Touring Car Series entries/rumours that never happened

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I will have to look up to see who else could have been in the BTCC in 2001.

Max Biaggi I knew tested a few F1 cars, not sure how serious he was about a switch to four wheels

I'll be doing plenty of research on the 2001 BTCC as well.

Biaggi tested for Ferrari and Midland, the latter is what sparked up the rumours linking him to Colin Kolles' DTM team for 2006.

[S griffin]

I think Aiello was always linked to a comeback to the BTCC, would have been great to comeback

Yeah, I don't think Biaggi was really that interested, although I'm sure he could have done a decent job on four wheels

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I think Aiello was always linked to a comeback to the BTCC, would have been great to comeback

Yeah, I don't think Biaggi was really that interested, although I'm sure he could have done a decent job on four wheels

Wasn't Aiello linked to Honda for 2000?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by medius

Anyone recall the Carl Fogarty test in an Alfa 156 at Donington ahead of a possible run in the BTCC for 2001. He mentioned it his book.

https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/...20991/5020991/

Foggy was also rumoured to be linked to Proton through the Petronas connection.

[AnonymityRules]

The late Colin McRae was briefly linked to the stillborn SCV8 Series.

[Matt K]

Weren't there rumours of Mercedes joining BTCC in 1990s Super Touring heyday?

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Weren't there rumours of Mercedes joining BTCC in 1990s Super Touring heyday?

They had a class two car ready in 1993. This was the time, where BMW and Audi pulled put of DTM, while Opel wasn't committed to class one and Alfa's entry not 100 % set.

DTM did have a two litre trophy for the 1993 season, but only two Opel Astra's and two Alfa's entered and it was canceled for 1994. But maybe DTM had a contingency plan in case class one didn't get off the ground and wanted to go full on class two?

Some other DTM rumour:
There was a planned race in China in 2013 (?), but it never got off the ground. Around the same time, there were also rumours of a race in Montreal. This was back when they had Bruno Spengler and Robert Wickens racing in the series, so it sorta made sense to plan a race there.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Bamboo Engineering and Harry Vaulkhard were aiming to return to the BTCC in 2011 alongside the team's WTCC campaign.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by DS"

They had a class two car ready in 1993. .

there is no evidence that it even existed

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by TheFlyingTuga

In DTM there were a lot of race cars that never were.

The MG ZT, that was just an intention and a drawing:
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2005...zt-in-the-dtm/ - Here's the DTM MG.

Lexus actually had a running prototype of the IS:
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2008...dtm-prototype/

I also remember an Alfa Romeo 159 that was supposed to be run by a privateer team back in 08 or 09 but I cannot find any picture of it.

From the ITR/DTM days of old, we had the 1997 Zackspeed Calibra:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/08/...speed-calibra/

And the Abarth project of the 156 that was supposed to be run in 1997 (From the book "The Abarths after Carlo Abarth"):
https://www.facebook.com/155V6Ti/pos...2472106170683/


Also from the Abarth Book, there were two more Alfa Romeo D2 Cars at least projects (Super Touring):

The Alfa Romeo 164 D2 (Abarth SE059) and the Alfa Romeo 146 D2 (SE061). Both never run and at least the 164 is given as lost forever.

The S2000 category saw the Primera developed by RJN and Pilbeam (project MP89):
https://u.cubeupload.com/arcademygaz/TN012.jpg

And a Ford Mondeo made by Hotfiel Motorsport. I've looked everywhere but I cannot find the picture of it. I'll probably still have them in an old cd stored in the attic.

Most recently the one I can remember is the Mazda 3 TCR

https://images.app.goo.gl/pmYttWvQUZYYXnyx8

[medius]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Bamboo Engineering and Harry Vaulkhard were aiming to return to the BTCC in 2011 alongside the team's WTCC campaign.

Harry's last year in the BTCC with the Lacetti, he mentioned in an interview on Donington circuit PA that Warren Hughes was coaching him and they were very close to getting him in a second car before the end of the 09 season. Didn't happen.

[S griffin]

Yes, I remember Harry’s last year. I was there at Donny too when he mentioned Hughes was coaching him. Not that he needed it, he was a great talent. Would have been nice to see someone like Reid in that second car, but he ended up getting up the third WSR seat

[porsche962fan]

wasn't that Anthony Reid at WSR ?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by medius

Harry's last year in the BTCC with the Lacetti, he mentioned in an interview on Donington circuit PA that Warren Hughes was coaching him and they were very close to getting him in a second car before the end of the 09 season. Didn't happen.

Warren Hughes was close to making a return in 2009?

Anthony Reid returned with WSR to aid Colin Turkington's ultimately successful title bid.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

there is no evidence that it even existed

Yes, I brought this up before. Class 2 was not considered the right marketing campaign for them. I'm not aware of any test car either.

[AnonymityRules]

1997 RAC Tourist Trophy:

There were other notable entries on the list that never made it to the race, with Jamie Spence entered in a Toyota Corolla by RouseSport that failed to make it to the grid.

Peugeot had entered its BTCC duo of Tim Harvey and Patrick Watts, but did not show up for the race, despite a competitive showing in the Bathurst 1000 race a couple of weeks earlier.

Also, Tim Sugden was a last-minute replacement for Ian Heward and Tomas Johansson was supposed to be team-mate to Jan Brunstedt.

Watts was also the original intended driver for the Toyota Corolla in the 1998 BTCC.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Lada had a few drivers linked to their 4th WTCC entry in 2009 until they signed James Thompson. The most notable being Pierre-Yves Corthals, Fabrizio Giovanardi and (though he denied such rumours) Duncan Huisman.

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Lada had a few drivers linked to their 4th WTCC entry in 2009 until they signed James Thompson. The most notable being Pierre-Yves Corthals, Fabrizio Giovanardi and (though he denied such rumours) Duncan Huisman.

Giovanardi was also linked to Lada and Chevrolet for the 2010 WTCC.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Didn't Andy Rouse build a Peugeot at some point?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Didn't Andy Rouse build a Peugeot at some point?

Looking for local support, probably.
The stillborn SCV8 prototype was a Pug, I think?

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Looking for local support, probably.
The stillborn SCV8 prototype was a Pug, I think?

Jaguar XType

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Petoli

Jaguar XType

'Eighteen years after plans were announced, an SCV8 Jaguar X-Type built by four-time BTCC and touring champion Andy Rouse has emerged from the shadows, and is up for sale.

The X-Type was designed by Rouse, who was one of the leading proponents of the series. At the height of his success behind the wheel, he founded Andy Rouse engineering, the team responsible for building track dominating vehicles such as the ARE Toyota Carina and the infamous Sierra RS500.'

[redshoes]

The Jaguar was from 2004 on the second attempt to start the series. The original attempt in 2001 used a Peugeot

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The Jaguar was from 2004 on the second attempt to start the series. The original attempt in 2001 used a Peugeot

Aha! I knew those past threads weren't making things up, apart from the obvious April Fool joke about Rouse building a Focus for 2001, that is.

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The Jaguar was from 2004 on the second attempt to start the series. The original attempt in 2001 used a Peugeot

That Pug looks WICKED!