[BTCC] 2008 Season

WTCC, BTCC, DTM and Aussie V8s
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Ian-S
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#136

Post by Ian-S »

Bottom post of the previous page:

The guy on the camera at Tower is really annoying me, has no-one told him how to use a Varizoom? The guy on the outside of the Esses isn't much better.

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#137

Post by kals »

Dan Eaves set to return to the BTCC after 2 1/2 years out.
Autosport.com wrote:Clyde Valley Racing to join BTCC

By Jamie O'Leary Monday, June 9th 2008, 14:04 GMT


Clyde Valley Racing will make their British Touring Car Championship debut next season with former race winner Dan Eaves and rookie Phiroze Bilimoria as their drivers.

The Scottish team, who will campaign a pair of bio-fuel SEAT Leons, will run under the Carbon Zero Racing banner with the aim of becoming the first racing team to go carbon neutral.

Team principal Colin Neill, who will also act as their test driver, is delighted to get his challenge underway after an aborted attempt to run a pair of Chevrolet Lacettis in 2007.

"That didn't happen because our sponsor pulled out, but we have all the funding in place now for next season thanks to our new backer and that's a great assurance to have so early in the year," Neill, who will entrust the management of the team to ex-SEAT works man Doug Bebb, told autosport.com.

"The cars are ex-WTCC machines, which we will be collecting in December, and we'll be running a number of tests to decide exactly what kind of biofuel to use in 2009, although the initial runs will be on E85."

Eaves, who has six BTCC wins to his name, returns to the fray after leaving Team Dynamics during the winter of 2005, and is expected to spearhead the team's development.

Bilimoria, by contrast, has not raced a front-wheel drive machine for eight years and has spent the intervening seasons in GT and Oval racing.
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#138

Post by kart99 »

Thats a case of believe it when I will see it, with this team. However, if they do get on the grid then thats another team on the grid.
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#139

Post by Speedworx »

This is great news.

I believe in this project more than the Alfas for this year.
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#140

Post by kals »

You know what, I'd completely forgotten about the Alfas. So much for Luther Blissett's big plan.
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#141

Post by kals »

After watching the BTCC races yesterday I wondered if it were time the three race format was changed or even ditched. When it was introduced the reverse grid was for race 2, which meant people (i.e. Plato) who were running in positions 7, 8 and 9 during race 1 would often slow before the line in order to gain the pole. Alan Gow didn't like that too much and made a change. Now the reverse grid is in race 3 and the order is chosen differently. However, with race 1 results making up the grid for race 2, the winners (and often most of the top 10) of race 2 are rarely than that of race 1. Out of the 8 rounds this year the winner of race 1 has gone on to win race 2 5 times. So should the BTCC go back to a 2 race format? I think so. The 3 race format is unique yes, but it's now becoming pretty boring IMO.
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#142

Post by kart99 »

No, I dont think they should. I like the 3 race format, and I dont really think it is becoming broing imo. Its something unique to the BTCC, and does provide action. Maybe twaek it a bit, possible, but they shouldnt go back to the 2 race format.
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#143

Post by Festa_PWR »

I think the whole BTCC format needs looking at.

Only 2 major manufacturers?? Now thats just crap. I know there are a few privateers, but thats not the point.

Remember the good old days of 1997? Volvo, Audi, Renault, Nissan, Vauxhall, Honda and Fords?

There were some immense battles back then, way more than the 2 horse race it is now. And good old Murray Walker commentating too!

I still like the touring car series for its rough racing....but BTCC for me is just plain boring now, and i havn`t watched a race for years.
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#144

Post by kart99 »

Festa_PWR wrote:I think the whole BTCC format needs looking at.

Only 2 major manufacturers?? Now thats just crap. I know there are a few privateers, but thats not the point.

Remember the good old days of 1997? Volvo, Audi, Renault, Nissan, Vauxhall, Honda and Fords?

There were some immense battles back then, way more than the 2 horse race it is now. And good old Murray Walker commentating too!

I still like the touring car series for its rough racing....but BTCC for me is just plain boring now, and i havn`t watched a race for years.
The fact that the BTCC has only two manufacturers isnt really the BTCC's fault now is it. And for the privateers, well, every championship has privateers and it just so happens that the BTCC has some of the biggest and most competitive teams out there. West Surrey Racing? Team Dynamics? Team BMW Dealer UK? Team Air Cool (Team GR Asia)? These are not small operations and demonstrate that it isnt just a two horse race.

