BTCC BTCC 2023 season discussion, News and Rumours! - Page 38

Millvi · 7 Jan 2023, 15:00 (Ref:4139192)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evantra

Saw Jade Edwards was doing something media-wise for the BTCC then which probably points towards her having a seat somewhere.

She certainly seems to have had some generous backers these last couple of years. BTCC seats are far from cheap to fund as we well know.

billy bleach · 7 Jan 2023, 16:53 (Ref:4139200)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millvi

Interesting. Are you suggesting perhaps a big name departing the BTCC perhaps?

Or Rob Huff in ? Could happen….

Millvi · 7 Jan 2023, 17:01 (Ref:4139201)

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Or Rob Huff in ? Could happen….

I’d love to see that. I was in and around the PMR garage in 2017 when he stood in for Chilton. Gave the team an instant boost that race weekend I recall.

S griffin · 7 Jan 2023, 18:12 (Ref:4139207)

Rob will need to find a drive somewhere, so who knows?

Pickles · 7 Jan 2023, 19:49 (Ref:4139209)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

Rob will need to find a drive somewhere, so who knows?

Hasn't Huff said before he'd only take a drive if it was fully funded?

Jiiiiiiim · 7 Jan 2023, 20:04 (Ref:4139210)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickles

Hasn't Huff said before he'd only take a drive if it was fully funded?

Yep and there aren’t many of them about! Mind you he was in negotiations with Speedworks for last year, but obviously that never happened.

Evantra · 7 Jan 2023, 20:31 (Ref:4139212)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

Yep and there aren’t many of them about! Mind you he was in negotiations with Speedworks for last year, but obviously that never happened.

Reckon that and WSR would be the only places we'd see him, and doubt any more 'manufacturer' entries are on the horizon. Chances might be higher now that WTCR has been canned.

redshoes · 7 Jan 2023, 20:49 (Ref:4139215)

Huff doesn't need a full season drive. He's shown that he is quite happy doing the occasional one-off race as 'gun for hire'. WTCR may be dead but I expect he will pop up in the new TCR World Tour at some point.

auroan · 7 Jan 2023, 21:20 (Ref:4139217)

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshoes

Huff doesn't need a full season drive. He's shown that he is quite happy doing the occasional one-off race as 'gun for hire'. WTCR may be dead but I expect he will pop up in the new TCR World Tour at some point.

He can't live off his World championship win for ever. I think he's lost or loosing his edge.... which seems to coincide with his growing waist line.

He needs to win something decent if he continues to expect to be offered paid drives.

WestHam92 · 8 Jan 2023, 12:33 (Ref:4139241)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickles

Autosport Show next weekend so there's bound to be some news then

If a Kia entry isn't announced then I don't want to know

Pickles · 8 Jan 2023, 14:22 (Ref:4139247)

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestHam92

If a Kia entry isn't announced then I don't want to know

Driven by Jason Plato and Rob Huff allegedly

Jiiiiiiim · 8 Jan 2023, 19:54 (Ref:4139256)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickles

Driven by Jason Plato and Rob Huff allegedly

Surely they get Muller alongside Plato

AnnoyedMoose · 9 Jan 2023, 15:06 (Ref:4139369)

Quote:

Originally Posted by auroan

He can't live off his World championship win for ever. I think he's lost or loosing his edge.... which seems to coincide with his growing waist line.

He needs to win something decent if he continues to expect to be offered paid drives.

Did you see what he did last season? If that's losing your edge sign me up for it.

**FIRE** · 9 Jan 2023, 19:05 (Ref:4139419)

Quote:

Originally Posted by auroan

He can't live off his World championship win for ever. I think he's lost or loosing his edge.... which seems to coincide with his growing waist line.

He needs to win something decent if he continues to expect to be offered paid drives.

C’est la vie.

In other words: I don't think he will really care if he has no drive.

auroan · 9 Jan 2023, 19:17 (Ref:4139423)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

Did you see what he did last season? If that's losing your edge sign me up for it.

Yup, absolutely no where near what he was in his prime.

S griffin · 10 Jan 2023, 06:56 (Ref:4139511)

Hopefully we will get some announcements by the end of the week.

SSmith · 10 Jan 2023, 07:47 (Ref:4139521)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

Hopefully we will get some announcements by the end of the week.

I think its highly likely there will be something on Thursday - opening day of the Autosport International

crmalcolm · 10 Jan 2023, 08:01 (Ref:4139525)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

Hopefully we will get some announcements by the end of the week.

We can hope - but this is normal for BTCC.

2022 - 11 drivers announced before Christmas.
2023 - 12 drivers announce before Christmas.

It was the end of January before we got beyond 12 names announced last season - patience is a virtue.

As a reminder ahead of ASI - here's what we know so far:

