BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Pringles

I'm going to take a punt on the following then.

AMD tuning with MG factory backing to run 2 x MG ZS SUV's for the 2019 season onwards.

That won't have a high centre of gravity...

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

AJ not sounding very happy from his post race tweets about the unreliability of his car...

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

Realistically I can't see Jordan leaving WSR for next year, but I was thinking...


- AJ isn't happy with the reliability of his car, AJ isn't happy being No.2 to Colin. DB wants 3 BMWs in the same livery.
- Ash Sutton probably isn't happy with BMR's terrible management losing him so many points (season start, diamond double, race 2 this weekend) and the team isn't doing very well financially.
- Jordan and Sutton seem to get on (both part of JRT at Goodwood Revival)

- So.. for 2019 could we see the pair run under the Pirtek Racing banner as a new team (with a new car?)

2+2 = 1000, I know, but what's the harm in speculating!

[Pringles]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

That won't have a high centre of gravity...

I agree although it would need lowering quite a lot for it to work.

Seeing as the 3 is too short by quite a margin that's the only car they can enter with.

Notbing wrong with speculation just felt like trying some speculation based on mutterings I've read.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Pringles

I agree although it would need lowering quite a lot for it to work.

Seeing as the 3 is too short by quite a margin that's the only car they can enter with.

Notbing wrong with speculation just felt like trying some speculation based on mutterings I've read.

John Thorne came up with (however advanced) plans for a Range Rover Evoque BTCC car a few years back, so not too far fetched! Personally I would rather see the MGs retired and replaced by something new for next year, but I reckon Hollamby will keep them for one final year.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Evantra

John Thorne came up with (however advanced) plans for a Range Rover Evoque BTCC car a few years back, so not too far fetched!

No! He didn't. He came up with a fanciful story for gullible fans, nothing more.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Pringles

I agree although it would need lowering quite a lot for it to work.

Seeing as the 3 is too short by quite a margin that's the only car they can enter with.

Notbing wrong with speculation just felt like trying some speculation based on mutterings I've read.

the ZS rumour did the rounds 12 months ago before it was launched. plausible but i am not sure, the MG brand is longer really sports saloons like the ZS we know, this new "thing" (sorry its one of the ugliest cars i've seen) doesn't look aerodynamic and is way too high, plus not sure its target market are into seeing them race as opposed to getting little Johnny to school safely

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by Pringles

I'm going to take a punt on the following then.

AMD tuning with MG factory backing to run 2 x MG ZS SUV's for the 2019 season onwards.

Rory plus 1 to drive.

Im sure someone might put 2 and 2 together and suggest Plato moving back to a front wheel drive car and very good at getting sponsors and new deals onto the grid. But I doubt he would go back to even an all new MG. But then again who knows.

To be honest with Crossover's becoming more popular in the last few years and that trend looking to continue surely at some point it will make sense for someone to run one especially as car manufacturers have started to reduce their traditional car range in favour of crossovers. 20 odd years ago Ford Mondeos,Vauxhall Vectra's were big sellers so that what was raced.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

That won't have a high centre of gravity...

How high will it be though?

Most weight is in the powertrain and subframes, and with a CoG balance calculation already in force, they could possibly run a lower ride height than others?

I know it's a stretch, but not impossible surely?

[Alfisti]

SUV racing sounds like the sort of nonsense Clarkson & Co would do on Top Gear.

Race winning ballast gets you a ruddy great caravan hooked up for the next round.

The bogey tyres will be some off road knobbly specials.

Got legs this, might get more entries than TCR UK!

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by medius

The MG chassis belong to Lee Mowle, a former director of 888 and customer of AMD.

The story at the time was that Scott bought 888 from Mowle and ran both out of Buntingford workshops. But when time came to pay towards the end of the MG contract, funds weren't forthcoming and Mowle took back possession of cars and TBLs. With no obvious buyers for either and the 2018 season looming, Mowle had to use the TBLs (the asset of value), or they reverted back to TOCA. He managed to do a deal with Shaun to run them as AMD ran Lee's GT car a few years back.

Potted history, facts might not be totally 100% accurate but that was what was considered 'the story' at the time.

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell without delving into the deeper goings on!

I think that AmD will sell on two cars & TBL’s & use the money to upgrade to a more proven package.

[Pringles]

All I'm saying is given how the BTCC wants to be relevant to the general public for example thr hybrid system they are looking to introduce.

So why not introduce an SUV car keeping it relevant to what people want to buy these days.

Admittedly lots of us don't want SUV crossovers but a lot of general public do hence why marques make so many bloody SUV's.

So it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.

Like I also said its just mutterings that something is going on and there is only 2 cars they could use unless the new 6 is actually coming here and MG are trying to keep it under wraps but they haven't kept any other cars under wraps.

So it's either that or the 3 which is way too short or none of thr above.

I'd be sad to see no more MG'S on the grid.

[Pringles]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell without delving into the deeper goings on!

I think that AmD will sell on two cars & TBL’s & use the money to upgrade to a more proven package.

