[BTCC] BTCC 2022 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[redshoes]

The NAPA show car that was on the Kwik Fit stand at Oulton was chassis 006 (2017 built) with updated bodywork/livery. That was minus several key parts, notable it had no brakes.

The NAPA car used at Goodwood was chassis 007 (2020 built), which is the same one used at Snetterton by Nick Tandy 1. I believe that still in non-hybrid spec. Presumably they have ballasted up to compensate for the missing hybrid bits. Last I heard, the plan was to convert that to a 2-seater for the rest of the year.


The other change at Snetterton is Dan Zelos, who is in one of the Excelr8 Hyundais. Not sure if he's in the Butel/Gornall car or Dan Lloyd's car

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The NAPA show car that was on the Kwik Fit stand at Oulton was chassis 006 (2017 built) with updated bodywork/livery. That was minus several key parts, notable it had no brakes.

Yes - some have questioned if this car is a spare chassis that could be raced.

MBP-2020-007 is in NAPA livery and is one of the cars that Tandy piloted today. This may be lacking the hybrid parts, but WSR have shown that a conversion can be done in short timescales (obviously if they convert it to a 2-seater, it's a different prospect).

Originally Posted by redshoes

The other change at Snetterton is Dan Zelos, who is in one of the Excelr8 Hyundais. Not sure if he's in the Butel/Gornall car or Dan Lloyd's car

Zelos was (I think) in WPMS-NGTC-070 for the morning session - the Butel / Gornall car (it still has the Excelr8 logo from Gornall's outing below the side window).

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Yes - some have questioned if this car is a spare chassis that could be raced.

Not without brakes!
Realistically I doubt it will ever be anything other than a static show car.

MBP-2020-007 is in NAPA livery and is one of the cars that Tandy piloted today. This may be lacking the hybrid parts, but WSR have shown that a conversion can be done in short timescales (obviously if they convert it to a 2-seater, it's a different prospect).

It's the same age as the two Apec cars so certainly could be converted to hybrid spec if required. It had been their nominal 'spare' chassis up to now. Most, if not all, teams had to do some chassis updates over the winter to accommodate hybrid, which was why WSR had to send the old car back to Willie Poole. I don't know exactly what updates were needed but I suspect that hadn't been done on the 'spare' Focus.

Zelos was (I think) in WPMS-NGTC-070 for the morning session - the Butel / Gornall car (it still has the Excelr8 logo from Gornall's outing below the side window).

I'd assumed that was probably the case but all I've seen so far is the picture of the side window that Zelos posted this morning and that wasn't conclusive. I assume Lloyd will sit this one to preserve what little budget he has left.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I assume Lloyd will sit this one to preserve what little budget he has left.

Yep, just posted a tweet saying as much - but only for today, running tomorrow apparently.

Edwards not running either, perhaps coinciding with potentially loosing her major sponsor?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I'd assumed that was probably the case but all I've seen so far is the picture of the side window that Zelos posted this morning and that wasn't conclusive. I assume Lloyd will sit this one to preserve what little budget he has left.

In Dan Z's picture - you can just make out the upper part of the 'X' from Excelr8 on the rear door.

Dan L's car has a propack sponsor's logo in this area of the car.
The Tom's have Bristol Street in this location.
James had this logo present when he drove the car:

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Most, if not all, teams had to do some chassis updates over the winter to accommodate hybrid, which was why WSR had to send the old car back to Willie Poole. I don't know exactly what updates were needed but I suspect that hadn't been done on the 'spare' Focus.

Aiden Moffat reported the 'updates' to include fabrication of the shift column location.

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The NAPA show car that was on the Kwik Fit stand at Oulton was chassis 006 (2017 built) with updated bodywork/livery. That was minus several key parts, notable it had no brakes.

Fitting that it was driven by Andy Neate then.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

In Dan Z's picture - you can just make out the upper part of the 'X' from Excelr8 on the rear door.

Dan L's car has a propack sponsor's logo in this area of the car.
The Tom's have Bristol Street in this location.
James had this logo present when he drove the car:

And also there's a lighter shade of blue on the second pair of Hyundais.

[crmalcolm]

Better picture of Dan Z's car here - https://twitter.com/BTCC/status/1546...GG9v23rIA&s=19

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Fitting that it was driven by Andy Neate then.

He only drove it for pre-season testing and at media day, as his 2020 car wasn't finished in time. But then that probably spoils your joke.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by redshoes

He only drove it for pre-season testing and at media day, as his 2020 car wasn't finished in time. But then that probably spoils your joke.

More than enough time for him to do some damage!

