backing do they actually receive

Could be that Smelt provides some substantial financial contribution to the budget and is in fact subsidizing Butcher's car in some capacity?

[S griffin]

Considering they have are using a more official Toyota title and using a Toyota works livery, there must be some coming in from the manufacturer

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Considering they have are using a more official Toyota title and using a Toyota works livery, there must be some coming in from the manufacturer

It might be a lot - it might be a little.
Remember that they ran as 'Toyota Gazoo Racing UK' in 2020 with a single car entry.

Prior to the 2020 season, they (Toyota) described the situation as 'entering a single car in this year’s BTCC series, with the potential to increase its presence in 2021, subject to review'

That review came around, and the Toyota backing may have been dependent on running two cars with full livery, hence the need to get Butcher and Smelt in the seats. Everything on here is speculation, but it might have been a case of Toyota only willing to back the team to the same extent as 2020 if the team switched to running in Toyota livery, which clashed with Ingram's sponsorship requirements.

It's entirely possible that running two cars with Toyota Gazoo livery actually comes with less support than running one car did in 2020.....

[VIVA GT]

Alongside his ability as a driver, maybe Mike Bushell's engineering prowess would help the team move forwards too?

[S griffin]

Yes, he would be a great asset to any team in that respect

[CarfanLUFC]

Geddie out at HARD so surely Bush to replace

[thetool]

Hope for his sake he's not been on the booze again.

[Greem]

It's not too hard to find the reasons why; Team HARD. have put up a press release.

TL;DR - he's now a father and has reassessed his life.

[thetool]

My comment wasn't meant to sound as unkind as it perhaps came off as. He's been known to have problems with alcohol and that sort of thing tends to be a life-long battle.

[Sodemo]

Is there any chat or theories as to why Turkington seemed so slow at Brands? Just a "bad weekend" or was there something amiss with the car etc?

[S griffin]

With Geddie out, that does seem to suggest Bushell in

[Evantra]

https://twitter.com/tcruk_series/sta...105712129?s=21

Is that the remains of the old Maximum Focus in the second photo?

[Pdh]

Originally Posted by Evantra

https://twitter.com/tcruk_series/sta...105712129?s=21

Is that the remains of the old Maximum Focus in the second photo?

Looks like it

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by S griffin

With Geddie out, that does seem to suggest Bushell in

Or Crees. Supercup from the UK may be a nightmare now - indeed the UK Round at Silverstone has been cancelled

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Greem

It's not too hard to find the reasons why; Team HARD. have put up a press release.

TL;DR - he's now a father and has reassessed his life.

Not the repair bill from Thruxton?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Or Crees.

Bushell please ?

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Not the repair bill from Thruxton?

A significant part of that was paid by Mr Neate, so far as I am aware.

New dad, new business, stares down the barrel of his own mortality in a massive crash. Can't really argue with "racing doesn't fit me any more".

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Not the repair bill from Thruxton?

He would have been insured and I expect what Neate paid covered the excess.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Bushell please ?

Same here. I don't miss Crees at all, whereas Bushell should finally get his chance to stay in the BTCC over a longer period. Hopefully if he's back, then finally it's for more than a part-time drive in one season. Can't believe how unlucky this guy's been.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

He would have been insured and I expect what Neate paid covered the excess.

I doubt anyone in BTCC insures Excesses of £15k make it pointless

[S griffin]

Slightly O/T, but there was a nice piece in yesterday’s Autosport ‘What Could Have Been’ feature, about Phil Glew’s brief time in the BTCC. After an amazing debut weekend at Thruxton, he only got one more shot at Silverstone and the closest he’s come to the series since is commentating on the support series. A talent wasted

[thetool]

You could make a list long enough to break this forum's software of drivers who either didn't get a chance at all or not a decent chance in the BTCC.

Just some names that spring to mind: Paul Rivett, Stefan Hodgetts, Gavin Pyper, Shaun Watson-Smith, Tommy Erdos, Simon Harrison, Toni Ruokonen and Alan Morrison.

All had very decent pedigree, many of them won in the Production class in the early 2000s, but never got a good chance in the main series.

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

I doubt anyone in BTCC insures Excesses of £15k make it pointless

Really? I would have thought it wouldn't be that hard to come up with a much higher repair bill in some accidents. I wouldn't want to take that sort of risk. I know many people who insure their race cars at a pro-rata rate that is far higher excess wise than that.

[thetool]

Within a BTCC budget, the actual cost of the chassis isn't the biggest part of the budget. A car may be £100,000 but then take £300,000+ worth of budget to run over the course of the season.