2024 Touring Car Thread - BTCC, TCR, and more.Touring Cars 

MagpieRacer
Yeah these are good theories, it's actually quite tricky to think of any other saloons currently available. Honda Accord maybe?
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The Accord isn't currently sold in the UK, although the current Civic is both longer and lower than the Focus they use right now, so that may be under consideration.

It's odd they say that the Focus is hampered by its aerodynamics when the Hyundai i30 is roughly the same proportion-wise and that almost won the championship.
 
Peugeot is a good shout. The 508 is roughly the same size as a 330, they have history in the championship, they already have interest at Le Mans and might want to add a GT3. Might be a nice way to further market the Sport Engineered brand.

210318_508psefbjl_0014.jpg
 
Bit of BMW news from another forum

WSR interview with Dick Bennetts on Facebook where he says 2 2-car teams for next year. So presumably two under the MB banner then.

And when asked about drivers, “two of them will be the same”.
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Har1MAS1415
Morgan might be leaving.
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Morgan did nothing really this season. A single podium and a handful of 4ths.

He's obviously a decent driver. He had a single outing in a TCR car and got a win and a 2nd place. But he's never finished better than 7th in the BTCC championship in 13 seasons.

The family stopped Ciceley Motorsport at the end of 2023 because of growing family commitments. It wouldn't surprise me if he retires from BTCC.
 
TheCracker
Morgan did nothing really this season. A single podium and a handful of 4ths.

He's obviously a decent driver. He had a single outing in a TCR car and got a win and a 2nd place. But he's never finished better than 7th in the BTCC championship in 13 seasons.

The family stopped Ciceley Motorsport at the end of 2023 because of growing family commitments. It wouldn't surprise me if he retires from BTCC.
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Wouldn't surprise me either.
 
EXCELR8/Bristol Street Motors are to strengthen their ties with Vertu and become "Team Vertu" for 2025.

btcc.net

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Transforms Into Team VERTU For 2025 BTCC Season • BTCC

After three hugely successful seasons, the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS name will evolve into Team VERTU on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid
btcc.net btcc.net

1000008462.jpg


Of course Tingram and Chilton remain as lead drivers, remains to see who takes the remaining spots. I'd say Zelos has a fine shout after his late season performances.
 
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Michelin Man
EXCELR8/Bristol Street Motors are to strengthen their ties with Vertu and become "Team Vertu" for 2025.

btcc.net

Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS Transforms Into Team VERTU For 2025 BTCC Season • BTCC

After three hugely successful seasons, the Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS name will evolve into Team VERTU on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid
btcc.net btcc.net

View attachment 1401026

Of course Tingram and Chilton remain as lead drivers, remains to see who takes the remaining spots. I'd say Zelos has a fine shout after his late season performances.
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Halstead brings money so he'll probably stay.
 
Har1MAS1415
So, Hybrid Power in the BTCC, success or failure?
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It's hard to look at it as anything other than a failure. It's last 3 seasons, cost a lot to develop, made the cars heavier. Though, it did have It's moments and good racing and 2024 was stronger in my opinion with the power from the boost being increased.

But to ditch it this quickly, kind of feels like they were always looking for an alternative from day 1.

To me, I find it interesting that the boost is being kept despite the hybrid going, so they clearly feel that isbthe best success penalty system to use irrespective of hybrid.
 
A surprising move, but ultimately one that's more positive in the long run. Plus with the cars being 55kg lighter without the hybrid whilst still running higher boost pressures, they should be a little more spectacular.

I'd say it's probably no surprise that cost and development will have been a key factor in hybrid being dropped so soon. And I'd say that probably contributed so somewhat to the drop in numbers of the grid.
 
It was a successful introduction and the racing has been fine. It is/was however an expensive and heavy solution, that didn't uniquely make the series much better for the spectators. I wouldn't deem it as a failure, but I won't particularly miss it.
 
MagpieRacer
It's hard to look at it as anything other than a failure. It's last 3 seasons, cost a lot to develop, made the cars heavier. Though, it did have It's moments and good racing and 2024 was stronger in my opinion with the power from the boost being increased.

But to ditch it this quickly, kind of feels like they were always looking for an alternative from day 1.

To me, I find it interesting that the boost is being kept despite the hybrid going, so they clearly feel that isbthe best success penalty system to use irrespective of hybrid.
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The article also mentions that the 'success' boost deployment is now not going to show up on the teams timing screens, although the LEDs in rear side window will still show when boost is being used so the spectators can see it. I think this is a good move as drivers were just counteracting it (if they still had it available) when a following driver was on boost. We are so deep into this era of regs that most of the cars are really close on performance, so overtaking is increasingly difficult. As much as i dislike the artificial nature of 'boost', i think its needed to keep overtaking possible. Like DRS in F1, its become a somewhat necessary evil.
 
I wish they'd make the LED indicator a bit more visible for TV viewers. Stick one on the roof or something. Most of the time I needed Tim Harvey to point it out.
 
A few more rule adjustments announced for next year, first of which being a complete freeze on engine specification for 2 years.

btcc.net

BTCC Confirms Further Rule Tweaks • BTCC

TOCA amends regulations for 2025 season
btcc.net btcc.net

The only one I have questions about is the new SC ruling. I feel it's a little confusing and could get complicated, least that's how it seems as a spectator.
 
Michelin Man
A few more rule adjustments announced for next year, first of which being a complete freeze on engine specification for 2 years.

btcc.net

BTCC Confirms Further Rule Tweaks • BTCC

TOCA amends regulations for 2025 season
btcc.net btcc.net

The only one I have questions about is the new SC ruling. I feel it's a little confusing and could get complicated, least that's how it seems as a spectator.
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The engine freeze makes sense, at least.
 
Interesting article about the BTCC's switch to sustainable fuels.
www.dive-bomb.com

BTCC switch to sustainable fuels, the start of a new future

Written by Benjamin Crundwell, Edited by Vyas PonnuriIn the last two decades, many racing series have experienced the infamous switch of big ICEs to smaller engines working with a battery, in the form of a hybrid system. This switch has been huge for the innovation of cleaner racing, however...
www.dive-bomb.com www.dive-bomb.com
 
Andrew Watson leaving Speedworks.

With Aiden Moffat also linked to WSR, Speedworks are going to be running out of drivers before too long, depending on what happens with Cookie and Huffy.
 
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Have they just acquired and rebranded Restart? That's their address on that website, the Cupras they ran last year. A bit odd.
 

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