Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship 2013 Season Thread

  • Thread starter Tom
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Ardius
I'd rather have a team of fast drivers who have never worked with each other before than a team of drivers who have worked with each other for years.
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That's fine by me. Each to their own. If that floats yer' boat then far be it for me to impede. I value pace very highly indeed but pacey drivers is by no means the only thing that is important to me personally. As has been shown in football with regard to the tenure of their managers, if you allow time to grow and mature something then things do improve. The element of time is for me only a bonus to add to the more important elements like pace mind you...but a very key bonus.

I never expected the MG6 GT to be strong last season. I knew from the get-go that Team Dynamics was going to whip 888's arse every time. The MG6 showed too many problems in with reliability and consistency to deny this is obviously a formative year. Look at Oulton Park. JP couldn't even make the start of Race 1 because of a technical issue.

Ardius
The reason the other teams are not as close recently is because Honda have the biggest budget. 888, WSR and Motorbase should be closer this year and two of them have improved driver line-ups.
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I think we can deduce one of the teams who has improved driver line-up. And I cannot think of two other drivers to better the improvements. The arrival of Turks' heralds the return of a great quality and in Sam Tordoff we have a young talent with matured potential who wasn't thrown in at the deep end. He circulated around the TOCA package gaining experience and wins as he went. I supported him in his days at TCR in the Clio's and what was evident to me was his potential even then.

But for 888 and Motorbase the thing that will really have brought them closer to TD is the fact the teams now have had time to work on the car and get it reliable and consistent as well as fast when they didn't have that ability to claim a year ago.

It is going to be a heck of a season and I hope it ain't going to be as easy as it was last time for TD.
 
Dynamics still clearly have a bigger budget than the rest though, seeing as they're currently pounding around 4 different race tracks in test sessions. You don't see 888 or WSR out there at the moment.
 
Ardius
Dynamics still clearly have a bigger budget than the rest though, seeing as they're currently pounding around 4 different race tracks in test sessions. You don't see 888 or WSR out there at the moment.
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That much is obvious. No matter how much work the main rivals do it changes nothing. Team Dynamics still are streets ahead and are the team to beat. But as the standard bearer I believe it is easier for rivals to work on developing the car because they have something to work from as a template. But TD are moving also. Continually developing the Civic. Which they can do more effectively because of the huge budget.
 
Via BTCC FB:

When it comes to BTCC heroes they don't come much more spectacular than highly flying Patrick Watts. With his bespectacled schoolboy looks, Patrick looked like your everyday book-keeper but sat in a front-wheel-drive race car he grew horns. Sadly neither the Mazda Xedos nor Peugeot 405 he raced in the 1990s were born BTCC winners but that did nothing to deter our fearless friend!

And now breathtaking Patrick is preparing for a massively welcome tin-top comeback. He's just bought two ex-works BTCC Peugeot 406s (as raced by Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich in 1998) and plans to pick up where he left off. Watts is going to contest an exciting new race series set up specially for 1990's style Super Tourers. The concept of retro races for the previous generation of BTCC cars was hatched at last summer's Silverstone Classic when a host of GpA and Super Touring Cars – Sierra Cosworths, BMW M3s, Nissan Primeras, Vauxhall Cavaliers et al – rolled back the years with two hugely evocative races. Now with Mr Watts joining the tin-top grid we can expect even more fireworks come July's running of the Silverstone Classic.
 
Lea would love the Speedworks drive but has to get the budget together first - spoke to him earlier today and he made comment on how is seems to be even tougher this year, as can be seen by the fact Paul hasn't already filled the vacant seat with Speedworks.
 
Furinkazen
Via BTCC FB:

When it comes to BTCC heroes they don't come much more spectacular than highly flying Patrick Watts. With his bespectacled schoolboy looks, Patrick looked like your everyday book-keeper but sat in a front-wheel-drive race car he grew horns. Sadly neither the Mazda Xedos nor Peugeot 405 he raced in the 1990s were born BTCC winners but that did nothing to deter our fearless friend!

And now breathtaking Patrick is preparing for a massively welcome tin-top comeback. He's just bought two ex-works BTCC Peugeot 406s (as raced by Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich in 1998) and plans to pick up where he left off. Watts is going to contest an exciting new race series set up specially for 1990's style Super Tourers. The concept of retro races for the previous generation of BTCC cars was hatched at last summer's Silverstone Classic when a host of GpA and Super Touring Cars – Sierra Cosworths, BMW M3s, Nissan Primeras, Vauxhall Cavaliers et al – rolled back the years with two hugely evocative races. Now with Mr Watts joining the tin-top grid we can expect even more fireworks come July's running of the Silverstone Classic.
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Yeah they're also going to be at the Oulton Park Gold Cup. :D I might make the trip to that for the first time (normally I only really visit Oulton for BTCC and British GT).
 