The battles now are even more intense, and is one of the most exciting championships out there. Better than the WTCC, DTM etc etc imo. But as you say you havent watched the BTCC for ages, so you wouldnt know
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#145

Post by PTRACER »

Festa_PWR wrote:I think the whole BTCC format needs looking at.
Agreed. It seems like they're making up rules to artificially make it more exciting. I think the equivalent in say football is to tell all the players to face in the opposite direction to the kick off for the second half. Wouldn't see them doing something ridiculous like that, why should it happen in motorsport?
Festa_PWR wrote:I still like the touring car series for its rough racing....but BTCC for me is just plain boring now, and i havn`t watched a race for years.
I haven't followed the BTCC since 1999. After that, it became a joke when they introduced that second class of cars which made up more of the grid than the actual BTCC cars. Even at Brands Hatch as a spectator, most of us were bored when they split the races up and allowed 8 cars to run around on their own for 25 laps. And then said in Race 2 that the 8 cars get a 30 second head start. How pointless was that?!
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#146

Post by kals »

The 3 race format is unique, but my point is that the second race rarely provides any form of excitement. And the reason for this is two-fold:

1 - The leader tends to dominate / defend so that they win both first and second races. As I've already mentioned, this has happened 5 times out of a possible 8 this year and 6 times out of a possible 10 in 2007. Where is the excitement in watching one driver dominate 2 races without competition?
2 - The drivers don't tend to take risks in race 2 in case they can't compete in race 3. The only excitement in yesterday's race 2 was watching Darren Turner come through the field. But the only reason he was able to do that was because of the turbo-diesel advantage he had.
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#147

Post by Cheeveer »

kals wrote:The 3 race format is unique
No, not really.
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#148

Post by kals »

Cheeveer wrote:
kals wrote:The 3 race format is unique
No, not really.
Well it is in UK motorsport. But that's not really the point I'm trying to make now is it?
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#149

Post by Speedworx »

I love the 3 race format. Short, sharp racing just the way it should be.

The old format with a short and long race (with a pitstop) was terrible.
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#150

Post by OSNOF »

kals wrote:1 - The leader tends to dominate / defend so that they win both first and second races. As I've already mentioned, this has happened 5 times out of a possible 8 this year and 6 times out of a possible 10 in 2007. Where is the excitement in watching one driver dominate 2 races without competition?
The excitement is there, 2nd on back. Because the director isn't a numpty who spends the race following the leader only, it works very well.
kals wrote:2 - The drivers don't tend to take risks in race 2 in case they can't compete in race 3. The only excitement in yesterday's race 2 was watching Darren Turner come through the field. But the only reason he was able to do that was because of the turbo-diesel advantage he had.
That's sometimes the case. In others, we've had some cracking race 2 performances, Mat Jackson going from 18th-2nd at Croft being one.

I can tolerate a sometimes-rubbish race 2 for what almost always is a brilliant race 3. If the BTCC went back to longer races, it would also go back to where it was under Richard West, which is when Paul switched off. And I don't blame him.

It's artificial, yes. But find me an international or a top national series that doesn't artifically spice up the racing. Even F1 does it to some extent with the engine, gearbox and SC rules. Actually, no, I've found one- the DTM. And look how fucking boring that's gotten this year. And the important thing, the really important thing is that the ToCA package is selling out tracks. Oulton Park was packed to the rafters.
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#151

Post by kart99 »

OSNOF wrote: Oulton Park was packed to the rafters.
As was Knockhill, yesterday. There were around 28,000 poeple in Knockhill. And interestingly enough, there were a few thousand at Knockhill on the Saturday as well.

I dont really understand where this criticisim is coming from. The racing this year has been top notch - its provided more action in a race than the WTCC and definitly the DTM have manged all year. What more do you want? Alan Gows come back in, sorted the series out after the West years. Hes made changes which as far as I can see have done nothing but to benefit the championship. Attendences at tracks are near enough what they were in the late 90's (Knockhills crowd was the biggest since 1999), They have, lets face it, a brilliant television package now (although the presenters are a pain in the arse) which not only shows the BTCC, but support packages aswell - was that occuring in the 1990s.

I sometimes feel that people are looking back into their rose tinted glasses when they complain about the 3 race format, or bemoan the fact there are only two manufacturer backed teams in the championship. They seem to forget teams like Dynamics and WSR, and the fact there are pushing on 8 different manufactures in the championship. Manufacturer-backed teams will come (and if the rumours are true 1 other will be joining either 2009/10), but people have to understand that the BTCC that we have now is a completely different beast to the 1990s.

Gow, by implementing these changes has bascially created one of the best racing series out there, period. Its evolved and improved. It had to go through the bad times to bring back the good times. So stop bloody moaning about it.
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