BTCC going up or down?

[watchthisspace]

okay i would like to know what all you others think of the btcc at the moment?

okay we have some good cars, nice drivers, some okay racing, but it still just doesnt excite me anymore. I thought last season was a vast improvement on 2001 more cars, more drivers better racing more action, but this year it just seems to be lacking in my opinion, i cant quite put my finger on it? 2003 wont bring me back in 2004 like 2002 did.

I guess i am still willing the years of 94,95,97,98 to come back and get my taste buds rattling, love to see the bigger manufactuers back bringing with them the bigger and better named drivers. no offence but really the likes of Phil Bennett, Paul Wallace, Alan Blencowe and Jim Edwards would have looked a bit daft pitched against the likes of Tarquini, Winklehock, Menu and Rydell.

Well there is hope with Alan Gow doing his bit to raise the profile lets hope he brings it back as a spectacle and the pinacle of world touring cars something to pitch against V8 Supercars, Nascar and DTM, at the end of the day, i love racing so will always follow btcc but club racing is just as exciting as the btcc at current (Super Saloons) i think btcc needs sexing up!!

[Les]

we have had some cracking races this year and some not so good but that's just how it goes but at least we don't know what make of car is going to be on the top step any more.
There has been some some good races in the middle of the field but even I have to say the production class hasn't quite thrilled as much as there are so few of them and they get strung out.

The aggression seems to have been diluted down but whether it will return as the end of the season draws closer I don't know.

As for the drivers - you need all sorts. We have a lovely mixture of PR machines, emotion driven, quiet unassuming, larey, boring, exciting, big, small, friendly and remote men and boys. Maybe the only thing wrong is that there aren't enough of them!

Last year was great, this year needs a little work, next year... who knows.

[Claw]

Going down.

Half way through the BTCC coverge I was getting bored.

[Alan]

UP - you cannot judge a series on individual races can you?

And Croft really was not that bad - or have I missed something ie am I being swayed by the fact that I was there and I have seen the live coverage (recorded of course!) so didn't get the full impact of the ITV highlights. Or to put it another way - did the ITV highlights make the races look dull?

[Mocko]

Going up but not enough to make me plan my diary around it. The healthy number of spectators at Croft was good.

I still think that if we're to get a good mix of high motorsport enthusiasts and a little more casual race fans then the ideaology of the regs for the cars pitched around '92 should be put inplace around in 2006 and beyond (but maybe a bit more powerful!).

[LostInTheWoods]

I'm a recent convert to BTCC and so far so good in my opinion, that's just going on live tv coverage as have not been to a race yet!

[MG-ZS EX260]

'OK races'!!! OMG UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR! The rockingham races this year inparticular race 2 were/was/is the best race i have EVER seen, obviously your not a particualr fan of any particualr manufacturer. I actually get nervous at the start of a BTCC race and when any MG gets knocked out or has a problem im gutted, properly gutted, im very passionate about the BTCC and especially MG, i know it sounds sad, sorry!

[MG Freak]

Going up

BTTC fell, and there was the tough task of re-building it. The races have been as exciting, more manufactors are joining, and the competiton is closer.

If BTTC cars have increased power, this costs the manufactors more money, and MG and Proton would struggle to field 2 cars.

As with the current power ouputs, and the cheap-ish cost of running the cars, there is a little bit of contact, which makes the races more exciting. If the power is increased it will turn into F1 where contact is very rare.

As soon as a few more manufacters return..as they slowly are, and so with the supporters, it will improve. Give Alan Gow a chance, the BTTC has come on leps and bounds in the last few years, and i have a feeling it won't be to long before it returns to its hay-day.

[Craig Antill]

Afraid, to a degree, I have to agree with watchthisspace... the BTCC is pretty good but it's just not got that extra x factor like it once had. It had it at the CART meeting, and Rockingham was great too, hopefully the Snetterton race will be good. But it shouldn't have to rely on these 'gimmicky' events to have that sense of occasion that would have you looking forward to being part of for ten days ahead!

I remember the old days when I would drive up to Oulton Park leaving home at 4am to be there for 7ish, the traffic would be that heavy and the crowd so big that if you didn't you'd not see anything! I remember getting there and watching the teams set up for the day, watching the trade stands being set up, watching the people streaming through the gates. I remember the excitement as race time approached and I remember great teams such as Alfa Corse and Schnitzer - there is no two ways about it - BTCC is not what it once was.