Furinkazen
Via BTCC FB:

When it comes to BTCC heroes they don't come much more spectacular than highly flying Patrick Watts. With his bespectacled schoolboy looks, Patrick looked like your everyday book-keeper but sat in a front-wheel-drive race car he grew horns. Sadly neither the Mazda Xedos nor Peugeot 405 he raced in the 1990s were born BTCC winners but that did nothing to deter our fearless friend!

And now breathtaking Patrick is preparing for a massively welcome tin-top comeback. He's just bought two ex-works BTCC Peugeot 406s (as raced by Tim Harvey and Paul Radisich in 1998) and plans to pick up where he left off. Watts is going to contest an exciting new race series set up specially for 1990's style Super Tourers. The concept of retro races for the previous generation of BTCC cars was hatched at last summer's Silverstone Classic when a host of GpA and Super Touring Cars – Sierra Cosworths, BMW M3s, Nissan Primeras, Vauxhall Cavaliers et al – rolled back the years with two hugely evocative races. Now with Mr Watts joining the tin-top grid we can expect even more fireworks come July's running of the Silverstone Classic.
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Frank Warthall was at the Silverstone Classic in 2012 - he won his races plus I saw him and the team. If anyone hasn't gone they should, watching classic touring cars to the Group C Le Mans cars is just brilliant to watch.

Also Rob Huff is staying in WTCC so guess we won't see him in the BTCC grid with a lower end team.
 
He's been the Blancpain Endurance Series commentator for the last couple of years.

He'll suit people who didn't like Moody's energetic style. I like them both myself.



That's him.
 
Also, Lea Wood will be in a second Speedworks Avensis providing he can get the backing.
 
With drivers signed, think its 26 - more if you include the likes of AmD with seats to be filled.

As for how many will be ready for Brands, wait and see.
 
raceorama123432
He was annoying, he hardly ever got the right drivers names
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Give the guy a break, he's been doing MotoGP for many years and show me a commentator who never makes a mistake!
I thought Toby does a great job, has a good rapport with Tim and is enthusiastic.

You don't know how much worse it can get - thank the heavens we haven't got Martin Haven or Will Buxton, with their horrible "I know best" attitude and constant speculation and criticism of certain drivers.

Its hardly a crime to get drivers names wrong when you have barely any means of telling them apart at a glance (keep in mind the commentator isn't just starting at screen but also glancing at timing screens, out the window and sharing notes with the producer/co-commentator).

Anyway, I'm happy with David Addison, he's knows his stuff and has done BTCC review commentary before (I think?). I think the main thing is keeping Tim Harvey in the box too 👍

Furinkazen
Fiesta and Seat racer David Nye joins Welch Motorsport... in a S2000 Focus!
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The OP needs badly updating now - needs Neate's team adding, Will Fuller+Rob Holland at team HARD, Liam Griffin at Motorbase and now this too.

Might be an idea to organise the list NGTC and S2000 seperately, so its easier to identify the Jack Sears runners? 💡
 
Apologies, will get on it when I get about five minutes.

EDIT: Done.
 
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Just a quick correction - Ollie Jackson isn't confirmed in the AmD Golf. The team has yet to name its drivers.
 
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:lol: @ at a reply to Rob Austin posting on FB that there are rumours of a full 32 car entry this year in BTCC:

"Awwww poor Chris James"

"That great. Will give Andy Neate plenty to look at when he's touring at the back of the pack."
 
Ardius
Give the guy a break, he's been doing MotoGP for many years and show me a commentator who never makes a mistake!
I thought Toby does a great job, has a good rapport with Tim and is enthusiastic.

You don't know how much worse it can get - thank the heavens we haven't got Martin Haven or Will Buxton, with their horrible "I know best" attitude and constant speculation and criticism of certain drivers.

Its hardly a crime to get drivers names wrong when you have barely any means of telling them apart at a glance (keep in mind the commentator isn't just starting at screen but also glancing at timing screens, out the window and sharing notes with the...
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I know that. Its just that Ben and Tim seemed almost faultless. Tobys had great enthusiasm was great. The sudden change just got to me
 
raceorama123432
I know that. Its just that Ben and Tim seemed almost faultless. Tobys had great enthusiasm was great. The sudden change just got to me
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I don't know if its just me but I watch the BTCC from 2004-2011 and it seems like Ben and Tim don't get along in some ways. Tim makes a point and Ben just seems to ignore it/talk about something else.

I liked Toby, he seemed to listen to Tim more and talk about his point more - it felt like they really worked well together. They made mistakes but their job is quite difficult - talking on the spot about what you see with no room for thinking, its probably harder than people think.
 

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