2018 TCR UK - Page 18

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 10:41 (Ref:3804869)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

I find this very suspicious. What would a car show in Switzerland have to do with a independent tin top series in Blighty?

nothing at all. it was cancelled purely because they dont have enough entries and would have been hugely embarassing

medius · 1 Mar 2018, 10:44 (Ref:3804873)

Who is actually is in possession of TCR cars right now and subject to a driver, capable of potentially running in TCR UK?

Maximum Motorsport -SEAT Leon x1
Motorbase - VW Golf X2
Lewis Kent Racing - Hyundai i30N

Most other I can think of have since been offered for sale? Tom Boardman, Finlay Crocker, Brisky etc.

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 10:53 (Ref:3804875)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

Who is actually is in possession of TCR cars right now and subject to a driver, capable of potentially running in TCR UK?

Maximum Motorsport -SEAT Leon x1
Motorbase - VW Golf X2
Lewis Kent Racing - Hyundai i30N

Most other I can think of have since been offered for sale? Tom Boardman, Finlay Crocker, Brisky etc.

motorbase cars have either been sold or are for sale. they are not doing TCRuk

geordiecriag101 · 1 Mar 2018, 11:04 (Ref:3804876)

I was always planning to go to the Media Day next Tuesday, with being last week off work it was that the Donington on Thursday for British GT Media day. Hopefully link below will work, just a quick round up from MotorsportRadio and the TCR Guru.

https://www.facebook.com/motorsportr...unseen-section

redshoes · 1 Mar 2018, 12:53 (Ref:3804899)

Quote:

Originally Posted by geordiecriag101

Hopefully link below will work, just a quick round up from MotorsportRadio and the TCR Guru.

https://www.facebook.com/motorsportr...unseen-section

I want the series to succeed and I really thought it would but it's time to face the reality of the situation. That round up was laughable in it's attempt to put a positive spin on everything. I felt dizzy watching it.

antnee · 1 Mar 2018, 14:10 (Ref:3804915)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

Who is actually is in possession of TCR cars right now and subject to a driver, capable of potentially running in TCR UK?

Maximum Motorsport -SEAT Leon x1
Motorbase - VW Golf X2
Lewis Kent Racing - Hyundai i30N

Most other I can think of have since been offered for sale? Tom Boardman, Finlay Crocker, Brisky etc.

Carl Swift has a car.

snowen250 · 1 Mar 2018, 14:16 (Ref:3804916)

Quote:

Originally Posted by antnee

Carl Swift has a car.

As does Barwell Motorsport.

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 14:29 (Ref:3804920)

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowen250

As does Barwell Motorsport.

they are not using it in TCRuk. its for some mini enduro events etc

medius · 1 Mar 2018, 14:50 (Ref:3804923)

Lots of TCR spec cars are in the country but running in Britcar, Creventic, or club series etc. Encouraging them to get out in the main TCRuk championship may prove difficult.

Has it been determined if the championship is going after gentlemen racers or the career aspirations drivers? I fear the former all prefer BGT and endurance racing, and I suspect most of the latter want to be on the TOCA package for making a racing career. Leaving the question "who is going to want to racing in TCRuk and where are they coming from?" Few genuine club racers can rationally afford to drop £100k on a racing car.

I'm struggling to see where a 15-20 car grid will be assembled from.

KA · 1 Mar 2018, 17:09 (Ref:3804958)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

Has it been determined if the championship is going after gentlemen racers or the career aspirations drivers? I fear the former all prefer BGT and endurance racing, and I suspect most of the latter want to be on the TOCA package for making a racing career. Leaving the question "who is going to want to racing in TCRuk and where are they coming from?" Few genuine club racers can rationally afford to drop £100k on a racing car.

I'm struggling to see where a 15-20 car grid will be assembled from.

I suspect a certain proportion of the 'career aspirations' drivers might be looking at GTs as well- If you're a young aspiring pro driver and doing well enough in Clios/Ginettas/Porsche Cup to be thinking about stepping up to the 'main show', then with the current health of the BTCC grid and the TBL system, then I can see how opportunities to step up- and stay there- could be limited. If you can't make the move to BTCC, do you stay in Clios or whatever for the duration, or do you start thinking about opportunities to partner a 'gentleman racer' in BGT, where you might actually get paid to race and have the opportunity to move on to bigger things?

TCR UK might potentially offer a viable alternative for the guy who's lost a BTCC drive or is trying to break through from the support categories, but unless enough drivers are willing to put their money down and form a credible entry, in terms of numbers and quality, then frankly you might as well forget TCR UK and either look for a GT ride, or if you're dead set on a touring car career, follow the Josh Files route and look at TCR overseas. I'm disappointed- I genuinely hoped this would succeed, not as a BTCC rival, but as an alternative career route for the aspiring tin-top racer, but it looks at present as if the BTCC/TOCA package may have too big a hold on the UK market for TCR to take off

Moneyseeker · 1 Mar 2018, 18:00 (Ref:3804974)

Personally, I think they should have launched TCRUK as a series not a championship, which would have given greater flexibility to develop it. Maybe even as an invitation series to gauge support and interest before committing to a championship. As other posters have mentioned there are cars out there, but the budget for a championship is maybe too much.