But the question is, will it ever be? Probably not. They were exceptional times. I'm probably gonna take a bit of a break from the sport after Snetterton but I am loking forward to next year and seeing what cars and manufacturers we get. With the CART event returning and the series supporting the GP I have high hopes. The fact that teams are already showing high interest in the ETCC rules is a huge plus point - let's just hope the current teams stick with the series. Add three or four more teams and the uncertainty of the ETCC/BTCC FWD/RWD cars and things really could be pretty memorable.

Please let's pray we get drivers, no characters, such as Menu, Rydell, Tarquini, et al. back too! Time will tell - the next six to twelve months are literally gonna make or break this series. It could be great but, watchthisspace, all I can say is WATCH THIS SPACE!

[John]

Originally posted by MG Freak
Going up

BTTC fell, and there was the tough task of re-building it. The races have been as exciting, more manufactors are joining, and the competiton is closer.

If BTTC cars have increased power, this costs the manufactors more money, and MG and Proton would struggle to field 2 cars.

As with the current power ouputs, and the cheap-ish cost of running the cars, there is a little bit of contact, which makes the races more exciting. If the power is increased it will turn into F1 where contact is very rare.

As soon as a few more manufacters return..as they slowly are, and so with the supporters, it will improve. Give Alan Gow a chance, the BTTC has come on leps and bounds in the last few years, and i have a feeling it won't be to long before it returns to its hay-day.

Major flaw in the argument is that its the BTCC not the BTTC, but thats just me being pedantic! ;)

[Bill]

As Mr. Antill has said, I feel the championship has lost the X-Factor. I feel that the death of it was the end of 2001. 2002 was fairly good due to the variety of cars being competitive, but 2001 was the last time the BTCC had the needed ferocity that has mede it such a compelling series - clashes of real personalities, with these personalities reflected in their on track actions. Now, i feel the real problem is the up and coming drivers who are too frightened to race with any real assertion or character. Since we lost the characters such as Plato, Cleland, Menu, Rydell and Tarquini, all we're left with is Muller, Neal and Reid, and a bunch of others who do nothing interesting at all. More proper professional drivers would help bring the excitement back.

[John]

Highly unlikely I know........

BUT what would be great is if TOCA funded a guest car (like in the Porsches) eg the 3rd Honda/vauxhall/MG etc and got high profile drivers to race at each event - eg ex champions like Tarquini, Rydell, Menu and other 'celebs' like ex GP drivers etc.

I know it'll never happen - theres the fact that many of these drivers have contracts with other car companies who would probably not want to let their driver go and give publicity to a rival by driving their car, but we can dream!

[mg-fan]

well i think that f1 its a bit boring becuz all u see is drivers going around da track BUT in touring cars u see alot more action n i definatly would recoment watching it :)

[mark]

Totally agree, BTCC has not had it's X - factor since 2000 in my opinion. The end of super touring took it with it, even though it finished due to it's own fault (high cost etc). The things I think that are responsible for this loss in Xcitement(!) are:

Cars - They do look good today, but not as good in Super Touring, the super tourers had a real presence about them where as in todays cars they look good, but slightly false. Prob due to oversized rear wing, reduction in car size, added plasticy body panels (i.e steps! on side of cars) and smaller wheels. The ETCC cars although running near identical setups, have smaller rear wing and hardly no add ons which I think looks better/more realistic.

Drivers/characters - sure we've lost a few, cleland, tarquini, menu, rydell but we've still got thommo, reid, muller, leslie, neal, from the old days so it's not that bad, but obviously have to let younger drivers have a chance to achieve that status.

Tourers/Prod - Tourers need to race seperately from Prod, no questions about it. This I think will help return it to some normality.

THe cart and F1 meeting s next year will hopefully give the series an extra boost that it needs and hopefully open it up to plenty of fans that never really followed it that much if at all.

I think the cars are fast enough and loud enough, they certainly are when you go to see them at the circuit. TV can never convey those aspects even if it is live.

[Ed- the MG fan]

Going up!!

