[BTCC] BTCC 2023 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Ford Focus in blue wit a bit of white and yellow. I can hardly contain the excitement.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

They run everything from C1s to Trucks, so doesn't means it's in any way BTCC related, other than the merch the post is there to advertise. Anyhow, they already have more BTCC drivers than they know what to do with.

So applying a bit of detective logic:

The posts use the #btcc so it would seem to be related to the BTCC.
The tagged company are currently promoting their support to the HARD. eSports team.

So - my deduction is that the driver is an eSports competitor and they are entering with a SIM of the Cupra.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Ford Focus in blue wit a bit of white and yellow. I can hardly contain the excitement.

For 2023 - yellow car with a blue contrast and white detailing.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Ford Focus in blue wit a bit of white and yellow. I can hardly contain the excitement.

But 4 of them.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

So - my deduction is that the driver is an eSports competitor and they are entering with a SIM of the Cupra.

So not BTCC then

#dontbelievethehashtag

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by Pickles

But 4 of them.

Hence Sam Osborne’s I’m going to miss my car from last year, as in livery. I wonder if NAPA have helped fund a decent driver alongside him in place of Jackson or if it’s still got a high price tag?

[Evantra]

Interesting reading in Autosport’s piece on Restart Racing, Smiley was lined up for the third Toyota last year.

“Smiley looked good to stay with Excelr8 for 2022, but it fell through (“I have to be careful what I say on that one…”). After that, “I had the deal done to be in the third Speedworks Toyota last year, but Toyota canned the third car [Speedworks had been loaned an extra TBL entrants’ licence for 2022].”

https://www.autosport.com/national/n...ries/10434466/

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Interesting reading in Autosport’s piece on Restart Racing, Smiley was lined up for the third Toyota last year.

“Smiley looked good to stay with Excelr8 for 2022, but it fell through (“I have to be careful what I say on that one…”). After that, “I had the deal done to be in the third Speedworks Toyota last year, but Toyota canned the third car [Speedworks had been loaned an extra TBL entrants’ licence for 2022].”

https://www.autosport.com/national/n...ries/10434466/

Very interesting. A shame it seems to have been (judging by his phrasing) a less-than-ideal exit from Excelr8. I wonder how well he would have fared in the Toyota - I can easily imagine him getting some decent results from it and being the sort of driver Speedworks needed in the 2nd (or 3rd) car.

[Ant25]

Lots of filming going on this week

[S griffin]

I wonder how many special features we will see on TV this year

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Interesting reading in Autosport’s piece on Restart Racing, Smiley was lined up for the third Toyota last year.

“Smiley looked good to stay with Excelr8 for 2022, but it fell through (“I have to be careful what I say on that one…”). After that, “I had the deal done to be in the third Speedworks Toyota last year, but Toyota canned the third car [Speedworks had been loaned an extra TBL entrants’ licence for 2022].”

https://www.autosport.com/national/n...ries/10434466/

Reads like they were funded drives- but I doubt that. Probably the usual fiscal issue in both cases....

[Pickles]

NAPA livery reveal tomorrow

[mphplastering]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...00063566590816


Btcc support package news

[Millvi]

Aron Taylor-Smith with a Facebook post and the location seems to be very close to Team Hard HQ.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...00063668013768

Another year in the Cupra for him seems likely perhaps? Or is he going to surprise us, I think he might….

[SSmith]

New Laser Tools MB Motorsport (WSR) livery

https://www.btcc.net/2023/02/21/lase...23-challenger/

[coffinpilot]

I did hear Issac Smith claim his TCR Budget last year was £50,000, but Smiley and Restart had £300,000 in their kitty.
Question is, if true, did that include the buying of the Honda, because Smith said it was an old 2018 car.
I mean if you've got 300 grand for TCR it's not that short of being on the BTCC grid is it?

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by SSmith

New Laser Tools MB Motorsport (WSR) livery

https://www.btcc.net/2023/02/21/lase...23-challenger/

If you asked 100 people to draw a laser tools livery that’s what they’d draw. Bit dull, innit?

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by SSmith

New Laser Tools MB Motorsport (WSR) livery

https://www.btcc.net/2023/02/21/lase...23-challenger/

From the teaser photos I was expecting this to be mostly dark metallic blue. This feel mostly like a copy-paste from previous Laser Tools liveries

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

I did hear Issac Smith claim his TCR Budget last year was £50,000, but Smiley and Restart had £300,000 in their kitty.
Question is, if true, did that include the buying of the Honda, because Smith said it was an old 2018 car.
I mean if you've got 300 grand for TCR it's not that short of being on the BTCC grid is it?

They reckoned it was about a third of the cost of BTCC.

(and also began in 2017 with £550k from Norlin).

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

If you asked 100 people to draw a laser tools livery that’s what they’d draw. Bit dull, innit?

Not the best Laser Tools livery but think it’ll grow on me seeing it in motion. The light blue on the Infinitis helped to give it some depth I think. Certainly more interesting than the zero-effort Rokit one from last year though!

Nice to see the liveries starting to roll out.

[Craner Curves]

They should have employed the services of Nick Moss who does the Team BMW cars.

[Jon411]

Reminds me a bit of the 2010 WSR livery, would have hoped for more blue really as at the moment it looks a bit bland with all the white space.

Hopefully the livery on the other WSR cars is a bit more exciting.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

If you asked 100 people to draw a laser tools livery that’s what they’d draw. Bit dull, innit?

Originally Posted by redshoes

From the teaser photos I was expecting this to be mostly dark metallic blue. This feel mostly like a copy-paste from previous Laser Tools liveries

Originally Posted by Evantra

Not the best Laser Tools livery but think it’ll grow on me seeing it in motion. The light blue on the Infinitis helped to give it some depth I think. Certainly more interesting than the zero-effort Rokit one from last year though!

Nice to see the liveries starting to roll out.

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

They should have employed the services of Nick Moss who does the Team BMW cars.

Originally Posted by Jon411

Reminds me a bit of the 2010 WSR livery, would have hoped for more blue really as at the moment it looks a bit bland with all the white space.

Hopefully the livery on the other WSR cars is a bit more exciting.

Agree on all points here. I think it could have been a little bit more imaginative whilst using the colours synonymous with the Laser Tools brand. Hopefully the rest of the WSR BMWs are good looking.

Looking forward to tomorrow's NAPA reveal but I'm not expecting it to be too different from the 2022 livery.

[BtccLee]

Still think NAPA will spring a surprise. 4 cars would be cool, but the feeling to this reveal is a tad more than that.

Happy to be proven wrong and told off for naivety, we will see.

[mphplastering]

Napa announcement at 9am tomorrow