New look BTCC in 2007!!

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Source: http://www.btcc.net/artman/publish/article_768.php

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be contested by cars complying with the FIA ‘Super 2000’ technical regulations from 2007 onwards, BTCC Series Director Alan Gow has confirmed today.

The anticipated move was ratified at the TOCA/BTCC teams meeting last week. The meeting also resulted in some additional changes to the BTCC’s technical and sporting regulations, notably the third race reversed grid rule.

Today’s announcement means that all participants have been given ample notice to plan for the future when the BTCC’s current technical regulations – which currently permit both S2000 and BTC-spec cars – expire at the end of next season.

Gow comments: “This is the obvious way forward for the BTCC as most touring car championships throughout Europe will also run to S2000 regulations, as will the World Touring Car Championship. I confidently predict that this will massively strengthen the BTCC and I’m very excited about the future this change brings to the championship.

“Manufacturers now have one set of technical regulations to follow when deciding to compete, making it much simpler for them to enter the championship. It’s the most logical decision for the championship and, had the BTCC’s existing regulations that I inherited not been set in stone until the end of next year, then I would probably have taken this decision earlier.

“Additionally, in order to ensure that the cars are relevant to the UK car market, any ‘new-build’ car entered from 2007 will also have to be based on a model which is readily available through authorised dealer networks across Europe.”

Manufacturers currently contesting the WTCC with cars built to S2000 specification include Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet and SEAT while other teams have run cars representing companies such as Ford, Honda and Peugeot.

Gow adds: “We will also permit any current BTC-spec cars to continue in the championship for 2007 and 2008, and possibly 2009. These can only be run by independent teams and with certain technical restrictions – meaning they won’t be able to challenge for outright wins or outright championship honours.”

Reversed Grids

The current system used to decide the top ten starting grid positions for the third race at each meeting has been revised. In 2006, the number of grid places to be reversed for race three’s starting grid will vary between six and ten. The actual number will be unknown at each race meeting until it is randomly drawn by the winner of race two, immediately after that race.

Gow says: “The reverse grids are very popular with the media, our TV audiences and the race day crowds so it’s important that they stay as part of the entertainment.

“Our decision to vary the number of positions to be reversed, on an entirely random and unknown basis, means that all drivers will have to go flat-out through the whole race – not knowing if they will be the beneficiary of a reverse grid slot. This will mean even more spectacular action for our fans.”

The BTCC teams’ meeting also agreed, for 2006:
- to continue with the current specification Dunlop control tyre

- to increase the base-weight of BTC-spec cars to 1175kg while maintaining the difference in base weight between BTC and S2000-spec cars as that which existed at the end of the 2005 season, for the start of the 2006 season

- to penalise cars of those who enter the BTCC late, or dip in and out of the championship, with a maximum success ballast at their first meeting or on their return. The amount of ballast would then be reduced in the second meeting and again in the third meeting in which that car competes
 
I think that the writing was on the wall with regard to the BTC-spec cars. It was widely regarded as inevitable quite a few months ago.

I like the change to the Reverse Grid rules. It wasn't good beforehand: any racing rule that encourages drivers to drive slowly is wrong, in my book.
 
It comes full circle. Once, the world followed the lead of the BTCC (Super Touring), now the BTCC falls in line with the world championship.

I think it's a smart move on the part of the BTCC, something I've been hoping they would do. The S2000 rules should bring a lot of manufacturers back to the BTCC and create another "golden era" for the series.

I just hope Speed Channel will actually show some BTCC races here in the States (like Speedvision used to).
 
I hope this new look will bring back the likes of BMW and Ford mates.
 
Read the link, I think i remember seeing some specs on S2000 racing for BTCC.
 
To get an idea of the Super 2000 cars, check out the World Touring Car Championship's website: www.fiawtcc.com

The series has BMW, Alfa Romeo, Seat, Ford and Chevrolet, with others either annouced or rumored to be entering in the near future.

Again, I think this is nothing but good news for the BTCC.
 
