2010 British Touring Car Championship

[Chris Cronshaw]

Isn't the Honda civic a hatchback, and the Honda Integra.
And the Leon's.
Seems abit strange but rules are rules i suppose.

 

[Trebor901]

none of them are allowed under NGTC either but they're super 2000 at the moment so they're allowed where as the punto was going to be built under NGTC not super 2000

 

[GAIAjohan]

Boo to those NGTC rules. Many small cars look so ugly as a sedan... Hatchbacks ftw..
Length shouldn't be some requirement imo...

We had Renault Clio's in our DTCC in the past.. And erm, they couldn't beat the BMW 3-series.. But were better than the Lexus IS200, Renault Mégane, Opel Astra and Mitsubishi Carisma.

Sigh, I would love to have some kind of DTCC again, even if they're group N like they were between 1996 and 2002.

 

[Andreas Hultgren]

Dunlop is intruducing a new grippier tyre for this years BTCC and reigning champion Colin Turkington say it might shake up things. "I think it's going to be very interesting this year with the introduction of the new tyre", said Turkington. "It's possibly going to change the characteristics of the racing."

"What I saw in the testing was quite unusual how the car reacted, so I'm looking forward to how that develops."

Turkington was one of the drivers testing the new tyre at Snetterton in October.

"The new tyre makes the car grip to the track more, so obviously the lap time becomes a bit quicker. Whether or not that will be the case this year I don't know, but I'm sure it will affect the racing a little bit."

The tyre will make its debut at Rockingham, due to the special requirements that the high-speed Thruxton (host of the opening rounds) circuit places on tyres.

Source | touringcartimes

 

[David Wright]

The art of journalism

Headline - new tyre will shake up the racing

First sentence - it might shake up things

First quote - It's possibly going to change the characteristics of the racing

Last quote - I'm sure it will affect the racing a little bit

But a headline saying new tyre will affect the racing a little bit doesn't have quite the same effect I suppose

 

[Andreas Hultgren]

That's what you get when you don't have a degree of what you are doing :tongue: I will let it be this time but think about it in the future... but the quotes are his, now mine

 

[Trebor901]

Alan Blencowe will replace Martyn Bell at Techspeed in an Integra this year, shame that Martyn is out due to injuries but i'm sure he'll be about the paddock at some point in the season having a laugh with teams / drivers and fans

 

[Andreas Hultgren]

Martyn Bell will have to sit out the 2010 season due to a hip injury he sustained last year in a fall while on holidays. In addition to that he will also have surgery to repair his back injuries he sustained in a heavy shunt at Snetterton in 2008.

"It's been common knowledge that I have been carrying an injury since July, but after extensive tests and treatment following the final round of the season at Brands Hatch, it has now been discovered that I suffered a fracture in my hip, and have now developed arthritis."
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
"Added to the fact that I also require surgery on a long-standing back injury, I've been forced into the difficult decision to sit out the 2010 season."

"I was looking forward to 2010 and am obviously disappointed that I won't be able to race this season, but it has reached the stage where I am in pain driving my road car, so surgery is the only option."

"It's not a decision I have taken lightly, but in reality I had no option. My sponsors and backers fully understand the reasons behind the decision and have already said that they will continue to support me despite this setback."

"To have that level of support behind me is fantastic and I thank them all for it, and I fully intend to be back in the BTCC in 2011."

Source | touringcartimes.com

 

[Andreas Hultgren]

John George has signed for Tech-Speed for the 2010 British Touring Car Championship. 48-year-old George will join teammate Paul O'Neill in one of the teams Honda Integras.

"This car is a much newer version of the Integra that I drove last year, so it should be quite a different animal speed-wise," said George.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
"I want to score 10 points in the championship, and want to improve on my best ever result of an eighth place."

Source | autosport.com

 

[Trebor901]

great to see John George is in BTCC this year, such a great guy no matter where he is in the race he's always thrashing whatever he drives and is a true BTCC underdog and underdog in btcc = true BTCC legend.

 

[Trebor901]

According to a writer for touring car times there will be an announcment imminently that will change the championship dramatically, i dont know what it could be but tbh there's a lot of speculation as to whether its race format change (back to 2 races) or a new manufacturer entry or 2 or 3

 

[Hannu Karesola]

I love the format as it is so hopefully they'll not chage it. Some more manufacturers would be awesome when WTCC is going downhill so fast. And tbh BTCC has offered much more entertaining racing. It is the most entertaining series in the world what becomes to overtaking and that kind of stuff.

EDIT:
They should sell good quality web stream access to outside UK people. I would easily pay 40€ for a season. Instead they are trying to do watching as difficult as possible.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

A merge with WTCC in 2011 to a new european serie: ETCC? Wishful thinking

 

[Trebor901]

i hope its new manufacturers because it will give it some of its life back and may tidy up some of the driving standards which have dropped a bit

 

[Michael Herrmann]

that would be pure awsomeness a new ETCC no more curitiba and such

 

[Trebor901]

no combining will happen because why would Alan Gow let FIA take over and completely ruin everything?

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Sounds like ETCC to me, but maybe under the control of actual BTCC management, which is not bad.

 

[Jon Trotter]

It could be anything really, but I think its more team related than anything to do with TOCA or racing formats etc, unless they are going down the same weight penalty system as WTCC - which would have a big effect, but I can't see Alan Gow going for it.

If its going to make a dramatic change to the championship then it has to be manufactuere related I guess. I wonder if its the offical announcement of that tweet about RML/Chevrolet/Plato that was posted and then later removed on twitter. Second guess would be BMW, but I can't see them supporting a team unless there was another manufacturer or 2.

I just don't see Giovanardi racing in 2010 or the return of a team such as GR-Asia being the kind of thing. I had read somewhere that Shedden was trying to get a SEAT Leon TDi but I doubt its that either as apparently he was turned down.

I hope it really is something big, and not something rather boring/ small.

 

[Craig Stevenson]

Myself and a mate are off to our first live race event, BTCC at Rockingham in April, only other thing I've been to prior to this was RAC Rally at Clumber Park some 20 odd years ago (had to see the 6R4's before they died) so quite looking forward to it and hopefully according to Rob's post we may be seeing something new. Always been a big fan of Touring Cars in general but BTCC in particular because the aggresive driving with a bit of contact here and there makes it exciting, I'd love to see more teams coming in and I think I'd quite like to go back to the two race format as well. Have to agree with Rob's comments about the FIA.

 

[Chris Cronshaw]

Just to let you know, a merger would not be beyond the realms of possibility, the MSA is ultimately governed by the FIA.
Similar to how a football league is ultimately governed by FIFA.
This obviousy doesn't apply to all motorsort governing bodies put in the case of the MSA who govern the BTCC it is.