2023 TBL	Team	Car	Driver	Status	Jack Sears
EXCELR8-1	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	Ingram	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
EXCELR8-2	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	Chilton	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
EXCELR8-3	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	???	???	???
EXCELR8-4	Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance	Halstead	Confirmed in press release	Elig.
Team Dynamics-1	Halfords/Cataclean?	Civic?	Shedden?	Talked about next year with the team	Inel.
Team Dynamics-2	Halfords/Cataclean?	Civic?	Rowbottom?	Talked about next year with the team	Inel.
Aiden Moffat-1	Aiden Moffat Racing	???	Moffat?	Infiniti described as being end of life by the team	Inel.
Aiden Moffat-2	Aiden Moffat Racing	???	???	Infiniti described as being end of life by the team	???
Motorbase-1	NAPA Racing	Focus?	Sutton	Confirmed as 3-year deal in press release, talk of new build car	Inel.
Motorbase-2	NAPA Racing	Focus?	Cammish	Confirmed as 3-year deal in press release, talk of new build car	Inel.
Motorbase-3	Motorbase	Focus?	Osborne?	Talked about looking forward to next year with the team	Elig.
Motorbase-4	Motorbase	Focus?	???
HARD.-1	HARD.	Cupra León	Taylor-Smith	Confirmed as multi-year in press release	Inel.
HARD.-2	HARD.	Cupra León	Thompson	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
HARD.-3	HARD.	Cupra León	Patterson	Confirmed in press release	Elig.
HARD.-4	HARD.	Cupra León	Lloyd	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
Speedworks-1	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK?	Corolla?	Butcher?	Talked about wanting another year with the team	Inel.
Speedworks-2	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK?	Corolla?	???	???	???
Speedworks-3	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK?	Corolla?	???	???	???
WSR-1	Team BMW/Ciceley Commercials?	BMW 330e M Sport	Morgan	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
WSR-2	Team BMW?	BMW 330e M Sport	Turkington?	Confirmed entry in press release	Inel.
WSR-3	MB Motorsport	BMW 330e M Sport	Hill	Confirmed in press release	Inel.
WSR-4	MB Motorsport?	BMW 330e M Sport	Jelley?	MB talked about a 2-car entry for 2023 – WSR confirmed as a 4-car entry	Inel.
PMR-1	PMR	Astra?	Hand	Confirmed as multi-year in press release	Elig.
PMR-2	PMR	Astra?	???
BTC-1	Rich Energy BTC Racing?	Civic?	???	Reported as considering a new build	???
BTC-2	Rich Energy BTC Racing?	Civic?	???	Reported as considering a new build	???
BTC-3	Rich Energy BTC Racing?	Civic?	???	Reported as considering a new build	???
Boardley-1	???	???	Boardley?	Has described 2022 as a sabbatical	Elig.
TOCA-1	Not allocated
TOCA-2	Not allocated
TOCA-3	Not allocated
???	Graves Motorsport?	???	Max Coates?	Outlined plans for an entry in 2021	Elig.
???	Parker Motorsport?	Alfa Giulia?	???	Press release states a planned return after hybrid is introduced	???
???	Parker Motorsport?	Alfa Giulia?	???	Press release states a planned return after hybrid is introduced	???
???	Bert Taylor Racing?	???	???	Talked about getting a TBL for 2023	???
???	???	???	Proctor?	Has described 2022 as a sabbatical	Inel.
???	???	???	Smelt?	Has described 2022 as a sabbatical	Elig.
???	???	???	Hamilton?	Talked about being in a car for 2023	Inel.
???	Volvo	Kia	T.Harvey	Rumoured in threads every year, has to be true one day	Inel.

Craner Curves · 12 Jan 2023, 10:31 (Ref:4139845)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSmith

I think its highly likely there will be something on Thursday - opening day of the Autosport International

No big fuss from the BTCC about this year's show and not even a mention of them having a stand?

Pickles · 12 Jan 2023, 12:44 (Ref:4139856)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

No big fuss from the BTCC about this year's show and not even a mention of them having a stand?

All I've seen is Jade and Jake doing some Instagram stuff and the odd driver saying they're attending

rdjones · 12 Jan 2023, 12:54 (Ref:4139857)

Looking through Twitter, Facebook etc I have not seen much news at all coming out of the Autosport Show from any series apart from TCR UK.

rdjones · 12 Jan 2023, 13:29 (Ref:4139860)

However I just picked the feed from the main stage on You Tube where Alan Hyde was talking to Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden. Matt Neal did say that Alan Gow is looking at a 2 driver race maybe this year but more than likely for 2024.

Evantra · 12 Jan 2023, 14:03 (Ref:4139869)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdjones

However I just picked the feed from the main stage on You Tube where Alan Hyde was talking to Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden. Matt Neal did say that Alan Gow is looking at a 2 driver race maybe this year but more than likely for 2024.

Hope it will happen and some notable faces turn up - however I assume the majority of second drivers would be wealthy gentleman drivers, rather than touring car and racing talents from elsewhere as we'd like!

crmalcolm · 12 Jan 2023, 14:12 (Ref:4139870)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evantra

Hope it will happen and some notable faces turn up - however I assume the majority of second drivers would be wealthy gentleman drivers, rather than touring car and racing talents from elsewhere as we'd like!

It's just a guess on my part - but my expectation would be that the race would see the second driver come from the same team (in the main).

e.g if we were looking at the 2022 grid, the entrants would be:

NAPA Racing - Sutton/Cammish
Apec Racing - Jackson/Osborne
Bristol Street - Ingram/Chilton
Bristol Street - Butel/Lloyd
Gazoo - Butcher/Collard

etc....

Why do I think this?
As you say, I can't see too many big names from elsewhere coming in. There is also the teams' budgets to consider. The teams will budget against a certain amount of mileage in a season. A 2-driver race will surely be over a longer distance, and so teams will want to share that mileage across 2 cars.

Noticeable exceptions may be Neal joining as a second driver, and possibly Tony Gilham. Otherwise, I would expect it to be drivers from a junior category stepping up to fill the spaces if the grid remains the same size for the race.

rdjones · 12 Jan 2023, 14:23 (Ref:4139873)

From the interview Matt Neal said that it would be good see international drivers in. I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

Matt Neal also said that he expects his old mate Mr Plato to back at BTC as that he want's that 100th win....

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