[BTCC] 2009 Rumours & 'Stories'

[touringlegend]

On ITV today they interviewed the General Manager of Honda UK, all he was for saying was "wait and see".

Ted Kravitz himself mentioned that paddock rumours suggest Volvo and Ford are looking at it. I assume that this would be an either or, Ford might judge it to be more in line with Volvo brand image, as they don't have a British or international/world motorsport programme like Ford do with the WRC.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Matt Jackson doing well this year, is there any chance to see BMW giving him more support, the like Andy has at RBM

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by touringlegend

Ted Kravitz himself mentioned that paddock rumours suggest Volvo and Ford are looking at it. I assume that this would be an either or, Ford might judge it to be more in line with Volvo brand image, as they don't have a British or international/world motorsport programme like Ford do with the WRC.

Volvo would make sense as Polestar have built S2000 Ovlovs in Sweden (Nationally homologated C30s).

[Icebaby]

[quote=touringlegend]On ITV today they interviewed the General Manager of Honda UK, all he was for saying was "wait and see".

Ted Kravitz himself mentioned that paddock rumours suggest Volvo and Ford are looking at it.

I would not say he's a reliable source.

[Icebaby]

I refer to Ted Kravitz not the GM of Honda!

[snowen250]

Cartridge world were there today with a stickered up Leon, didnt say nowt to me about next year and BTCC though, anyone else here approach them on the subject?
Simon

[davyboy]

By the end of the day BMW, Honda and Ford/Volvo were all mentioned as possible works entrants next year. Methinks that this was Alan Gow manipulating ITV... and their resident gossiper Ted Kravitz was lapping it up. It would be fantastic if any/all of these rumors were true...

[Winchester]

"My future might well be in the BTCC" - a quote from Mr Priaulx at the end of his cracking autobiography which I read last week.
Priaulx v Giovanardi in the BTCC is a mouthwatering prospect. The two best TC drivers in the world in the BTCC - yes please!
Plus if Thommo could be tempted back here, even better. Although after his stunning win yesterday it would seem unlikely.

[BootsOntheSide]

If Honda have a works team in BTCC but not WTCC, who knows which drive Thommo would choose?

As mentioned, Jones is pretty deserving of a good drive.

Looks like Mike Jordan is retiring to concentrate on Andrew's career, so who knows what will become of Eurotech?

If BMW decide to run a works team, they have an interesting dilemma in choosing who should run it. Jackson have done well this year, but would need to expand to run 2 cars, without any bias towards Mat. WSR are well-established and have done a good job with the car, but would RAC sponsorship be a good fit for them? RBM could move across, but as they aren't based in the UK and don't have many UK staff (correct me if I'm wrong) that could be too much upheval. The politics of the situation make me think Motorbase is the right choice - they've done so much on a shoestring despite some pretty shaky luck, and are the least likely to run competitive private BMWs without help next year. If Kane is joined by Priaulx or Turkington, the sky could be the limit.

[gregc]

I think the Honda rumour is a lot more credible now given how much of a presence they had at Brands - as well as the Type-R club there was an official Honda stand, comparable to the Seat and Vauxhall ones. If you didn't know any different it would easy to believe they had a manufacturer entry from that.

As for BMW, I'm still not sure what to believe. The Priaulx/Jackson discussion on Midweek Motorsport does hang together as a theory, especially given that there is already a link with Jackson having ex-Priaulx machinery for the last two years. Time will tell, silly season can start properly now the racing is done

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

RBM could move across, but as they aren't based in the UK and don't have many UK staff (correct me if I'm wrong) that could be too much upheval.

That wasn't a problem for Schnitzer and Alfa Corse in the past. If RBM can run a worldwide campaign out of Belgium then a UK one shouldn't present too much of an issue.

RBM already supply an engineer and possibly other staff to Jacksons. There's been suggestions that the car has been back to RBM's workshop on more than one occation this year. I don't think it will be a case of Jacksons expanding, more likely more what few staff they have will be absorbed into RBM. Don't forget that BMW GB, who will need to provide the budget, already have links with RBM.

[EdLeake]

There was a hint that Honda would be running a support class too?

Now that I would love, in fact I'd push hard to get a seat in it!

[kristof14]

I'd love to see Honda come in, but with the Accord not the Civic. Volvo would be the most likely to come in from the Ford family I'd guess with there already being a S2000 C30. I definitely prefer E85 over diesel as an alternative fuel source!

[stedevil]

Volvo and their 3-door nationally homologated C30 might indeed show up in BTCC instead of WTCC if they judge the red tape around WTCC and too few doors on their car to be too much of a hindrance. Volvo & their driver Dahlgren has raced successfully in Britain before and Im sure BTCC would like to have them on the grid no matter how many doors they have. Though if they do do WTCC, I think they would be spreading them selves too thin to also do BTCC. Tackling 3 of the toughest TCCs at the same time with almost a brand new car would be a mayor task, even in good times with large car sales...

