Is Thommo Coming Back Home?

[Armchair Enthusiast]

Anyone heard this rumour about James Thompson canning his WTCC campaign to return to the BTCC????

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Icebaby]

Haven't heard it but would love to see it, if he doesn't get a good drive in WTCC then it makes sense, Seat must be the obvious place for him.

[redshoes]

Steve Neal has a bit of a habit of talking up his latest grand plan, and they rarely happen. I'm not getting too excited until I see something a bit more concrete.

[BertMk2]

Didn't Thommo turn down other offers in the WTCC to stay with N technology? Surely if he does leave them then another WTCC team is a likely destination?

[Ed Peters]

Originally Posted by Armchair Enthusiast

Anyone heard this rumour about James Thompson canning his WTCC campaign to return to the BTCC????

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a rumour!

The STORY is that Steve Neal has spoken to Tommo about returning to the BTCC in a Team Halfords Honda Civic! As he did last year.

NO decision has been made!

If you read the story. Thompson has said that he has not decided what he will be doing next season.

It has been suggested elsewhere that Honda would like to see the Civic in the WTCC next year.

[Aslak Vind]

To be quite honest..

I have been following Thompsons time in DTC, racing for the Honda team Hartmann Racing. And allthough I recognise that he is a topflight racer, and very, very fast and skilled..

He has never gelled in with the DTC crowd, and I have been fearing the day where he just got fed up. In almost every race he has confrontations with the Danish drivers and the judges, as he is extremely fast, and everyone seems to turn on him, rather than racing their own race..

I would be sad to see him go, but it seems like its the way of things..

[Winchester]

I would love to see Thommo back in the BTCC....
But I doubt very much it would happen.
He has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone in the BTCC, be it fans, teams or other drivers.
Whereas he has unfinished business in the WTCC, where in 2007 despite a slow start, an ancient car and no support from a good team-mate, he very nearly won the damn thing.
I think he will hang around with N-Tech, who he clearly trusts implicitly, and will go for the overall title with them (if possible) in 2009.

[BootsOntheSide]

The year's been a disaster for James, but I don't think it's the right time to give up on the project. If they can get works backing for 2009, anything is possible. The only question is whether James has tired of the travelling and testing involved in developing a world championship entry. I don't know whether he has family commitments which might tempt him to seek an easier off-track life back home.

[andy_b]

Re Civic in WTCC. JAS Motorsport have recently released their own Civic Endurance car. Its quite possible they are working on there own Civic for WTCC... who knows. I seems JAS has a better tie-in with Honda in Europe than TD and Honda UK...although neither divisions of Honda really do any much PR.

[Ed Peters]

Originally Posted by andy_b

Re Civic in WTCC. JAS Motorsport have recently released their own Civic Endurance car. Its quite possible they are working on there own Civic for WTCC... who knows. I seems JAS has a better tie-in with Honda in Europe than TD and Honda UK...although neither divisions of Honda really do any much PR.

AND neither want to pay for it!

[Bramzel]

If I see their Civic I would say a WTCC effort with it might be very well possible. Just replace the big rearwing and remove the roofscoop and you've got a rather tasty WTCC car:

http://minds-farm.blogspot.com/2008/...r-circuit.html

[Aslak Vind]

Very nice looking thing

[werner]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

If I see their Civic I would say a WTCC effort with it might be very well possible. Just replace the big rearwing and remove the roofscoop and you've got a rather tasty WTCC car:

http://minds-farm.blogspot.com/2008/...r-circuit.html

(At least some of) those pictures where taken at Brands Hatch. Does that mean anything?

[Icebaby]

Great looking car and the colours look so much better than orange TD, as said manufactuers like Honda and BMW are hardly likely to pay for a works entry when they already take the sale of the car plus the bonus of a lead team running it complete with promotion of their brand.

On topic though I cant see Thompson in at Dynamics, they rely on money been given and Thommo would take a salary and not bring sponsership so if he arrives Honda would have to be Involved in this IMO.

Drives at Chevy WTCC,N Tech WTCC or Seat in BTCC are more viable.

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by werner

(At least some of) those pictures where taken at Brands Hatch. Does that mean anything?

Yes, that the car was there

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

If I see their Civic I would say a WTCC effort with it might be very well possible. Just replace the big rearwing and remove the roofscoop and you've got a rather tasty WTCC car:

http://minds-farm.blogspot.com/2008/...r-circuit.html

With the rather major difficulty of the fact that the Type R is only 2 door.

Isn't the TD/Halfords a Type S mixture that's only locally homologated?

[Stefvh]

3 doors is not a problem, per the rules.

[cos]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

With the rather major difficulty of the fact that the Type R is only 2 door.

Isn't the TD/Halfords a Type S mixture that's only locally homologated?

The TD Civic is a 5-door, so presumably eligible for FIA S2000 homologation. It's probably not FIA homologated as there's no need for it to be.

[touringlegend]

TD's Civic is based on a 5 door Type S with a Type R spec engine in it - thats where it'd hit problems in FIA homologation.

[duke_toaster]

Time for a homologation special, then?

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

With the rather major difficulty of the fact that the Type R is only 2 door.

Just like the FIA will oppose against that They're way too desperate for new models to keep the series alive.

[andy_b]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Time for a homologation special, then?

I may be wrong, but I thought as long as the engine came from that range it was OK?

If that is the case and Honda were serious (LOL!) , all they need is a Ltd run of 5 dr TypeR's just like BMW did with the 320Si

[FIRE]

Thompson replacing Huff at Chevrolet?
Thompson replacing Turner at SEAT?

[awrb]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Thompson replacing Huff at Chevrolet?
Thompson replacing Turner at SEAT?

I couldn't see Chevy getting rid of Huff. He's done relativly well for them, looked at least as good as teh experienced Larini, and RML seem to like him.

As for the SEAT BTCC idea, Turner's looked as fast as Plato, but with much worse luck, and I think he could come good when things go his way. Could SEAT add a third entry to match VXR for next year.

Also, Thommo has previous links with VXR, could he drive one of their cars next season? i'd have thought they'd want him back. If so, whi would go? Neal hasn't been that great in the car this year IMHO, does anyone know if he's got a one or two year contract with the team?

[redshoes]

SEAT are so solely focused on Plato why would Thompson want be in a team where he was only playing a supporting role.?

If you want to start more silly rumours why not add
Thompson replacing Priaulx at BMW?
Thompson replacing Green at Mercedes?
Thompson replacing Legge at Audi?
and every other variation to that list