[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[Londoner]

Sweepstakes on when Josh Cook reaches strike 7?

[AdrianM]

Still wish they'd go back to trying to sort out the race 1/race 2 issues. If you get taken out in race 1 you're basically screwed for race 2 as well and potentially race 3 unless things go well enough to get up to 10th (or 12th for next season).

The fastest lap helped a bit with that but rather than trying something else they just gave up with trying to do anything about it when the fastest lap system was abused.

[redshoes]

Positive spin thinking caps on people; how do you now describe the Jack Sears Trophy to someone who doesn't follow the series?

Previously you could call it the Rookie Cup and most people would understand what that mean. Now it's the 'Rookies plus people who have been around a while but aren't that good' Cup.

[BobJones]

Harder driving penalties should help, but more than that - for all those who got confused at Brands GP especially - here is further clarification right at the start of the driving standards ruleset. Plus, a handy bullet point list to refer back to without having to wade through the entire rules.

I heard that some team personnel were less than professional at times in 2017, so nice to see some training/tests to improve that.

The light panels should help with safety and clarity.

I guess the reverse grid draw takes into account the larger grids these days. Like when points where increased down to 15th place.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by luckn002

Can't be a bad thing to see some different drivers get a chance at the front of the grid. Also leads to more overtaking from those put back on the grid. Would rather they lessened ballast for this though

To not be keen on the randomness may be a strange thing in a series that already has a level of randomness to who sits on pole - but I do think it is a bad thing to have a driver who has had Qualy, R1 and R2 to get their car at the front and can still only manage P12 to then find themselves 11 places ahead of the R2 winner.

How many drivers should be 'given a chance' to sit on the front row - as opposed to those who have earned their place? If the series is about giving everyone a chance then stick whoever is bottom of the championship on the front row!! It sounds a bit like those sports days where no one loses and everyone gets to take home a prize for fear of upsetting the slower ones.

[AdrianM]

It's an entertainment series at the end of the day. The 3rd is usually a good show and all the top drivers are kept together so no-one is really getting an advantage.

[Sodemo]

I personally would have three 20 minute sessions to decide the grid(s). First is a one shot showdown (or a variation of), the second two are just regular 20 minutes of qualifying with unlimited laps.

We would then do away with the reverse grid race 3.

[S griffin]

Well now it's down to 12th, finishing 6th in race 2 is no longer an automatic advantage for race 3

Good to see the driving standard rules cleaned up. At least now we won't see strikes for minor things, like with Ash at Silverstone. And now drivers will have to be careful, especially with strikes now lasting for 12 months, although that could be a bit hard to understand at times

And shame they've changed the JST, I really enjoyed the best rookie battle

[Matt K]

Reversed grid is a good idea for spicing things up and it's been a part of touring car for quite a while but the best would be to have Top 10 positions reversed at every third race of the weekend, not 'something between 6th and 12th'. That seems a bit ridiculous.

JST as a cup for rookies was much more reasonable as it is with Rookie of the Year in NASCAR for example. New rules are a bit messy, completely unnecessary. Why should we recognize drivers who've never made it to the podium and give them some trophies? For being the best of the worst? Illogical.

[Craner Curves]

Why don't they reverse the whole grid, then eliminate the last placed driver after a certain amount of laps until there are 6 cars left for a shootout? Plus throw in a safety car if the leader is too far ahead.

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Positive spin thinking caps on people; how do you now describe the Jack Sears Trophy to someone who doesn't follow the series?

Previously you could call it the Rookie Cup and most people would understand what that mean. Now it's the 'Rookies plus people who have been around a while but aren't that good' Cup.

They've just turned it into a charity class. Totally unnecessary. This isn't GT racing.

[AdrianM]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Reversed grid is a good idea for spicing things up and it's been a part of touring car for quite a while but the best would be to have Top 10 positions reversed at every third race of the weekend, not 'something between 6th and 12th'. That seems a bit ridiculous.

They used to do it that way with the grid always being reversed from 10th place but it just led to the drivers in 8th and 9th (and even higher) trying to finish 10th so they brought in the draw for 2006.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Why don't they reverse the whole grid, then eliminate the last placed driver after a certain amount of laps until there are 6 cars left for a shootout? Plus throw in a safety car if the leader is too far ahead.

I hope the bosses of NASCAR don't read this forum... they'd be up for it!

