2018 TCR UK

[porsche962fan]

maybe they should combine themselves with GT Cup UK ?

[Greem]

But... GT spec... y'know.

In other news (and I know it's sacrilege for the touring car forum!) the GT Cup race on Sunday at Donington was brilliant.

[Alfisti]

Nowt wrong with GTs in my book. Happy memories of when there were GTs on the same bill as the Touring Cars. Loved the noise the Vipers and Saleens made in surround sound from the Donington infield!

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Nowt wrong with GTs in my book. Happy memories of when there were GTs on the same bill as the Touring Cars. Loved the noise the Vipers and Saleens made in surround sound from the Donington infield!

Indeed, nothing wrong with them! I suspect they're built a little more on the robust side compared to the TCR cars though, given that they run rather longer.

There was a 25+ year old Mantis, a Mosler MT900 and a bunch of rather more modern stuff running at the weekend. The Mosler was thunderous

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

LOL, he's pretty handy I think. Could yet win the TCR UK title, and is going to run the remainder of TCR Europe - a field of more cars than I have fingers!!! - so should get a better balanced view on his abilities from that.

He's been wearing a new groove into Pembrey these past few months doing development work for JAS. They want the championship.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

He's been wearing a new groove into Pembrey these past few months doing development work for JAS. They want the championship.

Something will be wrong with the point system if Lloyd doesn't win it, though.

[Umai Naa]

It's his to lose.

[TR4racer]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

He's been wearing a new groove into Pembrey these past few months doing development work for JAS. They want the championship.

Actually he has been testing under the direction of Josh Files who is the official test driver for JAS

[Umai Naa]

Yes, working on various new components.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Greem

But... GT spec... y'know.

In other news (and I know it's sacrilege for the touring car forum!) the GT Cup race on Sunday at Donington was brilliant.

if you remember in the early part of the 00 the FIA GT was combined with the FIA ETCC in the LG Super weekend and it worked really well

fans of GT racing came to see events, fans of touring cars came to see that too and fans of both had wonderful weekends

[coppice]

I saw that, in a masterpiece of creative prose , Autosport devoted two whole pages to the Croft TCR race , whilst not mentioning that only eight turned up - or was it seven ? Apparently 'traffic ' was an issue..Yeah, of course it was .

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by coppice

I saw that, in a masterpiece of creative prose , Autosport devoted two whole pages to the Croft TCR race , whilst not mentioning that only eight turned up - or was it seven ? Apparently 'traffic ' was an issue..Yeah, of course it was .

😂 Compare that to the fantastic TCR Europe & TCR Germany races we've seen this weekend...

[Umai Naa]

I love the TCR concept don't get me wrong, but the TCR UK promoter needs to do something different for next year to attract a grid.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

I love the TCR concept don't get me wrong, but the TCR UK promoter needs to do something different for next year to attract a grid.

So do I, but - as we all predicted - there just isn't a need for a TCR series in the UK. Both the Clio Cup and Mini Challenge are much better alternatives at that level.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by coppice

I saw that, in a masterpiece of creative prose , Autosport devoted two whole pages to the Croft TCR race , whilst not mentioning that only eight turned up - or was it seven ? Apparently 'traffic ' was an issue..Yeah, of course it was .

That'll be all those pesky Yorkshire free range sheep cluttering up the lanes 😁

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by Evantra

So do I, but - as we all predicted - there just isn't a need for a TCR series in the UK. Both the Clio Cup and Mini Challenge are much better alternatives at that level.

and that’s exactly the problem. there are too many other very well established, well run, much higher profile and cheaper championships that already cater to the same market. TCR UK will drown under those waves.

evidenced by the fact that they have less cars now than they did at the beginning of the year. so competitors have now seen it and actually have increasingly stayed away from it.

[jungle_007]

Any news on Donington car count?

[Alfisti]

Not heard any whispers, so would guess the same as last time out at Croft...

[medius]

The problem for TCR UK is...

A race winning Clio with spares package, setup data for UK circuits, lots of people with knowledge of repairing and running the cars, hundreds of drivers with knowledge of racing them and a brilliant live TV package. UKDM parts so easy and cheap to repair panels (comparatively, brightwork mirrors etc)

Trades at roughly £25-35k used.

The average TCR car with few spares, no running knowledge, few teams knowing how to set them up for UK circuits, fewer drivers knowing how to instruct on driving them. Non UKDM parts in most cases (see Darelle Wilson sitting out rounds trying to source a LHD steering rack). Coverage is Internet streams.

For £75k-£95k used.

It just seems you pay mega money for a product that delivers so much less in most areas. I know of one team who own a car from other activities and watched this year with great interest but have probably resolved their decision not to take the plunge.

[TR4racer]

Originally Posted by medius

The problem for TCR UK is...

A race winning Clio with spares package, setup data for UK circuits, lots of people with knowledge of repairing and running the cars, hundreds of drivers with knowledge of racing them and a brilliant live TV package. UKDM parts so easy and cheap to repair panels (comparatively, brightwork mirrors etc)

Trades at roughly £25-35k used.

The average TCR car with few spares, no running knowledge, few teams knowing how to set them up for UK circuits, fewer drivers knowing how to instruct on driving them. Non UKDM parts in most cases (see Darelle Wilson sitting out rounds trying to source a LHD steering rack). Coverage is Internet streams.

For £75k-£95k used.

It just seems you pay mega money for a product that delivers so much less in most areas. I know of one team who own a car from other activities and watched this year with great interest but have probably resolved their decision not to take the plunge.

Hmm, i have personal been experience of running both and your numbers are wrong. If you want to run at the front in Clio’s then the budget is closer to TCR money. If you want to move up from Clio’s then TCR is way cheaper than BTCC.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by TR4racer

Hmm, i have personal been experience of running both and your numbers are wrong. If you want to run at the front in Clio’s then the budget is closer to TCR money. If you want to move up from Clio’s then TCR is way cheaper than BTCC.

TCR is fine if you don’t have any sponsors or if they don’t care about the size of tv audiences or number of spectators or exposure or vibe of being at a ‘big’ event.

as the saying goes ‘you get what you pay for’.

[Sodemo]

The thing is, TCR is (or is trying to be) the defacto standard for touring car racing. Clio cup is a feeder series for cars like BTCC and TCR, so the fact that Clio cars are cheaper isn't any surprise.

[Alfisti]

Cheaper, more of 'em, a higher average driving standard, and more entertaining...

Be interesting to see how the current argy bargy in STCC pans out, appears as though the TCR rule writers have made a massive arse of things.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by TR4racer

If you want to move up from Clio’s then TCR is way cheaper than BTCC.

The problem is that as it stands UKTCR is not "up" from Clios.

[medius]

Carl Swift confirmed for the final weekend at Donington.

" looking forward to Donington Park and the chance to build on the progress that we’d made at Oulton but were unable to demonstrate thanks to the accident. I also really like Donington as it’s my home track and the car should go well there; it’s the kind of track that should suit the VAG cars.

“I’m shaking the car down at Silverstone later this week and so we’ll see how that goes. Of course, what I really need is for anyone who needs a mortgage to come and see me at Donington so I can keep on racing!”