Assuming that Lee Mowle owns both cars and TBL's still then AMD wouldn't be able to sell either the cars or the TBL's.

But don't you need a team and cars to hold the TBL's?

[antnee]

A lot of 'SUVs' aren't quite as tall as you may think.

MG ZS - 1611mm
Levorg - 1490mm

By the time you have dropped the MG on the TOCA subframes and suspension, overall height wouldn't be that different!

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Pringles

Assuming that Lee Mowle owns both cars and TBL's still then AMD wouldn't be able to sell either the cars or the TBL's.

But don't you need a team and cars to hold the TBL's?

Forming a 'team' is a 10 minute job (obvious exaggeration) but no great shakes. Literally form a company, do whatever paperwork TOCA wants and you're good to go.

Then the fun starts: some spanners, some blokes, some trucks, some cars, a bottomless money pit...

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Pringles

But don't you need a team and cars to hold the TBL's?

Lee Mowle and Matt Simpson have owned TBLs this season without having their own team.
BMR own TBLs without owning a car.

You can meet the requirements of a Tbl by running someone else's car, or have a team run your car for you.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Pringles

All I'm saying is given how the BTCC wants to be relevant to the general public for example thr hybrid system they are looking to introduce.

So why not introduce an SUV car keeping it relevant to what people want to buy these days.

Admittedly lots of us don't want SUV crossovers but a lot of general public do hence why marques make so many bloody SUV's.

So it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.

Like I also said its just mutterings that something is going on and there is only 2 cars they could use unless the new 6 is actually coming here and MG are trying to keep it under wraps but they haven't kept any other cars under wraps.

So it's either that or the 3 which is way too short or none of thr above.

I'd be sad to see no more MG'S on the grid.

I could see maybe an SUV support series in some form. Supercars in Australia has the SuperUte formula for this season, although the issues there seem to be vehicles rolling over and the uninspiring diesel power. An SUV, as opposed to pick-up, would have a better chassis characteristics.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

or with Simpson Racing in private run Honda Civic ?????

How about Simpson Racing in two new cars - hence the Simpson switch to their own team to snap up Kingston before the end of the season? One car for Matt, one for JP.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by Pringles

Assuming that Lee Mowle owns both cars and TBL's still then AMD wouldn't be able to sell either the cars or the TBL's.

But don't you need a team and cars to hold the TBL's?

Lee has written the costs of the cars off, he just didn’t want them and the TBL’s to go to waste. I am sure there will be some mutual agreement on any recovered cost on a sale on either cars or TBL’s, that benefits both parties.

I can see both the MG’s and Audi’s disappearing off the grid after this year.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

I can see both the MG’s and Audi’s disappearing off the grid after this year.

Agree on the Audi, never looked competitive in the 5 or 6 years its been around.
As for the MG, I can't help but feel AMD have invested too much time, money and effort for a one season wonder

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Agree on the Audi, never looked competitive in the 5 or 6 years its been around.
As for the MG, I can't help but feel AMD have invested too much time, money and effort for a one season wonder

We're at an interesting point now where many cars on the grid are at that age - BMWs, VWs, A-Class, etc. - and whilst obviously they can still be as quick as a brand new car, it leaves us an exciting prospect for silly season..!

[antnee]

Did I hear Kia being mentioned?

[Robin Marriott]

The age of the car makes no odds these days as everyone gets the same updates from RML if there are any (like revised wheel hubs this year, nobody has lost a wheel!).

Basically, unless your car is terrible or you’ve got a load of money chucked at you to build a new car, you don’t need to bother to keep up. That’s how the MGs and even the CCs still work.

The Audis must just be rubbish.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

The Audis must just be rubbish.

Or didn't have good enough engineering and/ or budget.

[Pringles]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

The age of the car makes no odds these days as everyone gets the same updates from RML if there are any (like revised wheel hubs this year, nobody has lost a wheel!).

The Audis must just be rubbish.

The 6 did when Boardman got taken out cant remember what track it was at off hand but the wheel went off on its own.

The Audis have alway looked good but the results never seem to be much good, whether that is the car or the drives I don't know.

Can't remember off hand which driver was given the choice of driving the Audi again or the 6 but he decided to stay with the Audi, I wonder given this season whether that decision might have been better to have gone with driving the 6.

But as other comments have said seems a waste for AMD to have taken the 6's on for just one season and get some decent results out of them to just drop them.

As for age of the car it's pretty irrelevant as wall all know apart from the bodyshape most of thr performance is down to the engine and TOCA parts. Under the skin they are all pretty much the same.

[Pringles]

Originally Posted by antnee

A lot of 'SUVs' aren't quite as tall as you may think.

MG ZS - 1611mm
Levorg - 1490mm

By the time you have dropped the MG on the TOCA subframes and suspension, overall height wouldn't be that different!

I would agree with that most aren't as tall as they seem, it's just because they are jacked up to look like a proper SUV. Their is a lot of ground clearance so it's entirely possible to not be too tall.