Regarding Honda, they have a tradition of not doing the factory thing, and if they did, why not WTCC? A support class, well, perhaps, but it still strikes me as unhonda like.

BMW, getting beaten in WTCC and leaving it for BTCC with the tail between the legs would not send the right message... no marketing manager would allow that. However, if the German and Italian/Spanish teams stay in WTCC, the 1 car UK team might indeed "come back home" and be a 2 car BTCC works entry.

As for other rumours, didnt Haven on this weeks Eurosport WTCC coverage mention Lancia as possible next year BTCC participants?

[awrb]

honda have done it in the past, with Arena. The BTCC has a much better TV deal in the UK at least, so if they want to promote here, it's the best place to do it. The WTCC is only really seen by enthusiasts, whereas the BTCC is more likely to be watched by the casual veiwer.

Lancia would make sense. Fiat are trying to give them a big impact as they return to the UK for 2009, but would this be stepping on Alfa's toes a bit as Alfa is supposed to be the sporty brand within Fiat. Unless they're changing the image of the marquee's, which i think i heard something about. Would be good to see Lancia in the series, some interesting looking cars from them.

As for Ford/Volvo, if they're gonna build a new car, I'd have thought It'd be a Ford. At the moment, they've got the reputation for making reliable, boring cars, but they're new deign direction is trying to make them more desirable and exciting, so this would fit well with that. Would the TOCA allow Volvo in with a three door C30?

[awrb]

RAC looking to expand for next year.
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/btcc/news/169377-0/rac_could_expand_for_'09.html
Hope that happens. They say they're talking to a number of smaller sponsors to get that car running, which kinda kills the WSR as works BMW idea for 2009. I think if BMW are a factory team, it'll be with RBM.

[werner]

Originally Posted by awrb

Would the TOCA allow Volvo in with a three door C30?

Yes they will. Toca has a deal with the organizers of the STCC, wich says that any car that is homologated in one country, is automatically also homologated in the other.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by awrb

Lancia would make sense. Fiat are trying to give them a big impact as they return to the UK for 2009, but would this be stepping on Alfa's toes a bit as Alfa is supposed to be the sporty brand within Fiat. Unless they're changing the image of the marquee's, which i think i heard something about..

I was going to say the same about Alfa traditionally being Fiat's Touring Car brand but from what I've read Lancia is having a "total corporate rebranding" so that may no longer be an issue. The new Delta is the right size (similar to Focus/Golf/Astra), roughly the right engine (1.8 petrol or 1.9 turbo-diesel) and has the right image. If Fiat are wanting a big marketing push the BTCC could be just what they need, look what it did for Seat after all.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by awrb

RAC looking to expand for next year.
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/btcc/news/169377-0/rac_could_expand_for_'09.html
Hope that happens. They say they're talking to a number of smaller sponsors to get that car running, which kinda kills the WSR as works BMW idea for 2009. I think if BMW are a factory team, it'll be with RBM.

To be honest, I feel the works team hype is hot air. This is a more likely scenario... much stronger independent teams i.e. 3 cars for Dynamics [with Andrew Jordan being the third], 3 cars for WSR and possibly even 3 cars for Dave Bartrum's Motorbase team - he indicated that they wanted to large in 2009 and were soliciting a corporate sponsor. Alan Gow may have sweetened the deal for the bigger independents in some way too so that they would have the wherewithall to take it to Vauxhall.

[touringlegend]

I note with interest the RAC article confirms that Turkington has signed for another year.

[kristof14]

Originally Posted by awrb

honda have done it in the past, with Arena. The BTCC has a much better TV deal in the UK at least, so if they want to promote here, it's the best place to do it. The WTCC is only really seen by enthusiasts, whereas the BTCC is more likely to be watched by the casual veiwer.

Not to mention that Honda were a big manufacturer presence during Super Touring as well.

If Ford do come in under their own brand I think the Mondeo is going to make one brilliant looking car.

[awrb]

If Ford do return, I'd see it with the Focus. The Mondeo's massive.

However, Mondeo vs. Insigna would be a good battle. Good looking on track and surely goood from a marketing point of veiw for both ford and vx.

[kristof14]

Originally Posted by awrb

If Ford do return, I'd see it with the Focus. The Mondeo's massive.

However, Mondeo vs. Insigna would be a good battle. Good looking on track and surely goood from a marketing point of veiw for both ford and vx.

But with the Focus already being marketed in WRC would they enter it into another series?

Maybe it's time the rules started to accomodate the fact that most manufacturers now have to build bigger cars to pass NCAP testing?

[davyboy]

I cannot see Ford returning at all. They don't have a touring car programme and said some years back that their focus was on rallying. Volvo is an outside possibility, but Ford no.

[kristof14]

Having thought about it, with WRC using a variant of S2000 from 2011 Ford running a S2000 Focus in touring cars is a very real possibility.

Would prove ideal as a test bed for the base car before the WRC permitted mods were added.