B-TEC Development Series News & Rumors 2016

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

i forgot its only a club level series so drivers wont care so much how their car is prepped or competitive it is

Unless you want to run in the BTEC series at the same budgets as the BTCC then you're going to have to accept that things aren't going to be run at the same level. If you've got the BTCC sized budget do the BTCC, if you haven't then you can run in the BTEC series but things aren't going to be done to the same level. There's no suggestion that it won't be professional and the cars won't be race ready - it's just that not every last tenth will be wrung out of the cars and drivers are surely going to have to be more careful about contact.

[redshoes]

I would expect the amount of pre-race prep required for a BTEC car to not be hugely different to what would be required for something like a VW Cup entry. Team HARD aren't exactly the biggest organisation but regularly run a similar-sized fleet of VWs, and no question about them not being competitive.

As already mentioned, look at the HSCC Super Touring series. In period those would have required a small army of mechanics. At Rockingam last year Amspeed ran 4 BMW M3s from an awning next to a transit van with maybe 4 or 5 guys. Again, the quality of the prep work was never an issue.

[aland]

you dont need the big artic and fancy gear to run a car, look at Reece Somerfield in Ginetta supercup, 2 vans, a caravan for sleeping and eating and a trailer for the car, 4 people in total, think the team is him, mum & dad and a mate. He does pretty well compared to the fancy wagons and big support crews

I know guys at club level that at best have a mate spannering but in a lot of cases the driver does the spanner work

[adam46]

I had a chat with Matt Neal at Autosport International and he said the only two previous Civics out there are the ones Eurotech ran last year, as the estates and the other non-Type R hatchbacks were all dismantled for scrap and the build of their current cars.

So we're only potentially looking at those two Eurotech Civics when it comes to availability for B-TEC.

[pimmy]

The series set up an FB page a couple of days ago.

[Racing Harz]

Kieran Gallagher in a VW CC from BKR.
http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/...opment-series/

[Jiiiiiiim]

Well the series is growing before it's even started, up to 14 races now as Brands & Rockingham will be holding 3 races over the meeting weekend!

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Jiiiiiiim

Well the series is growing before it's even started, up to 14 races now as Brands & Rockingham will be holding 3 races over the meeting weekend!

You mean Brands and Donington for the triple header rounds

EDIT: Assume you got that from Inside BTCC, they've got it wrong

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by redshoes

You mean Brands and Donington for the triple header rounds

EDIT: Assume you got that from Inside BTCC, they've got it wrong

It´s confirmed!
https://www.facebook.com/BTECDevelop...type=3&theater

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by redshoes

You mean Brands and Donington for the triple header rounds

EDIT: Assume you got that from Inside BTCC, they've got it wrong

Yep, that was the source, so apologies I copied their error!

[fergus_r]

x3 30 minute races...Yawn

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by fergus_r

x3 30 minute races...Yawn

Depends how many cars they get but unless there's 20+ cars I'd tend to agree.

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Depends how many cars they get but unless there's 20+ cars I'd tend to agree.

I think anywhere between 10-12 cars for this year...

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by fergus_r

I think anywhere between 10-12 cars for this year...

That's going to look pretty lame on any circuit unless they run a shared grid with another championship.

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's going to look pretty lame on any circuit unless they run a shared grid with another championship.

Exactly...I'd be happy if they just canned it, I can't see them getting more than 10 to be honest. I see no need for this championship whatsoever, you're much better off sticking to the TOCA package. Clio's, Ginetta's etc will always be the 'feeder series'...along with a heavy wallet.

[peebee2]

Er, its purpose is to sell old NGTC cars. Period.

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Er, its purpose is to sell old NGTC cars. Period.

Yeah, because there's a really big market for NGTC machinery outside the BTCC.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by fergus_r

Yeah, because there's a really big market for NGTC machinery outside the BTCC.

That's the point. It's exists solely to create that market.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's going to look pretty lame on any circuit unless they run a shared grid with another championship.

And that's why they should run another class for the former S2000 cars (or S2000 cars with the Swindon engine), lots of those around, although not cheap to run.

Either that or bin the idea and run the cars in Britcar!

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by andy97

And that's why they should run another class for the former S2000 cars (or S2000 cars with the Swindon engine), lots of those around, although not cheap to run.

Either that or bin the idea and run the cars in Britcar!

Either would make more sense than 10 (optimistic) cars tooling around for 30 minutes a pop. Why not add in a class for BTC cars as well? There's a few of those knocking about still. At least that way you might get an actual race rather than a procession of cars spaced out around the circuit which is what I fear will happen.

[sceptic]

If you have multiple classes, then you have to balance them, and that means someone spending money.

The idea of this championship is that it it low cost.

It really doesn't matter that someone on the banking finds 3 half-hour races boring, because nobody's doing it for the benefit of spectators.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by sceptic

If you have multiple classes, then you have to balance them, and that means someone spending money.

The idea of this championship is that it it low cost.

It really doesn't matter that someone on the banking finds 3 half-hour races boring, because nobody's doing it for the benefit of spectators.

Really, I thought that they pay their extortionate entrance fees in return for being entertained for the day?

[kipper]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Really, I thought that they pay their extortionate entrance fees in return for being entertained for the day?

Rightly or wrongly, the bulk of people watching at club events are generally connected to the entrants in some way or another. As such, I don't have a particular problem with the format of events being tailored around the needs of competitors.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by sceptic

If you have multiple classes, then you have to balance them, and that means someone spending money.

How so? Why not just run all the cars as they are and score them separately?

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by sceptic

It really doesn't matter that someone on the banking finds 3 half-hour races boring, because nobody's doing it for the benefit of spectators.

Why is their first round at a big Easter Truck race meeting then?