[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Good point.

yeah pretty lame thing for TCT to predict.
since when hasnt there been some changes to the line up year on year?!

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by luckn002

Other than that Parker is the only other team I could see leaving, or perhaps changing car. IMO the Focus was probably the least competitive car for the majority of last season.

The Stephen Jelley tweet mentioned a few pages back does seem to hint at that.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

since when hasnt there been some changes to the line up year on year?!

Would make the off-season pretty boring!

[Ry44]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I think there will actually be less changes than this season.
I read it that TCT are claiming that there will be some changes from the 2017 line-up - which is not really a stretch to imagine considering that we already know about the Alfa.

From the 2017 grid, it wouldn't surprise me to see the only new chassis' to be 3x Honda and 1x Alfa-Romeo.

No new teams - with a downsize of the overall BMR/888 construct and an expansion at Eurotech and Speedworks.

My prediction for the entry list is:

PMR 2x Vauxhall
WSR 3x BMW
BMR/888 4x Subaru
TD 3x Honda (new cars)
Motorbase 3x Ford
Parker 2x Ford
AmD 2x Audi
HMS 1x Alfa (new car)
HARD 3x VW
Laser/Cicely 2x MB
BTC 2x Chevrolet
Eurotech 3x Honda
Speedworks 2x Honda

The upside to this is that all of the Honda-haters can complain again about dominance, which will give plenty of discussion for 2018.

well at least one of your predctions is wrong

http://www.btcc.net/2017/12/01/team-...brisky-racing/

[redshoes]

http://www.btcc.net/2017/12/01/team-...brisky-racing/
Hard Brisky running 4 cars, so someone is either gone or one down from last year

[FIRE]

Not really a fan of these big teams.
The VW is still the best looking car on the grid.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by redshoes

http://www.btcc.net/2017/12/01/team-...brisky-racing/
Hard Brisky running 4 cars, so someone is either gone or one down from last year

I don’t expect to see 6 cars fielded out of the BMR/888 fold in 2018.

It will be interesting to see what Matt Simpson decided to do with his TBL, if Honda do change cars as rumoured, will he pay up for a new model or stay with his current car, either still run by Dynamics or take it elsewhere?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Ry44

well at least one of your predctions is wrong

http://www.btcc.net/2017/12/01/team-...brisky-racing/

Damn it! I'll refine then and say that Eurotech will stay at 2 cars, and Simpson will run a year-old Civic.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by redshoes

http://www.btcc.net/2017/12/01/team-...brisky-racing/
Hard Brisky running 4 cars, so someone is either gone or one down from last year

i bet they bought the Welch licence.

[luckn002]

Wasn't Gilham refused the 4th TBL a few years back?

Hopefully that means we'll see Burns back, but I hope Hill and Epps move to a front running team. There already seems to be about 5 drivers rumoured for the 2 seats at WSR but I do remember seeing Epps do some BMW track days a few months back...

At this point, I would be very suprised (and disappointed) to see the MG's back.

I know there are rumours of TPR moving away from the old Focus, but are there any chances of Motorbase doing so as well after a disappointing performance last year? There is also at least 1 race winning Avensis unused now (possibly 2 if SW change) so that could be a candidate for a team wanting to change car.

[porsche962fan]

Gilham being a megalomaniac again ?


don't think Scott will bail him out again

[S griffin]

I just want to wish my best to the team and the drivers for the season, they are going to be a great more fun to watch

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Gilham being a megalomaniac again ?


don't think Scott will bail him out again

The irony here could be that Tony now has one of Warrens 6 TBLs.

I am speculating but seriously expect a maximum of 4 cars for Warren. There will be no MGs: again that is speculation but given the state of those cars, the departure of ATS and the chaos that is MG UK it would fit.

JP hopping ship is still on my speculation radar...

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by luckn002

Wasn't Gilham refused the 4th TBL a few years back?

Mr Gow discouraged it: Tony accepted it. I suspect Mr Gow has softened the stance possibly to help ensure a full grid.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Gilham being a megalomaniac again ?


don't think Scott will bail him out again

Scott couldn't bail his own teams out in 2017.

And 2018 looks like Scott and Gilham will both have the same amount of cars on the grid. So who's the bigger megalomaniac?

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Mr Gow discouraged it: Tony accepted it. I suspect Mr Gow has softened the stance possibly to help ensure a full grid.

I don't think so. Mr Gow is not that obssessed with having a capacity 32-car grid. He said earlier this year that he wouldn't mind 24-car grid.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Mr Gow discouraged it: Tony accepted it. I suspect Mr Gow has softened the stance possibly to help ensure a full grid.

it’s the opposite. Gow has actually been saying he wants to reduce the grid. he said in his speech at the TOCA awards (i was there) that he would like the grid number to fall by at least 4 cars

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by luckn002

There already seems to be about 5 drivers rumoured for the 2 seats at WSR but I do remember seeing Epps do some BMW track days a few months back...

He also does track work for Fiat/Abarth/Alfa and many other manufacturers, but that doesn't means it's anything to do with a BTCC drive, it just helps to pay the rent.

[CarfanLUFC]

Hope Lines can find somone decent to put in his Focus

The car ran well with Cook driving, no reason why that can't be a top 10 outfit.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Mr Gow discouraged it: Tony accepted it. I suspect Mr Gow has softened the stance possibly to help ensure a full grid.

By teaming up with Brisky, they are entered as two teams running two cars each, so they got round the maximum of 3 cars per team!

I think Warren Scott has decided to keep Mr Gow happy too by not running 4 cars from one team 😉

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

By teaming up with Brisky, they are entered as two teams running two cars each, so they got round the maximum of 3 cars per team!

I think Warren Scott has decided to keep Mr Gow happy too by not running 4 cars from one team ��

Are we beginning to see an era of 'stables'?

BMR/888 stable,
HARD/Brisky stable,

With the number of Hondas and Fords on the grid, perhaps TD and Motorbase may look at bringing teams into their stables?

[S griffin]

Well it might be a temporary thing, but we’ll see

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

it’s the opposite. Gow has actually been saying he wants to reduce the grid. he said in his speech at the TOCA awards (i was there) that he would like the grid number to fall by at least 4 cars

I didn't know that; thanks for the info. Quality over quantity? Having said that, there were less lame ponies last year.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

I think Warren Scott has decided to keep Mr Gow happy too by not running 4 cars from one team 😉

If I'm reading into your post correctly with what I think I know then there will be 2 × BMR Subarus and 2 × 888 Subarus.

Unless a fifth Subaru is being readied...

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Are we beginning to see an era of 'stables'?

It's a convenient 'distorting' of the rules in NASCAR, but it does allow smaller 'seperate' teams to benefit from the big boys know how. Case in point being Furniture Row this year. No bad thing in my opinion.