[hen henths]

Looks like NAPA finally found some pace in that Focus today. Ash and Dan Cam 1, 2 in the first practice session today. Ash did the most laps in both today's sessions by far, 54 and 44, that's commitment!

[thetool]

It's a test session. Which means there's no requirement to be running at the correct boost levels, or at the correct weight. Different teams will have been running different programmes and not all cars will have gone for fast laps. Remember how Rob Austin used to finish right at the top of test days and then be pretty much nowhere when it came to race day?

[hen henths]

Originally Posted by thetool

It's a test session. Which means there's no requirement to be running at the correct boost levels, or at the correct weight. Different teams will have been running different programmes and not all cars will have gone for fast laps. Remember how Rob Austin used to finish right at the top of test days and then be pretty much nowhere when it came to race day?

Ah yeah he's quoted on TouringCarTimes saying "We were just running a completely different programme, as requested by Goodyear." and that they were testing the option tyre.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by thetool

It's a test session. Which means there's no requirement to be running at the correct boost levels, or at the correct weight. Different teams will have been running different programmes and not all cars will have gone for fast laps. Remember how Rob Austin used to finish right at the top of test days and then be pretty much nowhere when it came to race day?

All true. But given the current championship position, I would expect Sutton to want to get as much 'relative' lap time as possible.

NAPA might have turned the wick up for a bit of headline occasionally, but the majority of their running will have been genuine race pace.

[S griffin]

Encouraging signs from Motorbase. Even if it's only a test session, shows they have found some pace in that car

[3marinadrive]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Encouraging signs from Motorbase. Even if it's only a test session, shows they have found some pace in that car

I find it mildly amusing the amount of comments suggesting the Motorbase Focus and also it's Mountune engine are so far away from the pace - Butcher Won three races in 2020, Jackson won two in 2020, Hill won two last year plus seven more podiums....its a GOOD car....maybe Cammish and Sutton are used to having the best FWD & RWD cars respectively and are taking time to work out their preferences....there's some very good people at Motorbase...but this year the Hyundai package, the WSR BMW's and the Dynamics Honda package are all very, very strong - and have drivers that are as good as Sutton & Cammish on board in Ingram, Shedden, Hill, Turkington and not forgetting Cook and his BTC package. Very Good Cars/Engines & Drivers, the Ford/Mountune/Sutton/Cammish package is also very good...but even Sutton is human!

[hen henths]

Originally Posted by 3marinadrive

...but even Sutton is human!

Maybe he is, the exception that proves the rule, or if he manages to bag a fourth title this year it could add support to the theory that he is in fact from a distant planet of highly skilled racing aliens.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by hen henths

Maybe he is, the exception that proves the rule, or if he manages to bag a fourth title this year it could add support to the theory that he is in fact from a distant planet of highly skilled racing aliens.

or he sold his soul to the devil ?

that said so far nobody managed to bag more than 2 titles in a row and we had quite a few recently

05-06 Matt Neal
07-08 Fabrizio Giovanardi
15-16 Gordon Shedden
18-19 Colin Turkington
20-21 Ash Sutton ?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

that said so far nobody managed to bag more than 2 titles in a row and we had quite a few recently

Try looking at the list of champions again.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Try looking at the list of champions again.

so where was I wrong ?

for your info I don't consider pre 1991 as quite the same because you were winning or losing titles against drivers who you didn't actually race against

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

so where was I wrong ?

for your info I don't consider pre 1991 as quite the same because you were winning or losing titles against drivers who you didn't actually race against

Nothing wrong with the drivers you mentioned, but the championship has existed since 1958.

If you don't consider pre-'91 to be the same, that seems like selective revisionary history to me.

Andy Rouse (for example) was still champion for 3 consecutive years, even if they still had classes.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Nothing wrong with the drivers you mentioned, but the championship has existed since 1958.

If you don't consider pre-'91 to be the same, that seems like selective revisionary history to me.

Andy Rouse (for example) was still champion for 3 consecutive years, even if they still had classes.

it's not the same thing

Chris Hodgetts easy dominated his Class D and very easy won the title in 86-87 and nothing the likes of Andy Rouse could do except racing in same class D and beat him

so it's not the same as outright titles with single class

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Nothing wrong with the drivers you mentioned, but the championship has existed since 1958.

If you don't consider pre-'91 to be the same, that seems like selective revisionary history to me.

Andy Rouse (for example) was still champion for 3 consecutive years, even if they still had classes.

And wasn't that also in three different types of car?

[Millvi]

https://twitter.com/rich_energy/stat...hB6xoAZbcDbr_g

A falling out with the BSB team? Or financial issues and BTC Racing relationship in jeopardy? The latest farcical going on with Rich Energy and motorsports sponsorship.