By having a series you can experiment with the format, different distances, maybe two driver events, or a dusk race to create a bit of a Wilshire feel. You could do things the BTCc can't or doesn't want to do.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

jsmee · 1 Mar 2018, 18:13 (Ref:3804976)

The reason it may relate to Geneva Motor Show is that manufacturers often bring their cars to TCR media days, not just the existing teams.

Check out the below launch of TCR Germany, not many cars from teams turned up but an entry list was released. Launch photos featured the manufacturers only.

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2015...cars-for-2016/

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 18:46 (Ref:3804984)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmee

The reason it may relate to Geneva Motor Show is that manufacturers often bring their cars to TCR media days, not just the existing teams.

im sure the manufacturers have more than just one car that they can use!
besides the date for the motor show has been known for years, but the week before all of a sudden its a problem?

it’s just a weak excuse to cancel an embarrassing media launch due to low numbers. this real reason is even stated in their very own press release:”A number of teams expressed a wish that the Media Day be postponed as they were still finalising cars, drivers or sponsors”

jsmee · 1 Mar 2018, 18:49 (Ref:3804986)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touring fan01

im sure the manufacturers have more than just one car that they can use!
besides the date for the motor show has been known for years, but the week before all of a sudden its a problem?

it’s just a weak excuse to cancel an embarrassing media launch due to low numbers. this real reason is even stated in their very own press release:”A number of teams expressed a wish that the Media Day be postponed as they were still finalising cars, drivers or sponsors”

Surely this is a positive comment to make by the championship organisers, that there are a number of teams finalising deals? Surely means a number of drivers are signing up?

billy bleach · 1 Mar 2018, 19:23 (Ref:3804992)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touring fan01

im sure the manufacturers have more than just one car that they can use!
besides the date for the motor show has been known for years, but the week before all of a sudden its a problem?

it’s just a weak excuse to cancel an embarrassing media launch due to low numbers. this real reason is even stated in their very own press release:”A number of teams expressed a wish that the Media Day be postponed as they were still finalising cars, drivers or sponsors”

Also don’t they have pristine show cars?

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 19:45 (Ref:3805000)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmee

Surely this is a positive comment to make by the championship organisers, that there are a number of teams finalising deals? Surely means a number of drivers are signing up?

no it means the exact opposite. it means the teams still have not been able to find drivers and sponsors!

how on earth can it be a positive comment to cancel the media day, after the teams had asked for it to be cancelled because they are still trying to find drivers and sponsors?!

medius · 1 Mar 2018, 20:13 (Ref:3805009)

I believe it's the equivalent of a supermarket reducing the price of bakery goods to sell cheap and get interest as an alternative to just throwing produce away.

Basically postpone it a and hope someone rolls up with a chequebook to enough teams to make it appear vaguely viable? I think if anybody else was seriously interested by not they'd have made a move already. It's been known when kickoff is for months now. A few more weeks wont make it more attractive to entrants, the appetite for it in Britain just isn't there like it is elsewhere in the world.

Steel Wheels · 1 Mar 2018, 20:34 (Ref:3805014)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

Who is actually is in possession of TCR cars right now and subject to a driver, capable of potentially running in TCR UK?

Maximum Motorsport -SEAT Leon x1
Motorbase - VW Golf X2
Lewis Kent Racing - Hyundai i30N

Most other I can think of have since been offered for sale? Tom Boardman, Finlay Crocker, Brisky etc.

Haven’t Pyro got a Civic, sure Mike Bushell & Ash Sutton were testing it at some point.

Moneyseeker · 1 Mar 2018, 20:40 (Ref:3805016)

If you don't have a sponsor signed now you won't get one. Marketing budgets are generally decided in October for the following year or end Jan the absolute latest. No good tapping on doors now.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

JD Media · 1 Mar 2018, 21:00 (Ref:3805021)

Pyro has been testing for TCR UK with Ollie Taylor.

luckn002 · 1 Mar 2018, 21:21 (Ref:3805029)

"BTC Norlin evaluating TCR UK programme"

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2018...-uk-programme/

touring fan01 · 1 Mar 2018, 21:30 (Ref:3805031)

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckn002

"BTC Norlin evaluating TCR UK programme"

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2018...-uk-programme/

so they don’t have a car and would be interested if they can find a driver with a budget.
just the same as all the other teams are looking for!

medius · 1 Mar 2018, 23:22 (Ref:3805060)

Strange how it's quiet for months, then when a few online voices begin echoing similar doubts over the viability, positive stories appear within days.

Quite a PR machine, maybe a little too late?

thlbtcc · 2 Mar 2018, 08:40 (Ref:3805142)

That BTC story is weird. Quite literally says nothing.

antnee · 2 Mar 2018, 09:11 (Ref:3805146)

Quote:

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

That BTC story is weird. Quite literally says nothing.

It just says the same as any motorsport team would say - if they found a driver with budget they would enter. Simple business strategy, supply & demand.

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