Apart from a look at the results I haven't had much to do with the WTCC. It looks to me as though Super 2000 are closer to the production version than the current BTCC cars. Correct?
While this may be good for the series now would people like to see the BTCC return to the Super Tourers we saw in the mid 90's? The BTCC was so popular then that we had a TV package here in Australia. Alan Gow even bought the Super Tourers to Australia. He claimed that the V8's were dinosaurs and that in a few years the V8's would be extinct and Super Tourers would be the only touring car category in the country. That was 1997 and there is no longer a Super Tourer category in Australia. Some of the old 2 litres car can be seen in combined touring car races here but that's it.
I would like to see a BTCC or S2000 type series here but we don't have the economy to support two professional motor racing series and while the purists would watch, the masses only care about the V8 series. Apart from that, AVESCO seem to go out of their way to stomp and crush any other series that may pose a threat to their V8 Supercars.
 
I still hope it brings the likes of Ford back, with them racing the new Focus ST.
 
Schrodes
While this may be good for the series now would people like to see the BTCC return to the Super Tourers we saw in the mid 90's? The BTCC was so popular then that we had a TV package here in Australia. Alan Gow even bought the Super Tourers to Australia. He claimed that the V8's were dinosaurs and that in a few years the V8's would be extinct and Super Tourers would be the only touring car category in the country. That was 1997 and there is no longer a Super Tourer category in Australia. Some of the old 2 litres car can be seen in combined touring car races here but that's it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, ST in Australia didn't last long, did it? One of my favorite videos I have is the highlights show of the 1997 or 1998 Super Touring Bathurst 1000, with the Volvo of Rydell/Jim Richards barely beating the Nissan of (somebody help me on this one...) Steven(?) Richards. Factory cars from Volvo, Audi, Nissan, Ford and Vauxhall, great racing and a close finish. I re-watch that tape several times during the year.

Super Touring was great, (even us Yanks got to see British and Australian Super Touring races) but it's in the past. S2000 is the [present and near future for Touring Car racing. (Until the cars go too fast, costs get out of line, etc. Then we'll start all over.)
 
Hehe, I wouldn't mind if they brought the old Mondeo's back! :D Just to hear some chattering wastegates in BTCC again...

This should be great news for the BTCC. At the moment it's quite sad seeing only two works teams. I remmeber when there were the likes of Peugeot 406(?)es, Renault Laguna's, Mondeo's, those mental Volvo's, Accords, hell even the stunt-car Vauxhall Calibras! :D
 
Mulsanne
Yeah, ST in Australia didn't last long, did it? One of my favorite videos I have is the highlights show of the 1997 or 1998 Super Touring Bathurst 1000, with the Volvo of Rydell/Jim Richards barely beating the Nissan of (somebody help me on this one...) Steven(?) Richards.
Click to expand...
It was Steven Richards. He drove with Matt Neal that year. Richards had spent some time in the UK driving a Primera in the BTCC.
 
Thank you. I couldn't for the life of me remember his co-driver. I haven't watched the video in some time. Still, it was a great race. MOV was just seconds after six hours of hard racing with some really awesome cars.
 
Has anyone kept a close eye on the WTCC races this year? Has the racing been close and good at all? I saw a couple of races. I actually saw the one at Silverstone and was massively dissapointed, they promised a close race and formula 1 was closer than the race at silverstone this year. The other races I saw (can't remember which ones) weren't great either - the racing wasn't that close as the cars quickly spread out. I dunno this could be the way the events are run or something to do with the tracks (they tend to run the races on big international track e.g. silverstone, monza etc and not quite Knockhill or brandshatch).
In theory it's a very good idea, but could this if anything destroy the racing?
 
I think if Ford return to BTCC, they could use the Focus ST.
 
*old thread bump*

Looking back at what the BTCC used to be, it's quite sad to compare it to today. There's still a lot of old websites around that call it "the most competitive racing series in the world." Hopefully the switch to Super 2000 will bring the 'glory days' back. :)

=\ Wow, i'm only 15 and i'm feeling nostalgic about the BTCC. :scared:
 

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