More seriously I immensely dislike reverse grids: ballast I can stomach, but the reversing is so artificial and potentially dangerous - the idiot bumping and bashing Cook in the Maximum Focus springs to mind.

Hey ho. I do hope the fines are really big enough to hurt: it sickens me to see bad driving wreck a competitors car leaving a (potentially small under-financed) team with a huge cost and the aggressor getting a "beer money" £500 wrist slap.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Why don't they reverse the whole grid, then eliminate the last placed driver after a certain amount of laps until there are 6 cars left for a shootout? Plus throw in a safety car if the leader is too far ahead.

Watched a truck race at Brands more than 20 years ago like that; I think it was called the "devil takes the hindmost" race

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by andy97

Watched a truck race at Brands more than 20 years ago like that; I think it was called the "devil takes the hindmost" race

It was also done in Touring Cars at a special end of the year meeting at Donington Park many years ago I think? (Julian Westwood was on pole!)

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

It was also done in Touring Cars at a special end of the year meeting at Donington Park many years ago I think? (Julian Westwood was on pole!)

yeah that was the format of the TOCA shootout way back in the mid-90's.

[S griffin]

Those days are gone, but hey at least we get the longer race in Snetterton to look forward to

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by pimmy

They've just turned it into a charity class. Totally unnecessary. This isn't GT racing.

Yes. I'm not sure who will qualify for the JST based on past under-performances . A separate trophy for Rookies against perennial back markers doesn't exactly inspire. I would rather see just the rookies battle it out for this, even if there is only a handful of them.

[pimmy]

Out of the drivers who raced this year, the following are eligible: Will Burns, Rory Butcher, Luke Davenport, Martin Depper, Michael Epps, Jake Hill, Ollie Jackson, Stewart Lines, Daniel Lloyd, Josh Price, Senna Proctor, Matt Simpson, Chris Smiley, Brett Smith, Dennis Strandberg & Ant Whorton-Eales.

So, half the field.

[steve_r]

So say a rookie comes in a gets pipped to this trophy by someone who has been in the series for years - lets say Martin Depper (I have nothing against him BTW), then this really makes me wonder if they have this setup right?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by steve_r

I would rather see just the rookies battle it out for this, even if there is only a handful of them.

And what if 2018 only has one rookie?

[jsmee]

This was posted on Facebook to show how the new JST regs would have played out in 2017.

Originally Posted by Inside BTCC

Points:
1: Senna Proctor - Power Maxed Racing - 368
2: Michael Epps - Team-HARD. Racing - 343
3: Ollie Jackson - AmD Essex - 329
4: Jake Hill - Team HARD - 314
5: Chris Smiley - BTC Norlin Racing - 314
6: Matt Simpson - Matt Simpson Racing - 282
7: Ant Whorton-Eales - AmDTuning - 272
8: James Cole - Team BMR - 261
9: Martin Depper - Motorbase Performance - 238
10: Josh Price - Team BMR - 172
11: Will Burns - Team HARD - 144
12: Brett Smith - Eurotech Racing BTCC - 125
13: Rory Butcher - Motorbase - 112
14: Luke Davenport - Motorbase - 111
15: Daniel Lloyd - Eurotech - 84
16: Stewart Lines - Maximum Motorsport - 51
17: Dennis Strandberg - Maximum - 24
Wins:
1: Michael Epps - 7
2: James Cole - 6
3: Jake Hill - 5
4: Senna Proctor - 4
5: Ollie Jackson, Chris Smiley, Matt Simpson, Ant Whorton-Eales - 2

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by jsmee

This was posted on Facebook to show how the new JST regs would have played out in 2017.

I think this show’s what they want to achieve, giving the limelight to those often punching above their weight but not quite beating the ‘big boys’to make the rostrum. I’m sure it will help the sponsors of people like Epp’s, Hill & co. if they can get up on the podium for JST honours.

I would still like a separate ‘Rookie Award’ but can see why that’s not always possible if there aren’t many Rookies!

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

And what if 2018 only has one rookie?

When did that last happen?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by steve_r

When did that last happen?

It may not have happened before - but the TBL requirements have resulted in more consistent grid entries than ever before in the BTCC. And looking at those running this year, it's hard to see many opportunities for rookies opening up in 2018.
Having seen the JST become a success, they are obviously changing the entry requirements for a reason?