But I wouldn't classify Thopmson as a character of the BTCC.

[bramble]

As has been said before, the series really does need to attract some world class drivers, who are already famous to bring back the element its missing.

If the ETCC can get drivers like Zanardi, then why cant the BTCC?

[Jamie P-E]

I think that the BTCC is on the UP.

The races have been better, the results are not Vauxhall, Vauxhall, Vauxhall all the time, if fact Croft was the first meeting that an Astra Coupe didn't win either race. The Production Class has been alot closer than last year. In 2002 it was either Kaye, Simon or Pyper doing most of the winning. where as this year the results have been haven't been a Civic walk over. My only complaint about the TOCA Tour is the lack of consistancy of the TOCA Radio which can get very irretating. Apart from that Roll on 2004:D :D :D

Jamie

[Peter]

The series is on the up, following a trough.

I really don't think you can compare the current series to the glory days of the mid-90's, due to the unfortunate economic climate and the current strategies of manufacturers, many of whom are focusing on Formula 1, as opposed to national series.

That said, manufacturers are returning to the series. We now have 4 manufacturers (hopefully Seat and Alfa will alson join the fold next year), as opposed to the 2 of 2001. That would therefore suggest the series is on the up.

The attendances are also slowly increasing this season. For example, the attendance at Croft a fortnight ago was a damn sight better than previous seasons.

The racing and competitiveness is also on the up. At present, any one of three manufacturers stand a highly realistic chance of winning a race. I must remind you that the current season is no less close than the 1997 season.

[touringlegend]

I'd say it's on the up, and what I'm about to say will be a problem that will be solved soon if more international drivers come in...


It is that the BTCC lacks the "internationalism" it once had pre-2001. Look at us now, the only foreigner we have is Muller, the rest are all Brits. Back in 1999 when I first watched the BTCC, one of the pre-race features on the BBC was that there was a lack of Brits in the series and that Plato had been the last Brit to sign two years previous!! Look at the names we had, Tarquini, Rydell, Menu, Aiello, Biela, Kristensen etc etc... my point is they are all hardly names that someone down your street would have, ie Thompson or Morrison!!

Once the new manufcaturers arrive with their foreigners we will be on the up again.

Also, the thing about spectators is funny regarding manufacturers. To get more manufacturers you have to get more spectators, but to get more spectators you must have more manufacturers...

[Mocko]

Despite the BTCC coming on since '01 it's definitely in the shadow of a lot of other forms of motorsport. Rallying, F1, British Superbikes, DTM, Ozzie V8's.

If we are to see a the boom days back of the mid 90s I'm glad I'll be here to see it because it will be one hell of a turnaround.

[bramble]

Maybe a lot of the status the BTCC got during the 90's had something to do with it being on a big programme like Grandstand, where it was shown alongside the F1, premiership football and the like.

[Alan]

BTCC will always be in the shadow of F1, WRC and WSB (and even BSB) but I don't think it is now, or ever has been in the shadow of DTM or Oz V8's.

It is a national series not a world series, so you can't compare it with the coverage and support which some of the above get.
If it were not for satellite and cable the following of DTM and Oz V8's would be negligible in the UK (and possibly is anyway).

What we should be aiming for, realistically is the support which the British Superbike Series gets (but maybe not the tv coverage - is it me or is it Sky only now?). Mind you, alot of the circuits will have to get their act very seriously sorted traffic wise or there will be chaos!!

Somehow "normal" people must be attracted to come to the BTCC, and I don't know how that can be done (except giving away tickets in the specialist press is not the way!).

[touringlegend]

What still amazes me is how hugely popular the BSB and WSBK's are in the UK yet they recieve hardly any national press coverage at all! Even the BTCC get's more column inches(mm's to be honest) than bikes in the rags!! Maybe bike events are more popular because a lot of the bikers on the road enjoy these events, whereas every tom, dick and harry has a car yet they don't all follow car racing.


There was a feature on Audi Sport UK's Le Mans programme on Men & Motors the other night, on it one of the Le Mans Radio commentators mentioned how Le Mans is the biggest British Motorsport event as it gets 70,000 Brits over the channel. They need to get there facts right as Brands Hatch got 120,000 spectators on Sunday!!!