ASK ALAN: AUGUST

26th August 2021

As preparations continue ahead of a crucial race weekend at Thruxton, the Official BTCC website has been collating your questions in order to gather exclusive answers from series Chief Executive Alan Gow. 

Here’s the latest selection of your questions and Alan’s answers, with many more to come throughout the year: 

How difficult was it to reshuffle this year's schedule around the easing of restrictions and all the other events that circuits host along with ITV4 broadcasting commitments?(Andrew Barke) 

To be honest, this year was far easier than last year, given there were fewer date changes to deal with. But it was still a difficult and very complex process, particularly with all the major sports rescheduled this year (Euro 2020, Olympics etc) 

Are fans allowed in the paddock for the remainder of the season to have their photos taken with a driver? (Ross Mansbridge) 

The paddocks are open as normal and would only close them again if government regulations required us to do so. 

Is TOCA/BTCC interested in taking its formula elsewhere in the world?(Kieran Johns) 

If another country is interested in taking our regulations, we would be happy to assist. 

Would you consider running a two-car max per team to allow other teams to compete? (Barry Curtis) 

It actually wouldn’t make any real difference, as the larger teams would simply split themselves into smaller teams in order to comply with a two-car limit. 

Is there opportunity in the future to have two rounds at Donington, one on the national circuit and another round on the GP circuit like at Brands Hatch? (Ian Leach) 

If Donington were to have two rounds, we would certainly use the two different layouts. 

When you had the break from running the BTCC, did you think when you came back ‘what have they done’, or did you think of the opportunity to fix it? (Dave Cox) 

Oh, I had both those thoughts, but used much stronger words… 

Just wondering if mandatory pitstops ever enter the conversation? Or perhaps the race format, lack of tyre drop-off and environmental impact just means it isn't worth doing? (Kenny Ramsey) 

Mandatory pitstops were only introduced because the racing wasn’t really that great at the time and it would help spice it up.  We certainly don’t have that problem anymore, so to have pitstops now would only break-up the great racing we enjoy. 

If you could make any rule change in the BTCC, what would it be? And why? (Katie Lou) 

Fortunately, I’m in the position to make whatever rule changes are needed, for the good of the BTCC.  

When can we expect more news about the new BTCC game? And what level of interaction will there be between the real and virtual championship? How far along is the new BTCC video game and are we going to see the new hybrid TOCA cars in it too as well as the super class from the 90s? (Darrell Bishop & Steven Rickwood) 

I’ve no doubt that the BTCC game developer, Motorsport Games, will announce updates and details on the new game as they progress towards its release next year.  

With PMR giving a number of drivers the opportunity to take part in the 2020 campaign, would you ever consider having a TOCA "club car" with a different young driver each weekend? No ballast, no points, just experience & exposure. (Alex Harris) 

Apart from the fact that we don’t have a spare few hundred thousand pounds that it would cost, it’s also not TOCA’s role to groom new drivers… that’s what good race teams do, in order to secure their future star drivers. 

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